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 ...
Sep 16, 2013•27 min•Ep. 41
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...
Sep 09, 2013•32 min•Ep. 40
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 c...
Aug 26, 2013•33 min•Ep. 39
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 prefe...
Aug 20, 2013•32 min•Ep. 38
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 mo...
Aug 12, 2013•32 min•Ep. 37
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 c...
Aug 05, 2013•32 min•Ep. 36
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 ...
Jul 29, 2013•33 min•Ep. 35
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 bottl...
Jul 22, 2013•33 min•Ep. 34
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 v...
Jul 08, 2013•34 min•Ep. 33
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 ...
Jul 01, 2013•32 min•Ep. 32
Brewing and biking – these are today’s themes on Fuhmentaboudit! Tune into this episode to hear Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett talk with Gary Glass, the Director of the American Homebrewers Association. Hear about the growth of the National Homebrewers Conference, and how the legality of homebrew has increased brewing amongst hobbyists. Also in the studio is Jeffrey Michael, better known as “The Biking Brewer”. Hear Jeffrey talk about his excitement about his first time at the National Homebrewers C...
Jun 24, 2013•32 min•Ep. 31
Straight from the farm, and into your glass! This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are talking with two brewers who put their own spin on the term ‘local’. Paul Dlogukencky represents Long Island with his nanobrewery, Blind Bat Brewery. Tune into this episode to hear how selling at the Greenmarket has allowed for many Blind Bat collaborations. Hear about Paul’s Long Island Potato Stout, and why it’s important to get the word out about local breweries. Jason Sahler is a longtim...
Jun 17, 2013•32 min•Ep. 30
We’re brewing sours with Peter Salmond and Oskar and Erik Norlander on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett host Peter, Oskar, and Eric in the studio to talk about lambics, gueuzes, and more! Why does this trio brew sours? Hear about the brewing processes involved with making sour beers, and why consistency is so fleeting with sour styles. Learn more about barrel-aging beers, and the maintenance involved with owning and using a barrel. Want to brew with fruit? Try a ...
Jun 10, 2013•32 min•Ep. 29
Hayley Jensen and Stephen Durley of Taproom No. 307 stop by to talk homebrew on Fuhmentaboudit! Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme invite Hayley and Stephen into the studio to talk about their starts in the beer industry, and how Daniel Boulud and DBGB were instrumental in their beer education. Hear about some of the beers the two have made at home, and how they make their brews with limited space. Tune in for more information on cider-making, and entering beers in homebrew competitions! Find out what i...
Jun 03, 2013•33 min•Ep. 28
Tørst is a bar focusing on craft beer in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, and its founders have two different storied careers in the beer world. This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme invite Brian Ewing and Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø into the studio to talk about their experiences working in beer, and why they decided to team up and open Tørst. Hear Brian talk about distributing rare European beers out of the back of his car in the early days of 12 Percent Imports. Jeppe t...
May 27, 2013•31 min•Ep. 27
Learn all about milk kefir on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are joined in the studio by Angela Davis of the NYC Ferments meet-up group to talk about the milk kefir-making process. But first, Nick Harbour from the New York City Homebrewer’s Guild stops by the studio to share one of his table beers. Learn about Nick’s boiling times and Maillard reactions! Angela talks about her fermentation fandom, and learning from the master himself, Sandor Katz. Learn what di...
May 20, 2013•34 min•Ep. 26
‘The Big Little’ – big flavor, little alcohol! This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are talking about sessionable table beers with homebrewers Kyler Serfass and Jamie Stafford-Hill. Hear how Jamie enhances flavors in low-alcohol beers, despite scaling down hops and malt. Kyler talks about brewing a Scotch ale with a low ABV, and what ingredients he used to brew his beer. Learn some techniques to get more flavor out of session beers! Mary shares her one-gallon, sixty-hour tabl...
May 13, 2013•31 min•Ep. 25
Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme are talking about creative and unusual flavors in beer on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Tune into this episode to hear from Valter Loverier and his wife, Elena, of LoverBeer; this Italian duo uses grapes from their native regions to start fermentations for their brews! Hear about their love of spontaneous fermentation, and some of the great beers in the LoverBeer roster. Later, Sean McGinty joins Mary and Chris in the studio to talk about brewing with citrus, ...
May 06, 2013•32 min•Ep. 24
Learn how to cook with fermented foods on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are joined in the studio by chef Thomas Harder of Blind Tiger. Tune in to hear how Thomas develops recipes based on beer! Should beer and food pairings contrast or be complimentary? Find out how substituting fermented foods into your favorite recipes can enhance the flavors of your cooking! Hear about Thomas’s famous kimchi gnocchi and his pulled pork sliders! Later, Chris and Mary chat wi...
Apr 29, 2013•31 min•Ep. 23
Brew some awesome beers at home with the help of Brooklyn Homebrew and Wyeast Laboratories, Inc. This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme are joined in the studio by Danielle Cefaro and Benjamin Stutz of Brooklyn Homebrew to talk about the founding of their supply store, and how the homebrew scene has expanded in New York City since its inception. Find out what new varieties of hops are in stock at Brooklyn Homebrew! Later, hear an interview with Greg Doss and Jess Caudill of Wye...
Apr 22, 2013•34 min•Ep. 22
Learn brewing secrets from Firestone Walker’s Matt Brynildson and homebrew expert Fritz Fernow on this week’s Fuhmentaboudit! Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett begin the show by sharing an interview they recently conducted with Matt Brynildson at the Craft Brewer’s Conference. Listen in to hear Matt talk about the evolution of Firestone Walker, and how the company became a favorite of beer nerds. Hear why Firestone Walker began aging, and how certain ingredients really accentuate the bitterness or malt...
Apr 15, 2013•35 min•Ep. 21
We’re talking gruits and brewing with botanicals on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are joined in the studio by Bruce Williams of Williams Brothers and Pete Dickson of Sixpoint Craft Ales. Tune in to hear a brief interview with Mary and Dr. Fritz Briem about historic ales, and how hops affect protein and alpha acid levels in beer. Bruce talks about brewing with local, foraged ingredients to make brews that reflect the Scottish landscape. Heather, spruce, and pin...
Apr 08, 2013•32 min•Ep. 20
Find out how Joe Pedicini transitioned from brewing to winemaking in this week’s sequel on Fuhmentaboudit! Joe Pedicini joins Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme to talk about home winemaking, pressing grapes, and achieving good wood maturation. How did Prohibition actually promote home winemaking? Find out how different parts of the grape affect the pigment and taste of wine. How does long distance transportation of grapes affect the ability to produce natural wine? Learn why Joe prefers making small-sc...
Apr 01, 2013•34 min•Ep. 19
Joe Pedicini doesn’t discriminate; tune into this episode of Fuhmentaboudit! to learn about brewing and wine-making! Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme sit down with Joe to learn about his transition from brewing beer to making wine. Learn why Joe started homebrewing after tasting some Anchor Steam brews. Listen in to hear Mary, Chris, and Joe talk about different hop varieties, and how they have affected beer styles over the years. Why did Joe leave the East Coast to start Montebruno and produce pinot ...
Mar 25, 2013•31 min•Ep. 18
What happens when homebrewing goes wrong? Find out how to get out of the homebrewing rut on a special episode of Fuhmentaboudit! with Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett. Learn about the little crevices where problematic bacteria can hide and get advice on how to make sure everything goes smoothy if you’re brewing at home. Get some insight into making unique beers like sours of Berliner Weisse and hear some home brewing success stories from Chris & Mary. Also hear about some interesting homebrewing a...
Mar 19, 2013•34 min•Ep. 17
Ever want to make cider at home? Tune in to this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! , as hosts Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are joined by two cider homebrewers, Chris Prout and Ben Carr. Find out how to make hard cider from apples, and what the pressing process entails. From bushel to bottle – get the inside scoop on how you can turn delicious apples into even more delicious cider. Learn why what you get out of the fermentation process changes based on the season, and how brewers deal with the time...
Mar 11, 2013•33 min•Ep. 16
John Conzella of Condzella’s Farm and T.J. Smolka of the Chelsea Brewing Company are in the studio talking beer farming and science! Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme are back on this week’s Fuhmentaboudit! to talk about the New York state hop industry. Tune in to hear about John’s recent successful Kickstarter campaign, and what it means for hop harvesting on Long Island. Learn about New York’s history as a major hop producer! Later, T.J. explains how to harvest yeast from homebrews! What is the diffe...
Mar 05, 2013•31 min•Ep. 15
Can you have beer without gluten in it? This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are talking with Brian Kulbacki: gluten-free homebrewer. Brian recently was awarded for his sorghum American Pale Ale at Homebrew Alley VII! Hear why Brian started brewing gluten-free beers in the first place. What malt alternatives are available for gluten-free brewers? Listen in to hear Brian talk about masking sorghum flavors in gluten-free homebrews, and why there are a lack of hoppy gluten-free ...
Feb 26, 2013•32 min•Ep. 14
Curious about fermenting vegetables at home? This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett are joined in the studio by Bahiyyih Comeau of Brooklyn Homebrew. Bahiyyih is not only an expert homebrewer, but an overall fermentation enthusiast. Find out how Bahiyyih’s job at a grocery store inspired her to pickle and ferment with the store’s surplus vegetables. Find out how simple it is to make sauerkraut at home! Why do many homebrewers often shy away from making other fermented foods? Tu...
Feb 19, 2013•31 min•Ep. 13
Learn how to make impeccable lagers on this week’s episode of Fuhmentaboudit! Chris Cuzme is joined in the studio by brewing expert Kyler Serfass to talk brewing and Homebrew Alley VII. Find out some surprising winners from the homebrew competition! Why are lagers generally more difficult to brew at home than ales? Later, Kyler explains some of his lagering processes. Find out what temperatures are necessary for lagering, and hear why Kyler has recently been using dry yeast in his brews. How can...
Feb 12, 2013•32 min•Ep. 12
