Should gluten-free beers have their own classification?

Makes sense to me. Creating this category might at least make it easier for people who need to drink gluten-free beer to find the best ones available.

But where would it go? Currently on BA beers are categorized first as ales or lagers, and then mostly by nationality. "Hybrid Styles" is the only "miscellaneous" category, but I don't know that it applies.

 

Well, the low-alcohol/alcohol-free beers have their own "style" category on here, so there is some precedent for a "beer without one of the things that's usually in beer" category to exist.

 

Look up Clarity Ferm, it'll change your opinion on what gluten free or gluten reduced really means.

For instance Alpine produces gluten reduced beers. The term "gluten reduced" compared to "gluten free" is all politics btw.

 

Depends on how it's made. Stone Delicious is brewed with malted barley just as is normal but then they have some fancy process that removes gluten I guess afterwards. I wouldn't necessarily say that belongs in a "gluten free" category opposed to IPA. The true gluten free beers though (forget the name) are nasty and belong discriminated against!!!!

 

Definitely. It would allow people who drink gluten free beers to more easily find information on them using beeradvocate.

 

I think the other benefit would be a list ranking gluten free beers once it was its own category. That way, BAs know what the best ones are.

 

I do think it makes sense. You can sub-category the specific style, but knowing it was gluten free would probably be the primary reason someone would start looking at a given beer in that category. So it seems to deserve at least some kind of label if not necessarily a true style per say. It is a way of brewing.

 

I think that would allow for a better push for gluten-free beers. I personally haven't liked any I have tried, but they really aren't designed for me . Creating a separate category would allow for competition amongst brewers thus producing better brews, and it would even allow for separate areas in contests for such a category (bourbon barrel aged gluten-free beer here we come). This would thus get more people into craft beer and help sustain small breweries even better!

 

It cracks me up. You can either have gluten or you cannot (celiacs). 'Reduced gluten' is hilarious!

 

i disagree. i stopped eating wheat nearly two years ago, which i quickly found out meant eating mostly gluten free products. (I'm eating gluten free mac n' cheese as i type this. no joke)
i have found that i dont react to beer quite the same way i would a pastrami on rye.
when i eat wheat or other gluten-ous items i react pretty strongly so i welcome the gluten free as well as the gluten reduced beer. and for your information some people with celiac have a tolerance for some gluten so the reduced gluten beers are actually in demand

 

Given that Stone "Delicious IPA" is testing out at less than 10ppm, I suppose they could call it "gluten-free".

And one can have a gluten-sensitivity and not be celiac, so this is a great quality option.

 

Adding Clarity Ferm will reduce gluten below measurable levels in the bottled beer. They're pretty sure there's no gluten in the beer, but with the current testing method, they can't say for sure there's absolutely no gluten in Delicious. The FDA classifies the Celiac threshold as 20ppm total gluten concentration. According to some gluten testing websites, Hefeweizens typically come in at around 800-1000 ppm gluten due to using malted wheat and no filtration.

 

Uhhhhh how 'bout gluten free beer...says it all. We've got enough sub genres.

 

The way it works is that if the product has ever had gluten in it, it cannot be called "gluten free". So while the beers tend to be what a normal person would call gluten free the FDA insists that it must be called "gluten reduced".

 

I've had several gluten free beers and it was much lighter than normal beers. I think IMO they should be their own category. Especially since there are people with celiac disease or are gluten intolerant. They should be able to easily classify whether or not the beer could make them ache or sick. Also. The brewing process must be different so yes. Give them their own category. And some people I know personally choose not to eat gluten but could handle some if they so choose. So if gluten is then introduced to their body they ache or puke or whatever. So reduced gluten is fine but should be in the category also.

 

I completely agree with you. It's not a perfect classification because of its generality but gluten free beers are unique unto themselves.

 

The way it works is that if the product has ever had gluten in it, it cannot be called "gluten free". So while the beers tend to be what a normal person would call gluten free the FDA insists that it must be called "gluten reduced".[/QUOTE]

Good point. Fair enough!

 

Thanks. That makes more sense than the 'low gluten' I was thinking of.

 

Definitely need a category of their own. No way it's remotely fair to rate a gluten free/reduced beer vs. a normal one, plus there ought to be an easy way for people with gluten issues to see what the highest rated ones are and to find the names of new ones to seek out.