Paul Young brewed his first batch of beer in his Kelso garage 18 months ago after receiving a starter's kit for Christmas.

His American Pale Ale was a bit tart, but friends didn't seem to mind.

"I had no end of people telling me it was the best beer they ever had - probably because it was free," Young recalled Tuesday.

About 15 batches later, the 32-year-old commercial real estate broker impressed a much tougher group of judges Saturday.

Young's "Evil Weevil" saison, a light-bodied Belgian farmhouse ale, was named "Best in Show" in the Cowlitz County Fair's inaugural Homebrew Competition.

The contest - which attracted 34 entries in its first year - is the latest indication of the growing local interest in home brewing.

For some, it's becoming more than a hobby. At least two groups of home brewers say they aim to open local breweries within the next two years.

On Friday, a group of five longtime home-brewing buddies signed a lease on a Longview property with plans to open a brewery and taproom by spring 2012.

Five Dons Brewing already has reached tentative agreements with at least a half-dozen local restaurants and bars to carry its lineup of beers on tap, said Sean Heiner, 34, one of the five entrepreneurs.

A taproom attached to the brewery would serve a longer list of beers, ranging from oatmeal stout to strawberry blonde ale, said Heiner, who grew up in Winlock and now lives in Olympia. Heiner asked that the brewery's planned location - near Longview's industrial area - not be announced.

Heiner and his friends used to settle disputes growing up by dueling with toy swords, and the Dons in the company name - think "dons" as in Spanish conquistadors - is a tribute to those childhood battles. The group, made up mostly of Longview and Kelso residents, has been brewing beer for nearly a dozen years.

The group still needs to buy much of the equipment needed for the operation, Heiner said.

For the past four months, cousins Erik and Jarrett Skreen have been shopping for a site to open Ashtown Brewing Company.

"I've always loved to cook," said Erik Skreen, 35. "(Brewing) is just another facet where I've found you can be just as creative with ingredients."

The Skreens thought they had chosen a site in Kelso, but zoning complications caused them to scrap those plans. Now, they are eyeing buildings in Longview, Erik Skreen said.

Skreen said his best beers are stouts, porters and India Pale Ales.

He said the Longview-Kelso area is underserved when it comes to craft beers.

"There's tons of beer in Portland and tons of beer in Seattle, but there's really a dry spot here," he said.

Members of the local home brewers club - the Kiltlifters - aimed to change that by adding the amateur beer-making contest to the county fair lineup.

"We were talking about ways to promote the hobby and the fact that there aren't too many contests around here," said Jim Wallingford, a club member and the owner of Your Home Brew, a brewers' supply store in West Kelso. "There are plenty of brewers here. Why not get Cowlitz County on the map?"

The contest judging, which is done by certified beer judges, was completed Saturday. Winning bottles will be displayed at the fair, but beers won't be available for tasting, Wallingford said.

Your Home Brew will offer brewing demonstrations at a booth for all four days of the fair, which begins Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Cowlitz County Fairgrounds on Seventh Avenue.

Young said he's surprised he came away with the top prize, especially since he almost never brewed the batch that won.

He named the beer the "Evil Weevil" because the bag of grain that went into it arrived filled with the tiny beetles. Young researched whether the beer would be safe, and determined the insects would easily be killed off by heat and boiling water during the brewing process and they posed no health risk.

It may have earned a blue ribbon, but his wife remains skeptical.

"She still will not try the Evil Weevil," he said, laughing.

Young said he usually brews once or twice a month. Each batch begins with about four hours of work, he said. After the initial process is complete, he simply checks the garage temperature each day.

Wallingford said the hobby is much easier than most people think.

"Some people can be a little intimidated by it," Wallingford said. "I tell people if you can make Kraft macaroni and cheese, you can brew beer."

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Information from: The Daily News, http://www.tdn.com