Infidel
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 13, 2008
- Messages
- 88
- Reaction score
- 8
I've had discussions with dozens of people over the years about making gluten free beers that taste like something that resembles beer. Everyone seems to ignore the one thing that contributes more to flavor and aroma than other ingredients - yeast (a near exception seems to be the thread on hefe like beer).
One thing is certain in a gluten free beer, body is going to suffer. Then getting hops to behave like an experienced hombrewer expects them to in a batch with no body or familiar grain flavors is going to be tricky.
I suggest a Belgian yeast or other that contributes esters, most of those are going to come in a culture, vial or smack pack, that contains a minuscule amount of gluten. Not enough to bother someone with a mild intolerance, but for those that suffer from full blown Celiac's disease need to talk with their medical doctor. A few generations of slowly reducing the present gluten through making consecutive gluten free batches and harvesting the yeast might do the trick. Come up with good results and I don't see how Chris or David are going to be able to turn down some homebrew store with a truly gluten free viable option other than a boring ale offering (if there is a pun there it isn't intended).
There are a few dry yeasts a couple of homebrew stores carry that will produce a lot of funky flavors, especially on these brutal summer days.
There are also the wild things, even more funky flavors but only for the adventurous. Another suggestion, and unrelated to my main point is the use of oak. (it could be tied together by suggesting oak is a good way to inoculate subsequent batches with wild yeast and bacteria - if you don't know what I am talking about this is a subject the average homebrew supply employee is not qualified to answer.)
I haven't tried this because I don't have a reason to, but there is obviously an interest. If I stay off beer and bread and shift to wine and rice I have a happier digestive system. I have a friend with true Celiac's and I'm sure he would think it would be cool if I came up with a drinkable beer, but it really stops there. I like big IPA's, and I can't help it.
Post your results somewhere! I'm not claiming to have some knowledge handed down to me by some god of brewing, it's just what I see missing from the discussions on gluten free beer and it's a bit irritating that over the last few years creative homebrewers haven't been able to come up with something on their own, putting to shame what is commercially available.
-Cheers
One thing is certain in a gluten free beer, body is going to suffer. Then getting hops to behave like an experienced hombrewer expects them to in a batch with no body or familiar grain flavors is going to be tricky.
I suggest a Belgian yeast or other that contributes esters, most of those are going to come in a culture, vial or smack pack, that contains a minuscule amount of gluten. Not enough to bother someone with a mild intolerance, but for those that suffer from full blown Celiac's disease need to talk with their medical doctor. A few generations of slowly reducing the present gluten through making consecutive gluten free batches and harvesting the yeast might do the trick. Come up with good results and I don't see how Chris or David are going to be able to turn down some homebrew store with a truly gluten free viable option other than a boring ale offering (if there is a pun there it isn't intended).
There are a few dry yeasts a couple of homebrew stores carry that will produce a lot of funky flavors, especially on these brutal summer days.
There are also the wild things, even more funky flavors but only for the adventurous. Another suggestion, and unrelated to my main point is the use of oak. (it could be tied together by suggesting oak is a good way to inoculate subsequent batches with wild yeast and bacteria - if you don't know what I am talking about this is a subject the average homebrew supply employee is not qualified to answer.)
I haven't tried this because I don't have a reason to, but there is obviously an interest. If I stay off beer and bread and shift to wine and rice I have a happier digestive system. I have a friend with true Celiac's and I'm sure he would think it would be cool if I came up with a drinkable beer, but it really stops there. I like big IPA's, and I can't help it.
Post your results somewhere! I'm not claiming to have some knowledge handed down to me by some god of brewing, it's just what I see missing from the discussions on gluten free beer and it's a bit irritating that over the last few years creative homebrewers haven't been able to come up with something on their own, putting to shame what is commercially available.
-Cheers