One of the things that is clearest to us at Beer Sapiens is our mission: we want to motivate beer lovers to get to know and enjoy the world of craft beers. We care, we want to take care of you. And for us it is also very important that this world is as accessible as possible for everyone.
That is why we were very clear from the beginning that we were going to propose gluten-free beers in our catalogue, because, although it is true that in recent years it is easier to find foods without this protein and suitable for celiacs, beer in its version gluten free is still a small rarity.
The "beginning"
In 2006 the first beer of this style appeared in Spain (it was the Estrella Daura Damm), and little by little the artisan brewmasters have incorporated them into their productions and catalog of styles. Currently vseveral beers on the Spanish market are certified by FACE and guarantee a gluten content of less than 20 ppm.
You can identify these beers as they are marked with the European Licensing System “Espiga Barrada” (ELS). Look for the little drawing on the label, it's a safe guarantee!
But why are people still surprised to find out there is gluten-free beer?
The truth is that we start from a great obstacle, which is the main ingredient of this drink, barley. This cereal is prohibited in the celiac diet. And gluten is also present in wheat, rye, oats and spelled. In other words, the list is extensive and they are the basis for the elaboration of our beloved beers.
Logically, knowing this, the question you ask yourself is what ingredients are in gluten-free beers. The answer is simple, either other grains like sorjo or millet are used (which is less common, because the beers are very different in taste and texture) or, here comes the good news, beers without! gluten contain the same ingredients as any beer!
But… what invention is this? You are right. The gluten-free beers that you can find on the market are made with the same ingredients as any other beer. Only an enzymatic phase is added to the usual manufacturing process to extract the gluten, thus achieving a beer suitable for coeliacs but with all the flavor and aroma of the usual ones.
So much so that in a blind tasting it would be very difficult for an expert sommelier to identify them, since the absence of gluten in beer does not usually alter its aroma or flavor , only influences (and in a very small way) the formation of the foam.
The elaboration is also the same as for the beers that keep the gluten. In general, and in a simplified way, the elaboration phases are the following:
- From the cereal we choose, we obtain the malt.
- In the soaking phase, the grain begins to grow.
- During the germination period, the grain develops enzymes.
- In the drying phase, germination stops but the enzymes continue to be preserved.
- Subsequently, the grains are cleaned, removing the roots and shoots.
- Finally, the malt is roasted to develop texture, color and flavor.
In the germination phase, the inclusion process of the enzyme that “breaks” the gluten is simply added. And that's it, we already have a beer suitable for celiacs or for people with a restricted diet.
Furthermore, these gluten-free beers have an added benefit, of which very little is commented: they contain less sugar than “traditional” beers And this is also an advantage for people who must control glucose in blood.
This type of beer is so important to us that we have tall a category dedicated only to gluten free beers. There are more than 10 different beers, with all the typical craft styles: IPA, Amber Ale, Pale Ale, Red Ale….
Being BeerSapiens is knowing all the possibilities of consumption that exist in the market. So my friend, being celiac, or simply preferring to do without gluten in our diet, is no longer an obstacle to having a good craft beer!
