In a recent article in the Kosher Spirit Magazine put out by the OK Kosher, they answer this questions. I agree with them completely as the beer industry continues to expand and brewmaster in the US are always trying to find the new latest and greatest brewing craze in addition to the traditional beers. You really need to be on guard when it comes to beers and kashrus, the old adage of all beer is fine (in the US) is not necessarily true anymore.
http://www.kosherspirit.com/Article.asp?Issue=35&Article=516
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ReplyDeleteDan, do prepackaged brewing kits need a hecksher? The ones that come with dried malt, and dried hops, vacuum packed?
ReplyDeleteI buy prepackaged kits without a formal hechsher on them. Hi Elad,
ReplyDeleteBased upon my investigations, almost all ingredients (grains, extracts, sugars) are all fine as they are pure unadulterated ingredients. In addition, Briess and Muntons extracts have hashgacha/kosher certification on their bulk versions. The kits and ingredients that the homebrew suppliers use are almost always from one of those two sources. The 'biggest" issue could be the yeasts that they sell. Regarding grains, there isnt much to them aside from plain old barley, wheat, rye, oats (whatever you plan to use for the recipe) in them aside from the grain itself. The maltsters dont mess with their ingredients, they hold ingredients sacred. For the certified yeasts I suggest checking on my blog as well where I have posted numerous articles/certifications. In short, most of the major yeast manufacturers have certifications on some level.