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Celiac.com 08/03/2022 - We get more than a few questions from our readers about which items, brands and products are gluten-free. Lately, we've been getting numerous questions about gluten-free beers. Specifically, what are the best beers that are gluten-free, and safe for people with celiac disease? Gluten-Free Beers vs. Gluten-Removed Beers First, not all gluten-free beers are the same. There are two main types of gluten-free beers: Gluten-Free Beers and Gluten-Removed Beers. Naturally Gluten-free Beers Naturally gluten-free beers are made with all gluten-free source ingredients, and use grains like rice, sorghum, buckwheat, and millet, instead of barley. This is important to many people, especially those with high sensitivity, or the belief that gluten-removed beers may trigger celiac-related problems. Pros: Guaranteed gluten-free from start to finish. As close to 100% gluten-free final product as it gets. Cons: Beers made without barley can taste tart, or have a shallow flavor profile. Aren't considered beer under German standards. A good example of a recent naturally gluten-free beers is award-winning La Grosa Rita Maragrite-Style Ale. Using without barley or wheat, malted with Rice Extract, and brewed with Zeus and Willamette hops, La Gosh Rita Maragrita-Style Ale offers "All the makings of a margarita, minus the tequila. Bright lime tartness, a bit of agave and orange sweetness and just the right amount of sea salt saltiness, brought together in this super refreshing Margarita Ale. Gluten-Removed Beers Gluten-removed beers use traditional source ingredients like barley to brew beer traditionally, then use various enzyme processes to break down the gluten to render the final product under 20ppm gluten. Pros: Traditional source ingredients. Traditional beer flavor. Test under 20 ppm gluten. Can be labeled as beer according to German purity laws. Cons: While many people with celiac disease seem to be able to tolerate gluten-removed beers, many claim that these beers trigger adverse symptoms. Still, in Europe, these beers are considered gluten-free, and safe for people with celiac disease. So what's the real difference? Mainly, taste, and labeling. Currently, the FDA only allows products that are gluten-free from the start, like Holidaily’s millet-and-buckwheat brews, to be officially labeled as “gluten-free.” According to the FDA, reduced gluten beers cannot be sold with a gluten-free label. However, most people with gluten sensitivities, even celiacs, are okay drinking them. Also, to further complicate matters, gluten-removed beers are allowed to be sold as gluten-free in Europe. Gluten-removed beers taste more like traditional beers, because they are made with wheat or barley. The beers made by Portland-based Omission Brewing are a good example. Omission beers are made with the standard ingredients: barley malt, hops, water, and yeast. The difference? When the product goes into fermentation, an enzyme called Brewers Clarex goes in with it. The resulting brews contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten are as good as gluten-free. Omission maintains a transparent testing page on its website where you can check gluten levels in their products. Omission beers are brewed and finished to have zero detectable gluten. Other breweries, like New Belgium brew and finish their beers to test under 10 parts per million, stricter than the FDA standard. So, both gluten-free and gluten-removed beers are likely fine for most people with celiac disease and gluten-intolerance. Of course, trust your gut, and avoid anything that doesn't agree with you. But, if you tolerate gluten-reduced beers, rest assured that they are likely every bit as safe as naturally gluten-free beers. Have we missed a favorite gluten-free or gluten-removed beer? Let us know in the comments below. Naturally Gluten-free Beers Anheuser-Busch Redbridge Bard's Gold Bard's Tale Beer Belipago by Jolly Pumpkin Brasserie Dupont Forêt Libre Brasseurs Sans Gluten Glutenberg Blanche Brunehaut Bio Ambrée Brunehaut Blonde Bio Brunehaut Blanche Burning Brothers Brewing Coors Peak Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales: Tweason'ale Drummond Gluten Free Epic Brewing Company: Glutenator Ghostfish Brewery Glutenberg American Pale Ale Glutenberg Blonde Glutenberg Belgian Double Glutenberg India Pale Ale Glutenberg Rousse Green's Discovery Amber Ale Green's Endeavour Green's Enterprise Dry-Hopped Lager Green's India Pale Ale Green's Quest Tripel Blonde Ale Ground Breaker Corsa Rose Gold Ale Ground Breaker IPA No. 5 Ground Breaker Dark Ale Holidaily Blonde Holidaily Buckwit Belgian Holidaily UFO Ipswich Ale Brewery: Celia Saison Joseph James Brewing Fox Tail La Grosa Rita Margarita-Style Ale Lakefront New Grist Ginger Style Ale Lakefront New Grist Pilsner Style Minhas Lazy Mutt Gluten Free Mongozo Premium Pilsener New Planet Belgian Style Ale New Planet Blonde Ale New Planet Pale Ale New Planet Raspberry Ale New Planet Seclusion IPA New Planet Tread Lightly Session Ale Nickel Brook Gluten Free Nouvelle France La Messagère Nouvelle-France Messagère Aux Fruits Nouvelle-France Messagère Red Ale Otherwise Brewing Calrose Crisp Otherwise Brewing Hella Nibs Otherwise Brewing IFLS Otherwise Brewing Meringue & Tang Otherwise Brewing Western Addition Schnitzer Bräu Hirse Lemon Schnitzer Bräu Hirse Premium Sprecher Brewing Company's Shakparo Ale Steadfast Beer gluten-free Blonde and Pale Ales Steadfast Beer Company's Oatmeal Cream Stout To Øl Reparationsbajer Gluten Free Whistler Forager Gluten-Removed Beers Alley Kat Scona Gold Kölsch Brunehaut Bio Tripel Celia Dark Estrella Damm Daura Estrella Damm Daura Marzen Lammsbräu Glutenfrei Lager Beer Mikkeller American Dream Gluten Free Mikkeller Green Gold Gluten Free Mikkeller I Wish Gluten Free IPA Mikkeller Peter, Pale And Mary Gluten Free New Belgium Glutiny brand Golden and Pale Ales Peroni senza Glutine (Lager) Short's Brewing Space Rock Stone Delicious IPA Sufferfest Brewing Company Pale Ale and Lager Widmer Omission Lager Widmer Omission IPA Widmer Omission Pale Ale Wold Top Against The Grain Wold Top Marmalade Porter Wold Top Scarborough Fair IPA Award Winning Gluten-Free Beers Ghostfish Jolly Pumpkin's Belipago IPA La Grosa Rita Margarita-Style Ale Award Winning Gluten-Reduced Beers Omission

01/18/2022 - Pretty much every gluten-free beer drinker wants the same thing: a really good beer that just happens to be gluten-free. That may soon become a common thing, if new research has anything to say about the matter. Compared with traditionally brewed beers, gluten-free beers often have an inferior taste and body because they are produced using syrups and sugars introduced during the mashing process. Imparting flavor on gluten-free beers is challenging in the absence of barley malt, which contains key enzymes used to make traditional beers. Producing gluten-free beer from gluten-free malts is challenging because gluten-free malts have lower enzyme activities, points out researcher Darrell Cockburn, assistant professor of food science in the College of Agricultural Sciences. A new mashing process could help to change that. Cockburn and colleagues at Penn State University, including Ryan Elias, professor and associate head of food science, and Helene Hopfer, Rasmussen Career Development Professor in Food Science, have developed a modified brewing procedure using gluten-free malts and lower temperatures to retain enzyme activity, and produce high fermentable sugar concentrations. The process, called the "ExGM Decoction Mashing Procedure" uses malts from gluten-free grains to produce high-quality beers. The process will help brewers using gluten-free grains such as teff, sorghum, rice, millet, corn and buckwheat to produce better-tasting gluten-free beers. By showing that gluten-free grains can produce quality beers, the researchers hope that brewers will use their process to craft higher-quality gluten-free products. Could a simple adjustment to the malting process and temperature lead to major improvements in gluten-free beer quality? It's an exciting prospect. Stay tuned for more on this and related stories. Read more at PSU.edu

Celiac.com 07/30/2018 - In what looks like great news for UK beer drinkers, beverage giant AB InBev has announced plans to launch a gluten-free version of its popular and widely distributed Stella Artois lager in the UK. Stella Artois Gluten Free will hit UK grocery shelves in August in 4-packs of 330ml bottles, before a more comprehensive roll out this fall. AB InBev said that Stella Artois Gluten Free “will maintain the high quality and exacting standards of the original Stella Artois recipe,” and will use the same four natural ingredients. The final product will use a specific protein to remove gluten, which the company claims has no affect on the beer’s flavor or other characteristics. Stella Artois Gluten Free will be displayed outside traditional alcohol aisles, raising brand visibility. AB InBev is clearly motivated by sales and revenues in the rapidly growing gluten-free market. The company noted that UK sales of free-from products grew 36% between 2016 and 2017, while revenues from gluten-free beer sales rose 83%. Stella Artois Europe marketing director Alexis Berger says that the company is “incredibly excited to be…making the UK’s favorite beer brand more accessible to those who follow a gluten-free lifestyle.” Making Stella Artois gluten-free will allow gluten-free consumers, to enjoy “the UK’s number one selling alcohol brand,” Berger added. No word on whether AB InBev will be making Stella Artois Gluten Free available in the United States. Read more in this press release. Are you a beer drinker who appreciates a good gluten-free lager? Let us know your thoughts on the news that Stella Artois Gluten Free will soon be a thing, if only in the UK for now. Also, please be sure to let us know your thoughts if you get a chance to try the product.

Celiac.com 03/15/2018 - How many times have you discovered a great gluten-free beer, only to find out it’s not available where you live? Gluten-free beer is enjoying tremendous growth in terms of both brewing ingredients and strategies, and in terms of the types of beer being produced. There are literally dozens of gluten-free beers being brewed today that did not exist a few years ago. Still, one of the more common complaints has to do with the general lack of availability. Even locally available products might only appear in a few stores. Edinburgh’s Bellfield Brewery is about to change all of that, when their Bellfield IPA, and their Bohemian Pilsner become available at 54 Morrisons stores across the UK, and online. Run by a team that includes two guys with celiac disease, Bellfield started in 2015 with sole goal of making exceptional beers that just happen to be gluten-free. The company has already won several major awards for its modern, gluten-free beers; not as gluten-free, but in straight up head to head competition with traditional beers. In the last year, Bellfield has won two awards in the World Beer Awards and their IPA has been consistently ranked among top ten IPAs in the UK. Brewer and business development manager, Kieran Middleton, says the deal with Morrisons in England, bring Bellfield’s beers to customers, far from Edinburgh. “As a young company we are so proud to have this opportunity to supply one of the UK’s leading retailers. We set out to create “Craft Beer For All” great tasting beers, that everyone can enjoy,” he said. The deal will give Bellfield wide UK coverage with all the major distributors and wholesalers, including Bidfood, Matthew Clark, Pigs Ear, Amathus, Inverarity Morton, Pivovar and a number of leading online beer shops. Read more at: BQlive.co.uk

Celiac.com 06/06/2017 - Word from the Great White north is that the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) is preventing the sale of Estrella Damm Daura, following a warning from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The SLGA, according to the company's website, is "a Treasury Board Crown Corporation responsible for the distribution, control and regulation of beverage alcohol in Saskatchewan. SLGA operates 75 retail liquor stores and there are approximately 600 private liquor retailers throughout the province." According to statements by SLGA spokesman David Morris, the CFIA advised SLGA and other liquor jurisdictions to "put the product on hold" last month over concerns that Daura Damm was brewed with products that contain gluten. Any decision by the SLGA to discontinue sales of Damm Daura would likely impact large numbers of customers in the region. It may also impact similar products from the EU. Brewed in Spain by S.A. Damm, using traditional barley ingredients, Estrella Damm Daura is filtered to reduce its gluten content to levels well below the 20 ppm required for products labeled gluten-free. S.A. Damm's company website says that "All batches are analyzed and certified by the CSIC before hitting the market," and that the company guarantees Daura Damm's gluten content is three parts per million or fewer. EU gluten-free standards permit any finished product below 20ppm gluten content to be labeled gluten-free. Canadian standards prohibit any product made with gluten-containing source ingredients from being labeled as gluten-free. Therein lies the apparent rub. Under EU standards, Estrella Damm Daura qualifies as a gluten-free beer. Under Canadian standards, it does not. No word yet on whether Canadian trade agreements make exceptions for EU products, such as beer. Meanwhile, potential beneficiaries are Canadian breweries, such as Rebellion Brewing Co., a Regina-based brewery that uses locally grown lentils to make its celiac-friendly Lentil Cream Ale. Rebellion brewmaster Mark Heise says SLGA's decision to cease ordering Estrella Damm Daura could be a "massive" opportunity. "It's huge for us," he says. No word yet on how far the Canadian authorities will go in their efforts to enforce their gluten-free standards against EU products, but they may have just fired the first shot. Stay tuned for more on these and other gluten-free stories as they develop. Read more at TheStarPhoenix.com

Celiac.com 04/15/2017 - Raw materials used by breweries include barley. A characteristic feature of this grain is the presence of gluten proteins which also includes hordein. This group of proteins are the trigger of celiac disease symptoms [Darewicz, Dziuba, Jaszczak: "Celiakia – aspekty molekularne, technologiczne, dietetyczne." PrzemysÅ‚ Spożywczy, styczeÅ„, 2011] . This issue raises the need to seek new methods of brewing that allow for the elimination of gluten proteins from the beer [swora E., Stankowiak-Kulpa H., Mazur M. 2009. Dieta bezglutenowa w chorobie trzewnej. Nowiny Lekarskie 78, 5-6, 324-329]. The biggest problem for coeliac patients is to identify permitted foods. Food manufacturers know about the above problem and are offering new products for people with celiac disease. [CichaÅ„ska B.A., 2009. Problemy z rozróżnianiem żywnoÅ›ci bezglutenowej. Pediatria WspóÅ‚czesna. Gastroenterologia, Hepatologia i Å»ywienie Dziecka 2009, 11, 3, 117-122.] The market offers access to a gluten-free beer. Beer of this type can be prepared in one of two ways, either by using materials that do not contain gluten or by removing gluten during the production of beer. Such products are, however, expensive. Traditional market beers are not tested for gluten content, which may differ from one brand to the next. Barley, hops, yeast and water are the basic raw materials for conventional beer production. Gluten in beer is only in the barley or wheat, from which malt is produced. During malting, barley is subjected to the processes of soaking, germination and drying. At that time, amylolytic and proteolytic enzyme activity increases and grain composition is undergoing changes. Knowledge about the migration through various stages of beer production and the final level of these proteins or their "toxic" fractions is crucial to ensuring customers about the safety of the beverage they will consume. Therefore, it is important to conduct research to better understand the role and the amount of unwanted hordein and/or wheat prolamin in the production of beer. Malt has become a subject of research because of its harmful potential for patients with celiac disease. In a study conducted by Czech scientists different species of barley, malt and beer were analyzed. Beers analyzed for gluten content were characterized by very different gluten contents. The level of gluten in raw cereals ranges from 18-68 g/kg. After comparing the different types of beers, in terms of the gluten concentration, the results were as follows: non-alcoholic beer Raw seed contained 50.4 ± 1.8 g per kg of gluten and comparing to it malt 68 ± 4 g per kg of gluten. Higher levels of gluten in malt have been confirmed in studies on other types of barley and other crops derived from a corresponding malt from which they were produced under similar conditions. Malt barley grains are subjected to extraction during mashing. Gluten content was examined during the entire production process. The amount of protein decreases during the production process due to precipitation of proteins in the fermentation mash, at the adsorption stage, and during beer stabilization. Researchers say that the gluten content in beer is about three times lower than in the raw barley grain. The gluten content changes at each stage of the beer production as is shown below: malt> sweet wort> wort after chop adding > beer> stabilized beer. Most of the proteins in the sharps (milled barley) are extracted which is a remnant of the filtration process in the mash tun (the vessel where the wort is boiled). Only a small part of the gluten goes to sweet wort – 1.75%. A slight decrease was recorded after the boiling process with the addition of hops -1.7%. During the fermentation process the pH decreases, this causes the precipitation of the polypeptides and their adsorption on the surface of yeast cells. Only 0.21% of the initial gluten content remains in the beer. After the filtration process beer is subjected to colloidal stabilization with PVPP - polyvinylpolypyrrolidone and silico gel (kiesegel) and then they are removed. This process results in lowering gluten content to less than 0.11% of the initial gluten content of barley [immunochemical determination of gluten in Malts and Beers, Food Additives and Contaminants; TFAC-2005-365.R1, 29-Mar-2006; Dostálek, Pavel; Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, Department of Fermentation and Bioengineering Chemistry]. The researchers used three methods to test the gluten content of beer. Their results differ from each other. Results show that to accurately estimate the amount of proteins and peptides dangerous to people with celiac disease, we must first develop a good methodology for the analysis. This will give the exact content of these harmful substances and provide real security to customers. If we use the method demonstrating the largest gluten protein content, only 30% of the samples were safe for patients. According to the authors there is no safe beer brewed from barley or wheat if we accept that the maximum tolerable daily intake of gluten is 10 mg. The law of the European Commission says that gluten-free food must contain less than 20 mg. per kg. Proteins present in the beers are removed during production through product stability and are hydrolysed by proteolytic enzymes present in the various stages of production. Partially hydrolyzed prolamines contained in beer are still "toxic peptides"- short protein fragments containing from a few to several amino acid residues. These fragments, rich in proline, trigger a series of reactions from the immune system, leading to celiac disease [Commission Regulation (European Communities) No 41/2009 of 20 January 2009, the Official Journal of the European Union, 21.1.2009, L 16 / 3]. The most obvious method for the production of gluten-free beer is to use only gluten-free raw materials. In the production of such a beer a lot of attention must be paid to remove unwanted components from the beer. Technologists involved in the production of beer specialize in the removal of proteins from beer and controlling their levels, as they can reduce colloidal stability of the beer flavor. Removing or reducing the amount of these proteins may be a way to achieve our goal. Confounding factors in the production of gluten-free beer can be: Selection of barley varieties with a low content of protein and the corresponding enzymatic apparatus; Mashing process modified by deeper proteolysis, similar methods are used in the manufacture of gluten-free bread searching for enzymes capable of degrading specific proteins and peptides; Methods of striving for maximum distribution and precipitation of proteins with the use of adsorbents; The use of proteolytic enzymes in the production and stabilization of fermentation, such as amyloglucosidase is used to improve fermentation or β-glucanase to reduce viscosity. The enzyme used in the end may be proline endopeptidase; Implementation of the adsorbent during the stabilization phase of beer to remove residual proteins and peptides. Conventional materials can be used, if the genetically modified seeds will be devoid of genes responsible for the production of gliadin. However, such seeds are not yet available and the use of transgenic food additives is prohibited in many countries. Modification of the enzymes to reduce the gluten content can be achieved in two ways. Genetically modified yeast capable of expressing specific enzymes capable of degrading the protein can be used, or adding the enzyme - transglutaminase - directly during the production can also be done. These methods each have their own advantages, because with the right methodology a beer can be produced without loss of its natural taste. Another method of manufacture of gluten-free beer is the use of cereals rich in carbohydrates that do not contain gluten. These include amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, sorghum, millet, corn, and rice. We can also add raw materials, the lack of native amylolytic enzymes must be compensated by the addition of external enzymes. However, this is a factor which increases costs. Colorants and flavorings also have to be added [Celiac Disease, Beer and Brewing, Michael J. Lewis, Emeritus Professor of Brewing Science Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California Davis]. Gluten-free raw materials Cereals that are not taxonomically close to wheat, barley and rye are safe for people with celiac disease. Potential sources of gluten-free beer include: sorghum, corn, brown rice, millet, teff, buckwheat, and amaranth. At present, one of the best gluten-free beer production methods is to use gluten-free raw materials and avoid any cross-contamination. Gluten-free beer production technology is not a new technology. Some African tribes have produced beer based on sorghum and corn for 20 years. It turns out that buckwheat has a large potential for the production of gluten-free beer. Even unhulled seeds can be used. Husks can be used as the filtering material in the filter vat. The resulting malt is characterized by a taste reminiscent of toffee with a slightly nutty flavor. One of the major problems with buckwheat beer production is very low enzyme activity. It is several times lower than in barley enzymes. In addition, the high content of polysaccharides increases the viscosity of the solution. However, through rheological tests scientists have developed optimal methods in pilot studies and demonstrated that it is possible to produce a gluten-free beer with buckwheat. [brewing New technologies, CW Bamforth Published by Woodhead Publishing Limited, Abington Hall, Abington, Cambridge CB1 6AH, England, First published 2006, Woodhead Publishing Limited and CRC Press LLC ß 2006, Woodhead Publishing Limited]. As the diagnostic methods for identifying celiac disease improve every year and more and more people are diagnosed with coeliac disease, the demand for this kind of drink will continue to grow. In addition, new types of beer can attract people who are interested in trying new tastes and making alternative choices.

Celiac.com 04/14/2017 - Sibling Revelry Brewery (say that three times fast), is a tiny northeastern Ohio company dedicated to brewing quality brews in small batches. The company's name may not roll off the tongue easily, but their gluten-free beer tastes good enough that brewmaster Pete Velez is planning a second batch. Called Em Sav Saison, the limited-release beer is the company's first gluten-free brew. Described as having "aromas of sweet spice and Chardonnay that leads to a bright fruity body with a dry, semi-tart finish," it comes in at 5.8 percent alcohol, with 35 International Bittering Units. To get a deep, rich, full-bodied flavor, the Mr. Velez uses millet, buckwheat and sorghum for grain, along with Magnum, Arianna and Calista hops, and tops it off with a Belgian Saison yeast. Velez was motivated partly by the fact that his wife is gluten-free, and partly by the drive to develop a distinct and original identity. "No one around here is really doing gluten-free beer," he says, "it's a niche market…something we can use to differentiate ourselves in the ever-crowding beer market." People with celiac disease can have diverse reactions to gluten consumption, with some experiencing mild discomfort that passes fairly quickly, while others experience debilitating effects that can last days. Em Sav Saison is brewed using "100 percent gluten-free ingredients," says Velez, who points out that the beer has tested below 10 parts per million total gluten, well below the 20ppm threshold set by the FDA for products labeled "gluten-free." However, the tests were not official and certified to meet federal standards. As such, he does note that the product could contain trace amounts of gluten. At the moment, Velez seems to be testing the water, with an eye toward expanding as his business grows. If he grows enough to begin distributing, he says he will have to engage an officially certified lab to test the product so it can be labeled and sold as gluten-free. Until then, if you find yourself in the Cleveland Ohio, look up Sibling Revelry Brewery and give gluten-free Em Sav Saison a try. If you do, please be sure to let us know how you like it. Visit the Sibling Revelry website. Source: Cleveland.com