Gluten Free Brewing Experiment - Introduction and GF Pale Ale Recipe

I’m setting out to do an experiment.  I have a couple of friends who have Celiac disease, and cannot consume gluten, so I am going to try and make a gluten-free beer for my friends. 

For those of you who have never heard of Celiac disease or don’t know what gluten is, I’ll elaborate a little. Gluten is a generic term for storage proteins found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley.  Eating these proteins triggers an immune reaction in the body, which then attacks the intestines. 

So, since beer is traditionally made from barley, wheat, or rye, it is generally out of the question for those with Celiac disease.  And there is no cure.  Their only option is to avoid all products made with barley, wheat, rye (or any of the other grains which contain gluten – there’s a large list here which shows them).

There are, of course, a few exceptions to the rule, such as Redbridge by AB, but for the most part, these are not shining examples of great beer, and are really more of an effort to loosely simulate mass-produced barley beer.  We don’t want to do that.

Cooking with Beer - Chocolate Guinness Cake

I have a tendency to find recipes I like and adjust them to my tastes, but this one is perfect as it is.  Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Guinness cake was published on npr.org in the spring and it is a fantastic dessert. 

The best part of this dessert (besides the fact it is made with beer) is the frosting, but I think she’s also correct in her assessment that this cake would still taste “gorgeous” without it.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, you could try baking this with a homemade Mayan Chocolate Stout, and then pairing the two when the cake’s done.  A little cayenne pepper couldn’t hurt, right?

Without further ado, here is Nigella Lawson’s Chocolate Guinness Cake, reproduced from npr.org: