Veganism. With or without beer.

[TheOsprey]

 

[MyQul]

????? eh?

 

[TheOsprey]

Discus.

Innit.

 

[Joust]

I do like to wang a side of beef in my keg

 

[TheOsprey]

I do like to wang a side of beef in my keg

A whole side? Blimey, how much beer goes in?

As a side note, I did hum that to the tune of 'oh I do like to be beside the seaside'...

 

[Joust]

I've currently got a quorn pale ale brewing.

 

[TheOsprey]

So, from a personal perspective, I became vegan about 10 months ago now. My brother has been vegan for about 3 years, and his wife has been veggie since she was about 12. She still is, and hasn't gone vegan.

Most of my reason for going vegan was based on my health and the environment, but also with some concern for the animals involved.

My pre-vegan perspective was always that if the animal had lived a good life, it was good enough for me. But I didn't know, for example, that male chicks on birth are either gassed to death, or thrown live into a shredder (I know I've already mentioned it, but it seems major enough to mention twice), or that male pigs are castrated (because uncastrated pig meat tastes stronger) without anaesthetic.

Yes, isinglass is a tiny part of beer, but animals die to produce it. And there are vegan alternatives, so I don't get it.

As I say though, I'm not here to preach. Yes this reads as preachy, but it is in direct response to questions/comments.

Primarily I just created this thread to stop Chippy from having to close the competition one!

 

[TheOsprey]

I've currently got a quorn pale ale brewing.

Ooh that sounds nice. Frozen or fresh? I reckon you can knock 5p off a pint by buying unbranded soya mince.

 

[Joust]

So, from a personal perspective, I became vegan about 10 months ago now. My brother has been vegan for about 3 years, and his wife has been veggie since she was about 12. She still is, and hasn't gone vegan.

Most of my reason for going vegan was based on my health and the environment, but also with some concern for the animals involved.

My pre-vegan perspective was always that if the animal had lived a good life, it was good enough for me. But I didn't know, for example, that male chicks on birth are either gassed to death, or thrown live into a shredder (I know I've already mentioned it, but it seems major enough to mention twice), or that male pigs are castrated (because uncastrated pig meat tastes stronger) without anaesthetic.

Yes, isinglass is a tiny part of beer, but animals die to produce it. And there are vegan alternatives, so I don't get it.

As I say though, I'm not here to preach. Yes this reads as preachy, but it is in direct response to questions/comments.

Primarily I just created this thread to stop Chippy from having to close the competition one!

That makes more sense...

There are a lot of pub beers that are vegan these days.

But how many people are actually using animal products in homebrew?

 

[An Ankoù]

While I can see why one might want to be vegetarian, I haven't yet grasped the point of veganism on conscientious grounds. I agree with the views on male chickens and castrated pigs above, that's just plain wrong and animal welfare should be enshrined in law- especially here in France where veal is as available as any other meat and "darn sarf" you can't move for paté de foie made from force-fed geese. I'd prefer to have a hearty meal of stuff I think has probably been raised and slaughtered properly and spend my efforts campaigning for a change in the law on animal rights. BUT, my biggest issue is this: if the vegans claim to take in no animal products, including milk or cheese, where do they imagine the wheat and barley and corn comes from that they also eat? Now that I live in the middle of the countryside, I see that as soon as a crop is harvested, a great mound of cow dung and straw appears, which is plowed in for the next crop. The same cows that are milked or slaughtered for beef. No doubt slurry and fertiliser from chicken factories is also used. So do vegans avoid so called "organic" crops and seek out those that have grown on chemical fertilisers, or what?
Of course, let anybody do and eat whatever he or she wants, if that's what they want and as long as their kids are not malnourished, but to say vegan food is animal-free seems a bit of a dream.

 

[MyQul]

Im vegan (mostly, although I occasionally eat chocolate).

Ive rarely seen any posts about inisglass so Im fairly sure most HBer dont use is. The only non vegan ingredients that I can think of, off the top of my head, that HBers use is gelatine and lactose.

 

[TheOsprey]

While I can see why one might want to be vegetarian, I haven't yet grasped the point of veganism on conscientious grounds. I agree with the views on male chickens and castrated pigs above, that's just plain wrong and animal welfare should be enshrined in law- especially here in France where veal is as available as any other meat and "darn sarf" you can't move for paté de foie made from force-fed geese. I'd prefer to have a hearty meal of stuff I think has probably been raised and slaughtered properly and spend my efforts campaigning for a change in the law on animal rights. BUT, my biggest issue is this: if the vegans claim to take in no animal products, including milk or cheese, where do they imagine the wheat and barley and corn comes from that they also eat? Now that I live in the middle of the countryside, I see that as soon as a crop is harvested, a great mound of cow dung and straw appears, which is plowed in for the next crop. The same cows that are milked or slaughtered for beef. No doubt slurry and fertiliser from chicken factories is also used. So do vegans avoid so called "organic" crops and seek out those that have grown on chemical fertilisers, or what?
Of course, let anybody do and eat whatever he or she wants, if that's what they want and as long as their kids are not malnourished, but to say vegan food is animal-free seems a bit of a dream.

I completely understand this, and actually it's pretty much impossible to live truly vegan. Money has animal products in, so do razors with those moisturising strips. TVs contain animal products too. Most bricks contain blood, and sugar is bleached with ashes from bones.

However, people also try to live in a humanitarian way, but will probably buy clothes that someone was paid a pittance to make, and they'll go on holiday to countries with shocking human rights violations.

When I went vegan, I was adamant that I wasn't doing it 100% of the time, just making positive life choices. It's ended up being 99% of the time (slightly less during lockdown, where shopping has been more challenging), but realistically I just wanted to do a little less harm and a little more good.

I used to, in my late 20s and early 30s, get annoyed that I couldn't just eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. If I want pizza every day of the week, why shouldn't I? But then I hit 20 stone, and realised that actually, trying to be healthy 80% of the time was better than not doing it at all. I'm never going to stop eating pizza completely, but I started living more healthily and lo and behold got down to 14 stone.

I don't see veganism as a life pilgrimage, I'd just like to do a bit better.

No one would ever say "well I get people's passive smoke every time I go down the pub, so I may as well smoke 20 a day."

Plus socks and sandals are cool.

 

[GerritT]

I get vegetarian, but veganism is a bit too far.

 

[TheOsprey]

I get vegetarian, but veganism is a bit too far.

Can you explain why?

 

[Tanglefoot]

Leaving aside the ethics/enviromental side of things, my wife has been vegan for a couple of years as it has greatly helped with her rheumatoid arthritis.
The flares and acute pain she used to constantly put up with are largely gone and she has much more energy.
She is convinced that for her dairy products are the worst offenders.
None of the pharmaceutical solutions or painkillers offered have been anyway near as effective and her meds are now much reduced.
I'm happy to eat mostly the same diet as her but I'll occasionally eat meat when I fancy it, though I steer clear of anything processed and get the odd steak or chicken from the farm down the road.

 

[GerritT]

Can you explain why?

Completely eliminating food groups without dietary reasons? That's a bit too far.

 

[TheOsprey]

Completely eliminating food groups without dietary reasons? That's a bit too far.

Don't vegetarians do that?

 

[MickDundee]

The doctor recommended yesterday that my wife (who is already vegetarian) considers going plant based to see if it helps with an issue she’s had for the last 6-9 months. She had initially dismissed it (even though she’s veggie she eats a lot of eggs, cheese and milk) but is going to look into it.

I hope she won’t turn into one of those angry vegans. Someone I went to school with and played badminton with before my kids were born has become one - some (Most) of her Facebook posts are totally OTT and the stereotype of the angry vegan.

 

[TheOsprey]

The doctor recommended yesterday that my wife (who is already vegetarian) considers going plant based to see if it helps with an issue she’s had for the last 6-9 months. She had initially dismissed it (even though she’s veggie she eats a lot of eggs, cheese and milk) but is going to look into it.

I hope she won’t turn into one of those angry vegans. Someone I went to school with and played badminton with before my kids were born has become one - some (Most) of her Facebook posts are totally OTT and the stereotype of the angry vegan.

I think it's militant vegans that are the problem. But then there are militant teetotalers, militant labour and tory, militant gay, straight and trans, probably militant nomads somewhere if you look hard enough.

Veganism has become such a politicised thing, where most vegans just want to change their diet - whether it's for their health, the animals or the planet doesn't matter. Standing outside the local butchers with a placard written in red paint just makes you a knob.

 

[GerritT]

Don't vegetarians do that?

Less. But veganism and subtlety: difficult. Anyway I've spent way too much time here already.