I think this is the quote that lit the fuse. That's a pretty broad statement. Easy to refute statements like that. Stainless steel still the standard me thinks.
Well, I've worked in business my entire life since the early 80's and I can tell you one thing you can take to the bank... Just because inspectors aren't knocking at your door today, it doesn't mean the regs don't exist and there are usually an army of inspectors just waiting on a lead to go after. So I wouldn't disclose your brewery name! Big Brother is listening.....
What are you talking about? I do not wish to get into a pissing match with you but we are not hiding from anyone and we are not doing anything wrong. I have stated multiple times we have been visited by inspectors and other than fixing a broken bathroom door closer we have never been in violation of anything.
Again your speculating and assuming when I'm pointing out the "FDA Regulations" you speak of are simply not yet in practice everywhere and that they are not necessarily for what you think they are even for. There is no law against using wooden barrels or foeders as you insinuate and relate to the matter.
And when they do fully enforce the new FDA regulations we have nothing to be concerned with that we are aware of. We brew traditional style beers.
Hell we dont even have any wooden casks for conditioning stouts as many do let alone wooden foeders but I have been to multiple breweries and wineries that do and they were completely legal.
That said how many people have you ever heard of being poisoned or getting ill from a beer or wine they purchased and consumed? Your chances of such a thing are far far more of a concern with restaurants. breweries that do not have effective cleaning and sanitation practices where applicable, typically produce infected beer and wont be around long unless the infection is a wanted characteristic of the beer like some sours and farmhouse styles. (Or now days I would argue sadly if they had a really good marketing team, even the worse would survive)
All we have that ever comes in contact with our beer besides stainless and food grade plastic is a hardwood mash paddle. unlike some of the brewery videos you will see on youtube we use only fda certified hoses and sanitary triclamp fittings. Our kettles like anyone else using stouts equipment have no official certifications that im aware of. (Our current plastic fermenters do have NSF certification but our new stainless jacketed unitanks do not as thats not typical) We have taken every precaution to make our entire process safe. dont forget, we are afterall, a primary consumer of our own product.
When you say you worked "in business" all your life.. can I ask what business? With all do respect thats a broad statement anyone with a job can make..
I guess I should clarify that point I was making with my original FDA statement was that Beer (until possibly very recently) has not been typically NOT FDA approved, regulated or not. because it fell into the same category as spirits. Yes that looks as if its changing. (again because of adjunct beers with food products like fruit corn, rice and even dounuts and candy added to them changing their classification). as far as regulation? I dont know all the rules, only the ones that pertain to us currently as a small NY craft brewery and our as well as others weve spokent to with brewing operations are currently are still being inspected by only the NY dept of farm and agriculture. likewise our beers are not yet regulated (other than taxes and licensing ) by anyone other than the state as we do not distribute outside the state.