Working with gluten at brewery

[healthysquirrel]

Hello fellow gluten-free peeps!  I have recently been diagnosed with coeliac disease. I was a beer brewer and am wondering if it is dangerous for coeliacs to work with malts. Does the dust and the brewery environment gluten us even when careful ? I have not brewed since diagnosis and yes, I know I could brew gluten free beers, but I share the space, There would be so much cleaning and cross contamination to worry about. I will likely change things or stop brewing, but it would be fun to continue collaborating once in a which “normal” brewers, who use regular malts and need to know if it is dangerous for me. Thanks so much. 

[Ennis-TX]

If powdered yes....you inhale powders like flour etc and it gets stuck in the mucus in your nose and throat which eventually runs into your stomach. That is all it takes.
If you get it on your hands, under your nails, in your calluses etc. You can later gluten yourself when eating or fixing your own food.
I had to stop working in concessions years ago after dia and moved to trying to make and work in my own with with gluten free safe products and started a gluten free bakery and now looking at doing a food truck.

You can get new equipment and try brewing using fruit, for a cider or just hops and a sugar maybe blends of other sugars/starch bases other then wheat to make your own blend. I have a local guy who brews moon shine using oak chips for flavoring with sugar and ferments that with a special gluten free starter and often adds in fruit to give different flavors.

[healthysquirrel]

Hey Ennis,

I really appreciate your answer and respect that you turned things around to work in a suitable environment for you ! 

Thats very inspiring. I share my brewery, so I will need to move. Too much contamination. I looked online and asked my doctor and sort of knew the answer, but hearing it from someone who has coeliac disease has driven the point home for me. I needed to hear it from a fellow worker for some reason. I guess i’m in the bargaining phase of gluten grief hahahahaha. 

Have a great day thanks again 

Jen 

[LilyR]

I just saw a news story about a girl who was so severely sick with celiac, and once diagnosed, she went on a gluten-free diet, but still kept getting sick.  Come to find out it was because the family lived in a town/state that produces a lot of wheat, and apparently it is in the air.  The family had to pack up and move to a state that does not product that.  I never realized breathing dust in could do it.  Lots to learn!  Great post to help people learn. It is sad that we often have to give up favorite foods and beverages, but to give up a fun hobby is a bummer too.  I hear you about the bargaining phase, lol!  I still have stomach issues and I think I am going to have to cut more than gluten, and yet sometimes have still sneaked a soda, but corn syrup does not seem to do my any favors.  I hate this, lol!  

[healthysquirrel]

16 hours ago, LilyR said:

I just saw a news story about a girl who was so severely sick with celiac, and once diagnosed, she went on a gluten-free diet, but still kept getting sick.  Come to find out it was because the family lived in a town/state that produces a lot of wheat, and apparently it is in the air.  The family had to pack up and move to a state that does not product that.  I never realized breathing dust in could do it.  Lots to learn!  Great post to help people learn. It is sad that we often have to give up favorite foods and beverages, but to give up a fun hobby is a bummer too.  I hear you about the bargaining phase, lol!  I still have stomach issues and I think I am going to have to cut more than gluten, and yet sometimes have still sneaked a soda, but corn syrup does not seem to do my any favors.  I hate this, lol!  

Wow, interesting!

I know a man who moved his family to another greener area when his son developed asthma and his son is fine now. We just need to listen to what our bodies need. I loved brewing, but I would often fall asleep in the malt room, on the malt bags that were covered in dust involuntarily, right near the grinder.

I would grind with a mask anyway, but still, there was powder everywhere. It was a successful business because I brewed with love and created a different beer every week and had fun, but it was an easy decision to stop. I was always ill there. I might eventually re-open a gluten free brewery, but at the moment I am too tired to think of that and I am also impatient and cranky at the moment.

I drank a nice hoppy cider last night and thought yay, I can drink this. OOOOOPS I feel terrible today. Alcohol is not possible for me at the moment.

Depending how bad your villi are, you do need to give up way more than gluten at the beginning and reintroduce later. Especially things like soda because of their liquid drano effect. I try to do silly things that make it less dramatic, if I want a soda, I buy one and clean my toilet with it. It works and also saves me pain. If I want a beer, I buy one for someone else. Pizza however...I cannot eat with people who are eating pizza. Even people carrying pizza boxes annoy me with their smug faces. hahahaha! I have my limits  

Good luck with navigating your new diet. There are maybe things that you will introduce in your diet that you haven't even heard of yet that you will enjoy more than soda. I'm making a fruit kefir these days. tons of probiotics in there. kambucha too. 

All my best!

[LilyR]

1 hour ago, healthysquirrel said:

Wow, interesting!

I know a man who moved his family to another greener area when his son developed asthma and his son is fine now. We just need to listen to what our bodies need. I loved brewing, but I would often fall asleep in the malt room, on the malt bags that were covered in dust involuntarily, right near the grinder.

I would grind with a mask anyway, but still, there was powder everywhere. It was a successful business because I brewed with love and created a different beer every week and had fun, but it was an easy decision to stop. I was always ill there. I might eventually re-open a gluten free brewery, but at the moment I am too tired to think of that and I am also impatient and cranky at the moment.

I drank a nice hoppy cider last night and thought yay, I can drink this. OOOOOPS I feel terrible today. Alcohol is not possible for me at the moment.

Depending how bad your villi are, you do need to give up way more than gluten at the beginning and reintroduce later. Especially things like soda because of their liquid drano effect. I try to do silly things that make it less dramatic, if I want a soda, I buy one and clean my toilet with it. It works and also saves me pain. If I want a beer, I buy one for someone else. Pizza however...I cannot eat with people who are eating pizza. Even people carrying pizza boxes annoy me with their smug faces. hahahaha! I have my limits  

Good luck with navigating your new diet. There are maybe things that you will introduce in your diet that you haven't even heard of yet that you will enjoy more than soda. I'm making a fruit kefir these days. tons of probiotics in there. kambucha too. 

All my best!

Pizza, one of my issues too, lol!  I have made a gluten-free pita pizza a few times so I at least get the taste of my homemade sauce, but it's just not the same.  I smelled kambucha once, lol, it smelled harsh.  I have only had a soda a few times the past year because of the corn syrup. I would love to find some maybe sold in health food stores made with cane sugar instead, if I ever do find any.  I tend to drink water all the time, but in the summer I often crave something a bit more, so this summer has been rough.  Even just lime and seltzer, the seltzer seems too much for me at the moment.  

It can make us cranky at times, I think.  Especially when you accidentally get glutened and get so sick.  Or when you are trying your best to eat right, and still get some issues and wonder what it's from.  Or when you find out yet one more thing you felt lucky to be able to eat suddenly you cannot eat that anymore.  I used to love to cook and experiment with recipes, and bake the old family traditional items, especially seasonal and holiday items.  I miss that. But I guess we go on and learn to deal with it. 

I am off to the store soon to try and get a few things to get over this recent glutened issue.  I haven't eaten much in a few days and am getting really hungry now, but almost scared to eat.  

I hope you find something besides brewing that you will enjoy, or give that gluten-free brewing a try.  I haven't had alcohol in over a year, but hopefully someday can get back to an occasional drink.  I bet if you did gluten-free beer you would have some happy local people who are craving some.  Our neighbor brews at home and we've tried some of his at times.  I loved his oatmeal stout. It was so amazing.  But I can't have oats either.  So, a nice water on the rocks, lol!  I did get some mineral water and put in a squeeze of lime and used a nice glass.  

Onward we go...

[Ennis-TX]

5 hours ago, LilyR said:

Pizza, one of my issues too, lol!

Have you tried the Califour Foods Plant crust? Bit thin but gluten, corn, soy, dairy, grain, and even xantham gum free.  I have done everything from chips, pizza, dessert pizza, and even put two halves in a waffle iron with either Miyoko Vegan Mozz or Cream cheese between them with other fillings to make a off shoot of a calzone.

[LilyR]

On 8/28/2018 at 12:59 PM, Ennis_TX said:

Have you tried the Califour Foods Plant crust? Bit thin but gluten, corn, soy, dairy, grain, and even xantham gum free.  I have done everything from chips, pizza, dessert pizza, and even put two halves in a waffle iron with either Miyoko Vegan Mozz or Cream cheese between them with other fillings to make a off shoot of a calzone.

I haven't tried that yet.  Cauliflower has been making me bloat though.  I hope at some point it won't.  I had liked it with pasta sauce on it instead of noodles.  But so far it still bloats me.  Zucchini has too.  Green beans and carrots seem to be my best bet (and beets) so far with veggies.  

[healthysquirrel]

On 8/28/2018 at 1:20 PM, LilyR said:

Pizza, one of my issues too, lol!  I have made a gluten-free pita pizza a few times so I at least get the taste of my homemade sauce, but it's just not the same.  I smelled kambucha once, lol, it smelled harsh.  I have only had a soda a few times the past year because of the corn syrup. I would love to find some maybe sold in health food stores made with cane sugar instead, if I ever do find any.  I tend to drink water all the time, but in the summer I often crave something a bit more, so this summer has been rough.  Even just lime and seltzer, the seltzer seems too much for me at the moment.  

It can make us cranky at times, I think.  Especially when you accidentally get glutened and get so sick.  Or when you are trying your best to eat right, and still get some issues and wonder what it's from.  Or when you find out yet one more thing you felt lucky to be able to eat suddenly you cannot eat that anymore.  I used to love to cook and experiment with recipes, and bake the old family traditional items, especially seasonal and holiday items.  I miss that. But I guess we go on and learn to deal with it. 

I am off to the store soon to try and get a few things to get over this recent glutened issue.  I haven't eaten much in a few days and am getting really hungry now, but almost scared to eat.  

I hope you find something besides brewing that you will enjoy, or give that gluten-free brewing a try.  I haven't had alcohol in over a year, but hopefully someday can get back to an occasional drink.  I bet if you did gluten-free beer you would have some happy local people who are craving some.  Our neighbor brews at home and we've tried some of his at times.  I loved his oatmeal stout. It was so amazing.  But I can't have oats either.  So, a nice water on the rocks, lol!  I did get some mineral water and put in a squeeze of lime and used a nice glass.  

Onward we go...

Hilarious about the kambucha, i used to think it was rank as well, but then found a good local brand (urban kambucha, but it's swiss). Sorry you got glutened, I hear activated charcoal is a good thing for that, but I have not tried it and you must be careful that it doesn't interfere with other meds or renders your vitamins useless, i would ask the pharmacy. It is funny that pizza is something that can make us all a bit cranky. I think it is because it is so affordable and convenient.... oh, and delicious. Thanks for your answer, I think a gluten free brewery would do very well, but I was really inspired by the crazy mixtures of different malts and hops and other additions. I'll wait and see if the urge comes back. BTW there is a fantastic gluten-free brewery in Montreal called Glutenberg, they likely export to the us. maybe give that a try if you decide to drink again.