Home brewing takes the perfect mix of chemistry and patience

Patrick Brooks doesn't use a paintbrush or easel, but he still considers himself an artist.

Equipped with a boil pot and stirring spoon, the 36-year-old uses science to impart the art of home brewing.

"If you can make simple mac and cheese, you can make really good beer," said Brooks, a Centennial Hills resident. "It's as easy as stopping on the way home to grab a kit and waiting two weeks for the whole process."

Brooks uses a True Brew home brewing kit, which ranges from $40 to $50 online.

A simple batch of beer starts with four main ingredients: malted barley, hops, yeast and water.

Brooks buys most of his ingredients from Vegas Homebrew & Winemaking, 5140 W. Charleston Blvd., and U Bottle It, 2230 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, No. 150.

Without going into exact details, home brewing is as simple as heating water, adding malt extract and chilling wort (pronounced wert).

Wort is the sweet liquid that is created before fermentation (basically, unfermented beer). It includes all the fermentable sugars the yeast needs to create alcohol and carbon dioxide.

In as early as three to five days, the fermented beer can either be bottled with a small amount of sugar — called priming sugar — to help the remaining yeast create the carbon dioxide to give it bubbles; or the beer can be carbonated by kegging and putting carbon dioxide directly into it — also referred to as force carbing.

In about a week or two, the beer is ready to be enjoyed, according to Brooks.

"Biology and a little chemistry is awesome," Brooks said. "Patience is key."

Much like a chef, Brooks enjoys mixing and experimenting with ingredients to attain the perfect aroma and flavor, which is part of the craft of home brewing.

"It's my creative outlet," Brooks said.

That doesn't mean that Brooks stopped buying beer.

"Trying different craft beers gives me ideas to experiment with," he said.

Home brewers can also get creative with their gadgets by creating their own temperature controller and fermentation heater chamber. Brooks uses a recycled soda keg to store his beer.

Perhaps his biggest challenge is keeping everything clean.

"You have to keep things clean, not only for sanitation purposes, but also so that it doesn't ruin your batch's flavors," Brooks said.

Debris on equipment can harbor microorganisms that can spoil a batch of beer, even with proper sanitation, according to the American Homebrewers Association's website, homebrewersassociation.org.

For beer lovers looking to save money, Brooks estimates that buying everything in bulk has resulted in spending roughly 15 cents per beer.

"I haven't had any bad batches, and I'm constantly experimenting with different styles," Brooks said. "I've tried stouts, chocolate, oatmeal and clones like Guinness and (Leinenkugel's) Summer Shandy. I haven't done anything twice. It's difficult to recreate the exact same thing. Having a slightly different temperature or yeast changes the flavor."

His favorite batch has been Belgian ale, while his wife, Stephanie, prefers the citrus ale.

His hobby has also turned into a family affair: His 9-year-old daughter helps with the stirring, and although she can't try the beer, she enjoys the smell.

"Sundays in our house are referred to as football and brew day," Stephanie Brooks said.

Brooks' passion for home brewing started four years ago when his friend gave him a six-pack of home-brewed beer.

"There was one that tasted absolutely disgusting," Brooks said. "I figured I could make beer better than that, so I gave it a try and fell in love with the art."

In the growing northwest valley, Brooks said home brewing is still mostly an undiscovered art. He recommends the book "The Complete Joy of Home Brewing" by Charlie Papazian for anyone who wishes to take up the hobby.

So what makes the perfect batch?

"The perfect batch is one I can really spend time on without being rushed," Brooks said. "The best part of this whole thing is trying the finished product and enjoying it with family and friends."

"A family that brews together, stays together," added his father, Jerry.

— To reach North View reporter Sandy Lopez, email slopez@viewnews.com or call 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy.