Slipping on the Updates...Brown Ale is Bottled!

On 9/23 I decided to move the beer into a secondary fermenter and add maple syrup boiled in water to give it a little maple flavor and maybe boost the ABV a bit - as it was looking like a "near-beer" coming in around 3.4%.

After five days, and two consecutive gravity readings of 1.014, I decided to bottle it tonight.

Rachael assisted in the process - with me filling the bottles and she worked the capper.  Ended up with minimal spillage on the floor, 37 - 12 oz. bottles and 6 - 22 oz. bottles.  Hopefully they are not over-carbonated or filled to much resulting in a bottle bomb.  Put them in the basement just in case.

They will cellar for three or four weeks and be ready for sampling October 18th or 25th.

Had a small amount left in the bucket as bottling winded down so filled a glass as well.  Poured a nice dark brown, not too cloudy so think everything settled nicely.  Taste was obviously flat, but flavors were a pretty smooth brown ale -- not sure if I could pick up the maple or not.

Given that the status is now just 43 bottles sitting in a plastic tote in the cellar - I don't anticipate an update on this brew...however, the ingredients for the second batch have arrived - and I anticipate beginning that sometime this week possibly or at the latest the weekend.