Tag Archive for: Brewing Beer

Growing Trend Gluten Free Beer

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The Growing Trend for Gluten-Free Beer

growing trend gluten free beerIf you’re reading this blog, you’re probably a lot like us: after a long day, or when you’re ready to unwind, very few things sound as good as a great beer. If this describe’s you, don’t worry, you’re not alone: studies show that the average American drinks about 23 gallons or 9 cases of beer annually. Nice.

Like all good things, beer is great in moderation. For those among us who have gluten intolerance and those who are diagnosed with celiac disease, the simple act of enjoying a beer can have more serious consequences. This often includes digestive issues, abdominal pain, joint pain, skin rashes, and may eventually lead to intestinal damage. And that can be a bummer.

What isn’t a bummer, though, is that breweries are recognizing this and are filling kegs, bottles, and cans to provide suitable options to consumers.

As more breweries learn how to craft and produce quality, gluten-free or gluten-reduced ales and lagers, the number of choices of gluten-conscious beers is steadily increasing. In fact, if today you were to attempt to drink a different gluten-free beer every day, you’d be able to drink a unique brew for 60 days…not bad, right?

Here’s the best part: as brewers rise to the challenge of creating quality gluten-free beers, they challenge one another to make these beers as similar to “normal” beers as possible. This means that you can take your friends to one of these breweries and they may not even know that they’re not drinking a beer made with traditional beer ingredients.

New Planet Beer has been at the forefront of this movement since 2009. We strive to make beer that people love and want to drink. We offer a wide array of gluten-free and gluten-reduced beer, giving you a chance to choose something that suits you. So  pick up a six pack and enjoy. Cheers!

Tips for Better Beer Brewing

Tips for Brewing Better Beer

Beer is undoubtedly the most popular alcoholic beverage in the country. In fact, studies suggest that Americans still prefer a cold brew over a glass of whiskey or wine. With so much love for beer, some even like brewing beer of their own at home.

With the availability of pre-assembled beer brewing kits and the simplicity of brewing ingredients, it seems like you can’t go wrong. The truth is that there are a lot of things that can steer your beer from its intended course.

In the hopes of helping new brewers improve their beer, we gathered some helpful tips from brewing experts. Here are some tips for brewing better beer.

Use fresh ingredients

Creating drinkable beer is just as simple as making soup out of a can, but if you want outstanding beer, then you need to find the freshest ingredients available. Remember, the quality of the beer you produce is dependent on the quality of ingredients that goes into the brew kettle.

Cleanliness is next to godliness

Sanitation is the key to making good beer.  Sterilize all the equipment that comes into contact with your wort after the boil.

Update your equipment

You may have started with an off-the-shelf brewing kit, but if you are planning to turn this into a long-term hobby, then you may want to update your equipment. Upgrading to better equipment is a must if you want better beer brewing results.

For really passionate brewers, we recommend upgrading your boiling kettle to a glass kettle. This will make a big difference in the mash. Later on, you may also want to purchase an auto siphon, better cleaning supplies, an extra burner and a grain crusher.

Use clean water

Clean water is essential in brewing great beer. If you can afford it, use bottled water. If not, be sure to boil the water first. Never use the city’s tap water when brewing as there might be a whole lot of mess floating around in the water that you can’t see. For best results, use the freshest, purest water available.

 

 

 

 

 

12/1 Bev Mo! Holiday Beer Fest, Los Angeles, CA

What: Bev Mo Holiday Beer Fest, Los Angeles, CA

When: Saturday, December 1st, 1pm to 5:00pm

Where: Golden Road Brewery, 5430 West San Fernando Road  Los Angeles, CA 90039
http://goldenroad.la/

Website: http://www.nightthatneverends.com/bevmo_la.html

What is Sorghum?

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As you might know, gluten is found in many grains, which is why those maintaining a gluten-free lifestyle avoid drinking beers that are made with wheat and barley.  But did you know that not all grains contain gluten?  Sorghum, rice and corn are three grains that are commonly used in gluten-free products. We brew our Tread Lightly Ale and 3R Raspberry Ale  with sorghum and Off Grid Pale Ale with brown rice rather than wheat and barley.

What is sorghum?
Sorghum is a grass that is grown in warm, dry climates around the world.

Where is it grown?
Sorghum is grown in many different countries around the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Mexico, the United States, and Sudan.  In the U.S., sorghum is mainly cultivated in a crop belt that runs from Southern Texas to South Dakota.  It’s considered the fifth most important cereal crop in the world.

What products is it used in?
As a grain that doesn’t trigger gluten intolerance, sorghum is used in many different products:

  • In baking, sorghum flour is often used or mixed with gluten-free flours to make cookies, cakes, breads, and other gluten-free products
  • One type of sorghum, sweet sorghum, is used in sweeteners such as sorghum syrup
  • Sorghum is used to make fermented beverages

What industries is it used in?
Sorghum is also utilized in the production of:

  • Floral arrangements
  • Brooms
  • Fences
  • Building materials
  • Pet food

Enjoy your gluten-free beer!

 

Bottles vs Cans: Post 1 of 3

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If you are reading this blog, you have likely sampled a New Planet Beer from a brown bottle. And you may have observed some of your glutenoid friends drinking from cans and wondered when you can enjoy the same?  While New Planet Beer is committed to bottles for the near future, we are open to putting our beers in cans.

Walking through the liquor store it is quickly apparent that there is a new trend in the beer industry, cans. No longer are they traditional cans, constrained by the combination of silver, blue, white and red. Today’s can is a canvas, a piece of art, that makes the experience of drinking beer that much more special. But there must be more to it, after all, bottles have been used for centuries.

Below are four reasons that bottles are preferred over cans. We’ll discuss the benefits of cans in a later post.

  1. History – The story goes that a monk stored his beer in a wine bottle and it kept well. Beer has been in brown bottles ever since and eventually evolved to different bottle shapes to accentuate certain qualities of their beer.
  2. Skunked – If light strikes beer it can change its taste and smell. Ultra-violet light chemically changes iso-humulones (isomerized hop oils, which are responsible for the bitterness hops add to beer) into mercaptans, the exact same ingredient in a skunk’s spray!
  3. Taste – Many people feel beer tastes better from the bottle. Aluminum can leave an aftertaste in beer (however, cans now have added a liner to prevent fluctuations in taste, made from BPA, which has its own downsides.)
  4. Temperature control – Glass does a better job keeping the beer cold. Aluminum convects quicker than glass, warming the beer, however, cozies solve this problem.

What are your thoughts? Do you prefer bottles or cans? Leave a comment below and tell us why.