There are activities perhaps best described as easy to learn but hard to master. Homebrewing is one of them, Texas Homebrewers co-owners John and Trey Trousdale said. But for many people, the challenge is a big part of the appeal.

"Homebrewing is best for people who like to make things, be proud of what they've made, and see the look on other people's faces when they drink it and say, 'Wow, this is better than anything else I've had,'" John said.

The shop, located in a warehouse-style building set back a little off Fry Road, stocks a variety of supplies for homebrewing beer, cider, mead, wine and cheese.

John said the store is a dedicated supplier of brewing hardware, grains, yeast, grape concentrate and other specialty items, and is among only half a dozen such shops in the southern portion of the state.

Texas Homebrewers, which opened in April 2012, also has growing online sales, with plans to expand and refine its online presence. It is the expertise of the employees, however, that makes the difference, John said.

"What we're trying to do here is create a place for customers to come and talk with some very knowledgeable people," John said.

That means the staff not only sells the equipment and materials but also educates customers about the process and methodology.

"We're an old-fashioned business where people answer the phone," John said. "Sometimes our employees talk with callers for half an hour or more helping them through a problem."

The staff is knowledgeable because they are all active homebrewers themselves, said Trey, whose latest creation is a habanero lime beer. James Carlyle, the shop's marketing and sales director, has been experimenting with a hibiscus saison—a seasonal pale ale that is often fruity or spicy—and chocolate peanut butter stout.

The customers—many of whom are engineers and scientists in the oil and gas field—bring equal gusto to their creations.

"Many of our customers love the numbers, love measuring things, and keeping records of what they've tried," John said. "What they are trying to do is perfect it and repeat that the next time."

In the shop's storage room, there are containers that generally hold between 45 and 60 types of grain. There is also a mill on-site. The different grains are used to change the color, flavor and fermentation of the beer. The mechanical mill is used to break the hulls on the outside of the grain, Trey said.

The grains come from a supplier that imports them from places as distant as the American wheat belt, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Czechoslovakia. Each type has a distinct taste, he said.

The shop also offers a variety of wine kits. Wineries in many places in the world will make only a limited number of bottles every year to control the value of their product, John said. The remaining grape juices are packaged as concentrate and sold to resale companies.

Texas Homebrewers usually stocks several dozen styles in the form of wine kits. Each kit makes 6 gallons of wine, and costs approximately $90. Depending on the additives, that can mean an overall cost of about $3 per bottle, John said. Patrons often blend various wine styles together or add fruit or grapes from home to make distinct flavors.

"All you need is some water and the appropriate equipment," John said.

Homebrewing

Usually 10 days to several months to ferment, depending on style. Some styles ferment for as long as several months.

The flavor variables: time, temperature, gravity, type and amount of grain and hops

Also available:

Cheese-making kits

Soft drink kits

Carbon dioxide for various applications

Kegging equipment

Texas Homebrewers

3130 N. Fry Road, Ste. 800Katy 281-599-3452www.texashomebrewers.com