Longshot - Vegetarian Stout?

kraggy

Probably a long shot but said I'd ask ye beer experts if any of ye know of a stout that's brewed without isinglass?

None of Guinness, Murphy's, Beamish, O'Hara's are suitable for vegetarians as they all use isinglass in the brewing process.

Even if you don't know if they're vegetarian or not, could you please name some other stouts, no matter how rare they are, so I can maybe contact them and see if they use isinglass?

Thanks.

Can't think of any - but just an idea, perhaps you could try to brew your own stout? At least you could be sure then..

kraggy

Thanks Dónal. Where can you buy the stuff for that? How long does it take usually?

guildofevil

Black Rock Stout from the Dungarvan Brewing Company is what you are looking for. Unfiltered, unpasteurised, bottle conditioned beer made without the use of Isinglass.

From their website: "All our bottled range is vegan friendly."

BeerNut

The Porterhouse beers are isinglass-free as well (though the Oyster is out for other reasons ). In fact, given how expensive isinglass is and how unnecessary it is in stout, I'd say all craft-brewed Irish stouts are made without isinglass.

So that's:
Dungarvan Black Rock
Porterhouse Plain
Wrassler's XXXX
Messrs Maguire Plain
O'Hara's Stout
O'Hara's Leann Folláin
Franciscan Well Shandon
College Green Molly's Chocolate Stout
Whitewater Belfast Black
Clanconnel McGrath's Black

kraggy

guildofevil wrote: »

Black Rock Stout from the Dungarvan Brewing Company is what you are looking for. Unfiltered, unpasteurised, bottle conditioned beer made without the use of Isinglass.

From their website: "All our bottled range is vegan friendly."

Thanks for that, and it turns out a pub near to me stocks their stout according to that website (The Salt House, Galway).

BeerNut wrote: »

The Porterhouse beers are isinglass-free as well (though the Oyster is out for other reasons ). In fact, given how expensive isinglass is and how unnecessary it is in stout, I'd say all craft-brewed Irish stouts are made without isinglass.

So that's:
Dungarvan Black Rock
Porterhouse Plain
Wrassler's XXXX
Messrs Maguire Plain
O'Hara's Stout
O'Hara's Leann Folláin
Franciscan Well Shandon
College Green Molly's Chocolate Stout
Whitewater Belfast Black
Clanconnel McGrath's Black

Thanks for the list, although O'Hara's do use isinglass. Rang them today.

Thanks guys!

messinkiapina

Any new vegetarian stouts to add to that list? Any know if Mi Daza (Cork craft stout) is vegetarian?

Tube

Isinglass is not particularly popular. I would imagine the majority of micro brewed stouts don't use it, as there are cheaper/better/easier products available.

ollaetta

To quote the old cliché, you learn something new every day! Lifelong stout drinker but never before heard of isinglass. Had to google it there for the full low down.

You could say there's bladders at both ends of the process, I guess.

BeerNut

ollaetta wrote: »

Lifelong stout drinker but never before heard of isinglass.

And this is why we need mandatory ingredients listing on beers.

rubadub

BeerNut wrote: »

And this is why we need mandatory ingredients listing on beers.

While I think it is madness that they are exempt from the law, you still possibly have the issue of it being in such small quantities that they might not have to declare it. You will see declarations of some ingredients which are only there in trace amounts, but it would typically only be allergens which must be legally declared, even in trace amounts.

I expect some veggies are not bothered by it, but vegans would be. Like some veggies might not be bothered with the use of animal/insect based colourings.

I also found an interesting reason why vegans might choose a drink with no hops

rubadub wrote: »

Does anybody go out of their way to avoid foods which involve higher than usual killing 'pests'?
I saw this and was reminded of a post here before where I think somebody equated all life equally, even small insects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Food_Defect_Action_Levels

Hops Insects Average of more than 2,500 aphids per 10 grams

I don't think it can be practically eliminated but could be reduced. e.g. looking online hops are added to beer at a rate of about 14–28 g per 19L batch. So about 0.8g used per pint, so up to 200 aphids just to make 1 pint of beer.

BeerNut

rubadub wrote: »

you still possibly have the issue of it being in such small quantities that they might not have to declare it.

True. It can be classed as a "process aid". Some breweries that list ingredients don't list yeast because their finished product doesn't contain any.

rubadub wrote: »

I also found an interesting reason why vegans might choose a drink with no hops

I made a fresh-hop ale a few years ago, with the hops picked and brewed on the same day. The label was inspired by what crawled out of my harvesting bowls:

irish_goat

I took that to mean "extra protein". :P

AssaultedPeanut

BeerNut wrote: »

The Porterhouse beers are isinglass-free as well (though the Oyster is out for other reasons ). In fact, given how expensive isinglass is and how unnecessary it is in stout, I'd say all craft-brewed Irish stouts are made without isinglass.

So that's:
Dungarvan Black Rock
Porterhouse Plain
Wrassler's XXXX
Messrs Maguire Plain
O'Hara's Stout
O'Hara's Leann Folláin
Franciscan Well Shandon
College Green Molly's Chocolate Stout
Whitewater Belfast Black
Clanconnel McGrath's Black

I was just wondering how you know about the Porterhouse beers being vegan friendly?
I've emailed twice with no reply so I asked when I was in there one day (the Parliament St one) and the guy behind the bar told me they use isinglass in pretty much everything they brew.
I had a delerium tremens instead so there weren't any tears shed but I've avoided their beers since..

BeerNut

AssaultedPeanut wrote: »

I was just wondering how you know about the Porterhouse beers being vegan friendly?

Conversation with Peter the brewer years and years ago. I recall him saying they don't do any filtering or fining on their stouts, because what's the point in a dark beer? Maybe it's changed, I dunno. I've certainly heard some odd things from Porterhouse bar staff over the years...

AssaultedPeanut

BeerNut wrote: »

Conversation with Peter the brewer years and years ago. I recall him saying they don't do any filtering or fining on their stouts, because what's the point in a dark beer? Maybe it's changed, I dunno. I've certainly heard some odd things from Porterhouse bar staff over the years...

Hmmm so it sounds like none of them actually know, although I'd take the brewer's word over the bar man's.
I'll try their Facebook and see what I get.

BaZmO*

BeerNut wrote: »

Conversation with Peter the brewer years and years ago. I recall him saying they don't do any filtering or fining on their stouts, because what's the point in a dark beer? Maybe it's changed, I dunno. I've certainly heard some odd things from Porterhouse bar staff over the years...

The PH make a big deal out of their ingredients and the lack of "extras" in their beers, or at least their marketing department do. They used to have big chalk boards in PH Temple Bar listing all the "extras" that the macros have compared to their Water/Barley/Hops/Yeast only beers.

oblivious

BaZmO* wrote: »

The PH make a big deal out of their ingreIsinglass

nts and the lack of "extras" in their beers, or at least their marketing department do. They used to have big chalk boards in PH Temple Bar listing all the "extras" that the macros have compared to their Water/Barley/Hops/Yeast only beers.

Extras usual mean addition of mash and post
fermentation enzymes. Isinglass has been in use before pure yeast culture, historicaly some form of animals protein has been added to beer to speed up clearning

BaZmO*

oblivious wrote: »

Extras usual mean addition of mash and post
fermentation enzymes. Isinglass has been in use before pure yeast culture, historicaly some form of animals protein has been added to beer to speed up clearning

Extras can mean anything outside of the Reinheitsgebot, and in this case, as far as I can remember, this is what they meant. I can't find a picture online. I wonder if the sign is still up?

Also, brewers can use Irish Moss instead (I've used it and it's quite effective) to clear the beer while remaining vegetarian.

irish_goat

BaZmO* wrote: »

Extras can mean anything outside of the Reinheitsgebot, and in this case, as far as I can remember, this is what they meant. I can't find a picture online. I wonder if the sign is still up?

Also, brewers can use Irish Moss instead (I've used it and it's quite effective) to clear the beer while remaining vegetarian.

It was on their menu too, it mainly listed "chemicals", as far as I remember.

fobster

BeerNut wrote: »

The Porterhouse beers are isinglass-free as well (though the Oyster is out for other reasons ). In fact, given how expensive isinglass is and how unnecessary it is in stout, I'd say all craft-brewed Irish stouts are made without isinglass.

So that's:
Dungarvan Black Rock
Porterhouse Plain
Wrassler's XXXX
Messrs Maguire Plain
O'Hara's Stout
O'Hara's Leann Folláin
Franciscan Well Shandon
College Green Molly's Chocolate Stout
Whitewater Belfast Black
Clanconnel McGrath's Black

Can't be forgetting Eight Degrees Knockmealdown Porter or Trouble Brewing Dark Arts. I'd imagine both of them are isinglass-free.