Gluten Free Beer - The Enzymatic Hydrolyzation Process Problem

[Jason Dyer]

I recently saw an article on Celiac.com (paid, I believe) about a great gluten-free beer that uses an enzymatic hydrolyzation process to reduce gluten below 20 parts per million (ppm), but I was unable to leave comments. That prompted me to craft this post.

The article claimed that barley-based beers that use enzymes to break the gluten protein chain result in a final product with a dramatically reduced gluten content, at least as can be presently measured using the R5 Competitive ELISA test. That sounds great, doesn't it? So, why the post?

I have celiac disease, I'm a former home brewer, and I have collaborated with several craft brewers on gluten-free batches using barley. That's far from being a master brewer or a gastroenterologist—full disclosure—but I've been studying this topic for the better part of 20 years and testing many beers on my biome, and here's what I've learned.

If you are gluten intolerant, these enzyme beers (as I call them) are great. If you are a celiac like me, you are STILL rolling the dice with these beers in two important ways.

First, they all have a slightly metallic finish, which I believe has to do with the enzymes because they all taste that way to me. I'm not here to bash any brands trying to serve our community legitimately. So, I won't name names, but if you are reading anything on this site, you likely know the ones that are out there. Second, and more importantly, while these enzyme processes DO cleave the gluten proteins into smaller chains, they DO NOT remove them. It makes the proteins smaller and, as the theory goes, that makes them easier to pass through the gut. It also conveniently makes them harder to detect using the R5 Competitive ELISA test. Do you believe that means the enzyme beers are safer?

Almost every celiac I have spoken to has told me the same thing. You may get one enzyme beer that does not trigger symptoms, but the next one you pull sends you to the bathroom. Again, you are rolling the dice with enzyme beers. 

You say, what about the sorghum, rice, corn, and buckwheat beers? Well, as a brewing product, they are awesome. Some great brewers are doing creative things using these grains to make some amazing alternatives. Kudos to them and THANK YOU. However, the mouthfeel is not the same. If you have ever known barley-based beer, you can taste the difference. Some are bitter. Some are a little skunky. Some are stale. Some are so buried in flavors or hops that you can't taste anything else at all. And hey, maybe that's ok. The world of beer has gone practically crazy with hops, fruit, and other additives to win over younger drinkers who did not grow up seeing beer as the thing to drink. Gluten free brewers are not immune to trends in market preferences. 

But, what am I saying?

There are alternative methods that taste great and are safe, but enzyme beers are not among them. Don't believe the marketing. My own body tells me so, and so does what I have learned from numerous experts about the process of enzymatic hydrolyzation. Again, I'm not a master brewer, chemist, doctor, or lab tech, but I've done a ton of research and can speak from personal experience.

My pitch: if you are a brewer or know a brewer who wants to invest in gluten-free barley-based brewing, contact me. There is a way forward that is not about alternate grains or enzymes. Honestly though, I found traditional brewers to be too distracted by their gluten-rich business to allocate consistent resources to what is a dietary requirement and preference of 20-30% of American consumers. Does adding my pitch here mean this post is all about finding a brewer to work with? No. I hate to see enzyme marketing without a fuller understanding of what happens with the protein, test, and celiacs. I know new celiacs will use this site and others, looking for a beer option, and will end up sick. And, if I've learned anything in the past 20 years, traditional brewers don't want to tackle the gluten-free market. So, my pitch is merely the longshot, last ditch effort of a beer-loving celiac. I don't expect anyone to contact me. I hope that the readers of this post will look at the enzyme beers with more caution than their marketing provides. 

 

[Scott Adams]

I can testify that Daura does not have a "metallic" taste, or any off taste at all--it's an outstanding beer. I have celiac disease and don't have issues with Daura, but do agree that gluten reduced beers are not for everyone.

I also started back in the mid-90's brewing gluten-free beer, so do know a lot about how they do this--AN-PEP enzymes like those in Clarex have been shown in studies to break down gluten (this does not instill any off tastes that I have ever detected), and modern filtration processes further remove remnants of gluten. 

There are also studies that show some regular beers have extremely low gluten content, even if they do not use such enzymes. Some of our users with celiac disease have reported drinking regular beers for years without any issues or elevated antibody tests or villi damage, but others have discovered that they cannot tolerate the same beers, or any gluten reduced beers. There are plenty 100% gluten-free beers that use alternative grains for those with celiac disease who prefer to avoid reduced gluten beers.

[trents]

Jason, I have a bone to pick with your terminology. There is "gluten intolerance" which I believe is synonymous with celiac disease and then there is "gluten sensitivity" which comes from Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or NCGS for short. It is true, however, that there is still a lot of inconsistency in the use of these terms.