Labeling Beer & Wine Soap

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

KristaY

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
2,577
Reaction score
1,983
Location
Arizona, USA
Do you put the brand and type of beer or wine on your labels? I usually do but I just received several bottles of wine with only a couple of ounces in each that a local wine bar wants soap made out of. Since I'll simmer down several different reds then several different whites, I'm not sure what I should put on the label. There isn't enough wine in each bottle to make a batch so I'll have to blend them. They're all from different wineries and different grape types. Help!
 
Yep. Just beer or wine. If I make it with something specific - such as from a local brewery, I get their permission and add it to the description on my website. The big guys (like Schell's) I don't ask permission.
 
Hmmm. What is vegan beer, or perhaps more importantly, what is non-vegan beer? Typically the only ingredients are water, barley (and/or other grains), hops and yeast. No animal products whatsoever.

Not all beers are vegan. Some breweries will use fining agents such as gelatin. (Please don't ask me about fining or other things... this is what I remember my husband saying when discussing with a vegan friend if she would be able to drink his homemade beer.)
 
Some breweries will use fining agents such as gelatin.

Ah, I see. I'd consider that a rare ingredient for a brewery, but I suppose it is a possibility. Even still, if I was marketing to vegans, I wouldn't be too concerned about specifically labeling the beer as vegan. Instead I'd just label the soap as a whole as vegan, and simply list the ingredients. That's just me though, others should do as they wish.
 
Breweries use finings made from animal products quite frequently. Both gelatin and isinglass (made from fish bladders) are common in traditional practice. Finings are added to improve clarity by settling yeast and particulates from suspension.

However, most breweries of any size are going to be using manual filtration now. There is a good chance that anything bottled without yeast in the bottom of the bottle - or anything canned - will be vegan. Anything with national distribution is almost certainly vegan, unless they make a big deal about their traditional recipe and how long they've been using it. I don't think many breweries will advertise this, though, so if it's something you care about you should contact them to ask.
 
Oops, sorry to gum that up. I couldn't properly consult with my husband (also an avid homebrewer) so went with my partial knowledge of filtering, settling, etc. and the fact that I've not seen my strict vegan friend worry about beer. I also thought Carolyn might have been referring to yeast as animals (but they're actually a type of fungus). So my apologies to Carolyn and Krista, and thanks to amd and BrewerGeorge for keeping things straight!

The interweb says gelatin and isinglass can also be used in wine-making, so you might consider that as well.
 
Last edited:
Does Beer or Wine have an INCI category or name?
The INCI for beer is "Beer". Wine is not on my list.

Homebrewers in the USA use an edible seaweed, "Irish Moss" (Chondrus crispus), as a fining agent. Fining agents all work by making the smaller molecules aggregate into larger particles so they settle out of solution. The carrageenan in the Irish Moss has a negative electrostatic charge. Protein clumps from the boiling wort’s hot break are positively charged. The attraction between proteins and carrageenan coagulates into larger clumps of hot break material, which precipitate out of suspension.
 
One of my hottest sellers it Merlot that I HP. No fragrance added but it smells good and is a really pretty color :)
 
The INCI for beer is "Beer". Wine is not on my list.

Homebrewers in the USA use an edible seaweed, "Irish Moss" (Chondrus crispus), as a fining agent. Fining agents all work by making the smaller molecules aggregate into larger particles so they settle out of solution. The carrageenan in the Irish Moss has a negative electrostatic charge. Protein clumps from the boiling wort’s hot break are positively charged. The attraction between proteins and carrageenan coagulates into larger clumps of hot break material, which precipitate out of suspension.

Irish Moss is what is called a "kettle fining." That is, it's used during the last few minutes of boiling the wort.

Gelatin and Isinglass are "tank finings" They are used cold, after fermentation is complete, to knock down yeasts haze and protein haze caused by chilling.

The point being, it's quite common to use both in home brewing or small craft shops, so those who care about the vegan aspect should still do their homework.
 
Just put wine or beer on your label. If you make vegan soap you need to use vegan beer

I’m just curious...is beer not vegan? Oops, never mind...I’m a newbie and still figuring out this app.[emoji6]I realized after I posted that the question was answered.
 
Back
Top