CEDAR FALLS -- Ben Schafer is a self-professed "beer snob."

"I appreciate beer," he said.

But he has no appreciation for what he calls "mega swills," that is, Budweiser, Miller, Coors and other massed-produced brews.

So about eight years ago, he decided to create some brews of his own. He received a home-brewing kit as a gift and gave it the old college try.

"It produced pretty lousy beer," he said, wrinkling his nose.

Not one to give up, Schafer kept trying, refining his methods until he produced a beer he could be proud of. Today, the University of Northern Iowa assistant professor has become somewhat of a home-brew aficionado, creating a variety of tasty ales, stouts and lagers.

"What I am brewing now is in anticipation of Christmas. It's a hazelnut brown," he says, placing a bag of malted barley into a stainless steel pot of hot water. The barley steeps for a spell at just the right temperature before Schafer removes the bag from the pot and adds a bottle of malted barley extract, bringing the mixture to a boil. Watching carefully so the pot doesn't boil over, Schafer explains that some home-brewers use only extract. He prefers to extract the malt from the barley himself, because it produces a greater depth of flavor.

Schafer is part of a growing trend of home-brewers and is a founding member of Craze, the Cedar River Association of Zymurgy Enthusiasts. Zymurgy is the study of yeast fermentation.

Yeast is a key ingredient in beer, along with water, barley and hops. Hops is what gives beer its bitterness, Schafer says. And it's what produces the distinct odor during the boiling process.

It was hops that banished his brewing hobby to the garage. He uses an old stove he got from his sister and brother-in-law. Schafer used to brew in the house until a particularly pungent beer "permeated every corner of the house" and sickened his then-pregnant wife.

"She politely but firmly told me I would not brew in the house again," he says, laughing.

Schafer is one of about eight "hard-core" members of Craze, which meets monthly at Roots Market. The group is open to the public and membership is free. A typical meeting includes taste tests of beer brewed by members.

"One of the things the club looks at is what impacts the flavor of beer," Schafer says.

Roots Market owner Robert Stanley is happy to have the group meet at his store.

"They have some really good-tasting beers. Somebody brought in a blueberry beer, and it was excellent. It's amazing what they can do with home-brews and how much fresher they taste," Stanley says.

Home-brewing clubs are sprouting up all over the country. Some 1.5 million Americans brew their own beer, according to the American Homebrewers Association.

It's a fairly inexpensive hobby, Schafer notes. For about $100 a beginner can get a startup kit. According to the Home Wine and Beer Trade Association, the average home-brewer spends between $100 and $150 per year on supplies. Schafer gets a lot of his supplies from BlueStem Winery in Parkersburg and from catalogs. The kit for the hazelnut beer he's brewing this day cost $25 and will produce 5 gallons.

As the pot boils, Schafer adds cinnamon sticks and cloves, stirring briskly with a whisk to prevent scorching. He'll serve the brew to family and friends over the holidays, exactly when the beer will be ready for consumption.

"This one is best in about three months," he says.

From stainless steel pot to the bottle, the brewing process takes anywhere from two weeks to several months, depending on the beer. So don't fire up the stove on Monday and think you'll have home-brewed beer for your weekend get together. Although it takes just two hours to boil a batch, the fermentation process takes much longer. Schafer uses an airtight, 5-gallon bucket to ferment his beer. A stopper on the top of the bucket releases pressure as the carbon dioxide builds during fermentation. It's the carbon dioxide that produces a beer's fizz.

"I've had it blow the stopper off and found it six feet from the bucket," says Schafer, noting the importance of not bottling the beer too early. If the fermentation process isn't complete, it can create what he calls "bottle bombs," shattering the glass bottles.

Legally, home-brewers can produce about 100 gallons per year (200 gallons for a married couple). At his brewing peak, Schafer brewed up about 30 gallons a year.

Schafer and fellow Craze members will serve up some of their home-brew at tonight's Tall Grass Prairie Brewfest hosted by the Grout Museum District. Schafer plans to serve a red ale he made this summer.

Contact Meta Hemenway-Forbes at (319) 291-1483 or meta.hemenway-forbes@wcfcourier.com.

Go and do

What: Tall Grass Prairie Brewfest

When: 5 to 9 p.m. tonight

Where: Soldiers & Sailors Park, Cedar and W. Fourth streets, Waterloo

Cost: A taster's cup with four drink tickets is $10. Additional tickets may be purchased for $1. Admission is free for nondrinkers.

Details: Local band These Daze will provide entertainment, and Chris Carter and Mark Schnackenberg of KWWL and Jamie Philips and Melody Judge of Mix 96.1 FM will serve as honorary brew masters. The event is sponsored by Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits. Other contributors are Glazer's, Fahr Beverage, Dimitri Wine & Spirits, United Beverage, Beck's, Millstream Brewing Co., Craze home-brewers and BlueStem Winery & Artisan Mall.

The next meeting of CRAZE will take place Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at Roots Market on Main Street in Cedar Falls. For more information e-mail craze.brewers@gmail.com.