Beer Forum

Wouldn't it be great to brew your favorite batch as a gluten free batch using essentially the same ingredients? I think it can be done with things like what Widmer recently released. Longer mashing process with enzymes added to fermenter reduce gluten levels. I know this isn't all that it takes, but it is a starting place.

Do you guys think a product like White Lab's Clarity-Ferm would help achieve this? It seems to be the same thing they are using in their process.

http://glutenfreepdx.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/omission-beer-follow-up-how-do-they-do-it

http://www.whitelabs.com/enzymes/Clarity-Ferm.pdf

http://www.dsm.com/le/en_US/brewersclarex/html/about.htm

Thoughts?
Suggestions?

That's the idea, and I have a friend that has brewed a beer like this for his GF GF (gluten-free girlfriend), and she seemed to be able to drink them without negative effects. The issue is that you can't guarantee that it worked, and testing is not guarateed to be able to pick it up.

Here's the rub, to be able to certify that your beer is "gluten free" you need to be able to certifiy chemicaly that the offending proteins are below the threshold that wil cause digestive upset for those who cannot metabolize gluten molecules. So, anything you produce would needs to be able to stand up to laboratory analysis. Does anyone have any contacts with the American Diatetic Asociation? I believe they are the folks who can answer the questions as to offending proteins.

my two cents,

The current gluten tests will pick up the wheat gluten proteins, but aren't designed to pick up the ones from barley, which is one of the issues with being able to call a enzymatically de-glutenized beer gluten free.

spiderwrangler wrote:The current gluten tests will pick up the wheat gluten proteins, but aren't designed to pick up the ones from barley, which is one of the issues with being able to call a enzymatically de-glutenized beer gluten free.

that is very interesting....but even with that loop hole, the enzymatically gluten free beer still doesn't affect the drinker correct?

I've never had it but I think it would be cool to be able to brew something for any gluten intolerant or glu-tards.

jwatkins56550 wrote:the enzymatically gluten free beer still doesn't affect the drinker correct?

If done right... but the only way to test it is to feed it to a glutard get their feedback.

As my GF is a Celiac I use Clarex in all my beers. She is not really a beer drinker, but it's nice that she can at least taste and that I can cook with it. She's quite sensitive, but never had adverse effect. I also had 2 other celiacs test different batches of my beer and it's all good.
It is no guarantee whatsoever, but I feel pretty safe with this method. And the nice thing: I don't have to make specific GF-beer, so If she doesn't like it: more beer for me. And it's not negatively affected.

2ct

Had the Widmer's Omission Pale ale today, definitely one of the best GF commercial beers I've had... tasted like real beer! They use the clarex too.