Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
One of the things I would miss on a GF diet would be a nice cold glass of beer; especially in the hot summer months.
Well there may be hope yet: The following website lists several possibilities. But as the old saying goes, buyers beware...
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art30583.asp
For our many friends outside the US
http://206.126.230.197/eatingout/gfbeer.html
--Joe
Everthing You Ever Wanted to Know About Gluten Free Beer
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Fortunately, I'm not a beer drinker, so I don't have to select one, because I'm still not convinced that those beers are truly gluten-free. I believe they're actually low-gluten, but, of course, some are lower than others. The problem is that there is really no good way to initiate the malting process with any grain, without starting it with barley. This is done with other products that use malting processes also, but, of course, they all claim that all of the barley prolamin, (hordein), is somehow removed, before the product is marketed. Maybe - maybe not. Whether or not these products work OK for an individual, may depend on one's sensitivity level. As you know, in the engineering world, there is no such thing as a perfect process, (with perfect conversion), unfortunately.
That said, most of those products are probably safe, for most gluten-sensitive individuals.
Tex
That said, most of those products are probably safe, for most gluten-sensitive individuals.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Joefnh
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 2478
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:25 pm
- Location: Southern New Hampshire
Your right Tex, I will have to try and see if they affect me. I have not been diagnosed with celiac due to the basic blood test, but I am starting to suspect that I am at least sensitive as I have been trying GF days and non-GF days to see how I do and I am noticing a difference.
Your right on the perfect process issue. As the saying goes: "The enemy of a great plan is the perfect one." That's a good point on sensitivity; the one question I have is can some GF sensitive people tolerate small amounts gluten? I'm guessing trial and error will tell.
--Joe
Your right on the perfect process issue. As the saying goes: "The enemy of a great plan is the perfect one." That's a good point on sensitivity; the one question I have is can some GF sensitive people tolerate small amounts gluten? I'm guessing trial and error will tell.
--Joe
Joe
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Olivia-Micro-Colitis
- Adélie Penguin
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- Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:51 pm
- Location: Fallbrook, Ca
woot
WOOOOOOTTT!!!!! bRING ON THE BEER!!!!! 
Joe,
Yes, sensitivity varies by the individual. Many celiacs can tolerate as much as 200 parts per million, (ppm), whereas others react at 50 ppm, and a very few are more sensitive than that. Dr. Fasano, (University of Maryland School of Medicine), did a research project on that a few years ago, and opened quite a few eyes, in the process. Because of his findings, the Codex Alimentarious, (the European Food Standards supervising group), had to lower their standards for GF classification, from 200 ppm to 20 ppm. Food certified as GF, these days, is supposed to contain less than 20 ppm, but as spot checks often discover, that isn't always the case. And, a few rare, (unlucky), individuals react to 10 ppm or less.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/86/1/260-a
Most of us who are gluten-sensitive, are just as sensitive as celiacs, and our sensitivity thresholds almost certainly vary in the same manner.
Tex
Yes, sensitivity varies by the individual. Many celiacs can tolerate as much as 200 parts per million, (ppm), whereas others react at 50 ppm, and a very few are more sensitive than that. Dr. Fasano, (University of Maryland School of Medicine), did a research project on that a few years ago, and opened quite a few eyes, in the process. Because of his findings, the Codex Alimentarious, (the European Food Standards supervising group), had to lower their standards for GF classification, from 200 ppm to 20 ppm. Food certified as GF, these days, is supposed to contain less than 20 ppm, but as spot checks often discover, that isn't always the case. And, a few rare, (unlucky), individuals react to 10 ppm or less.
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/86/1/260-a
Most of us who are gluten-sensitive, are just as sensitive as celiacs, and our sensitivity thresholds almost certainly vary in the same manner.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hey all,
Must start off by saying I have never tried gluten free beer. One of the reasons is that every one I have looked at is made with sorghum. Their may be some without but I have not seen them. Over the years I have been here many members have reacted badly to gluten free flour blends that contain sorghum including our wonderful founder, the late Sally. Since beer is not distilled it is still in there.
So just a heads up. I am not saying everyone will have a problem with it but take it slow until you discover if it a problem or not. I would hate for anyone to go into a flare because I missed saying something about it.
Love
Matthew
Must start off by saying I have never tried gluten free beer. One of the reasons is that every one I have looked at is made with sorghum. Their may be some without but I have not seen them. Over the years I have been here many members have reacted badly to gluten free flour blends that contain sorghum including our wonderful founder, the late Sally. Since beer is not distilled it is still in there.
So just a heads up. I am not saying everyone will have a problem with it but take it slow until you discover if it a problem or not. I would hate for anyone to go into a flare because I missed saying something about it.
Love
Matthew
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MaggieRedwings
- King Penguin
- Posts: 3865
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 3:16 am
- Location: SE Pennsylvania
Well I have tried Red Bridge and one of the others - not a real beer drinker but on a hot summer day I thought it would be something welcome. The sourghum does not set with me and have had really bad reactions. Stay with my wine.
Love, Maggie
Love, Maggie
Maggie Scarpone
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
___________________
Resident Birder - I live to bird and enjoy life!
I don't understand why you couldn't malt any sort of grain, after all isn't malting a grain done by starting the germination process and then roasting the grain to bring out the sugars?tex wrote:Fortunately, I'm not a beer drinker, so I don't have to select one, because I'm still not convinced that those beers are truly gluten-free. I believe they're actually low-gluten, but, of course, some are lower than others. The problem is that there is really no good way to initiate the malting process with any grain, without starting it with barley. This is done with other products that use malting processes also, but, of course, they all claim that all of the barley prolamin, (hordein), is somehow removed, before the product is marketed. Maybe - maybe not. Whether or not these products work OK for an individual, may depend on one's sensitivity level. As you know, in the engineering world, there is no such thing as a perfect process, (with perfect conversion), unfortunately.
That said, most of those products are probably safe, for most gluten-sensitive individuals.
Tex
Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
- Abraham Lincoln
- Abraham Lincoln
Yes, it's possible to malt just about any kind of grain, but there's much more to malting than just sprouting the grain, and then interrupting the process, (unless the characteristics of the finished product don't matter, as far as taste is concerned).
A kernel of grain is an interesting organism. While it is growing, the germ is formed, and then an abundant supply of endosperm is developed, adjacent to the germ, to provide food for the germ, after it germinates. During the formation, of the kernel, the endosperm is in the form of sugar, or course, and as the kernel matures, the sugar is converted, (by enzymes), into starch, (to allow for a stable storage life).
When the kernel is ready to begin life, and germinated is triggered, then the development of the germ, releases enzymes which will subsequently be used to convert the starch back to sugar. If the germ were allowed to continue to develop, then obviously, the enzymes would proceed to convert the starch into sugar, to provide nourishment for the developing germ, (IOW, the enzymes eliminate the need for the germ to have a digestion system). In the malting process, the germ is killed, (by heat), and then a subsequent "mashing" process allows the enzymes to convert the starch into sugars, (to be used for other purposes - usually to be used for a fermentation process).
Every type of grain has it's own unique type of starches, enzymes, and sugars, of course. That means that they each have unique processing characteristics, and when used as food, they have unique nutrients, flavor, etc., that are peculiar to that unique species/cultivar. Barley is especially unique, in that it has by far, the most suitable enzymes, for converting starches into fermentable sugars, (with the most desirable characteristics - especially flavor).
Yes, it is possible to malt other grains, but they are almost never used without the addition of barley, because without the benefit of the enzymes found in barley, those other grains kinda suck, for most purposes that involve fermentation. Therefore, anytime other grains are used in a process that involves malting, they are virtually always "started" with barley malt, (IOW, enough barley is added to the blend, to provide the enzymes needed to result in a much better fermentable sugar product).
In the food industry, flavor is paramount, and that characteristic is what makes barley the "King" of the malting process. Rice dream, for example, is started with a small amount of barley malt in the rice, and that was the source of all the "ruckus", a few years ago, that eventually caused Imagine foods to admit that barley was used in the malting process used for the manufacture of Rice Dream. They now claim that the amount of barley in the finished product is maintained below the GF label requirement, at 20 ppm.
Tex
A kernel of grain is an interesting organism. While it is growing, the germ is formed, and then an abundant supply of endosperm is developed, adjacent to the germ, to provide food for the germ, after it germinates. During the formation, of the kernel, the endosperm is in the form of sugar, or course, and as the kernel matures, the sugar is converted, (by enzymes), into starch, (to allow for a stable storage life).
When the kernel is ready to begin life, and germinated is triggered, then the development of the germ, releases enzymes which will subsequently be used to convert the starch back to sugar. If the germ were allowed to continue to develop, then obviously, the enzymes would proceed to convert the starch into sugar, to provide nourishment for the developing germ, (IOW, the enzymes eliminate the need for the germ to have a digestion system). In the malting process, the germ is killed, (by heat), and then a subsequent "mashing" process allows the enzymes to convert the starch into sugars, (to be used for other purposes - usually to be used for a fermentation process).
Every type of grain has it's own unique type of starches, enzymes, and sugars, of course. That means that they each have unique processing characteristics, and when used as food, they have unique nutrients, flavor, etc., that are peculiar to that unique species/cultivar. Barley is especially unique, in that it has by far, the most suitable enzymes, for converting starches into fermentable sugars, (with the most desirable characteristics - especially flavor).
Yes, it is possible to malt other grains, but they are almost never used without the addition of barley, because without the benefit of the enzymes found in barley, those other grains kinda suck, for most purposes that involve fermentation. Therefore, anytime other grains are used in a process that involves malting, they are virtually always "started" with barley malt, (IOW, enough barley is added to the blend, to provide the enzymes needed to result in a much better fermentable sugar product).
In the food industry, flavor is paramount, and that characteristic is what makes barley the "King" of the malting process. Rice dream, for example, is started with a small amount of barley malt in the rice, and that was the source of all the "ruckus", a few years ago, that eventually caused Imagine foods to admit that barley was used in the malting process used for the manufacture of Rice Dream. They now claim that the amount of barley in the finished product is maintained below the GF label requirement, at 20 ppm.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thanks Tex, after reading what you wrote I understand things a bit better. I found an article on Bards Tale Beer, apparently they've isolated two varieties of sorghum that malt with a good finish taste. These two varieties aren't African which according to the article are typically more acidic and have the less desirable taste. I guess the bottom line for people is if your system tolerates it embide if you choose.
Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
- Abraham Lincoln
- Abraham Lincoln