Home brew for vegetarians
- Thread starter kentmark
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RobWalker
Well-Known Member
Isinglass is made from fish, gelatine is made from hooves. Otherwise I reakon youre all good!
BIGJIM72
Landlord.
Chitosan I believe is made from shellfish
Isinglass and chitosan are finings. Might be included in wine kits but as a pack of finings rather than in the main ingredient container, you could sub Bentonite, which is basically clay.
Gelatine is sometimes added to improve mouthfeel. Dunno how likely it is to be in a kit.
I'd be surprised if this hasn't been asked before (though I don't recall seeing it myself) so a search for, say, "vegetarian" on here or "vegetarian homebrew" on Google will likely turn up some good info. The Vegetarian Society (I assume they're still going) may have some info. The kit makers certainly will.
Gelatine is sometimes added to improve mouthfeel. Dunno how likely it is to be in a kit.
I'd be surprised if this hasn't been asked before (though I don't recall seeing it myself) so a search for, say, "vegetarian" on here or "vegetarian homebrew" on Google will likely turn up some good info. The Vegetarian Society (I assume they're still going) may have some info. The kit makers certainly will.
Jeltz
Landlord.
The few wine kits I've done included some kind of fining (clearing) agent. If there are is any animal matter to be found in a kit then I think you'll find it in them. I agree that you would be well advised contacting the manufacturers.
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The Goatreich
Landlord.
Kit wise the only ingredient I've had to watch out for is isinglass, and that was only in wine kits. I just use bentonite instead. All my wines and beers are made vegan and they all clear just fine.
Cheers again guys. I'll do some checking with the manufacturers but looking like the finings are the bug thing to watch out for? Oh well worst case scenario i will have to drink some stock and brew some more with verified ingridients lol.
oldjiver
Landlord.
Never had much luck with Bentonite. Do you use it in beer?The Goatreich said:
The Goatreich
Landlord.
Nope, just wine. It's a messy sod, but I'm used to it now.
calumscott
Regular.
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kentmark said:
All of which is interesting, most notably because lots of commercial beers (and probably most wines) are fined with isinglass and you'll never see it on the ingredients list.
Why?
Because it's not an ingredient technically. The point being that you put it in, then take it out again so it isn't in the final product. The final product technically has no animal product in it, but it has been used in its production. The manufacturers are not required to tell you this.
(Not that I give a monkeys, but I know some of you do... :thumb: )
RobWalker
Well-Known Member
honestly, I don't eat meat and I don't have a problem with isinglass fined beer, not just for that reason but because it's such a pain to avoid that it's just not worth it :
BIGJIM72
Landlord.
Bottom line-kit beers should be fine for veggies as they have no animal based finings in them unless added by yourself. Wine kits will contain finings that may contain fish/shellfish products. If you make a TC or a WOW you can control exactly what the ingredients are, as with AG or BIAB brewing so its down to you.
