Mmm, beer. Whichever way you like it - off the tap, out of the bottle or in a shameless red plastic party cup - there's no denying, if you love beer, there's nothing better than a tall, cold one. Unless that tall, cold one was crafted lovingly by your very own hands at home.

Think it's not possible? Think again.

Homebrewing - the process of making small batches of beer for personal consumption - is the ultimate hobby for those who are passionate about their beloved beverage of choice. And according to those in the know, it's cheaper and easier than many people think.

"If you can make Kool-Aid, you can make beer," said Terry Chesney, a homebrewer from Marion.

Homebrewing isn't a new fad, but experts said the pastime has had a recent increase in popularity. Kiev Rattee, associate publisher of the national magazines WineMaker and Brew Your Own, based in Manchester Center, Vt., said the industry has had swells and falls in interest since the 1980s. "People started having commercial beers that were more interesting, and they realized there was this whole spectrum of beer out there," he said. "I think people got into (homebrewing) because they wanted to have those better beers."

Rattee estimated that there are about 1.25 million homebrewers in North America, including Canada. Although it's mainly a male-dominated industry - 96 percent of respondents in Brew Your Own's last reader study were men - Rattee said that the hobby appeals to a variety of people, young and old. "It runs the gamut," he said. "People are getting into it at different ages."

With the industry's fairly small but dedicated following, homebrew supply shops are havens for homebrew enthusiasts. At The Red Salamander, a homebrewing and wine-making supply store in Grand Ledge, customers look like proverbial kids in a candy store. Guests wander slowly over creaky wood floors, eyeing shelves stocked with spice packets, recipe books, test tubes and colorful bottles of flavoring such as honey, orange and hazelnut.

"I make time for this once every few weeks," said Lansing resident Eric Lehtonen, a regular customer at The Red Salamander, 205 N. Bridge St. "It does take a little time, but that's fun to me, to make something you can be proud of that tastes good."

Homebrewers hail the benefits of making their own beer, claiming it's cheaper, fresher and better tasting than anything they've bought at a store. Many, like Lehtonen, get hooked on homebrews after sampling beers made by friends or family members.

"My son got me into it," Lehtonen said. "He started bringing me in some good beers. I liked what I had and haven't looked back yet."

One of the biggest bonuses to homebrewing is that it is inexpensive after the first batch, brewers say. A first-time homebrewer's initial input cost for supplies, which includes an equipment kit and ingredients, can cost just under $100. Each subsequent batch runs between $20 and $25, and with the standard homebrew batch yielding about five gallons, which amounts to two cases of 12-ounce bottles.

In addition to being relatively inexpensive and simple, homebrewing allows people to control different aspects of their beer such as flavor, color and alcohol content.

"It's like a chocolate chip cookie," said Karl Glarner Jr., owner of The Red Salamander. "Do you want a cookie with one chocolate chip or loaded with chocolate chips? There's a lot more to chew on, so to speak."

Glarner said many people have misconceptions as to how difficult homebrewing is, when it's really just as simple as cooking.

"If you know what you want, you can find a recipe for it," he said. "It's only as hard as you want it to be."

Although homebrewing might be simple to some, it can take others a few tries to get it right. Just ask Jeremy Harder, a 2003 MSU graduate, who had one particular batch of holiday spiced ale turn out terrible when he ditched the recipe and "just threw a bunch of stuff in."

"I didn't even drink it," he said. "I just threw it down the drain. I took one look at it in the fermenter and said, 'Oh no, there's no way I'm putting that in my stomach.'"

But despite these few troubles, Harder said the sense of accomplishment and bragging rights that come with homebrewing make it all worth it.

"You have full control," Harder said. "You can try and make a beer that gives you exactly the taste you're hoping for."

It is illegal to sell alcohol unless you obtain a permit. Underage drinking is also prohibited by law.