Enjoying a cold beer can be difficult in these hard economic times. With the price of a bar’s cover charge, the tip and gas to get there and back, some students have begun brewing their own beer at home. And for some, their interest has turned into a full-blown hobby. Charlie Evans, French junior, started brewing his own beer more than a year ago and said the most important virtue in the art of beer brewing is patience.”You just got to make sure you take your time,” he said. “It takes a month to ferment and longer if you want to age your beer.”While Evans just recently started making his own brew, Charlie Milan is practically a professional.Milan, president of Redstick Brewmasters and research associate at the School of the Coast and Environment, has been brewing his own beer since 1986. He was displeased with the availability of beer at the time and decided to make his own.”When I started, I didn’t think there was a good variety of beer,” Milan said. “No matter what Budweiser says in their commercials, it doesn’t have a lot of flavor.”Milan makes his beer entirely from scratch. He purchases his own grain, which he soaks in boiling water to make mash. This activates enzymes that creates sugars from starches.Then, hot water is poured over the mash to make a malt. This process is called sparging. “I need those sugars, so I rinse it with hot water,” Milan said. “Then I collect the liquid and start boiling again.”Those brewing usually buy a pre-made malt, which requires a simple order from a supplier.”There is an easy way and a hard way to do this,” Milan said. “I like to do it the hard way.”Once a malt is made, hops are added.”Hops balances out the sweetness and also gives flavor,” Milan said. Hops, flowers from the hop vine, can come in a pellet form, which makes them easier to keep and store.”There are many different types of hops, depending on what beer you want,” Milan said. Cooling is required before yeast can be added to ferment the product. After the yeast is combined with the liquid, it must be stored in a keg or bottles for the process to complete. Brewers can reuse and clean bottles but must buy new caps.Without a basic beer brewing kit, which can be purchased for less than $80, the process becomes very scientific and fragile. One of the problems is Baton Rouge water.”The pH is very high,” Milan said. “If you’re making a pale beer, you can’t just add Baton Rouge water. For darker beers, not a problem.”Milan doesn’t condone beer kits. He prefers his way because he knows exactly what he wants, what he likes and, most importantly, what he is doing.”But it’s still a challenge to get it right,” he said.Jeff Canady owns Pelican State Supply Co., a branch of what used to be Perkins Road Hardware. Before burning, the building used to house Bootleggers Brewing Supply before moving to its new location off of Interstate 110. “Most people [who come in] start with an ingredient kit, a book and an equipment kit,” Canady said. A basic wine or beer making kit includes an instruction booklet and a fermenting bucket, but not an ingredient kit. “Just read the book, and you can make beer,” Canady said. Recipes for beer are available online and brewers-to-be can find interpretations of their favorite beers, such as Abita Purple Haze or Beck’s. “When I buy a recipe, I buy it from Austin Homebrew Supply. It costs around $30,” Evans said.However, those interested in brewing should be aware that some legal regulations do exist. First of all, brewers must be at least 21 years old.”You have to be of drinking age to make and possess the beer,” said Murphy Painter, Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control commissioner. “That’s the state law.”Also, there is a maximum production amount.”[Brewers] cannot exceed 200 gallons per calendar for a two adult household, or 100 gallons per calendar year for a one adult household,” Painter said.The regulations apply to personal or family use, not for selling the product. Those planning to make a profit need to acquire a license.While kits for wine making are also widespread and popular sellers, Milan still prefers beer because he believes it is very versatile.”What makes beer so interesting is you can get anything,” Milan said. Different kinds of grains, yeasts and hops are available.”It’s like painting a picture,” he said. “[And the ingredients] are your palette.”Milan said beer brewing is an interesting and productive hobby to assume.”Everyone has a hobby,” Milan said. “I could build furniture, but I wouldn’t be able to drink it, so what the hell?”—-Contact Ashley Norsworthy at [email protected]