Day 34

When the mix hit the month-mark and there was still no mold or atrocious odor, I decided to go into my official Thinker Pose and try to figure out what the hell we did. With my fist at my chin and a contemplative look on my face, I pondered our quandry with every bit of scientific knowledge I had. (So you know I didn't ponder too long.)

What my pea-sized, beer-addled brain decided was that the two beers we added contained just enough alcohol to keep the nastiest of the bacteria at bay. It was going to be relatively warm outside over the next few days, so I decided to take the top off the jar and stick the mix outside, in hopes that some of the alcohol would evaporate before the freezing weather returned. Even though my deck is screened in, I used one of my high-quality restaurant-grade strainers to cover the top of the jar, to keep any foreign material from getting inside.

Day 34. Less liquid. More "sediment." Note the clean counter.

I just went outside to retreive the jar and I got a pleasant surprise: Even though the mix doesn't have a vomit-inspiring stench, the odor that was present is much more intense. I wasn't even near the jar when I first stepped outside and smelled it. There is also a lot more junk below the liquid level. And most importantly, the level of liquid has decreased dramatically. Alcohol evaporates at a lower temperature than water, so I have to assume some of the alcohol from the beer is now gone. The jar is now back inside the house with the lid on.