Low Gluten in Beer

I am currently in India and just tested the most famous Indian beer Kingfisher Premium Lager. It contains rice beside barley so I assumed already that it will be low in gluten. But it contains some other ingredients like sugar and syrup which is not really in accordance with German Beer Law. But it’s India so it’s OK like the beer itself. An everyday beer with sweet taste best enjoyed very cold.

Beer: Kingfisher Premium Lager
Producer: United Breweries Group
Originating country: India
Brewing location: India
Bottle size: 330 ml = approx. 12 Oz.
Alcohol by volume: 5.0%
Ingredients: water, malted barley, sugar, rice/maize/millet/corn syrup, ethyl alcohol (generated in the process), hops and yeast
Miscellaneous: –

Test Kit: GlutenTox Home Kit

I tested with a threshold of 5 ppm. The limit of detection depends on the number of drops taken from the extraction solution, please find some more information here.

Test result: There is no indication of the presence of gluten above 5 ppm. According to the instructions there should appear a clearly visible red test line on the right of the test area ( T ) to indicate the presence of gluten. The blue line on the left test area ( C ) is a control line and indicates that the extract/sample is suitable, the test has been performed correctly and all reagents are active. Please don’t take any of my test results as a medical advice – see my facts page.

Further test provided by Adam.

…with the Indonesian beer, Bintang Pilsener.  It’s a 330mL bottle, 4.7% alcohol.  Ingredients: water, malts, sucrose, barley, and hops.  I find it strange that both “malts” and “sucrose” are listed before “barley”.  Perhaps the “malts” are from wheat.  That would make sense of the test result.  On an amusing note, my eldest step-son didn’t want to drink the beer so I used as a shampoo!

Beer: Bintang Pilsener
Producer: Bintang Indonesia Tbk
Originating country: Indonesia
Brewing location: Indonesia
Bottle size: 330 ml = approx. 12 Oz.
Alcohol by volume: 4.7%
Ingredients: water, malts, sucrose, barley and hops
Miscellaneous:  –

Adam tested with a threshold of 20 ppm. The limit of detection depends on the number of drops taken from the extraction solution, please find some more information here.

Test result: A red line appears on the right of the test stick ( T ). The red line  indicates the presence of gluten equal to or above 20 ppm. The blue line on the left test area ( C ) is a control line and indicates that the extract/sample is suitable, the test has been performed correctly and all reagents are active. Even though this test is positive please note it is not a medical advice – see my facts page.

This is another test provided by Adam. Back in 2013 I already tested a special version of Lowenbrau – it was the Oktoberfest variant which is only available during the famous beer festival times. And the result was positive. But the regular Lowenbrau Adam tested now is more common and available in many countries. A decent Lager with less alcohol then the Oktoberfest beer. And here is the result of Adam’s test:

Beer: Lowenbrau Original
Producer: Lowenbrau
Originating country: Germany
Brewing location: Germany
Bottle size: 330 ml = approx. 12 Oz.
Alcohol by volume: 5.2%
Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops, hops extract
Miscellaneous: Thanks for the tests, Adam!

Test Kit: GlutenTox Home Kit

Adam tested with both thresholds 5 and 20 ppm. The limit of detection depends on the number of drops taken from the extraction solution, please find some more information here.

Test result: A red line appears on the right of both test sticks ( T ). The red line  indicates the presence of gluten equal to or above 5 and consequently also above 20 ppm. The blue line on the left test area ( C ) is a control line and indicates that the extract/sample is suitable, the tests have been performed correctly and all reagents are active. Even though these tests are positive please note it is not a medical advice – see my facts page.

Modelo Especial and Negra Modelo are probably the best selling Mexican beers beside Corona. I tested Modelo Especial and found it very similar to Corona – crisp, refreshing and light. And I expected low gluten as in my Corona test from 2013.

Beer: Modelo Especial
Producer: Grupo Modelo
Originating country: Mexico
Brewing location: Mexico
Bottle size: 330 ml = approx. 12 Oz.
Alcohol by volume: 4.4%
Ingredients: water, malted barley, hops, corn, yeast (internet research)
Miscellaneous: ingrediants and ABV not stated on lable

Test Kit: GlutenTox Home Kit

I tested with a threshold of 5 ppm. The limit of detection depends on the number of drops taken from the extraction solution, please find some more information here.

Test result: There is no indication of the presence of gluten above 5 ppm. According to the instructions there should appear a clearly visible red test line on the right of the test area ( T ) to indicate the presence of gluten. The blue line on the left test area ( C ) is a control line and indicates that the extract/sample is suitable, the test has been performed correctly and all reagents are active. Please don’t take any of my test results as a medical advice – see my facts page.

Another test provided by Adam:

I tested another Cooper’s beer, Cooper’s Clear.  It’s a dry beer and a low carb (low carbohydrate) beer.  This style of beer is very popular in Australia.  It’s not really all that flavoursome but it would be refreshing on a hot day.  I vaguely remember drinking it eleven or so years ago before I was diagnosed with coeliac disease.  I remember it tasting better, maybe they changed the recipe?  Anyway it’s made in my city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia, Australia.  And is another option for people in Australia.  It is in a 355mL bottle and has 4.5% alcohol.  I tested at a threshold of 20ppm.  As you can see there is no red line.  😉

Sorry about the photos.  I poured the beer out before taking any photos!

Beer: Coopers Clear
Producer: Coopers Brewery
Originating country: Australia
Brewing location: Australia
Bottle size: 355 ml = approx. 12 Oz.
Alcohol by volume: 4.5%
Ingredients: not stated on label
Miscellaneous: Thanks for test, Adam!

Test Kit: GlutenTox Home Kit

Adam tested with a threshold of 20 ppm. The limit of detection depends on the number of drops taken from the extraction solution, please find some more information here.

Test result: There is no indication of the presence of gluten above 20 ppm. According to the instructions there should appear a clearly visible red test line on the right of the test area ( T ) to indicate the presence of gluten. The blue line on the left test area ( C ) is a control line and indicates that the extract/sample is suitable, the test has been performed correctly and all reagents are active. Even though this test is negative please note it is not a medical advice – see my facts page.

Test provided by Adam from Adelaide, Australia:

…the beer I tested is James Boag’s Premium Lager from Tasmania, Australia.  It is 5.0% alcohol, a 375mL bottle.  It is produced by J. Boag & Son in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.  J. Boag & Son  is owned by the massive company, Lion Group.  The ingredients are not listed on the label as there is no requirement to do so in Australia.  As I remember it from 10 or 11 years ago, James Boag’s Premium Lager (or “Boag’s” as everyone calls it here) is a beer similar in taste to maybe Heineken and Carlsberg with a strong hoppy aroma somewhere on the way to Carlsberg Elephant Lager.  It is a very popular beer here, but I used to prefer the other main Tasmanian Premium Lager, Cascade Premium Lager (and also their Pale Ale).

Beer: James Boag’s Premium Lager
Producer: Boag’s Brewery (J.Boag & Son), owned by Lion Group
Originating country: Australia
Brewing location: Australia
Bottle size: 375 ml = approx. 13 Oz.
Alcohol by volume: 5.0%
Ingredients: not stated on label
Miscellaneous: Thanks for test, Adam!

Test Kit: GlutenTox Home Kit

Adam tested with a threshold of 20 ppm. The limit of detection depends on the number of drops taken from the extraction solution, please find some more information here.

Test result: A red line appears on the right of the test stick ( T ). The red line  indicates the presence of gluten equal to or above 20 ppm. The blue line on the left test area ( C ) is a control line and indicates that the extract/sample is suitable, the test has been performed correctly and all reagents are active. Even though this test is positive please note it is not a medical advice – see my facts page.

Spain is very progressive in regards to gluten free foods and beverages. In almost all restaurants, shops and hotels gluten free products are available. Also Biomedal as the manufacturer of the GlutenTox Home kit is Spanish and Estrella Daura Damm from Barcelona was a pioneer in the gluten free beer business – event though my test showed a controversy result.

Ambar is my latest discovery from Spain. It is labelled gluten free (sin gluten means without gluten) and says on the back label: “La malta de cebada que contiene esta cerveza ha sido tratada para garantizar un consumo apto para celiacos” which means something like ‘The barley used in this beer has been treated to ensure safe consumption by Coelics’. The beer itself is rather averge, a typcial Spanish beer, sweet, fizzy carbonation and should be consumed only cold. And here is the gluten test result for Ambar:

Beer: Ambar Especial
Producer: La Zaragozana
Originating country: Spain
Brewing location: Spain
Bottle size: 330 ml = approx. 12 Oz.
Alcohol by volume: 5.2%
Ingredients: – not stated on label
Miscellaneous: labelled gluten free

Test Kit: GlutenTox Home Kit

I tested with a threshold of 5 ppm. The limit of detection depends on the number of drops taken from the extraction solution, please find some more information here.

Test result: There is no indication of the presence of gluten above 5 ppm. According to the instructions there should appear a clearly visible red test line on the right of the test area ( T ) to indicate the presence of gluten. The blue line on the left test area ( C ) is a control line and indicates that the extract/sample is suitable, the test has been performed correctly and all reagents are active. Please don’t take any of my test results as a medical advice – see my facts page.

This is my first gluten test with Austrian beer. There is very good beer available in Austria – mainly the small local breweries have excellent beer. The Salzburg located Stiegl brewery is the biggest private brewery founded in 1492.

Goldbräu is their premium lager and it tastes nice and malty, just a bit light.

Beer: Stiegl Goldbräu
Producer: Stieglbrauerei Salzburg
Originating country: Austria
Brewing location: Austria
Bottle size: 0.5 l = approx. 16 Oz.
Alcohol by volume: 4.9%
Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops
Miscellaneous: –

Test Kit: GlutenTox Home Kit

I tested with a threshold of 5 ppm. The limit of detection depends on the number of drops taken from the extraction solution, please find some more information here.

Test result: A red line appears on the right of the test stick ( T ). The red line is quite weak however, it indicates the presence of gluten equal to or above 5 ppm. The blue line on the left test area ( C ) is a control line and indicates that the extract/sample is suitable, the test has been performed correctly and all reagents are active. Even though this test is positive please note it is not a medical advice – see my facts page.