TOPIC:

CAMRA’s official definition of Real Ale is, "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide." It's an awkward definition that, like Germany's Reinheitsgebot, can be quite restrictive. However, the term "traditional ingredients" is designed, like the Reinheitsgebot, to prevent artificial preservatives or cheap adjuncts or chemicals from being used in the making or storing of the beer.

Inserting "traditional ingredients" into the definition of craft would over the problem of chemicals.

"Biertourist":14wq4ic0 wrote: it's reasonable for it to mean something very similar when applied to beer.[/quote:14wq4ic0]It is. It is not reasonable to expect a small voluntary organisation to implement an inspection regime which ensures that no shortcuts are being taken by the accredited craft breweries. Aside from the impracticality it would be a very quick route to being [i:14wq4ic0]personae non gratae[/i:14wq4ic0] on the beer scene in Ireland.

"We're from Beoir. We're here to inspect your stores for the presence of non-craft ingredients."

"Fuck off."

"Biertourist":14wq4ic0 wrote: Craft butchers, craft bakers, craft house building ... This is how the term "craft" is used with food based products again and again[/quote:14wq4ic0]Point me to the independent accredition bodies for these terms, and the inspection criteria they use.

Seems to me, once your cheque to the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland[/url:14wq4ic0] has cleared, you're now a craft butcher. I'd hope our definition of a craft brewer is rather more meaningful.

"Tube":14wq4ic0 wrote: Inserting "traditional ingredients" into the definition of craft would over the problem of chemicals.[/quote:14wq4ic0]I think it's a massive gaping hole in CAMRA's definition. "Traditional" is completely meaningless unless the when and where of the tradition referred to is specified. To be coherent either the acceptable ingredients must be named, or else acknowledge that your definition is a loose one.

Is roast barley a "traditional" ingredient? When did breweries start using that?

"TheBeerNut":31jmr0wh wrote: Is roast barley a "traditional" ingredient? When did breweries start using that?[/quote:31jmr0wh]

Yes, barley is. Sodium ethyl hexanoate doesn't sound too traditional tho.

The traditional ones sound tradtional, the chemical ones don't.

I think CAMRA were right not to list them, so as people are free to use traditional ingredients that hadn't been used in beer before to create new beers.

"Tube":5aqqa9ir wrote: Yes, barley is. Sodium ethyl hexanoate doesn't sound too traditional tho.[/quote:5aqqa9ir]Ah, so it's traditional-[i:5aqqa9ir]sounding[/i:5aqqa9ir] ingredients that count. If sodium ethyl hexanoate was known as "brewer's lye" in the old recipes, or indeed the new recipes, that's OK?

This is a hearts and minds thing,peoples eyes glaze over when they hear people getting anal about definitions. We all have a clear feeling that we do not like being served up bland boring beer and instead prefer something with more to it. Putting that feeling into a layman's terms is what we need to do,this way we will get this revolution to grow.

&amp;quot;TheBeerNut&amp;quot;:2mxzkndg wrote: "Fuck off."[/quote:2mxzkndg] <!-- s:shock: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_eek.gif" alt=":shock:" title="Shocked" /><!-- s:shock: -->