Bottling day at the ranch for the German style lager we brewed. Started on Monday, completed Saturday night. Not too bad, as far as hobbies go, and much of the week was spent waiting – as is the case for most things around here, like waiting for dough to rise, or seeds to germinate, or something to ripen, or a canvas to dry. When the bees finally arrive and are hived, we’ll start the waiting game with them, too.

Step one: siphoning.

As it turns out, this is better with two people, so one can hold the siphon while the other pours in the priming sugar (and takes photos).

It’s a dark beer.

Very dark, to the point where a flashlight comes in handy to see the bottom of the siphon to make sure it isn’t embedded in the gunk at the bottom.

The bucket fills as the carboy empties.

And eventually it’s down to the last that we’re taking out.

Time to bottle!

Capping. Take a cap, center the capping tool over it.

Lean into it and push the handles down until they crimp the cap on the bottle.

Release.

Repeat. Forty-nine times.

Before you know it, you have a couple of cases of beer, ready to go into the cold room to age.

Then comes the cleanup.

I wonder if the chickens would like to nibble on this. Would they get themselves a buzz going?