The age-old process of brewing will be taught tonight using the technology of today – the Internet.

The WSU Global Campus, in conjunction with the Homebrewers of the Palouse (HOPs), is offering a free webinar (a Web seminar) for homebrewing beginners and experts alike.

HOPs has been around for about 20 years and currently has about 25 members.

“We want to leave a lot of time for viewers to chime in with any questions they have about the process,” HOPs member Keith Tyler said. “The idea is this is going to be essentially a three-part series.”

This first session is geared toward beginners. Two more are planned in January, which will advance in difficulty, Tyler said. The webinar will include a video demonstration of the brewing process.

Peter McArthur, owner of Nu Home Brew and Bottles and member of Inland Brewers United in Spokane, signed up for the webinar.

“I think it’s going to be a really fun thing for people to be able see,” McArthur said. “And I think it’ll be cool if a lot of people that don’t already brew watch it and get interested.”

A former member of HOPs, McArthur opened Nu Home in August and said business is good. The store offers a wide variety of supplies for brewing.

“I offer a really big selection of greens, also extracts – both dry extract and liquid extract,” McArthur said. “I carry those in bulk so that I can do exactly the amount that people need.”

Nu Home also carries pre-made ingredient and equipment kits intended for beginners and those with more experience. Before opening the shop in Spokane, McArthur gathered most of his supplies and equipment from Tri-State in Moscow.

John Wolff, a WSU professor and member of HOPs, said start-up materials can be purchased for less than $50.

Brewing is as scientific as one desires, he said.

Darren Bystrom, president of HOPs and an eight-year brewing veteran said, “The entry-level home brewer only needs to worry about temperature of everything.”

Wolff said the advanced home brewer takes a more scientific approach, testing the acidity of the water and measuring sugar content before and after fermentation.

“There’s a craft aspect to it, in as much as you can get skilled and experience at it, but there’s a limit to the amount of science you can do in your own home or own garage for most people,” he said.

Bystrom said homebrewing brings a satisfaction that commercial beer cannot.

“It’s just like any craft,” Bystrom said. “You make it yourself. You have pride in your ability to ideally make something that’s good and want to share it with others, and they enjoy it. It’s really gratifying.”

HOPs meets on the third Wednesday of each month and conducts taste-tests, which is great way for members to receive feedback on their brews.

Bystrom said HOPs offers a good time talking about beer with like-minded people.

“At the very end of the day, everything said and done after it’s done fermenting, you can call your friends over, share a beer and, if they enjoy it, that’s all the better,” Bystrom said.

The webinar will take place tonight at 6 p.m. To register, visit skills.wsu.edu.