Gluten-Free Beer Made From Gluten-Full Barley

Gluten-Free Beer Made From Gluten-Full Barley
By Joe E Walker

What's worse; the feeling of unfair deprivation or justified guilt? Since my wife must avoid some of her favorite beers due to their gluten content, she certainly feels deprived at times. However, my enjoyment of those very beers she can no longer have is tarnished with a sense of guilt. Of course, I wouldn't drink such beers in front of her, and since I enjoy a much wider range of beer qualities than her, I can almost always find a gluten containing beer that she finds unappealing when I do have a forbidden beer in her presence. Nevertheless, there are times when I can see the disappointment on her face, especially when out in a restaurant and the adjacent table has a Blue Moon or Amber Bock.

Obviously, she and I both know that a life without gluten isn't the end of the world. Instead, we try to perceive this dietary limitation as an opportunity to try new things and experiment with foods and beverages. As a homebrewer, I see this as a particular challenge that has revitalized my enthusiasm for beer recipe experimentation. Gluten free beer options from macro and micro-breweries are becoming more available, but even the professional brew scientists and brew masters are challenged to make a beer that tastes like beer brewed with barley and/or wheat that is also gluten free.

There is some good news. A well-recognized Northwest brewery is planning to change the composition, taste and perception of gluten-free beer by addressing this challenge from a different angle. Since a number of the characteristics of a traditional beer made from barley or wheat are dependent on the inclusion of these grains, many brewers have usually turned to grains and fermentable ingredients that don't contain gluten, such as sorghum and brown rice syrup.

Such substitutions can create a gluten free beer that lacks the traditional mouth feel, flavor, and head retention of gluten containing beers. Widmer Brothers Brewing realized that if the absence of barley in the brewing process is a reason for the less authentic qualities of gluten-free beers, and if substitutions fail to compensate adequately, why not find a way to use barley AND produce a beer that is gluten free?

Widmer Brothers Brewing recently released gluten-free beer made with barley. Yes, beer that is made from barley AND gluten free! Widmer Brothers Brewing explains that the beer is brewed using a proprietary method (interpreted "secret") to reduce the gluten levels to well below the recognized gluten-free standard, which is currently 22 ppm. They have named this new line as Omission Beer and is the first craft beer brand in the United States focused exclusively on brewing great-tasting craft beers with traditional beer ingredients, including malted barley, that are specially crafted to be gluten-free.

Joe Casey, brewmaster at Widmer Brothers Brewing, encountered a situation much like that of my own when his wife was diagnosed as a having celiac disease in 2006. He made it their mission to brew a great-tasting craft beer using traditional beer ingredients that people avoiding gluten can enjoy. To this end, each batch of Omission Beer is tested by an independent lab using the R5 competitive ELISA test to ensure that it contains gluten levels that are well below the international standard for gluten-free of 20 ppm. This is considered a very respected way of measuring gluten content in food and beverages both nationally and internationally. In addition, you can even find test results for each batch on their web site. Beer isn't released to consumers until test results are received and after an extended quality assurance hold.

While Omission was originally only available in a regional area in Oregon, beginning last month, they started distributing the beer nationally. The phased rollout will begin on the West Coast and is expected to be available nationwide by mid-June. So, certainly keep your eyes open for the Omission Beers in your area. The Omission line is currently composed of two gluten-free beers, a lager and a pale ale. These may be the treasure sought by those looking for good glute-free beer.

I am a Registered Dietitian and I brew my own beer, including gluten-free beer. For info on how to start brewing your own gluten free homebrew and reviews of beers void of gluten, Visit GlutenFreeBeerBrew.com.

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