Gluten Free Brewing FAQ, Version 1.01

Created: February 11, 1999

Updated: March 14, 2002 (In the future, updates will be color keyed)

Author: Sean Sweeney

As with all FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions), I am attempting to answer some common questions that might be asked by those interested in brewing beer that contains no gluten. Many of the Q’s, and some of the A’s below come from correspondences I have had with persons interested in this project.

General Questions

Q: One word…Why?

A: I have been brewing beers for many years now, and have always had a propensity for using unusual grains and ingredients, as well as nonstandard techniques. Along came a challenge from my brewclub to help out a brave new member who joined the club, knowing full well he could not sample other club member’s beers, or even consume beers he brewed himself using traditional methods and ingredients. Finding an almost complete lack of information on the subject, I began my non-gluten brewing project to help all persons who suffer from gluten intolerance illnesses but still would like to enjoy the goodness of a fine beer.

Q: Are you yourself gluten intolerant? Are your gluten free experiments and project sponsored by anyone?

A: I am not gluten intolerant at present, thank the brewing gods. As for funding or sponsorship, I currently have no outside financial assistance for my project. Free web space is about the extent of it. I would consider any public or private assistance, financial or otherwise, to help further my project.

Q: Can one really make a beer without using barley/barley malt?

A: Many purists would say emphatically NO, that beer contains ONLY barley malt, hops, yeast and water. This kind of rigidity and narrow-mindedness scares me. Open your mind, and your beer glass will follow. There are just too many excellent brewing ingredients available to limit oneself to just those four above.

Q: Can’t I just buy commercially produced gluten free beer?  UPDATE

A: The only commercial gluten free beer I know of at this point is Bi-Aglut, made by an Italian food products conglomerate.  It is not available outside of Italy as far as I know.  If you are interested in the details behind the beer, here is the patent for Bi-Aglut.  Here is a link to the beer's website:  Bi-Aglut.  Since the page is in Italian, here are the relevant parts translated as best I could:

From the search Bi-Aglut was born exclusive, before and only beer absolutely lacking in gluten! Produced with Saracen wheat*, flowers of hop and enriched with vitamin B1 with an exclusive and innovative trial, the Beer Bi-Aglut maintains all the characteristics of the best beers. Thanks to the correct alcoholic gradation (5% vol.), to the quality and the fresh and foamy taste, the Beer Bi-Aglut allows to discover the whole pleasure of a true great beer.

Ingredients: Water, Saracen wheat*, corn syrup, flowers of desiccated hop and extract of hop, coloring E150c, vitamin B1

*Saracen wheat is an old name for Buckwheat.

Other than this beer, there are no other commercially produced gluten free beers (see below).  There is a good deal of false information floating around the internet (imagine that) concerning other beer brands.  I frequently hear statements that certain beer brands (Sapporo, some Australian brands, Budweiser, etc.) are gluten free due to the fact that they are highly filtered.  Although it is true that filtering will remove some of the proteins that give gluten intolerant persons trouble, filtering will NEVER remove ALL of it.  There are many degrees of gluten intolerance.  Some gluten intolerant persons may be able to handle some commercial beers, but making the statement that a beer is gluten free because it is highly filtered is completely false and potentially dangerous.  If a beer uses barley or wheat in its recipe, it will have gluten in the final product.

There is also a false rumor circulating that the Guinness Foreign Extra Stout made in Nigeria is gluten free.  Not true.  While this beer is made with a significant portion of sorghum, it still contains barley malt.  It is a low gluten beer, NOT gluten free.  This false assumption was probably made due a vague statement in an unofficial 'Guinness' FAQ that barley is banned in Nigeria.  While it is true that the growing and importation of barley is restricted in Nigeria in an attempt to prop up the indigenous grain industry,  the Guinness beer made there is manufactured with a barley based concentrate shipped from Ireland and possibly elsewhere.  The concentrate is then combined with locally grown sorghum to produce the beer.

Other regions around the world produce beer styles that are potentially gluten free, but I have no scientific proof of any specific brands being gluten free.  The ancient all-corn beer called Chicha is still to this day produced in South America, especially Peru. Many African beers are made with most, if not all malted sorghum. Asian rice beers could be another source of gluten free commercial beers. Availability is the key concern here. Even if such commercial beers are out there, can you get them in your area? Doubtful. The three styles above all have one trait that keeps them from being widely distributed: shelf life. Low alcohol beers produced with low hopping rates, such as those above, travel and keep poorly. Most are produced and consumed very locally, some even consumed while still fermenting.

Q: Why doesn’t one of these new brewpubs/microbreweries produce a gluten free beer?  Why hasn't one of the big commercial breweries caught on?  UPDATE

A: Larger breweries, and to a certain degree brewpubs and microbreweries , need to reach a certain size market in order to be profitable.  Although recent studies show that as many as 1 in 500 people worldwide may be gluten intolerant to some degree, larger breweries need a far larger market to make a go of it.  Brewpubs and microbreweries usually don't have the marketing strength to sell a beer to the large geographic area needed if one was to produce a gluten free beer.  Nor do they usually desire to expand to this degree.  On the other hand, large breweries that could market and ship their beers to a large market simply are not interested in such a low volume and sales item.  They are looking for a product that they can produce cheaply and make a huge amount of and sell to everyone.  Exactly the three things you can't do with gluten free beer.

Q: How do you make your gluten free beer?  Is it a special process?  UPDATE

A: The techniques I use to produce gluten free beer, including the ingredients and the process, are simply tried and true beer brewing methods.  The process is not unique or 'special' in any way, other than using gluten free grains not commonly utilized in brewing beer.  Anyone that says they have a patented or unique process for making gluten free beer is either lying or is not making real beer.  All of my recipes to date are online here.

Q: Can I try some of your gluten free homebrew?

A: If you happen to be in the St. Louis, Missouri, USA area, and would like to attend a meeting of the St. Louis Brews brewclub, I would be more than happy to let you try my latest gluten free batch. Please contact me before the meeting (first Thursday of every month), as I do not always bring some to each and every meeting. As for shipping some to you, due to interstate shipping regulations, liability concerns, etc. I cannot at this time consider this method.

Q: How can I start making my own gluten free beers?

A: I would suggest this: 1) Get a good beginning homebrewing book, especially The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian. THE book that most homebrewer either start out with, or wish they had. 2) If you do the first suggestion and still want to get into the homebrewing hobby (after all, homebrewing isn’t for everyone), I would strongly suggest locating a homebrewing club in your area. Hopefully you are lucky enough to have one available. Clubs are wonderful sources of information, tips, tricks, inspiration, fellowship and much more. Also contact a homebrew store in your area. You can do the touchy-feely-smelly-tasty thing with the ingredients and equipment that you only read about in suggestion #1. Great brewers tend to hang out at and work at these locations. 3) Study as much as you can about the gluten intolerance condition. The internet is a great source of information. Also consult your physician. Check back on my webpage for updates as my project progresses.

Technical Questions

Q: Where do I get grains that are gluten free?