''Demand was strong,'' Peil said, once word got out that a Bay City-brewed beer would be available to tavern-owners for the first time in more than half a century, when the Phoenix Brewery closed. ''This is just a beer town, and people know - or will soon discover - the difference between store-bought beer and fresh, local beer.''

The whole process was delayed a bit Friday morning when the auger that pushes the ground grain into the first copper kettle wouldn't move. Kevin Peil summoned dad Paul Peil, the company electrician, and soon the auger was doing its job.

''There was a pressure switch in there that we forgot about,'' Kevin Peil said.

Once the auger was moving, Kevin Peil remained perched atop the massive copper vat while four other men coordinated efforts to dump 825 pounds of bagged barley into a hopper. A secret blend of four German barleys - pilsner, Munich, Vienna and crystal - were ground through a mill into the vat where the grains steeped for an hour and a half in warm water.

''Three different enzymes are released at three different temperatures,'' Peil said, ranging from 120 degrees to 170 degrees.

Then, the ''wurst,'' as the pre-beer liquid is called, was pumped into another massive copper kettle where hops were added and the mixture is brought to a boil. Finally, the concoction was strained and pumped into other tanks, where the yeast was added. The fermenting and chilling is a three- to four-week process. Then comes the taste test, and sometime early next year, the first of an anticipated 1,000 kegs will find its way to a tap near you.

''We're still tweaking the recipe a little,'' said Peil, a chemical engineer at Dow Chemical Co. and a resident of Auburn. Peil said to expect a brew with more alcohol-content than Bud Light, but a little less than Budweiser. The taste, however, Peil promises, will be nothing like domestic commercial brews.

''It's like the difference between home-baked fresh bread and a store-bought loaf,'' he said.

As the process got under way Friday, a window on the side of the first tank revealed a mixture that looks very much like Malt-O-Meal. As the grainy, rich aroma filled the 4,000-square-foot brewery, investors got their first whiff of what they hope will be a success.

''I don't think we're going to become rich off this,'' said John Briggs, of Midland, munching on a handful of sweet toasted barley. ''It's a gamble. But I've had Kevin's beer before. He's a good brewer, and I do like beer.''

Peil convinced 30 investors to plunk down ''hundreds of thousands of dollars'' to get the ale rolling, he said.

Piel's been home-brewing for 15 years, and also attended the Doemens Academy of Brewing in Munich, Germany, where he studied the 500-year-old tradition of the German Beer Purity Law. Once he recruited investors, he bought his equipment to brew. It arrived at the building he's leasing at 2030 Water St. in June. While awaiting federal permits to make beer, a state license to sell beer, and city sign-off on electrical and building regulations, Peil and his crew have been test-driving the equipment with water. Setup of the 18 tanks and all the chillers, electrical components and plumbing presented no challenge that the crew of engineers, chemists, electricians - and a little duct tape here and there - couldn't surmount.

Peil said plans call for bottling of the brew to begin next year, so customers can enjoy the beverage at home as well as at area taverns.

The spent grain remains will be converted to biofuels, Peil said.

While the beer isn't ready just yet, Peil said shirts, glasses and caps are selling well on www.tricitybrewing.com, where visitors can also find news and history about the brewery.

- Crystal Harmon can be reached at 894-9643 or by e-mail at charmon@bc-times.com