Fuhmentaboudit!

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme are talking kombucha with Kombucha Brooklyn’s co-founder, Jessica Childs. Recently, Jessica co-wrote Kombucha! with Kombucha Brooklyn co-founder and husband, Eric Childs. Tune into this episode to hear how Jessica’s science background fueled her love for kombucha and the brewing process. Tune in to hear how different compounds and bacteria in kombucha can ease stomach problems and skin outbreaks. What is a scoby, and how does a scoby interact with different types of sugar? Learn how blending different kombuchas from various teas can help smooth out flavors! This program has been sponsored by Fairway Market. “I love science. I love being able to get to know things on a granular level. Kombucha was the first ferment I ever made, and I’ve never found a ferment that’s easier to make… I became a believer in fermented foods, and that we do not eat separately from our ecosystem.” [12:30] — Jessica Childs on Fuhmentaboudit!

Johnnie Leroy Compton III brews wild open-fermented sours in his home! This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Mary Izett packs a bunch of brewing enthusiasts and professionals into the studio to talk wild yeast, blends, and more! Joining Mary and Johnnie are Hayley Jensen and Stephen Durley from Taproom No. 307, and John La Polla of Bitter & Esters. Tune into this episode to learn about some of Johnnie’s unorthodox yeast-collecting methods, and why no brewer should fear infection. Hear how Johnnie brewed inside of trash cans, and how he has dealt with acetobacter in the past! Learn more about Johnnie’s blended IPAs, and why you gotta brew with your gut! This program has been sponsored by Regional Access. “You figure out how to take an infection that’s exaggerated, then blend it back into something great.” [7:20] — Johnny Leroy on Fuhmentaboudit!

Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are talking yeast and community supported beer with Anthony Accardi and Rob Kolb Transmitter Brewing! Transmitter is moving to Long Island City to provide farmhouse ales for New York City! Tune into this episode to learn how Rob and Anthony define farmhouse styles, and hear why they love the possibilities that come with making a farmhouse beer. Learn about Anthony’s fascination with yeast, and why he collects different brettanomyces strains from across the world. Listen in to hear Anthony and Rob talk about the similarities between winemaking and brewing when using many different types of yeast. What has Transmitter learned from making 100% brettanomyces beers? Tune in to find out more about their unique distribution model! Tune in to hear more yeast evangelization from Transmitter Brewing! Thanks to our sponsor, GreatBrewers.com. “I love yeast; I’m definitely yeast-forward when it comes to making beer. The good thing about the term ‘farmhouse ale’ is that it doesn’t really mean

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Mary Izett travels back in time to the 2013 Belgium Comes to Cooperstown festival and plays a recording of a private tasting with Brewery Ommegang’s Michael McManus. Michael is the Innovation Manager at Ommegang. Tune in to hear Michael explain the taste profile of pink peppercorns in brewing. Find out why it’s often difficult to brew a Belgian-style hoppy beer. Learn more about the signature Ommegang yeast strain, and how they use it in their Fade to Black stout. How does Ommegang support local hop growers? Tune in to learn about Ommegang’s 100% brettanomyces beers! Finally, Mary wraps up the show by answering some listener fermentation questions. This program has been brought to you by GreatBrewers.com. “There’s a reason why most IPAs use a very clean yeast strain; you need to let the hops shine. It’s a little bit more of a challenge to brew a sessionable, drinkable Belgian hop-forward beer.” [5:30] — Michael McManus on Fuhmentaboudit!

Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme are recapping Cider Week with Joy Doumis and Jeremy Hammond of Proper Cider! Joy and Jeremy have been making cider in their home for years since their first experiment using apples from the Prospect Park Greenmarket! Tune into this episode to hear how cider-making differs from making beer or wine. Find out why yeast can be so unpredictable when used with different apple varieties. What constitutes “proper cider”? Tune in to learn why Joy and Jeremy spend so much time blending varieties of apples, and what qualifications are necessary for single-variety ciders. What varieties do Joy and Jeremy prefer to use? Tune in to find out on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Thanks to our sponsor, Fairway Market. “We are just now figuring out what our ‘thing’ is, and it comes back to blending… Whatever happens during fermentation- we embrace it!” [6:30] “When brewing on a small-scale, a small problem can ruin everything.” [9:10] — Jeremy Hammond on Fuhmentaboudit! “I look for interesting

Gear up for Cider week on Fuhmentaboudit! Chris & Mary are joined by Drew Beechum, who knows his stuff when it comes to fermented beverages. Drew is the author of The Everything Homebrewing Book and also the recently released, The Everything Hard Cider Book: All you need to know about making hard cider at home. Drew is also the former President of the Maltose Falcons brewing club. Tune in for some serious beverage insight! This program was sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. “If you wanna make good cider, you gotta start with good apples. If you wanna get good apples you gotta start with a good orchard!” [09:00] –Drew Beechum on Fuhmentaboudit!

Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are talking yeast and beer writing on this week’s edition of Fuhmentaboudit! Tune in to hear Chris and Mary chat with Greg Doss of Wyeast about their Private Collection for the months of October through December. Learn more about yeast strains like the West Coast IPA, the new ESB, and the Farmhouse Ale. Why would a homebrewer select the Farmhouse Ale versus the Belgian Saison yeast? Find out what temperatures these yeasts excel in, and how to implement them creatively. Later, author Joshua M. Bernstein joins the conversation to discuss the great variety in craft beer. Find out why Josh hopes to educate the masses of beer drinkers with his new book, The Complete Beer Course. This program has been sponsored by Underground Meats. “There can be beauty in nuance. That’s what I want to do; I want to show the continuum of beer.” [21:45] — Joshua M. Bernstein on Fuhmentaboudit!

Peter Kennedy’s beers often defy categorization. This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Peter sits down with Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme to talk greasy beers and jockey boxes. Tune in for a step-by-step explanation of Peter’s bacon beer. Does a beer with bacon have a long shelf life? Hear why Peter started the Iron Brewer competition in order to highlight some of his inventive beers, and how the competition has become a home for like-minded brewers. Peter talks about making his own giant jockey box, and notes a few things to consider when building your own. Learn more about smoked malt and barrel aging on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Thanks to our sponsor, Consider Bardwell Farm. “Every time I do a beer that has some greasy element, the yeast activity goes off the chart! [10:10] — Peter Kennedy on Fuhmentaboudit!

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Chris Cuzme invites Chris Pagnotta and Nick Ladd of the New York City Homebrewers Guild into the studio to talk pumpkin beers with the master, Dick Cantwell of Elysian Brewing Company. This year marks the 9th Annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival for Elysian Brewing; hear why Dick started the festival, and find out how many pumpkin beers Elysian cooks up each year for the fest. Why are many pumpkin beers heavy on spice? Tune in to hear how pumpkin can contribute to the mouthfeel of a brew, and Cuzme asks Dick how to improve the pumpkin beer he’s currently brewing. How can you condition a pumpkin to become a beer-serving vessel? Find out all of this and more on this week’s edition of Fuhmentaboudit! Thanks to our sponsor Brooklyn Slate. “Any beer that boasts a specific ingredients needs to show that particular ingredient- not hide it away as a novelty.” [5:20] — Dick Cantwell on Fuhmentaboudit!

Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are talking fermented soy products on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Their first guest is Christian Elwell of South River Miso- one of the oldest miso producers in the United States! Hear about the roots of the company, and how a tragic event inspired Christian’s mission to pursue health and alternative lifestyles. Learn the steps of miso production, and hear why so many cultures get their sodium intake through fermented foods. Later, Barry Schwartz of Barry’s Tempeh stops by to talk about the Indonesian tradition of tempeh. What are the differences between tofu and tempeh? How does the tempeh-making process change when using beans other than soy? Find out all of this and more on this week’s edition of Fuhmentaboudit! Thanks to our sponsor, Underground Meats. “In the case of miso, the koji is salted and mixed together with (traditionally) soybeans, and added to that mixture is some mature miso of the same variety. That mixture is put in a fermentation vat, and that ferment

Mary Izett meets Goose Island Brewer Brian Taylor at Pennsylvania 6 for this special recording for Fuhmentaboudit! Tune into this episode to hear Brian talk about his beginnings in the beer industry bottling for Flying Dog Brewery. Why has Goose Island decided to focus on barrel-aged beers, and what types of barrels do they use at their facility in Chicago? Hear Brian talk about his love of yeast, and what strains of wild yeasts he and his partners prefer. What collaborations are on the horizon for Goose Island? Find out on this episode of Fuhmentaboudit! This program has been sponsored by Consider Bardwell. “Being a biology guy, the idea of wild yeast really peaked my interest. I really got into the fermentation… Yeast is really important because you can control it and get all of these different flavors.” [5:45] — Brian Taylor on Fuhmentaboudit!

This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett share some interviews from this year’s Belgium Comes to Cooperstown Festival! Hear from Brewery Ommegang’s Justin Forsyth, Tony Cordova, and Scott Veltman! Learn their respective histories in homebrewing and professional brewing. What are their favorite Ommegang brews? Find out what hops and yeast strains are ideal for making Belgian styles. Later, Chris and Mary call up Scott Meyer, author of Hooch. Hear how cider inspired Scott to begin fermenting, and find out how you can start making your own fermented beverages using products foraged in urban environments. Take a stroll through the Greenmarket and ferment something new this week! Thanks to our sponsor, Consider Bardwell. “More people are doing things themselves. They’re either growing great ingredients or finding them somewhere!” [23:10] “To get the balance of sugars and acids… it takes some practice so the wine comes out and doesn’t taste too much like a vegetable.” [27:50] — Scott Meyer on Fuhm

Raphael Lyon creates esoteric wines using ingredients like dandelions, black currants, honey, and cherries with his company, Enlightenment Wines! This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are joined in the studio by Raphael and friend-of-the-show Sean McGinty to discuss farm wineries, fermentation, and more! Find out how Raphael started fermenting sauerkraut years ago, and why he decided to make alcoholic beverages. Find out why Raphael prefers using glass carboys, and learn how champagne gets its fizziness. Hear why Raphael has decided to shy away from industrial winemaking methods. This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods. “The most efficient thing to make is apple wine. To get the most amount of alcohol for the least amount of product, go ferment some apple cider.” [10:20] — Raphael Lyon on Fuhmentaboudit!

Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are talking beekeeping, honey, and mead with intermediate beekeeper Bob Slanzi. Bob recently won the ‘Best in Show’ award at Homebrew Alley VII for his ghost chili mead. Hear why Bob decided to take up beekeeping, and how his hobby naturally led him to brew mead. Learn how Bob captures swarms, and why a beekeeper need to be able to analyze the health of a colony. Hear how Bob creates award-winning meads by staggering the addition of nutrients. What yeast does Bob prefer? Hear how Bob’s flavored meads have been influenced by the tastes and scents of New York City! Thanks to our sponsor, Fairway Market. “The tannins, the acid, the sweetness- they all have to be in balance. And that’s what makes a good mead.” [21:45] — Bob Slanzi on Fuhmentaboudit!

Started in 2011, Crock and Jar is dedicated to capturing the seasons, to help you eat locally all year round. They also believe in creating unique flavors, using time honored food preservation techniques. Started by Food Preservationist Michaela Hayes, she believes in the sour, sweet, salt and spice of canning and fermentation. Michaela also loves teaching others about fermenting and eating locally, as she has taught at Stone Barns, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and more. Always wanted to know more about eating locally, canning, and preservation, but were too afraid to ask? Tune-in to this episode to learn more from the expert! Also find out about some amazing beer events coming up very soon this August and September, such as the New York City Brewers Guild Block Party, and the Brooklyn Wort! This program has been sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “I started the company with the mission of being a benefit to the community. I wanted to use local produce, increase the amount of local food we buy seasonally, and

Chris Banker makes cider, beer, and cheese at home! This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme call up Chris in San Diego to talk about his different fermentation processes. Hear how Chris uses simple ingredients like apple juice and cherries to make delicious, unique dry ciders! Find out why Chris’s recipes are great for beginning homebrewers. Why did Chris think that cheesemaking was a natural progression after brewing at home for years. Learn why Chris felt the need to start a cheesemaking club called Queso Diego once he delved into the world of hard cheeses. Chris teaches Mary and Cuzme to make mozzarella and ricotta at home with a few simple steps! This program has been brought to you by Consider Bardwell. “My process is very conducive to fruit and specialty ciders… It’s nice to experiment, add fruit, or maybe try some aging characteristics.” [11:00] — Chris Banker on Fuhmentaboudit!

John La Polla is the co-owner of the extraordinary Brooklyn homebrew shop, Bitter & Esters. Bitter & Esters is the only brew-on-premise homebrew store in New York City with a focus in brewing education. Mary Izett invites John into the studio for this week’s edition of Fuhmentaboudit! to talk about his initiation into the homebrew world, and why he decided to ditch his job as a sound engineer to open a homebrew shop. Hear what experiments John conducts at Bitter & Esters in order to taste different hop varieties and malt blends. What are “adjuncts” used in brewing? John and Mary talk about different types of sugars they have used in their brews, and how they have affected the fermentation processes. Thanks to our sponsor, Whole Foods. “Living in New York City, I knew we needed to make smaller fermentation vessels that could be kept in coolers.” [8:20] “If you add a lot of simple sugars like sucrose and fructose, the yeast will eat all of them up, and you will get a stuck fermentation.” [22:00] —

Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are highlighting the importance of yeast on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Tune into this program to hear Chris and Mary chat with Jess Caudill of Wyeast. Tune in to hear Jess discuss the three yeast strains in the Wyeast Private Collection – the British Cask Ale, the Biere de Garde, and the Belgian Dark Ale. Find out how you can use these different strains in different styles to produce a truly unique beer! Learn how to culture a yeast from your favorite bottle-conditioned beer, and find out what Wyeast is doing with brettanomyces for upcoming releases! Brian Strumke of Stillwater Artisanal Ales stops by the studio to talk about the use of yeast in his brews. Find out how Brian used macrobrew ingredients and strange yeast strains to make the eccentric Stillwater Premium! Find out how different strains react to temperature, and why saisons are great for homebrewers in hot climates! Thanks to our sponsor, Fairway Market. “Don’t be afraid to use this yeast (Wyeast 1026) in a

Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are taking this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! to play some recorded interviews from recent beer and homebrewing conferences! Tune into this episode to hear Chris and Mary talk with Randy Mosher, author and homebrewing expert. Tune in to hear Randy talk about brewing ingredients, and why brewers should learn about the flavor components of every beer ingredient. Randy believes that every brewer should brew with intent; learn the flavor profiles of many malt and hop varieties! Later, hear from Richard Horton of FlavorActiV! Find out how you can use FlavorActiV’s kits to identify off-flavors in your homebrew! What strange ingredients does Steve Frazier of The Brewer’s Art use in his beers? Finally, Mary catches up with “Sour Jim” Crooks to talk about some of his beers with Barrelworks. Find out what yeast strains Jim works with to make his signature sours! This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “When you look at all the types of malt, and you look at them in

Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are back from the National Homebrewers Conference, and they’re talking mead and coolships on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Greg Heller-LaBelle and Michael Manning call in to talk about their cocktail-inspired meads and their startup meadery, The Colony Meadery. Find out about The Colony Meadery’s flagship meads, and how you can contribute to their cause! Brian Hall stops by to talk about his coolship and wild yeast fermentation. Find out how Brian barrel-ages at home, and how some of his beers age in carboys for years! Tune into this episode to hear how Brian deals with evaporation in barrels, and how he plants yeast in his barrels. Thanks to our sponsor, Hearst Ranch. “When you’re done with the normal steps of brewing beer, you transfer your wort into a coolship… it cools down for twelve to fourteen hours, and wild yeast enters the wort… instead of choosing your yeast, you get whatever is in the air.” [12:45] — Brian Hall on Fuhmentaboudit!