Homemade BEA zeolite prepared by a hydrothermal synthesis method (BEA(HTS)) had more Bronsted acid sites than commercial BEA zeolites, and exhibited much higher activity in catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons, especially n-heptane. The catalyst was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, temperature-programmed desorption of adsorbed ammonia, and FT-IR of adsorbed pyridine. The structure of BEA(HTS) was found to be partly changed and partly destroyed; however, BEA(HTS) gave high n-heptane conversion even after the regeneration treatment. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.