All about gluten free beer

The facts about gluten free beer

With the arrival of gluten free beer, coeliac sufferers can now join their friends for a pint.

Standard beer contains barley, a grain which has a protein called hordein which is similar to the gliadin in wheat, both of which are unable to be tolerated by celiac sufferers.

A number of beer manufacturers, including Budweiser and Sapporo, will tell you that the brewing process makes this barley content harmless as it no longer contains gluten. It is very tempting to believe them, as standard beer is normally a lot cheaper than specialized gluten free beer, however just because there are no intact hordein proteins left in the drink that does not necessarily make them safe to include in a gluten free diet. This is because the barley hordeins are broken down into smaller peptides which can still cause problems for people with celiac disease. For more information see what is gluten

The new gluten free beer tends to be made from sorghum, millet, rice or buckwheat, all of which are gluten free grains. Using Sorghum as an ingredient in beer is not new, in fact it has been used throughout history.

There are a number of varieties on the market nowadays including the American Redbridge and Bards, La Messagère from Quebec, O'Brien's in Australia (brewed by a celiac) and Greens from Yorkshire in the UK.

Mongozo, a Belgian company, brews exotic beers from unusual ingredients that include banana and coconut and are based on Quinoa (pronounced KeenWah).

I have been told that gluten free beer tastes sweeter than standard beer but obviously cannot verify that personally! Standard beer uses yeast that is grown in wort (raw unfermented beer) whereas specialist manufacturers tend to use a gluten free sugar solution, which may account for the sweetness of the finished product.

Beware of beers labelled "low gluten" as they will invariably have been made from barley. In some countries food and drink can be labelled as safe for celiacs if it if has a gluten content of less than 20ppm (parts per million) but many believe that any amount should be considered unsafe if you need to follow a gluten free diet.

Here in the UK, I have found Greens beer in the Co-op and Heron Beer in Sainsburys.


	The facts about gluten free beer With the arrival of gluten free beer, coeliac sufferers can now join their friends for a pint. Standard beer contains barley, a grain which has a protein called hordein which is similar to the gliadin in wheat, both of which are unable to be tolerated by celiac sufferers. A number of beer manufacturers, including Budweiser and Sapporo, will tell you that the brewing process makes this barley content harmless as it no longer contains gluten. It is very tempting to believe them, as standard beer is normally a lot cheaper than specialized gluten free beer, however just because there are no intact hordein proteins left in the drink that does not necessarily make them safe to include in a gluten free diet. This is because the barley hordeins are broken down into smaller peptides which can still cause problems for people with celiac disease. For more information see what is gluten The new gluten free beer tends to be made from sorghum, millet, rice or buckwheat, all of which are gluten free grains. Using Sorghum as an ingredient in beer is not new, in fact it has been used throughout history. There are a number of varieties on the market nowadays including the American Redbridge and Bards, La Messagère from Quebec, O'Brien's in Australia (brewed by a celiac) and Greens from Yorkshire in the UK. Mongozo, a Belgian company, brews exotic beers from unusual ingredients that include banana and coconut and are based on Quinoa (pronounced KeenWah). I have been told that gluten free beer tastes sweeter than standard beer but obviously cannot verify that personally! Standard beer uses yeast that is grown in wort (raw unfermented beer) whereas specialist manufacturers tend to use a gluten free sugar solution, which may account for the sweetness of the finished product. Beware of beers labelled "low gluten" as they will invariably have been made from barley. In some countries food and drink can be labelled as safe for celiacs if it if has a gluten content of less than 20ppm (parts per million) but many believe that any amount should be considered unsafe if you need to follow a gluten free diet. Here in the UK, I have found Greens beer in the Co-op and Heron Beer in Sainsburys. Have you tried St Peter's Sorghum Beer? Cheers! Return to top of gluten free beer Return to gluten free diet Return to Home Page	Eating Out Gluten Free Is it possible to enjoy eating out when you are on a gluten free diet? read more Gluten Free lunches Find new ideas for gluten free lunches to take to work or school read more Gluten Free foods What can you eat on a gluten free diet? check the list of gluten free foods
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Copyright© 2007. Please note I am not a doctor, just a fellow sufferer of coeliac disease. Therefore no information on this site should be taken as medical advice.

The facts about gluten free beer

Eating Out Gluten Free

Gluten Free lunches

Gluten Free foods