Know the Homebrewer: Christina Golden

What's your day job?

I work for a company doing Marketing.

What or who got you into homebrewing? When was it?

A co-worker of mine told me about a homebrew shop that did homebrewing classes on site. He thought I might like it given my other hobbies. I tried it out and was immediately hooked. This was about four years ago.

Can you tell us an interesting story about homebrewing?

I learned a valuable lesson at the very beginning on secondary fermentation. I had a glass gallon container of mead I had made. It finished completely dry, and I wanted it sweeter. I added some honey and capped it. Not an airlock but capped it... Well, one fine morning at 4 am it sounded like a bomb burst. Ran downstairs to my kitchen to find mead on every object you can imagine. There was glass everywhere, stuck in the ceiling you name it. I'm just glad no one was hurt, and I learned a big lesson that day. It took about 6 hours to clean.

How is brewing a social thing for you? Do you like brewing with others?

I tend to brew on my own but enjoy events where I can get together with people who have the same interests. My favorite brew event is on big brew day each year. It is so much fun.

- Christina's brews in the process.

What advice would you like to give to other homebrewers?

The best advice I can offer is don't overthink it, homebrewing, for the most part, is quite forgivable. I've made many mistakes, and the brews almost always turn out great.

What is the best beer you ever made? And the worst?

The best beer I have ever made was a smash beer. Maris otter and Cascade. I never thought I'd like it so much! The worst was a pumpkin ale I tried to make up on my own. I cannot get any pumpkin beer I brew to taste good!

Tell us about your favorite styles to brew.

I love IPA's, Pale ales, lagers and stouts. I have made some great ones. I'd love to do a sour one day.

Tell us about your brewing plans for the future: I hope that in the future I keep brewing fun. I don't ever want it to become work or a chore.

What is your experience with Kveik?

I've used it twice in an IPA and a pale ale. I didn't ferment the first batch hot enough but the second one I set up came out fabulous. Kveik is a beast and ferments quick!

What equipment do you use and why? 

I use a lot of equipment. My main brewing device is a Grainfather. I originally got this because I wanted to brew indoors and had a small townhouse. I have since moved and had my own dedicated brew kitchen. I have all brands, including SS, Jaded, Blichmann, etc. I recently built my own Keezer, and that has been game-changing for my beer brewing. I also really love stainless steel fermenters. They are too easy to use!

- Some of Christina's brewing equipment. Keezer internal setup.

Are you satisfied with that or are you thinking about upgrading?

For now, my set up works great. It is perfect for my space, and I upgrade items as needed. The biggest ones recently being stainless and having the Keezer.

How are your experiences with PLAATO Airlock and PLAATO Keg?
What do you think of being able to share the hobby with wifi-connected devices?

I have yet to use PLAATO, but it seems like a great product that would step up my brewing to another level. I am big into using WiFi products with other hobbies so it would make sense that it would be useful for brewing as well.

Do you have an unpopular opinion about homebrewing?
I am not super crazy about cleaning things to the point that I'm spending hours upon hours doing it. I do basic cleaning and sanitizing and have never had a beer infected. I also don't measure things super strictly either. If a recipe calls for half an ounce of hops and I have a 1oz bag, I will dump in about half. I only measure if absolutely necessary.

Any closing thoughts?

Brewing is a fun hobby, and I am constantly learning new things! It's great meeting like-minded people and making new friends along the way. Don't be scared to jump in headfirst and explore the wonderful world of brewing. Cheers!