The Bar Towel

Bar Towels and Towlettes,
you have a chance for the government to hear your opinion (and likely ignore it. but still!) regarding changes to Canada's beer laws.

On a personal note, i'm hoping that we can get changes to allow things like blenderies (e.g. 3 Fonteinin) to be allowed according on federal/provincial law (in Ontario, you can only open a brewery if you mash, lauter and ferment on premises. It also would prohibit someone from opening a brewery whose beer was all extract).

or it would call for proper labeling of donkeypiss like Bu Lite Mojito.

take 5 min and speak up!

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-c ... 2279765320

Is there an online survey we can fill out or something?

Craig wrote:Is there an online survey we can fill out or something?

yes. there is.
one sec...

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-c ... 2279765320

atomeyes wrote:Bar Towels and Towelettes

^ Snappy phraseology of the day award.

Belgian wrote:

atomeyes wrote:Bar Towels and Towelettes

^ Snappy phraseology of the day award.

Could have preceded with moist.

Anyone know about the 0.5% from "flavourings" - how would this affect barrel aged beers?

Are Imperial stouts and barleywines going to run afoul of the sugar content rules?

JerCraigs wrote:Anyone know about the 0.5% from "flavourings" - how would this affect barrel aged beers?

Are Imperial stouts and barleywines going to run afoul of the sugar content rules?

Yes. 4% sugar is about 1.016 FG, which is lower than most high ABV beers finish. Sweet stout, barleywine, imperial stout, doppelbock, etc...

Here's hoping that this may make the labelling laws a bit easier to deal with, which of course forces agents to spend a lot of extra money to ensure compliance through those little stickers.

Too bad this is just a federal initiative, and has no bearing on our actual beer system in Ontario.

ercousin wrote:

JerCraigs wrote:Anyone know about the 0.5% from "flavourings" - how would this affect barrel aged beers?

Are Imperial stouts and barleywines going to run afoul of the sugar content rules?

Yes. 4% sugar is about 1.016 FG, which is lower than most high ABV beers finish. Sweet stout, barleywine, imperial stout, doppelbock, etc...

So I'm confused then. Are we in favour of these proposed new standards or not? Don't want to inadvertently vote for regressive measures.

ercousin wrote:

JerCraigs wrote:Anyone know about the 0.5% from "flavourings" - how would this affect barrel aged beers?

Are Imperial stouts and barleywines going to run afoul of the sugar content rules?

Yes. 4% sugar is about 1.016 FG, which is lower than most high ABV beers finish. Sweet stout, barleywine, imperial stout, doppelbock, etc...

I'm not entirely certain, but perhaps they would classify unfermented beer sugars as carbohydrates. The simple sugars are eaten up by the yeast during fermentation and I would call the more complex (long chain) sugars that remain carbohydrates.

I'm hoping that the 4% sugar rule is designed to help classify flavoured malt beverages (alco pops) as not being beer.

mistermurphy wrote:

ercousin wrote:

JerCraigs wrote:Anyone know about the 0.5% from "flavourings" - how would this affect barrel aged beers?

Are Imperial stouts and barleywines going to run afoul of the sugar content rules?

Yes. 4% sugar is about 1.016 FG, which is lower than most high ABV beers finish. Sweet stout, barleywine, imperial stout, doppelbock, etc...

I'm not entirely certain, but perhaps they would classify unfermented beer sugars as carbohydrates. The simple sugars are eaten up by the yeast during fermentation and I would call the more complex (long chain) sugars that remain carbohydrates.

I'm hoping that the 4% sugar rule is designed to help classify flavoured malt beverages (alco pops) as not being beer.

Nice to see a pro brewer weighing in!

To me, that seems like a nuance that may be lost on non-brewer bureaucrats. What are the federal labeling requirements right now? As far as I can see it's just Light Beer, Strong Beer, Very Strong Beer, etc... for the different ranges of ABV.

Your're right, that's why they are trying to update the standards.

"The proposed changes to the beer standards aim to:

- clarify the definition of beer,
- define the ingredients that can be added to beer,
- repeal the standard for ale, stout, porter or malt liquor ; and,
- remove the food additives from the beer standard, as they already appear on Health Canada's List of Permitted Food Additives."

The Bureaucrats recognize that Beer Canada (lobbying arm for Molson & Labatt) represent 80% of the industry. The OCB is also involved.

My guess is that even the big guys would be up for modernizing the standards/definitions but not be down for increased labelling like in food.