8 beers you should stop drinking immediately

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Try to stay away from any American beers. Choose organic beer. Beers that contain 100% organic labels, have to have ingredients that are all 100% organic. While an “organic” label just means 95% of it will be organic. European beer is most likely to be safe from GMO ingredients but unfortunately, most other beer contains GMO artificial ingredients, stabilizers, grains and preservatives, plus, HFCS.

The paragraph under the list is full of inconsistencies. Besides the "American" beers that I think they are referring to aren't even owned in America! I thought it would be a good article but I was dissapointed in their analysis.

In Summary: Drink euro, everything else has GMO stuff. Don't drink american. Only drink organic from your local brewery here in america.
 
Everything on this list is being wrongfully targeted. It's just another article saying anything with GMOs is poison without providing any form of scientific evidence. Reminds me of the foodbabe article:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/alarmist-article-bmc-no-listed-evidence-but-possible-interesting-points-421992/
probably because it is listed as a source
A great response from brewers about that article seems to apply to most points in this one as well:
http://maureenogle.com/maureen-ogle/2013/08/18/whats-in-your-beer-or-the-dangers-of-dumbassery
 
Wow. The propaganda machine keeps on a turnin'.
LOL fish bladder..... ummmm....aka Isinglass?
And to say High Fructose Corn Syrup has been banned from food and drink is just a big fat lie. Yes, it's 'sugar' albeit chemically processed corn to create a sweetener, and the debate of good vs. bad for you will rage on for years to come, but to say it's been banned is downright irresponsible........well I was going to say journalism, but I won't insult those true journalists that actually research their articles before publishing them.
Gawd, I hate these types of things.....
 
You worry too much about this stuff and you will spend your days suffering from ulcers.

Brew your own. You will probably be using GMO grains anyway..... Unless you buy organic and really know the source. Of course that would be very expensive.
 
Why do so many people think GMO means it is bad for you? It is just genetically modified to produce more of something desirable.
I understand the high fructose corn syrup thing in soft drinks but in beer it will be fully fermented out so it shouldn't have any adverse effects.
The whole fish bladder thing is laughable. The swim bladders in fish are one of the purest sources of collagen.
They might as well do an article about Jello and say "High Fructose Corn Syrup AND Horse Hooves...STAY AWAY!!!"
 
"8 weird beers discovered by a homebrewer"

Not propaganda, but clickbait. Worked, too.

BPA is absolutely the only thing on that list that is actually in lots of canned beer and is actually proven to be harmful as a hormone inhibitor (debate all you want, there's plenty of supporting science and many regulators worldwide have banned it). It's probably worse for kids. Don't let your kids drink can beer.

Caramel coloring can be marginally carcinogenic depending on method of production (per the state of CA).

HFCS is probably not used much in beer and the glycemic issues associated with its overconsumption are obviously irrelevant if it's been fermented away. It is sometimes produced, at least in the US, with an out-of-date means that may introduce moderate levels of mercury, which could be passed to the beer--but, come on, let's be real, probably not in quantity.

GMO corn syrup... I don't know, you're not looking at any real protein content, so the few legit allergenic concerns about GMOs go out the window. GMO corn in the mash for adjunct lagers, I guess, OK, maybe. Depends on what you believe about the problems with GMO in general. Not imaginary, vastly overstated.

Nothing wrong with propylene glycol. You seriously have to chug it to get sick.

Carageenan is... it's carageenan. It's in lots of stuff. It's from seaweed. Some people apparently think it's carcinogenic, there doesn't seem to be any real support for that.

What the hell is "Natural Flavors" doing on that list? What does that mean? My god. Insect-based dyes... what beer contains insect-based dyes (usually red)? They're perfectly safe, but for real, what beer? Killians? Crikey.
 
Corn is a genetically modified plant, and has been for thousands of years. In fact, corn would not exist without "genetic modification".

Sent from my C5155 using Home Brew mobile app
 
Brew your own. You will probably be using GMO grains anyway..... Unless you buy organic and really know the source. Of course that would be very expensive.

I doubt they bother to GMO barley, that's for the big cash crops. Go organic and you'll save yourself some pesticides, that's about it.
 
Many of us choose what we eat very carefully, or at least dedicate our minimum attention to it. But when it comes to drinks, especially alcoholic beverages, we do little to make the best decisions for our health. Which is a HUGE mistake. All the work for your body can be ruined in a weekend out. While foods and non alcoholic beverages are required to list their ingredients and are monitored by the FDA, beer does not belong in either. Alcohol industry had lobbied for years to avoid labeling its ingredients. Some to protect its recipes, but most – to hide harmful ingredients.

Here’s some harmful ingredients that are commonly found in beer:

GMO Corn Syrup
GMO Corn
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Fish Bladder
Propylene Glycol
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Natural Flavors
GMO Sugars
Caramel Coloring
Insect-Based Dyes
Carrageenan
BPA
& lots more!

The number 7 ingredient on their list is natural flavors?
Maybe I'm ignorant here but "natural flavors" doesn't jump out at me as automatically dangerous stuff.

This also bothers me:

8. Pabst Blue Ribbon

Pabst-Blue-Ribbon-GMO

Pabst Blue Ribbon contains GMO corn and GMO corn syrup.

Healthy Beer Alternatives

So when it comes to beer you have to be very careful. Your best option is to find a microbrewery that you can trust. As with everything, try to avoid cheap, low-quality products. Bars may offer Coors Light, Miller Lite or Budweiser specials, but they are cheap for a reason. The rest of the world is banning GMOs everywhere, while USA is lagging years behind, and only several states offer GMO labeling laws. Try to stay away from any American beers. Choose organic beer. Beers that contain 100% organic labels, have to have ingredients that are all 100% organic. While an “organic” label just means 95% of it will be organic. European beer is most likely to be safe from GMO ingredients but unfortunately, most other beer contains GMO artificial ingredients, stabilizers, grains and preservatives, plus, HFCS.

Try to stay away from any American Beers??? Seems like kind of a broad statement

Edit: I just googled natural flavors.... yep I was ignorant. Sometimes I wish... never mind
 
Corn is a genetically modified plant, and has been for thousands of years. In fact, corn would not exist without "genetic modification".

Sent from my C5155 using Home Brew mobile app

It has just been bred, selected for ideal traits through breeding. That is different than injecting new DNA directly into the cell. I don't know if GMO is good or bad, but I do know that thousands of years ago they didn't have microscopes to modify the genes of plants in a lab.
 
Everything on this list is being wrongfully targeted. It's just another article saying anything with GMOs is poison without providing any form of scientific evidence. Reminds me of the foodbabe article:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/alarmist-article-bmc-no-listed-evidence-but-possible-interesting-points-421992/
probably because it is listed as a source
A great response from brewers about that article seems to apply to most points in this one as well:
http://maureenogle.com/maureen-ogle/2013/08/18/whats-in-your-beer-or-the-dangers-of-dumbassery

My very first thought The Food Babes writing rewritten! Brain dead wanna be journalists...
 
http://worldtruth.tv/8-beers-that-you-should-stop-drinking-immediately/

Does anyone else feel Guinness is being wrongfully targeted here?

Who would give ANY credibility to a website article which doesn't even list the author's last name?

Eddie (2091 Posts)
Eddie L. is the founder and owner of WorldTruth.TV. This website is dedicated to educating and informing people with articles on powerful and concealed information from around the world. I have spent the last 30+ years researching Bible, History, Secret Societies, Symbolism

But I guess it is written on the internets so it must be true.
 
You worry too much about this stuff and you will spend your days suffering from ulcers.

Brew your own. You will probably be using GMO grains anyway..... Unless you buy organic and really know the source. Of course that would be very expensive.

Not necessarily! In MA at least, Valley Malt and local farmers produce quality malt for more than reasonable prices!
 
The article is a stab job. This kind of stuff can be harmful - bad regulation, etc. Guinness should sue.


Sent from my C5155 using Home Brew mobile app
 
Sources:

www.organics.org

www.atsdr.cdc.gov

foodbabe.com

www.greenpeace.org


It's just a parroting of the Food Babe article awhile back....listing her in the sources automatically removes all credibility. Nothing in the article is based on actual science, only fear mongering. People found out they could make money by spreading rumors on the internet....go figure.
 
Who would give ANY credibility to a website article which doesn't even list the author's last name?

Eddie (2091 Posts)
Eddie L. is the founder and owner of WorldTruth.TV. This website is dedicated to educating and informing people with articles on powerful and concealed information from around the world. I have spent the last 30+ years researching Bible, History, Secret Societies, Symbolism

But I guess it is written on the internets so it must be true.

This^

"If you read it on the internet, its 100% true" - Abraham Lincoln
 
The real concern here is that all of the beers listed contain DHMO. I am taken aback that this reputable news site would not even list it!

"Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol." ~DHMo_Org

"What are some uses of Dihydrogen Monoxide?"~DHMo_Org
"in the production of beer by all the major beer distributors"~DHMo_Org
 
Corn is a genetically modified plant, and has been for thousands of years. In fact, corn would not exist without "genetic modification".

People say this a lot. That's called artificial selection. I'm not an anti-GMO crusader, but that's not what "genetic modification" means here.

You could probably do some pretty dangerous things to normal food crops through artificial selection, too, but it would take you a very, very long time (centuries, millennia) to F it up as badly as you might with one misplaced gene in a lab.

My bigger concern with GMO is the way it encourages risky monoculture (a problem with corporate agriculture in general) and overuse of pesticides we know are bad for humans. But to each their own, a lot of people don't care what you do to them as long as you do it behind a corner.
 
You guys really need to read your history. ALL the best and most reliable sources will tell you 150% of the time that the quote came from Julius Caesar

:p

I don't think he really SAID that - I think he only TEXTED it!

Well since Al Gore invented the internet, I would have thought it came from him.

Sent from my C5155 using Home Brew mobile app

Don't forget Martha Steward was the bar maid of the world winner back in her college day's.
 
Please explain the difference.

Sent from my C5155 using Home Brew mobile app
 
Who would give ANY credibility to a website article which doesn't even list the author's last name?

Eddie (2091 Posts)
Eddie L. is the founder and owner of WorldTruth.TV. This website is dedicated to educating and informing people with articles on powerful and concealed information from around the world. I have spent the last 30+ years researching Bible, History, Secret Societies, Symbolism

Sounds legit. I'm surprised the article didn't claim those additives are put there by the Illuminati. Of course, now that I've said that, I'll probably mysteriously disappear.
 
Please explain the difference.

Artificial selection is breeding for desirable traits. Genetic modification is the manual alteration of gene sequences in a lab. This isn't a secret, you can read about it.
 
If this author wants to slam fish bladders, then he needs to go after chicken livers also. As for fish bladders, i can empirically say they have a positive health effect on my bladder.

Sent from my C5155 using Home Brew mobile app
 
The real concern here is that all of the beers listed contain DHMO. I am taken aback that this reputable news site would not even list it!

"Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol." ~DHMo_Org

"What are some uses of Dihydrogen Monoxide?"~DHMo_Org
"in the production of beer by all the major beer distributors"~DHMo_Org

Shocking!!! if it's in those beers, it could even be in MINE!!! Aaaaarrrggghhhhhhhh
 
I'd be really sad if someone on here actually believes this Bull****. I posted this very message today, as did Maureen Ogle and all the other brewers who put the article referenced below.

So there's another fear mongering and inaccurate "What's in your beer" meme being passed around facebook again. This one with the title of "8 beers which you should stop drinking immediately." It's made up of pretty much the same ignorant understanding of beer making and beer ingredients, the consumer laws that ALL brewers have to follow as to what they can or cannot but in their beer (regardless of brewery size) and the same questionable sources such as the Center for Science in the Public interest. It's also based on the FALSE premise that somehow the big Macro breweries use different ingredients than the small independent craft brewers and homebrewers use in their beers. Or are somehow not bound by the same laws as the rest of the brewery industry. So this falsehood feeds even many home/craft beer fans who are biased to think that big beer is "evil" and small brewers are holy.

Last year, author Maureen Ogle, author of "Ambitious Brew: the story of American Beer" and "In meat we trust" asked several professional brewers, and one "lowly" homebrewer (me) to research and write up a rebuttal to these fear based, and ignorant pieces. It was such an honor to be included in the ranks of some of the most talented stars of the professional brewing industry to contribute to such an important work.

In whatever endeavor I'm involved in, be it ministry, or brewing, or cooking, or vintage base ball, I try to impart truth and integrity in what I do. And I try my hardest to know the truth about the things I talk, write or preach about, or else they don't come from me. What I create, I stand behind....Unfortunately not everyone does so, and that's why one of things I have chosen to do is shine the light of truth into the darkness of ignorance and fear. And point out the false hoods when I see them. Sometimes that is the unpopular stance to take.

Friends, not everything you read or pass around is true. And not everything out there, no matter how serious it may sound like, is put together with the best intentions, or from the best sources. These pieces feed into the same anti-science fear and ignorance that many people have, be it on the left or right side of the political spectrum. Both sides have their boogeymen... The Left fears GMO's or anything that sounds artificial or chemical or weird, (forgetting that everything in this universe has a scientific, multi syllable, and scary sounding name) including things that we consume every day such as Dihydrogen Monoxide (the water we drink) or Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda,) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (the yeast in your bread or your beer.) Or anything that comes from big business. The Right fears evolution, or stem cell research, or climate change. Both sides fear vaccines and floride in drinking water.

All of this feeds into the anti-intellectual fear of science and of big words. And no matter which side you fall on, pieces like foodbabe's and this latest piece of scare mongering feeds on this fear. And sadly feeds what Maureen Ogle so rightly calls the "Dangers of Dumbassery" the blind belief in whatever we read or see, without taking the time to do our own research, to think for ourselves.

I'm not telling you what to believe, or what you should put in your bodies. But before you blindly pass on either of those other pieces, I ask you to first read and consider what we wrote, people who actually make beer, either for a hobby or for a living, people who make 5 gallon batches and 5 million gallon batches for the "Big Boys" and everything in between. People who actually know what goes in the beer you drink, the laws pertaining to the beer you drink, and what things are put in your beer, and what scary sounding things might be a part of the brewing process, that doesn't actually touch the beer (like cooling agents that flow around the OUTSIDE of the tank, that work much like the similar chemicals in the cooling tubes in your car's air conditioning or your own refrigerator.)

I believe that the only way to meet the darkness of ignorance is with the light of truth and the light of knowledge. And this piece we took a month to put together was written for that purpose to shed light where it is darkest.

I guess I really just ask that WHENEVER you see something, especially something "fear mongering" (though you might not see it as that, you might think you're being helpful, but in reality you are sowing fear) that you take the time, even 5 minutes do do a little research on google, or one of the urban legends pages like snopes, to see what the counter arguments are, or what the sources of whatever it is comes from, Or if it's simply a myth or lie.

The world needs your brains, not your button pushing skill. The world needs you spreading light and love, and not fear. The world needs you spreading truth, and not ignorance. The world needs you to make informed decisions, not based on one source. The world needs you to think for yourself.

here's the link to the original article I was invited to participate in. Maureen Ogle, et al, The Dangers of Dumbassery.

I love what Maureen said in her intro about why she reached out to us.
...as soon as I read the Food Babe's screed, I thought

"Oh, man. I can see it coming: Some brewers might decide to use this kind of crap to score points with consumers and one-up their competition. Result: a purity war erupting in the craft brewing industry. Nothing good can come of this."

Especially because, as I noted above, people who should have known better spread the Food Babe's crap as if it was gospel.

So, meddlesome broad that I am, I reached out to some brewers, both professional and amateur, and asked if they'd help set the record straight. No surprise, given the kind hearts and generosity that are the hallmarks of craft brewing, I got an immediate response. Much of what follows are their responses to the question "What's in Your Beer."

We ALL need to be on the forefront of killing this crap....
 
Corn is a genetically modified plant, and has been for thousands of years. In fact, corn would not exist without "genetic modification".

Sent from my C5155 using Home Brew mobile app

+1. Every single currently harvested agricultural product has been gentically modified for thousands of years. This guy probably thinks vaccinations cause autism, too.
 
+1. Every single currently harvested agricultural product has been gentically modified for thousands of years. This guy probably thinks vaccinations cause autism, too.

You misspelled genetically...

Sent from my C5155 using Home Brew mobile app
 
Thanks for hitting one over the fence with your colleges for us brewers,revs. Dumbassery is right,nothing but what we called in Poly-Sci "glittering Generalities"...:rockin:
 
It was funny, when the foodbabe's one came out, and we put the piece together, I actually lost a facebook friend who I pointed out the garbage in the article. I also got into a bit of an argument with a ministerial colleague as well, pointing out that people look up to her, and believe what she posts, so if she posts falsehoods like this crap without bothering to check sources or anything then she was part of the problem, not the solution.
 
+1. Every single currently harvested agricultural product has been gentically modified for thousands of years. This guy probably thinks vaccinations cause autism, too.

No offense meant, but -1000. That is not "genetic modification". Growers know this. Breeders know this. Agricultural scientists definitely know this.

Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct manipulation of an organism's genome using biotechnology. New DNA may be inserted in the host genome by first isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using molecular cloning methods to generate a DNA sequence, or by synthesizing the DNA, and then inserting this construct into the host organism. Genes may be removed, or "knocked out", using a nuclease. Gene targeting is a different technique that uses homologous recombination to change an endogenous gene, and can be used to delete a gene, remove exons, add a gene, or introduce point mutations.

Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans breed other animals and plants for particular traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is normally done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties, cultigens, or cultivars. The cross of animals results in what is called a crossbreed, and crossbred plants are called hybrids.

If you're a "But THAT'S Wikipedia!" person, we can find a more impressive source (not to be derisive, but this is in HS textbooks). Suffice it to say that is not from an anti-GMO or pro-GMO website.

But now that you mention it I do think we should "genetically modify" certain antivaxers.
 
http://worldtruth.tv/8-beers-that-you-should-stop-drinking-immediately/

Does anyone else feel Guinness is being wrongfully targeted here?

I feel Guiness is very wrongly targeted here.......... I feel that applies to all of these beers though.

I've been reading so much about the dangers of smoking, overeating, drinking, sex, etc.... that I've decided to give up reading.............

GMO has become a dirty word....... without cause, likewise HFCS is chemically virtually identical to table sugar............ And it is fermentable. It's just a blend of sugars in syrup form. Someone else took up the isinglass thing... so I won't repeat it. This article is a load of PURE HORSEPUCKY............

H.W.
 
Yup. Like Dr 13 was told by Superman,"science without conscience is treason to science". That's exactly what those articles are. It's treason to the public at large to spout these glittering generalities without study first. Some are used in processing or temp control that aren't present in the final product,ferment out,or never touch it to start with. And to tell folks to avoid the American counterparts is treason to our economy in general. The grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence mearly because of it's location. The Russians by our grains,turn it into vodka & sell it back to us. No mention of those sort of goings on.
 
Back
Top