The beer, which we have affectionately dubbed “So, So Brown”, has been transferred to the secondary fermenter, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and tucked away in a closet where it will remain for two weeks until bottling.

After reading the “Common Problems” section of our Home Brew guide, I was dreading only a thick white bacterial film on top of the beer as we were removing the lid on the primary fermenter. So when what I saw instead was a chalky, curdled brown ring of what could have passed as the residue left over in your toilet bowl after an episode of the runs, I was elated.

It looked like beer. It smelled like beer. Thank God, I think it’s beer.

Not much a man of science, I was astounded by the physics of the “syphon”. Somehow it utilizes differences in pressure to maintain a continual flow of liquid from one container to the other and doesn’t require the rudimentary suck-to-start method.

I will say that we were both rather shocked by the dark shade of the beer. I mean, we knew we had set out to brew a brown ale, but it was just so, so brown.

Not coming to a liquor store near you in February 2010.