beer ingredients

[pp15]

quick question:

i've recently developed an allergy to Corn, and was wondering if anyone knew where i could find info on which beers use corn as an adjunct.

i know most german and irish beers don't use corn at all, but wanted to make sure

thanks in advance.

[Tweek]

I dont know where you can obtain a list but perhaps some people here can let you know which ones they are aware of. Ill start you off with Fullers ESB. Other than that I am not sure. If I hear about anymore ill let ya know.

[Richard English]

I think we need to be careful here. There is a difference between what Americans call corn and what Europeans call corn.

Is your allergy just to corn (in Europe just one specific kind of grain) - or is it to the gluten that occurs in all grains? If the latter then you will find that all beers will upset you. You really need to check with your physician to be clear on this point.

I have a friend who has developed an intolerance to gluten and he can no longer drink beer of any kind. Fortunately he can still drink wine, gin and cider!

If your allergy is genuinely only to corn, then you are right, few UK or German beers use this grain. Most use barley and some use wheat.

[pp15]

thanks for the replies..

the allergy is to only corn (maize in europe) thankfully.

man it's so hard finding ingredient lists for commercial beers, eve on the internet..

[Richard English]

All beers brewed in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot (the Bavarian purity law) will be made only from malted barley, water, yeats and hops. So most Bavarian beers are safe. Beers brewed in the Isle of Man are brewed according to similar rules.

Most UK BCAs contain only the same ingredients - and some show them. You will, I feel sure, be quite safe with English BCAs. Oddly enough, although most foodstuffs in the UK must, by law, contain a full list of ingredients, alcoholic drinks are exempt. I don't know why this is.

[Heycock]

Have you tried beer with corn in it? If you haven't and your allergic reaction isn't too bad, only uncomfortable, then I would just try a beer with corn adjuncts.

If you found out you were allergic by eating the grain then you might be allergic to something in the kernel, not something that is transfered into the wort. So you might not have a reaction when you drink beer with corn adjunct but you will have a reaction when you eat the grain. It all depends on what it is in the corn you are allergic to. So you could find out by trying.

Repeat, I would only try this if the reaction is mild!

If you know you're allergic to beer with corn adjuncts....sorry!

[b3s]

i'm pretty sure that most of sierra-nevada brewing company's ales are all malt...but the cool thing is, you can go to their website and find out the ingredients for each beer.

http://www.sierra-nevada.com/html/beers/cooler.htm

i think you will find that *most* micros do not have too many adjuncts in them, and if they do it will probably mention the adjunct as it is a particular style.

[pp15]

I'm from ontario so i've been emailing all the main local breweries...seems like the major commercial brands are loaded with corn products....but the small breweries tend to conform to the purity laws found in germany and uk ie. water, yesat, hops and barley.

thanks for all your help.