BIY Brew It Yourself

(back, from left) Andy Burger, Rob Reilly and Ian McMillan bottle beer, while Andy Bluhm caps and seals each one; (inset) Burger and Bluhm begin the beer's step-mashing process by adding grains to their Brewmeister

(back, from left) Andy Burger, Rob Reilly and Ian McMillan bottle beer, while Andy Bluhm caps and seals each one; (inset) Burger and Bluhm begin the beer’s step-mashing process by adding grains to their Brewmeister

It’s a very, very hot Sunday in Kapahulu as the Yeasty Boyz gather to brew some beer. In Rob Reilly’s backyard, a large Brewmeister is being prepared and heated. Every now and then, the group vacillates between going inside and outside, all the while rambling about different temperatures, recipes and cooking times.

And of course, everyone seems to have a beer in hand.

As the water heats up to an appropriate temperature, grains are poured and stirred.

A couple of the guys explain the important of pH levels and other such considerations, as they move through each process.

It’s such a weirdly fun scene that somehow manages to be as much about scientific accuracy as it is about a bunch of bros hanging out.

Currently, American Homebrewers Association estimates there are at least 1.2 million people in the nation who brew their own beer at least once annually. And within those figures, there’s a wide range. Some dabble with at-home kits that allow you to make a gallon right on your stove. Others, like the Yeasty Boyz, are fascinated with beer’s nuances and do things on a much larger scale.

“Everybody’s doing it,” says Mike Smith, owner of Kalihi shop Homebrew in Paradise. “More and more people are appreciating craft beer.”

At his store, Smith provides homebrewers the necessary ingredients, tools and information they need to get started. He works with novices who are merely interested, to more advanced brewers like the Yeasty Boyz.

A homebrewer himself since 1998, Smith points to the economy as one reason craft beer enthusiasts are concocting their own creations at home, saying it is ultimately cheaper. Plus, brewers get to control everything that goes into what they end up drinking.

“Some people like the creative aspect of creating new flavors and unique beers, ” he adds.

That is what the Yeasty Boyz are experimenting with.

“I’ve heard anywhere from like, 40 to 70 percent of beer flavor is yeast,” says Ian Mc-Millan.

“So depending on what yeast you use to make your beer, the flavors are going to be drastically different.

“The yeast is what really matters.”

If you take a Budweiser, for instance, he says, and use Coors yeast, it will taste like Coors.

The group began as the brainchild of Reilly, who one day asked a friend if it was possible to develop yeast for beer. Reilly, who has been homebrewing for six years, eventually joined forces with friends McMillan, Andy Bluhm and Andy Burger. Together, they research, cultivate, mutate and brew each strain of yeast.

Since they began devoting more time to this last January, the group has about 30 strains – ones they’ve customized and mutated, and others they have collected from existing beers. Some may even consider getting some Self Serve Beer options for their tastings, but most choose to use bottles.

They brew 13 gallons of beer at a time, which yields about 130 beers, or five cases. The flavors they have experimented with include everything from ciders to ones flavored with pineapple and Chinese five-spice.

“Beer is just a necessary evil, really,” jokes Burger of their process.

As scientific and complex as their process may seem, Reilly is quick to say that it really is rather simple – a sentiment Smith echoes.

“It can get more complicated as you get more educated,” says Smith.

“I definitely think people should try homebrewing,” says Reilly. “Start small, and see if the hobby will grow with you.”