Master Brewer Certification Dietary Requirements & Special Menus 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A customer with celiac disease asks if your craft lager is safe to drink. What is the most accurate response?
- Standard lagers are always gluten-free because hops remove gluten
- Most conventional lagers contain gluten from barley malt and are not safe for celiacs (Correct answer)
- Lagers are safer than ales for celiacs because of cold fermentation
- Filtering removes all gluten from any beer style
Correct answer: Most conventional lagers contain gluten from barley malt and are not safe for celiacs
Conventional lagers are brewed with barley malt, which contains gluten, making them unsafe for individuals with celiac disease unless specifically certified gluten-removed or gluten-free.
Question 2: Which enzyme treatment is used to break down gluten peptides in barley-based beers to achieve gluten-removed status?
- Amylase
- Protease
- Prolyl endopeptidase (Brewers Clarex) (Correct answer)
- Glucanase
Correct answer: Prolyl endopeptidase (Brewers Clarex)
Prolyl endopeptidase, sold commercially as Brewers Clarex, cleaves the proline-containing peptide bonds in hordein (barley gluten), reducing gluten content to below 20 ppm.
Question 3: A vegan customer is concerned about beer fining agents. Which traditional fining agent is derived from fish and should be disclosed?
- Bentonite
- Irish moss
- Isinglass (Correct answer)
- Silica gel
Correct answer: Isinglass
Isinglass is derived from the dried swim bladders of fish and is a common fining agent used to clarify beer, making it unsuitable for vegans.
Question 4: What is the maximum gluten threshold (in ppm) set by the FDA for a product to be labeled 'gluten-free' in the United States?
- 10 ppm
- 20 ppm (Correct answer)
- 50 ppm
- 100 ppm
Correct answer: 20 ppm
The FDA requires that foods labeled 'gluten-free' contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten, the threshold considered safe for most people with celiac disease.
Question 5: A diabetic customer asks about low-carbohydrate beer options. Which brewing approach most effectively reduces residual carbohydrates in finished beer?
- Using a higher mash temperature to favor unfermentable dextrins
- Extended lagering at cold temperatures
- Adding exogenous amyloglucosidase (glucoamylase) to convert dextrins into fermentable sugars (Correct answer)
- Increasing hop rates to bind carbohydrates
Correct answer: Adding exogenous amyloglucosidase (glucoamylase) to convert dextrins into fermentable sugars
Adding exogenous amyloglucosidase (glucoamylase) breaks down normally unfermentable dextrins into fermentable glucose, allowing yeast to convert them to alcohol and CO2, significantly reducing residual carbohydrate content.
Question 6: Which grain is the preferred base malt for producing a truly gluten-free beer (not gluten-removed)?
- Wheat
- Rye
- Sorghum (Correct answer)
- Spelt
Correct answer: Sorghum
Sorghum is a naturally gluten-free grain widely used as a base for producing certified gluten-free beers, as it contains no wheat, barley, or rye proteins.
Question 7: A brewery wants to produce a sulfite-free beer for customers with sulfite sensitivity. Which common brewing additive must be avoided?
- Calcium chloride
- Potassium metabisulfite (Campden tablets) (Correct answer)
- Gypsum (calcium sulfate)
- Magnesium sulfate
Correct answer: Potassium metabisulfite (Campden tablets)
Potassium metabisulfite (Campden tablets) releases sulfur dioxide when dissolved, acting as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent, making it the primary source of sulfites in brewing that must be avoided.
Master Brewer Certification Dietary Requirements & Special Menus 2
A customer with celiac disease asks if your craft lager is safe to drink.
What is the most accurate response?