Another forum member pass the following article on to me which, from what I gathered, meant that any beer can be brewed well within "gluten free" limits using Clarity Ferm. The author goes into details regarding the testing done too.
http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-i
http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-ii
http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-iii
That's a fair comment. I have CD and I don't believe I can drink gluten-reduced without issue. I had 2 Omissions once and it seemed like I had some symptoms. I have a newborn so I haven't had a chance to do a lot of testing. As you said, even if you don't have symptoms with gluten-reduced beers, damage may still be done. Definitely something to consider, but at the very least, it's on a person-by-person basis.What I don't get is how I can know that these "gluten free" levels are safe for _me_. Even with no symptoms damage can be done. It just seems like way to high a risk. But that's me.
That's a fair comment. I have CD and I don't believe I can drink gluten-reduced without issue. I had 2 Omissions once and it seemed like I had some symptoms. I have a newborn so I haven't had a chance to do a lot of testing. As you said, even if you don't have symptoms with gluten-reduced beers, damage may still be done. Definitely something to consider, but at the very least, it's on a person-by-person basis.
Thanks for the update, brujoand. What type of test did you use? The articles I posted previously were tested with the ELISA test which is basically the best current way to test gluten. From what I understand, though, people still argue that even if beers where clarex was used test below 20 ppm, the gluten is still there; it's just in a broken down form that doesn't come through in the test. That is how I understand their argument anyway.I just brewed a Porter from barley using Brewers Clarex and had the beer testet, and the test found no traces of gluten. (The lowest threshold of the test is 2ppm).
An update on my situation. I've been looking into this for a while now, and have had a long talk with my doctor.
In addition I just brewed a Porter from barley using Brewers Clarex and had the beer testet, and the test found no traces of gluten. (The lowest threshold of the test is 2ppm). Now my doctor says that all the talk about 'damage is being done, even if no symptoms are observed', as I stadet above, is irrelevant. She said that the intestines are always being damaged and continue to repair them self. It's basically by design. So her advice was "drink glutenreduced beer as much as you (me that is) like, as long as you don't have symptoms".
Another thing i suspect is that comercial breweries are sometimes sloppy with their handling of glutenreduced beer. This can result in contamination. I've also had a talk with Nøgne Ø, a brewing company in Norway that uses BC for two of their beers. They feel that BC is very expensive when brewing on a comercial scale, and I fear that a lot of breweries are using just enough enzyme to get below the 20ppm line. When I brew I double the dose and get beer I can drink as much as i want of. (I might not need to, but I'd hade to throw out beer)
A third point is that many people with Non Celiac Gluten Intolerance seem to react to these beers more than others, indicating that they might be affected by something in addition to gluten. [citation needed]
I'm not sure what I'm getting at here, but to sum it up: I'm celiac, I'm brewing with barly + BC and I'm fine. We all have our individual tolerance levels for gluten, so some of us have to keep to glutenfree grains. For me BC is a lifesaver. Or beersaver. My 5 cents..
My wife has a gluten intolerance so I am going to start adding Clarity Ferm to most of my brews from now on so that she can drink them. Currently, I am preparing to do a 1-gallon brew. I know that for a 5 gallon batch you add the entire vial of CF near the end of the boil. How much should I add for 1 gallon?
An update on my situation. I've been looking into this for a while now, and have had a long talk with my doctor.
In addition I just brewed a Porter from barley using Brewers Clarex and had the beer testet, and the test found no traces of gluten. (The lowest threshold of the test is 2ppm). Now my doctor says that all the talk about 'damage is being done, even if no symptoms are observed', as I stadet above, is irrelevant. She said that the intestines are always being damaged and continue to repair them self. It's basically by design. So her advice was "drink glutenreduced beer as much as you (me that is) like, as long as you don't have symptoms".
Another thing i suspect is that comercial breweries are sometimes sloppy with their handling of glutenreduced beer. This can result in contamination. I've also had a talk with Nøgne Ø, a brewing company in Norway that uses BC for two of their beers. They feel that BC is very expensive when brewing on a comercial scale, and I fear that a lot of breweries are using just enough enzyme to get below the 20ppm line. When I brew I double the dose and get beer I can drink as much as i want of. (I might not need to, but I'd hade to throw out beer)
A third point is that many people with Non Celiac Gluten Intolerance seem to react to these beers more than others, indicating that they might be affected by something in addition to gluten. [citation needed]
I'm not sure what I'm getting at here, but to sum it up: I'm celiac, I'm brewing with barly + BC and I'm fine. We all have our individual tolerance levels for gluten, so some of us have to keep to glutenfree grains. For me BC is a lifesaver. Or beersaver. My 5 cents..
I've used Clarity Ferm several times and I don't believe it should be added during the boil. I could be wrong, but I'm under the impression that it is only to be added when you pitch the yeast. I'm thinking the boil could denature the enzyme.
I've used Clarity Ferm several times and I don't believe it should be added during the boil. I could be wrong, but I'm under the impression that it is only to be added when you pitch the yeast. I'm thinking the boil could denature the enzyme.
Hi guys,
I posted this in another thread but it will fit here too.
As someone with coeliac disease and a home brewer I stay away from the clarity ferm. I'm also a molecular biologist and follow the scientific literature on this topic closely.
Clarity ferm is an enzyme that breaks up the gliadin proteins (technical term for gluten) into small chunks and as a result of this it appears that the gluten levels have been reduced when you carry out a detection test.
...
If you are gluten intolerant rather than CD then this might be OK for you, but if you are giving it to someone with CD make sure you tell them that it has been de-glutinised and is not necessarily 100% gluten free.
This is a "real" question vs. a typical forum "OMG UR WRONG!" comment. From my rudimentary understanding of nutritional science (and my lingo is almost certainly not on-par), "proteins" are molecules comprised from the combination a finite selection of Amino Acids. I'm not aware of any amino acids that are unique to wheat/barley proteins. If the intolerance is at the Protein level (vs. intolerance to a specific amino acid), can you elaborate how destroying the complex protein to composite parts results in the same metabolic reaction?
As to the second part, I give full disclosure to anyone with sensitivity or coeliac. I can parrot the White Labs disclosure and relay what I've learned from this thread about "passing the test" vs. being "gluten free." For people on the hyper-sensitive or coeliac end, I usually advise they try a small amount at first, then maybe try more the next time they're over if they don't seem to have a problem.
That is a pretty good understanding of the makeup of a protein, it is indeed a finite set of amino acids. The intolerance is not necessarily to the entire protein but rather to one or several parts of that protein (this is still being investigated). This is where the problem lies, as the clarity ferm breaks up the protein into small sections not right down to the individual amino acids.
Likewise the test for the presence of gluten relies on certain areas of the protein and not the entire protein.
So lets say the test relies on a sequence of amino acids like this (each letter signifies one amino acid).
aarrpbRNMRRPNNBVywwmnn
But the intolerance is only due to the string of amino acids in capital letters (this is obviously oversimplified but will do for an example).
If the clarity ferm breaks down the string of amino acids inside the lowercase letters but leaves the uppercase letters intact like this bRNMRRPNNBVy, then the test will say there is no gluten present but someone with CD might still have a reaction
One problem with these tests that I think I have discussed before is that they are designed to test for gliadin which is the major component of wheat gluten. They are not designed to test for hordein which is the major component of barley gluten. As such they are not entirely accurate when testing non-wheat beer products.
It is a good idea to try a small sample first, but there are a lot of examples of people (I'm one) who don't have any outward symptoms of gluten contamination, except that after continued intake I develop anemia and become very tired, at which point I have done a lot of damage to my digestive system.
This is one of the problems with CD, it is a varied disease that is poorly understood. We can give as many anecdotes as we want of people who drink such and such a beer with no symptoms,but at the end of the day every sufferer is different and needs to think of themselves before trying food or drink that potentially has gluten present.
This is one of the problems with CD, it is a varied disease that is poorly understood. We can give as many anecdotes as we want of people who drink such and such a beer with no symptoms,but at the end of the day every sufferer is different and needs to think of themselves before trying food or drink that potentially has gluten present.
I have 2 brews fermenting that l'm about ready to transfer to a secondary fermentation vessel for a secondary fermentation. I'd like to try ClarityFerm for these for my wife to try. Anybody see an issue with adding it during the secondary fermentation (which will last at least a week)...?
The alcohol will adversely affect the efficiency of the enzymes in Clarity-ferm. How much I can't say. I just know it will. That is why they say add it directly before the yeast.
Others with more experience with Clarity-ferm might be able to chime in. I recommend caution on this. Don't have your wife drink a sixer the first day.
Any comments relating to the following experiment?
http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-i/
http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-ii/
http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-iii/
Additionally, if someone can consume Omission beers without any adverse reactions, then using clarity ferm should be similar at the homebrew level?
Any comments relating to the following experiment?
http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-i/
http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-ii/
http://beerandwinejournal.com/clarity-ferm-iii/
Additionally, if someone can consume Omission beers without any adverse reactions, then using clarity ferm should be similar at the homebrew level?
I started brewing with brewers clarex (what calrity ferm is made from) after reading those articles. I have Celiac and I've been drinking beer made from regular barley pretty much every weekend for over a year. I've treated the beer with a double dosage of brewers clarex.
I also did a a new set of tests this summer to see if the beer had triggered an immune response and it had not. Which means, for all intents and purposes this beer is safe for me. No "hidden damage without symptoms". Nothing. Might not be the same for you though.
So if you want to know for sure, try. If it seems to be okay try for en extended period end get your tests done. If those are clean, it doesn't matter what anyone on a forum thinks. You're not being harmed. Well, not by gluten anyway
I started brewing with brewers clarex (what calrity ferm is made from) after reading those articles. I have Celiac and I've been drinking beer made from regular barley pretty much every weekend for over a year. I've treated the beer with a double dosage of brewers clarex.
...
Will be brewing a Vienna Lager this weekend (Revvy's recipe, on this forum) and will be adding Clarity ferm.
Picked up some EZ-Gluten testing kits, will test after I've kegged the batch. If test is negative, the wife will try it and I'll report back.
Wondering if there is any advantage to using a double dose of the stuff, or if it will not help at all?
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