Has anyone here ever taken a bunch of used brewing and kegging equipment and fixed it so it's kosher? Doesn't matter for me, but I am thinking of possible futures in which a beer-loving friend might have to shelter here.
Making Used Equipment Kosher?
- Thread starter Clint Yeastwood
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Are you talking about actual kosher? Like meeting halachic standards?
OP
OP
I believe this guy is one step down from glatt. He will not drink SNPA because the owner doesn't sell his chametz over Passover.
uh… like prepper shelter in place?
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Can't risk getting into politics.
Ok, respect and my answers here contain absolutely no sarcasm or facetiousness. Just putting that out of the way.
I can't imagine your friend will be ok with your kitchen. What are they planning for food?
Observance of Jewish law (halacha) depends on the person. Sounds like you're friend is likely Orthodox, maybe Conservative. First, ask your friend what are they comfortable with. Next, a local Rabbi of the denomination of which your friend approves.
It may not matter too much your friend. Passover and chametz is one of those things even relatively non-observant Jews will take seriously.
This is a time to lay it all out and ask the questions. Your friend is the expert.
Also, it's not just what is in the beer, or the equipment it's made on. Much of halacha concerns how things are done.
I can't imagine your friend will be ok with your kitchen. What are they planning for food?
Observance of Jewish law (halacha) depends on the person. Sounds like you're friend is likely Orthodox, maybe Conservative. First, ask your friend what are they comfortable with. Next, a local Rabbi of the denomination of which your friend approves.
It may not matter too much your friend. Passover and chametz is one of those things even relatively non-observant Jews will take seriously.
This is a time to lay it all out and ask the questions. Your friend is the expert.
Also, it's not just what is in the beer, or the equipment it's made on. Much of halacha concerns how things are done.
Also, SNPA not selling their chametz shouldn't affect drinking it outside of Passover. Chametz makes it not kosher for Passover, not non-Kosher.
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He is Orthodox. It's a fascinating story. His mother was Catholic, and his dad was reform. She converted in a reform synagogue before giving birth, but he moved to an Orthodox yeshiva in Jerusalem, and the rabbis made him convert anyway. They were not happy with his mother's conversion. I happened to be in Israel at the time, and he asked if I would testify before the Beis Din, confirming that he had stopped eating cheeseburgers and so on back in the US. He went all Lubavitcher for a while.
The kitchen is beyond hope. I believe in being helpful, but I'm not giving up country ham and bacon. He'd have to get a Weber kettle and a microwave.
I'm not talking about a vacation visit. More along the lines of necessity. I think he and his wife could get by without a full kitchen, but watching me drink homebrew while they do without would be a serious hardship. I mean, I would do it. Be serious. But I would feel moderately bad about it.
The kitchen is beyond hope. I believe in being helpful, but I'm not giving up country ham and bacon. He'd have to get a Weber kettle and a microwave.
I'm not talking about a vacation visit. More along the lines of necessity. I think he and his wife could get by without a full kitchen, but watching me drink homebrew while they do without would be a serious hardship. I mean, I would do it. Be serious. But I would feel moderately bad about it.
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Not really my area of expertise. I would eat suckling pig stuffed with shrimp on a bed of yeast on Passover.
I'm assuming "things are rough in his/her home area, so needs to crash for a potentally long period of time".
(and might want a beer during that period)
OP
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Beer is one of the few things we could still enjoy together.
All you say rings true. In the end, it's up to him. To appease that kind of 17th-18th century observance of medieval laws you could be looking at things like boiling or burying. Swinging a live chicken over your head.*
I'll double down on ask your friend. It's up to him. What he considers kosher and whether emergency living offers allowance for a non-Kosher beer is totally his call.
For instance. My father is 'a step below glatt' kosher. Buys only kosher meat from a Jewish kosher butcher. Came to my house when my son was born. I served beef tenderloin. Typically kosher Jews don't eat the tenderloin, too close to the sciatic. I had no idea. My Dad ate it. Told my Presbyterian FIL why. "What am I going to do? Not eat the expensive cut my son served me on the occasion of my grandson's birth?" Your friend very likely wouldn't.
*Still no sarcasm or facetiousness.
I'll double down on ask your friend. It's up to him. What he considers kosher and whether emergency living offers allowance for a non-Kosher beer is totally his call.
For instance. My father is 'a step below glatt' kosher. Buys only kosher meat from a Jewish kosher butcher. Came to my house when my son was born. I served beef tenderloin. Typically kosher Jews don't eat the tenderloin, too close to the sciatic. I had no idea. My Dad ate it. Told my Presbyterian FIL why. "What am I going to do? Not eat the expensive cut my son served me on the occasion of my grandson's birth?" Your friend very likely wouldn't.
*Still no sarcasm or facetiousness.
I was under the impression that unflavored unadulterated beer is kosher - except for Passover.
Cheers!
Cheers!
If made with kosher ingredients on kosher equipment in a kosher manner. Yep
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A lot of my stuff has touched gelatin. Bad mojo.
Most definitely. That's why I grew up with Hydrox, not Oreo.
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Man, I miss lard in baked goods. Oreos are just not the same.
I actually prefer Hydrox to this day. The cookies are crisper and much more chocolatey.
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You go on telling yourself that.
I can. It's a subjective observation and a personal preference.
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Another friend went halfassed kosher, and he used to make cheeseburgers with beef "bacon" and fake cheese, known colloquially as "parve-cheesi." He would choke that stuff down, insisting it was great. I always felt he should eat good food that started out kosher instead of making desperate stabs at cheeseburgers and such.
Agreed. Although, cured and smoked beef navel is delicious. Wouldn't call it bacon though.
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I thought navels were what non-kosher hot dogs were made of.
The guy who likes beer took me to a kosher hot dog joint near his house. Really impressive. Seemed a little low in sawdust and rat hairs for my taste, but very well done. We also went to an unbelievable kosher place in North Miami Beach, run by Morrocan Jews. Best Arab food I ever had, except for the falafel joint in Afula.
The guy who likes beer took me to a kosher hot dog joint near his house. Really impressive. Seemed a little low in sawdust and rat hairs for my taste, but very well done. We also went to an unbelievable kosher place in North Miami Beach, run by Morrocan Jews. Best Arab food I ever had, except for the falafel joint in Afula.
Nah. It's just the beef version of pork belly.
Hydrox is actually the OG chocolate/creme cookie, Oreo is the knock-off.
Also agree with @DBhomebrew, there is a stark difference in crispness/chocolate flavor. Probably because of the less creme thing.
I am not well versed in how brewing would be outside any lines but would be interested to know. Stainless steel and grain seem inside the lines to me but maybe yeast is outside? What exactly would constitute a kosher brewery? (Any finings excluded).
Also, I'm not Jewish, nor do I know too much about kosher stuff, but 2 minutes of Googling led me to this:
https://www.star-k.org/articles/kashrus-kurrents/2183/beer-halacha-clarifying-the-kashrus-of-beer/
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/4EGWXb257h/
It seems that beer is considered kosher by default with very few exceptions where it's obvious it may not be kosher, like if it contains dairy.
https://www.star-k.org/articles/kashrus-kurrents/2183/beer-halacha-clarifying-the-kashrus-of-beer/
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/4EGWXb257h/
It seems that beer is considered kosher by default with very few exceptions where it's obvious it may not be kosher, like if it contains dairy.
This. Plus, a story from Jewish summer camp.
To satisfy at least some of the observant, the camp kitchen was deemed Kosher enough (as regards meat vs milk) because the dishwasher heated to 165°F. I'm doubting it specifies that temperature that in the Talmud, though.
Here's hoping the envisioned move isn't needed.
Then there's the midrash that says when a chicken is brought to a rabbi to ascertain whether it's kosher, the rabbi should first ascertain whether the family can afford to buy a second chicken. That information is just important to the judgement as anything pulled from Talmud.
But, meat&cheese and pork are very, very seldom compromised.
Then again... I once asked my Orthodox grandfather why he was eating the wonton soup, it has pork in it. He said "It's not pork. I asked my friend the owner. It's wonton. Who am I to doubt him?"
But, meat&cheese and pork are very, very seldom compromised.
Then again... I once asked my Orthodox grandfather why he was eating the wonton soup, it has pork in it. He said "It's not pork. I asked my friend the owner. It's wonton. Who am I to doubt him?"
Could you set up a carboy fermenter and a keg that has been cleaned/treated to the satisfaction of the Rabbi and just keep that stuff separate from the gelatin and the lactose?
Ask three rabbis, you'll get five answers. It's all up to the guy lifting the pint glass.
