This week's Beer Sessions was recorded LIVE at the Belgium Comes to Cooperstown Festival at Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY. Jimmy Carbone is joined by a panel of guests including Simon Thorpe, Phil Leinart, Dave Brodrick, Dan Paquette & Naomi Neville. Find out what goes down at the festival, how breweries can come together as kindred spirits and help each other and learn more about Belgian beer and it's journey to America. This episode was sponsored by Great Brewers.

This week on Beer Sessions Radio (TM) marks a special landmark in beer literature: the launch of Garret Oliver's Oxford Companion to Beer. To supplement the celebration Horst Dornbusch, also a contributor to The Companion, Jen Schwertman (Blind Tiger), Peter Kennedy (SimplyBeer.com), and Christian DeBenedetti (beer author) join the conversation. They talk about other essential beer reads, from homebrewing classics such as Charlie Papazian and Michael Jackson to Christian's new book The Great American Ale Trail. Later on in the shows Rob Tod from Allagash Brewery calls in to join the revelry and to about how craft brewers deal with expansion and the science behind beer microbes. Tune for a special listing of NYC Craft Beer Events and where you can catch all your favorite brewers! This episode is sponsored by GreatBrewers.com.

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 difference between washing and rinsing yeast? And how many times can you re-use yeast? Extract yeast from your homemade beers, and brew long and prosper! This episode has been sponsored by Fairway Market.

"About 100 years ago, hops were king in New York. New York produced 80% of the nation's hops" [5:15]

"Homebrewing is where it starts. It's the root of beer culture out here in New York. It's important to me to get hops in the hands of homebrewers." [9:45]

-- John Condzella on Fuhmentaboudit!

"The thing you want to move your yeast into should be a de-oxignated and nutrient-free material." [25:30]

-- T.J. Smolka on Fuhmentaboudit!