Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gluten Free Beer: How Do We Know It Is Safe

Cmccartn

Recommended Posts

Cmccartn Newbie
Cmccartn
Posted

Hey guys,

I was diagnosed with Celiac Sprue based on tissue transglutaminase anti-body screening almost six years ago. I've been gluten free ever since. It wasn't until about 2-3 years ago that gluten free beer became a bit of a trend and my brother in law have got in to home brewing our very own gluten free beer.

For our small 5 gallon batches every piece of equipment that I've used has been dedicated gluten free from the day I bought it. The question I have for everyone is:

How comfortable are people drinking gluten free beer on non-dedicated gluten free lines? I believe that neither redbridge nor bards produces their gluten-free beers on dedicated lines, they instead clean the shared equipment.

I wanted to get the view of other celiacs about gluten free beer (and for now I'm completely ignoring beer that tries to lower its barley content like estrella and omission).

Thanks guys

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

Red Bridge is made by Anheuser-Busch. I don't know about their facilities, but I have not had a problem with it.

Bard's is made in a dedicated facility. It was the first gluten-free beer on the market. The partners who own the business both have celiac disease.

There are other sorghum-based brews available that are made in facilities that also make "real" beer. I have tried several of them, and have not had any problems.

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

I think that it depends on your level of sensitivity. Mine has gotten lower as time goes on. When I was less sensitive I could drink beer that was made in dedicated facilities without issues, but not those made in shared facilities. Now don't drink any beer. I do still have some alcohol that I can drink, so I don't think that it is a general problem with alcohol.

Kate79 Apprentice
Kate79
Posted

I've tried every gluten free beer I've come across, and I haven't had any issues - except with ones like Daura that try to use barley and 'deglutinize it'. Bard's, New Grist, New Planet, Redbridge etc. have all been fine for me, as far as I can tell, and I'm pretty sensitive.

If you're really worried about it, I would highly, highly reccommend trying Harvester beers - they're a completely gluten free brewery out of Portland, Oregon. They've got their own operation and don't contract brew through other facilities or brew any regular beers, like some of the other companies, and they use certified gluten free ingredients.

They don't sell widely outside of Oregon/Washington, but you can order their stuff through www.letspour.com

Expensive, but worth it! (no, I'm not affiliated with them. But I did get to visit their facility in Portland last fall, and was very impressed)

Pegleg84 Collaborator
Pegleg84
Posted

I've never had any trouble with gluten-free beer (but don't touch the mysterious "gluten removed" stuff. That's just sketchy). If you're worried about breweries that also make regular beer, there are several exclusively gluten-free breweries out there, and you can always contact the brewery to find out what their methods are, and whether they use dedicated equipment that has never been used for regular beer.

You're pretty ambitious doing home-brewed gluten-free, but you're not the only ones. There are a couple guys in Toronto that recently started a gluten-free craft microbrewery, and had to buy all brand new equipment (quite an investment) and since they want to sell casks, they rigged up a special tap line so that bars can't just hook it up to their regular lines (because, honestly, being able to go to your local and order a pint ON TAP is the best thing ever)

Good luck with the homebrew. I hope it turned/turns out!

Cheers

Smylinacha Apprentice
Smylinacha
Posted

I was a micro brew drinker until Gluten free a little over 3 weeks ago. Switched to Angry Orchard hard cider which is good but boy I missed my beer! Just tried New Planet beer. Loved the taste and so far no problems.

killernj13 Enthusiast
killernj13
Posted

Only have had issues with Daura as the other posted stated.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


  • 4 months later...
CD-n-Ark Newbie
CD-n-Ark
Posted

I was a micro brew drinker until Gluten free a little over 3 weeks ago. Switched to Angry Orchard hard cider which is good but boy I missed my beer! Just tried New Planet beer. Loved the taste and so far no problems.

I tried a New Planet Belgian Ale. Immediately I experienced symptoms of contamination. The only beer so far that I like and have had no problems with is Bards.

ENF Enthusiast
ENF
Posted

 I've been drinking Corona Extra for a couple of months, no more than one bottle at a time, several times a week, with no problems. Several studies of gluten in beer have found Corona Extra to have gluten levels at or below 5 ppm, considerably less than the strict gluten-free standard of less than 20 ppm.  In Mexico, where it is manufactured, it is labeled as gluten free.  

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. cristiana
      - cristiana replied to sha1091a's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Issues before diagnosis

      I agree, it so often overlooked! I live in the UK and I have often wondered why doctors are so reluctant to at least exclude it - my thoughts are perhaps the particular tests are expensive for the NHS, so therefore saved for people with 'obvious' symptoms. I was diagnosed in 2013 and was told immediately that my parents, sibling and children should...
    2. chrisinpa
      - chrisinpa commented on Scott Adams's article in Skin Problems and Celiac Disease
      2

      Celiac Disease and Skin Disorders: Exploring a Genetic Connection

      Maybe they can attribute certain skin conditions to either being susceptible to getting Celiac......or the other way around....but I have to ask if certain people are prone to Celiac because of genetics and some people aren't. It's kind of the same thing as what came first.....the chicken or the egg.?
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      3

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      @xxnonamexx, There's labeling on those Trubar gluten free high fiber protein bars that say: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, soy, fish, WHEAT, sesame, and other tree nuts." You may want to avoid products made in shared facilities. If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet to ease constipation, considering...
    4. trents
      - trents replied to sha1091a's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Issues before diagnosis

      Welcome to celiac.com @sha1091a! Your experience is a very common one. Celiac disease is one the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed medical conditions out there. The reasons are numerous. One key one is that its symptoms mimic so many other diseases. Another is ignorance on the part of the medical community with regard to the range of symptoms that celiac...
    5. trents
      - trents commented on Jefferson Adams's article in Other Diseases and Disorders Associated with Celiac Disease
      6

      Celiac Disease Patients Face Higher Risk of Systemic Lupus

      What kind of practitioner did the blood test? Was this a medical doctor, a naturopathic doctor, a GI doc? I would certainly follow up with them and ask why they advised you not to eat red meat. I mean, it could be something like they, themselves, are a vegetarian and give that advice to everyone. Have you had an endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,692
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Ali Zaib
    Newest Member
    Ali Zaib
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Issues before diagnosis

      By cristiana · Posted

      I agree, it so often overlooked! I live in the UK and I have often wondered why doctors are so reluctant to at least exclude it - my thoughts are perhaps the particular tests are expensive for the NHS, so therefore saved for people with 'obvious' symptoms.  I was diagnosed in 2013 and was told immediately that my parents, sibling and children should be checked.  My parents' GP to this day has not put forward my father for testing, and my mother was never tested in her lifetime, despite the fact that they both have some interesting symptoms/family history that reflect they might have coeliac disease (Dad - extreme bloating, and his Mum clearly had autoimmune issues, albeit undiagnosed as such; Mum - osteoporosis, anxiety).  I am now my father' legal guardian and suspecting my parents may have forgotten to ask their GP for a test (which is entirely possible!) I put it to his last GP that he ought to be tested.  He looked at Dad's blood results and purely because he was not anemic said he wasn't a coeliac.  Hopefully as the awareness of Coeliac Disease spreads among the general public, people will be able to advocate for themselves.  It is hard because in the UK the NHS is very stretched, but the fallout from not being diagnosed in a timely fashion will only cost the NHS more money. Interestingly, a complete aside, I met someone recently whose son was diagnosed (I think she said he was 8).  At a recent birthday party with 8 guests, 4 boys out of the 8 had received diagnosis of Coeliac Disease, which is an astounding statistic  As far as I know, though, they had all had obvious gastric symptoms leading to their NHS diagnosis.  In my own case I had  acute onset anxiety, hypnopompic hallucinations (vivid hallucinations upon waking),  odd liver function, anxiety, headaches, ulcers and low iron but it wasn't until the gastric symptoms hit me that a GP thought to do coeliac testing, and my numbers were through the roof.  As @trents says, by the grace of God I was diagnosed, and the diet has pretty much dealt with most of those symptoms.  I have much to be grateful for. Cristiana
    • knitty kitty
      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @xxnonamexx, There's labeling on those Trubar gluten free high fiber protein bars that say: "Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts, milk, soy, fish, WHEAT, sesame, and other tree nuts." You may want to avoid products made in shared facilities.   If you are trying to add more fiber to your diet to ease constipation, considering eating more leafy green vegetables and cruciferous vegetables.  Not only are these high in fiber, they also are good sources of magnesium.  Many newly diagnosed are low in magnesium and B vitamins and suffer with constipation.  Thiamine Vitamin B1 and magnesium work together.  Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine has been shown to improve intestinal health.  Thiamine and magnesium are important to gastrointestinal health and function.  
    • trents
      Issues before diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to celiac.com @sha1091a! Your experience is a very common one. Celiac disease is one the most underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed medical conditions out there. The reasons are numerous. One key one is that its symptoms mimic so many other diseases. Another is ignorance on the part of the medical community with regard to the range of symptoms that celiac disease can produce. Clinicians often are only looking for classic GI symptoms and are unaware of the many other subsystems in the body that can be damaged before classic GI symptoms manifest, if ever they do. Many celiacs are of the "silent" variety and have few if any GI symptoms while all along, damage is being done to their bodies. In my case, the original symptoms were elevated liver enzymes which I endured for 13 years before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. By the grace of God my liver was not destroyed. It is common for the onset of the disease to happen 10 years before you ever get a diagnosis. Thankfully, that is slowly changing as there has developed more awareness on the part of both the medical community and the public in the past 20 years or so. Blessings!
    • knitty kitty
      Dizziness after eating green beans?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @EndlessSummer, You said you had an allergy to trees.  People with Birch Allergy can react to green beans (in the legume family) and other vegetables, as well as some fruits.  Look into Oral Allergy Syndrome which can occur at a higher rate in Celiac Disease.   Switching to a low histamine diet for a while can give your body time to rid itself of the extra histamine the body makes with Celiac disease and histamine consumed in the diet.   Vitamin C and the eight B vitamins are needed to help the body clear histamine.   Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?
    • sha1091a
      Issues before diagnosis

      By sha1091a · Posted

      I found out the age of 68 that I am a celiac. When I was 16, I had my gallbladder removed when I was 24 I was put on a medication because I was told I had fibromyalgia.   going to Doctor’s over many years, not one of them thought to check me out for celiac disease. I am aware that it only started being tested by bloodwork I believe in the late 90s, but still I’m kind of confused why my gallbladder my joint pain flatulent that I complained of constantly was totally ignored. Is it not something that is taught to our medical system? It wasn’t a Doctor Who asked for the test to be done. I asked for it because of something I had read and my test came back positive. My number was quite high.Are there other people out here that had this kind of problems and they were ignored? 
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.