 Cheers for Gluten-Free Beer
By Sean Sweeney
Beer ranks high on the list of beverages that many gluten-intolerant people want to see in their refrigerator. Unfortunately, it may also be the most difficult one to reproduce in gluten-free form. Armed with time honored brewing methods and naturally gluten-free ingredients, I decided to tackle the dilemma of brewing a flavorful, gluten-free beer.
My first attempts began over two years ago. An experienced brewer of wines, meads and beers, I’m also an enthusiastic member of the St. Louis Brews homebrew club. One of the goals of our club is to help new brewers advance their knowledge of brewing. Early in 1999, a new member approached our club with an unusual request. He wanted to brew a beer that he could safely consume while adhering to his gluten-free diet. At the time, I was developing a reputation in the club as a brewer of exotic beers. When the call went out for volunteers to help the gentleman with his project, the match seemed obvious. I plunged into the task by researching what it meant to be gluten intolerant and what grains and other ingredients could safely be used to brew a gluten-free beer. I quickly realized that I was going to get precious little help from the efforts of others in the past. Almost no information was available on the topic of gluten-free brewing, so I decided to publish my ongoing efforts on the Internet. Since then, I’ve been encouraged by readers on a daily basis.
The Brewing Elements
I approached the brewing of a gluten-free beer much as I would any other beer, using the same brewing techniques and many of the same ingredients. The four basic ingredients of beer are water, hops, malted grains and yeast. Pure water is not an issue. Hops, the cone-like flower of the Humulus lupulus plant that imparts the characteristic flavor, aroma and bittering qualities to beer, are also of no concern when brewing a gluten-free beer. In its pure form, yeast is also gluten free. However, most commercial brewer’s yeasts are propagated in a nutrient solution produced from malted barley.
Using careful purification techniques, I was able to isolate the pure yeast strains and to maintain a library of yeasts propagated only in a gluten-free growth medium. The most difficult prospect was identifying, procuring and utilizing only gluten-free grains in brewing. The most common brewing grains, barley and wheat, are completely unacceptable in a gluten-free environment. Other gluten-free grains such as rice and corn, are commonly used in brewing only as supplemental adjuncts and not as the base grain. After a good deal of experimentation, I settled on sorghum as a base grain. Sorghum is accepted by most gluten-intolerant persons as safe. It is a neutral flavored, easily malted grain, which lends itself to the base grain role, having been used in indigenous African beers for thousands of years. With the addition of other more flavorful gluten-free grains, such as buckwheat, corn, amaranth, quinoa and others, it is possible to coerce the malty sweet flavor and grainy character associated with beer from even the most stubborn and unusual gluten-free grains. In addition to malted grains, other sources of fermentable sugars are available. Honey, a wonderful gluten-free source of fermentable sugars, lends a crisp and dry character to brews in which it is used. Fruit can be used to bolster the fermentable sugar content and lend wonderful flavor and aroma to a beer. Other all-natural ingredients are used to extend the range of potential beer styles. When darkly roasted grains are unavailable or infeasible, an all-natural beer colorant can be used to produce dark beers. Maltodextrin made from corn enhances the body and texture of overly thin batches. Spices such as coriander, sweet and bitter orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, lemon grass and many others can be added to replicate common beer styles like Belgian-style ales and Christmas beers. Maturation in oak barrels or used whiskey casks is a potential source of unique flavors and aromas. When the full spectrum of brewing ingredients are taken into account, gluten-free beer brewing has much in common with standard beer recipes and brewing techniques.
An Amber Dream
The first seven experimental batches concentrated on brewing ales, the more flavorful, warm fermented beers of Great Britain. My focus now has turned to lagers, the clean, crisp, cold fermented brews widely popular around the world. Lager brewing necessitates the use of cold fermentation and aging equipment, but the resulting beer is a lighter, more refreshing beverage consumers will recognize and enjoy. With each new batch, new brewing techniques are tested and new equipment and processes are added to refine and enhance quality and consistency. As part of the process to determine if a commercial gluten-free beer would be feasible, I distribute samples at various functions, including a recent brewing industry trade show and conference. I also conduct test market trials on a limited basis to get the reactions of the general public. So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. One of the most encouraging and repeated remarks is, “If you hadn’t told me it wasn’t a ‘regular’ beer, I wouldn’t have known.”
In its short existence, the project to brew a gluten-free beer has come a long way - from a concept to a full-scale experimental project that may one day produce a line of commercial gluten-free beers for the world market. Gluten-free beer may become the salvation of many thirsty gluten-intolerant beer lovers and an entrepreneur’s dream come true.
This is an excerpt of an article featured in a past issue.
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