The Beast is Not Vegan Friendly

Company Email: April 2011
"I am proud to announce with the addition of a centrifuge we no longer have to fine our beers. As you probably know, finings are used to promote the flocculation and sedimentation of yeast in fermentation vessel prior to filtering. Well, centrifuges actually like the yeast very homogenized throughout the vessel.

So, please feel free to drink all of our beers without worry...outside of The Beast...it has honey in it."

Company Email: June 2010
"We have one beer - The Beast - that has
honey in it. We also occasionally use isinglass as a fining agent to
lower our yeast (another eukaryote that we beat up on!) cell counts.
Unfortunately I would be unable to tell you which, if any, beers were
made using isinglass because it is very sporadic. We are changing our
process and anticipate eliminating the occasional use of isinglass
sometime in early 2011."

UPDATE:
"Your info [animal finings used for all beers] is correct. I do wish there were another product to use but there isn't so we are dissappointing some vegans out there. Glad to hear you're doing what you're doing. Will help alot of people. Follow up: We have explored the centrifuge idea and will probably invest in one in the next two years. It's not feasible at our current production rate but as that rate increases it becomes more realistic. Love to get those vegans on our side!"

Company Email:
We have changed yeast strains which has decreased the frequency we use isinglass as a fining agent prior to filtration, but we still do use it on occasion. I would not be able to tell you which beers and when because it is a case by case situation.

@kmudrick notes that "I've heard comflicting reports from Avery, as recently as a couple of weeks ago, that sometimes they fine, sometimes they don't" - time for a double check...

Julie writes:
"I noticed on your list that Avery's beer is listed as not vegan friendly. But I have spoken with one of the brewers who has always been super helpful in picking out vegan-friendly beers of theirs (the unfiltered stuff has always been vegan)--they switched yeast strains a few months back and no longer use isinglass. so now their beer is vegan-friendly."