How to do everything but brew beer

2006 was a very crazy year for me.

I worked hard so I could get a transfer to Chicago, and once in Chicago invested in a bar.

All of which left me very little time for brewing.

Plus I left my fermenters, kegs, airlocks, etc in New York (ok, I left everything but the grain mill).

My first batch in Chicago was an imperial raspberry stout, but the raspberry's were contaminated with mold, I did a poor job of pasteurizing them in the microwave, and a week later I had an inch of mold on my fermenter. Luckily it was a carboy, my tubing and racking cane were also contaminated and had to go.

I poured the beer down the drain (still smelled amazing).

So much for 2006 (actually the stout didn't get contaminated until 2007).

Things are less crazy now, just bottled a simple honey brown and have a batch of my spiced cider going (a disaster in it's own right).