Vegan Forum

WHAT ABOUT WINES AND BEERS?
Wine is clarified, or cleared, after fermentation. Some of the ingredients used include:

edible gelatines (made from bones)
isinglass (made from the swim bladders of fish)
casein and potassium caseinate (milk proteins)
animal albumin (egg albumin and dried blood powder)
In the UK beer (bitter) is also commonly fined using isinglass. Many bottled bitters and most lagers are vegan. Guinness is not suitable for vegans. Most spirits are vegan except for Campari (contains cochineal) and some Vodkas (passed through bone charcoal).

This is a subject close to my heart

German beers are subject to purity laws, and are vegan. However, it's worth checking on the label that they haven't been brewed under licence in another country.

Grolsch is probably the best known vegan lager, but I've heard that the crown top bottles may not be vegan (I have contacted Grolsch to confirm this)

Although most cask ales ('real ales') are fined using isinglass, CAMRA's Good Beer Guide has information on real ales suitable for vegans. Some bottled ales (Black Sheep, Fullers, Newcastle Brown Ale,...) are vegan whereas the cask version isn't.

It's also really easy to make your own beer. I'll stick my household beer recipe on the recipe site, if noone has a problem with me corrupting any underage people who may read it?

Though I'm not a big wine drinker, I'm told Co-op label their vegan wines, and many off-licences have vegan lists available. Making your own wine is fiddly, messy, expolsive and sets off peoples' asthma I have some bottles of "champagne" I don't dare touch in case they blow... Will keep trying

Oh man. I was just thinking today when I revieved communion...is the wine vegan?? It reminds me of blood *shivers*

Well, if you're Catholic it is the blood Or becomes the blood... I think... [went to a Catholic school for a year - it was a lot to take in!]

Otherwise I guess you could check with someone in the church? There are christian vegan and vegetarian groups, so it must be an issue that's been addressed at some point.

Why making wine is messy?
In my country almost every family makes it's own wine and it's vegan.

In fairness, it's probably me who's not very good at making wine I made some elderberry wine that dyed everything it touched purple, and sets off people's asthma bad (some asthmatics react badly to red wine?). The champagne was so fizzy that we had to gingerly loosen the tops in the back garden, and fire the corks into next door's tree!

Do you have any wine recipes that you could share? It would be good to have another go!

Do you distill your own vodka too? I don't think we're allowed to distil spirits in the UK, but it would be interesting to find out how it's done. Just in case I move somewhere where I can!

BigBecka wrote:In fairness, it's probably me who's not very good at making wine I made some elderberry wine that dyed everything it touched purple,

Real wine is made only from grapes, the rest should not be called wine.

[skip]
Do you distill your own vodka too? I don't think we're allowed to distil spirits in the UK, but it would be interesting to find out how it's done. Just in case I move somewhere where I can!

During Soviet Union it was very popular do distill your own spirits. It's one reason why sugar became deficit in the last years of Soviet Union.

Hehehe! There's not a lot of grapes around here: maybe I should move somewhere warmer?

During Soviet Union it was very popular do distill your own spirits. It's one reason why sugar became deficit in the last years of Soviet Union

?!?! I didn't know that! That's a lot of spirits!

BigBecka wrote:Hehehe! There's not a lot of grapes around here: maybe
I should move somewhere warmer?

Just for making wine?

During Soviet Union it was very popular do distill your own spirits. It's one reason why sugar became deficit in the last years of Soviet Union

?!?! I didn't know that! That's a lot of spirits!

Not much, it was a consequence of socialist distribution system and a anti-alcohol campaign launched by Gorbachev at those times.

Just for making wine?

Seems like a good reason to me! It would be nice to live somewhere that's warm in summer, and maybe gets snow in winter I'ld like to grow all kinds of things - my poor herb garden (window box) doesn't like the current climate...

BigBecka wrote:

Just for making wine?

Seems like a good reason to me! It would be nice to live somewhere that's warm in summer, and maybe gets snow in winter

Unfortunately during this winter we hadn't have much snow, may be it's global warming...

I'ld like to grow all kinds of things - my poor herb garden (window box) doesn't like the current climate...

By the way, what are you growing in your herb garden?

Unfortunately during this winter we hadn't have much snow, may be it's global warming...

we didn't get any - everywhere else in the UK got a little snow a couple of weeks ago, but it missed us! We just got very cold rain Where do you live? (if you don't mind me asking! - I gather eastern europe somewhere?)

I grow basil (for italian food), rosemary (to sprinkle on roast potatoes) and chives (which I use to flavour vegan macaroni cheese and random mixed stuff). The basil looks very unhappy - I think I might give it some plant food. This year I'm going to try mint, and have a go at tomatoes and peppers too My Dad grows his own vegetables, and I miss fresh veggies lots

oh chives are delicious.

I like to call myself an environmental activist
I'm very concerned about global warming.
Even though I'm....just....barely a teenager.....
I'm quite interested in global warming.

I'm very concerned about global warming. Even though I'm....just....barely a teenager.....

Lots of people were environmental activists when I was... barely a teenager... (late 80s / early 90s) I had a young persons bank account called "World Savers" which sponsored the WWF and made people aware of global warming / animal extiction / etc. A lot of young teenagers got involved with campaigning against whaling, and promoting dolphin-friendly tuna, and the children's programme Blue Peter promoted the introduction of unleaded petrol. It was quite common for children and young people to put their schools, and even their parents, under pressure to be a little more environmentally friendly!

I guess it's not trendy any more?

Global warming is an issue Did a module on environmental engineering at university - will post some interesting info on here

I wish it was still trendy!!
I feel so alone in what I do sometimes....

BigBecka wrote:

Unfortunately during this winter we hadn't have much snow, may be it's global warming...

we didn't get any - everywhere else in the UK got a little snow a couple of weeks ago, but it missed us! We just got very cold rain Where do you live?

We had a little snow but it got melted quite quickly, we even hadn't a chance to use our sledge for some fun.

(if you don't mind me asking! - I gather eastern europe somewhere?)

Yes, I'm from Moldova.

I grow basil (for italian food), rosemary (to sprinkle on roast potatoes) and chives (which I use to flavour vegan macaroni cheese and random mixed stuff). The basil looks very unhappy - I think I might give it some plant food. This year I'm going to try mint, and have a go at tomatoes and peppers too My Dad grows his own vegetables, and I miss fresh veggies lots

It's great! How much space you're using for your herbs and how often you're using them? (What I wish to know is how much space I need to grow my own herbs without buying them from market)

Awww! I haven't been sledging in years!

[quickly looks up Moldova on Wikipedia] There are whole websites on Moldovan wine

The Moldovan wine collection "Mileştii Mici", having 1.5 million bottles is the largest in Europe, according to the Guinness Book. It stretches for 200 km, of which only 50 km are currently in use.

Only 50km?!?!

The herbs are easy to grow - I use little 3.5" (9cm) diameter pots, and keep them on a west-facing windowsill (so they get some sun, but not too much). The chives grow really well - I can't eat them fast enough! I only use a little rosemary once every fornight or so, because it doesn't grow very fast. And I can't eat the basil often either - it is very small, and the leaves don't grow as big as you get in restaurants. But it is a mediteranean plant and I think it is too cold here: you might have a little more luck with the basil if you have warmer summers? I used to grow coriander too, and it kept dying because I didn't eat enough! You have to chop it back quite brutally!

When I take some herbs to eat, I cut the leaves above a 'joint' where some new leaves are likely to grow from. This helps the plant grow nice and bushy.

My sister used to grow herbs outside (she lived somewhere slightly milder!) in a rockery, and I know some people just plant herbs in a big terracotta pot in the back garden? As a general rule, I don't think herbs like frost or snow, and they need good drainage. If you google "herb gardening," there's tonnes of helpful-looking sites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/t ... erbs.shtml
http://www.backyardgardener.com/herb/

I wonder if I should have put this on another thread? Meh, it's pancake day, I'm off to start cooking

Yeah! The only thing I ever did is put an mature onion bulb in a cup full with water, and I had fresh chives in a week or something.

You put it there or you just forgot it there like me?

BigBecka wrote:Awww! I haven't been sledging in years!

[quickly looks up Moldova on Wikipedia] There are whole websites on Moldovan wine

The Moldovan wine collection "Mileştii Mici", having 1.5 million bottles is the largest in Europe, according to the Guinness Book. It stretches for 200 km, of which only 50 km are currently in use.

Only 50km?!?!

I've not been in "Milestii Mici", but I've been in Cricova cellars, there you can drive a minibus inside, there are tours to those cellars.

The herbs are easy to grow - I use little 3.5" (9cm) diameter pots, and keep them on a west-facing windowsill (so they get some sun, but not too much). The chives grow really well - I can't eat them fast enough! I only use a little rosemary once every fornight or so, because it doesn't grow very fast. And I can't eat the basil often either - it is very small, and the leaves don't grow as big as you get in restaurants. But it is a mediteranean plant and I think it is too cold here: you might have a little more luck with the basil if you have warmer summers? I used to grow coriander too, and it kept dying because I didn't eat enough! You have to chop it back quite brutally!

When I take some herbs to eat, I cut the leaves above a 'joint' where some new leaves are likely to grow from. This helps the plant grow nice and bushy.

My sister used to grow herbs outside (she lived somewhere slightly milder!) in a rockery, and I know some people just plant herbs in a big terracotta pot in the back garden? As a general rule, I don't think herbs like frost or snow, and they need good drainage. If you google "herb gardening," there's tonnes of helpful-looking sites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/t ... erbs.shtml
http://www.backyardgardener.com/herb/

Thank you for this information on herbs, I'll try to grow more of my own herbs, especially in Summer.

I wonder if I should have put this on another thread?

No, I don't think so

Meh, it's pancake day, I'm off to start cooking

What does it mean pancake day? Are making a lot of pancakes? And what kind of pancakes are you making, are them thin (like 1-2 mm) or thick (as little finger thick)?

What does it mean pancake day? Are making a lot of pancakes?

Yes! Lots of Pancakes! I should have called it Shrove Tuesday (I think Catholic/Protestant religious holidays are at different times to the Orthodox ones?); it is the day before Lent, so historically people would use up all their food making pancakes before fasting for Lent. Very few people fast nowadays, but pancake day has remained
it has become more of a national celebration, rather than a religious one

British pancakes are traditionally thin, like French crepes (but not that thin), and are served with white sugar and lemon juice sprinkled on top, then rolled up. I find it difficult to make thin pancakes without egg, so mine are a bit thicker

BigBecka wrote:

What does it mean pancake day? Are making a lot of pancakes?

Yes! Lots of Pancakes! I should have called it Shrove Tuesday (I think Catholic/Protestant religious holidays are at different times to the Orthodox ones?); it is the day before Lent, so historically people would use up all their food making pancakes before fasting for Lent. Very few people fast nowadays, but pancake day has remained
it has become more of a national celebration, rather than a religious one

It's strange how much this holiday is similar to Russian "Maslenita", it's a holiday which name have as root "butter" in Russian so I suppose in Russia they used all preserves of butter to make pancakes before Lent.

British pancakes are traditionally thin, like French crepes (but not that thin), and are served with white sugar and lemon juice sprinkled on top, then rolled up. I find it difficult to make thin pancakes without egg, so mine are a bit thicker

When I've showed pancakes I'm making to a guy from US, he said that these pancakes are more similar to French thing, or may be in US they make pancakes thicker?
By the way, I usually can make thin enough pancakes with these ingredients:
flour
water
salt
sugar
you can add vegetable oil, but it's not necessary.

You know, I haven't had pancakes in a long time. I am craving them now. I think that I shall whip myself up some tomorrow morning .

When I went to the US last year the hotel provided some really sweet breakfasts, including stacks of small, thick pancakes covered in cherries and maple syrup Hey, Lunarflowermaiden, any recipes?

You went to the U.S. ?! I wish that you could visit here again so that we could meet. You seem like an awesome person! Anyway, I was going to ask you or anyone else here the same question. I haven't had pancakes since long before I became a vegan and still ate eggs, and all of the recipes I can find here are ones that include eggs. So, I was wondering if you knew of any good recipes that exclude the eggs?

You went to the U.S. ?! I wish that you could visit here again

Aw, thanks So do I! By sheer luck I managed to get on a work trip over there, to have a meeting with another company - the guy who should have gone had let his passport expire We visited Boston, which is a gorgeous city (and surrounding area) if you haven't been.

A few of my school-friends have ended up living abroad, and I really want to take a year off work soon and go travelling and see everyone - I really regret not taking a gap year before or after university to do some travelling! Now I just need to be good and save up some money...

My pancakes are pretty much as per Sergio's recipe, though I did experiment with using an egg replacer powder that's made of potatoe starch (semi-worked!) How do you make the cherry syup stuff - is it just boiled cherries/berries? Maybe I'll do some "research" in the morning

How cool it would be to have a meeting so that we could show each other how we cook different dishes

Does this mean that wines are not vegan?:(