Fuhmentaboudit!

On this week of Fuhmentaboudit!, Chris Cuzme and Mary Izett share some recordings from a recent cider event at Jimmy’s No. 43 in the East Village, New York City! Greg Hall of Virtue Cider talks about his transition from brewing at Goose Island to making cider. Hear how cidermaking differs from brewing in terms of agricultural production. Find out how Virtue Cider blends different ciders in order to create American takes on different European styles. Later, Steve Wood of Farnum Hill and Poverty Lane Orchards joins the conversation to discuss the importance of playing a premium for cider apples to jump start the industry. What is cider’s role in American history? Find out on this week’s edition of Fuhmentaboudit! Thanks to our sponsor, Heritage Foods USA.

“As a brewer, you’re not directly involved with agriculture at all... You’re lucky to know where your hops come from, and you probably don’t know where your malt comes from. Your maltster doesn’t even know where your malt comes from! They just buy the barley from a coop... Cidermaking is very much involved with agriculture.” [5:45]

“Real cidermaking comes from blending... You’re focusing on letting the apples go their own way.” [10:15]

— Greg Hall 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 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 wide range of styles. It’s great for IPAs and stouts, so don’t be scared!” [5:30]

— Jess Caudill on Fuhmentaboudit!

“The ‘Premium’ is a deconstruction of the post-Prohibition light lager: the most definitive American beer.” [21:15]

— Brian Strumke on Fuhmentaboudit!

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 qualities of beer! Fritz joins Chris and Mary in the studio to talk about brewing IPAs. Learn how Fritz blends different hops in order to create unique IPA flavors, and why such flavors are so hard to replicate. How does Fritz incorporate rye into his brews? Learn how to use hops during different states of the brewing process on this week’s Fuhmentaboudit! This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery.

“It’s hard not to fall in love with German pilsner brewing... The pilsner is a light beer that showcases hops; it’s not that different than an IPA.” [12:45] — Matt Brynildson on Fuhmentaboudit!

“I always tell people to be fearless (with hops)... at the dry hopping stage of the game, you can pretty much go crazy and use as much as you can handle.” [23:00] — Fritz Fernow on Fuhmentaboudit!

When most brewers think of an experimental beer, odd creations come to mind. This week on Fuhmentaboudit!, hosts Mary Izett and Chris Cuzme are delving into the topic with Drew Beechum and Denny Conn, authors of the book “Experimental Homebrewing: Mad Science in the Pursuit of Great Beer.” Denny and Drew explain that experimental homebrewing is about making good beer–the best beer, in fact. It’s about the tweaking process, designing solid recipes, and blind evaluations. After the break, Drew shares a great story about his guacamole saison and how he and Denny have learned from some crazy mistakes. Tune in for a great show and before you realize it, you’ll be donning a white lab coat and sharing your own thirst quenching results! This program was brought to you by GreatBrewers.com.

“We set it up in the book that even if you do fail you’re learning something from it.” [22:15]

—Drew Beechum on Fuhmentaboudit!