Common Animal Products Found in Beer

Not quite sure what you should be looking for when trying to find Vegan Beer? Don’t worry, as we’ve compiled a list of the most common animal products used in commercial brewing

If you’re worried about purchasing beer that may not be 100% vegan-friendly, why not try brewing your own? This will give you the control to choose exactly what you put into your beer and how you brew it, without the unnecessary use of animal products.

These are some of the common animal ingredients that are often found in some varieties in beer:

Isinglass

Clarifier that is very common in brewing. Comes from the dried swim bladders of fish.

Gelatine

Clarifier obtained from the skin, connective tissue, and bones of animals.

Casein/Potassium Caseinate

Protein found in cow’s milks and often used as a clarifier.

Insects

Made into dyes and used for colouring.

Glyceryl Monostearate

Animal derived substance used to control foam.

Pepsin

Also used to control foam, it is sometimes derived from pork.

Albumin

Most common type in brewing is serum albumin, which is taken from animal blood.

Lactose

Beers labelled as sweet, milk, or cream stouts may or may not contain lactose. Sometimes the description refers to the texture and not the ingredient.