Home GROWN

Try This at Home

’Sparge the grain. Pitch to high krausen.” This is brew-speak, instruction in zymurgy. Zymurgy is the science of fermentation, and, according to Mike Leonard, it’s an art form.

Leonard is one of a growing number of enthusiasts who brew their own beer. He “stumbled” into brewing when he was in college and recently opened Homebrew Headquarters, selling everything you need for home brewing or wine making. The shelves are stocked with hops, malt, yeasts, bottles, labels and a handy starter kit ($90).

Wondering who makes their own beer and why, we went shopping at Homebrew HQ with wine consultant Diane Teitelbaum, her son David Casebeer and his friend Pete Bout, both college students and home brewers. David and Pete have been brewing for about three years, making ales and lagers, even experimenting with hard cider and mead.

Wine making is trickier. Teitel- baum says it’s not likely that a wine maker will produce the next great vintage in his kitchen, but you never know. “There’s a wine called Grace Family Cabernet owned by a family who had one acre of land in the Napa Valley; they grew some grapes and made wine in their garage. They donated it to the Napa Valley Wine Auction and it sold for immense amounts of mon ey.” 2810A Greenville Ave. 821- 7444. -Mary Brown Malouf

Born to Shop

The TV in the corner runs Disney videos to distract future siblings, and in the back of the store a full-sized bathtub is fitted out with everything you need to bathe the modern baby: bee balm, kneepads, combination towel-aprons, bath-water thermometers and caddies for all of it.

It’s Beyond Conception, the Sharper Image for prospective parents and the brainchild of former stockbroker Scott Landow. Here is where to shop for infant equipment you didn’t know was necessary and won’t be able to live without: One shelf displays a bottle-feeding “sytem” specifically designed for breast-feeding mothers; another holds the newly designed KidSkins diaper “system” that’s the Lexus of the wet set.

For fathers there’s a businesslike black rip-stop nylon diaper bag and several instruction manuals. Over 200 book titles and videos arc available for sale (or rent) on every relevant subject from pre- and postpartum workouts to instructions on CPR for babies-plus, the store’s “nine month card” gives Mom (and friends who buy for her) a discount. Proud papa Landow says, “This is the only store that has everything for the course of a woman’s pregnancy.” 5600 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 123. 350-7111 -M.B.M.