Brew expert educates aspiring ale engineers: Emma Christensen shares knack for beer making

Christensen, a San Jose resident, said her seminar is built around making those interested in brewing comfortable with the process, and encouraging them to take the plunge into production of porters, lagers, stouts or whatever style suits their fancy.

“It is really exciting to me to take these four very simple ingredients — malt, water, hops and yeast — and combine them and tweak them and come up with beer,” she said.

Acknowledging though the science and craftsmanship required to make beer may seem intimidating to some, Christensen said she wants to simplify the process for novices, using equipment commonly found in most kitchens.

“There is a lot of anxiety about home brewing,” she said.

She also specializes in making 1 gallon of beer, rather than the 5 gallon batches traditionally recommended by most recipes, as the smaller amount is easier to tackle for new brewers.

It also costs less to purchase the ingredients needed for 1 gallon and the procedure can be carried out in an apartment kitchen, which she said is ideal for many who attend her speeches.

Though it is possible for the inexperienced to dive into the deep end of beer making by themselves, Christensen recommends the buddy system.

She found her passion for beery engineering in 2009 after a friend brought to her party some homebrew which she found spectacular. Soon after, she joined them in their next endeavor, and has been hooked on hooch invention ever since.

Her predisposition for food and recipe writing pairs perfectly with her passion for beer making, as Christensen is a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts and has contributed to The Kitchn Cookbook, which won a James Beard award last year.

Beyond sharing appreciation for food and drink in print, Christensen has toured the library speaking circuit for the past five years.

A self-professed “library nerd,” Christensen said she enjoys public speaking because she can show her audience the necessary equipment, while telling tales of tailoring beers to specific tastes.

The flexibility of beer, and the ability to pursue so many different styles of suds is one of her favorite components of the craft, Christensen said.

“You have to put on a mad scientist hat and kind of embrace it,” she said.

She can make a saison, a pale ale which pours perfectly during the hot summer months, or try packing hops into an IPA for a potent tart blast, among a variety of other adventures.

She said she has gone so far as to infuse hot peppers into some brews, suitable for the adventurous imbiber.

Following her speeches, Christensen said she is frequently contacted by those who have given beer making a shot, but are uncertain whether they have taken a misstep in their process.

The beauty of the brew though is that it is pretty hard to mess up, she said, as the process is relatively straight forward. Once a beer maker has the standard steps down pat, the fun can begin and a brewer is only limited by the capacity of their creativity.

“It’s a process. Your first batch might not be awesome. But as long as you enjoy the process of making it and see where you are going and how to get better, that is all you need. Then you are hooked,” she said.

Christensen will speak 2 p.m., Sunday, July 17, in the South San Francisco main library, 840 W. Orange Ave. The event is free, and a tasting will follow.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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