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Hops: An Education

Naturally gluten-free, Bitter. Aromatic. Zesty. Citrusy. The hop plant is often described in a lot of different ways, and the variety of ways it is described speaks well of its versatility. And while hops are grown all around the world, there are a few places where the flower does especially well. Given its revered place in the process of brewing beer, the different types of hops–and the characteristics they imbue on the malty libations–are worth exploring on their own. At New Planet Beer, we’re picky about our hops and scientific in our approach. Of course, all of the science in the world doesn’t matter if the beer doesn’t taste good, too, so we make sure to test every batch of New Planet Beer to ensure its hop character and flavor is on point every time!

Hops: A Lesson of Humulus Lupulus

At New Planet Beer, we’re not farmers, but we hold a special place in our hearts for the men and women who own, operate, and work hop fields. Hops are mostly grown for commercial (ie brewing beer!) purposes these days, and some of the hop fields with the best results are located at or just above the 48th parallel. The reason for this is that this latitudinal location is home to temperate, moist climates conducive to hop growth and ideal soil conditions. Areas such as the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Germany are well-known for their hop production. In the United States, the Willamette Valley of Oregon and the Yakima Valley of Washington are some of the most fertile areas of hop growth. Hallertau, Germany is also home to a healthy supply of hops.

A Very Hoppy History

Used primarily as a flavoring and bittering agent in beers today, hops’ place in beer hasn’t always been so obvious. As a matter of fact, before hops were widely used in brewing, brewers were known to add different flowers and bitter herbs to flavor beer. Flowers such as dandelion, marigold, and heather were just a few of those that made their way into beer.

Over time, though, as people began experimenting with hop additions to their brewing, they not only liked the flavor it imparted on their ales, but they also noticed the beers were less likely to spoil with the addition of hops. Just like today, the brewers–and drinkers–of yore liked their beer fresh…can you blame them!?

New Planet Hop Varieties

Here at New Planet Beer, we work tirelessly to ensure that our gluten-free and gluten-reduced beers taste great. That’s why we use the same hops that traditional brewers use in order to give our beers as much body and flavor as their gluten-full brethren have. Every hop we select is chosen for a reason, and these selections and combination of malt and grain bil are what make a New Planet Beer unique to usl.

Cascade Hops

One of the more popular and abundant hops used in the American craft beer world, the cascade hop was originally created by the good folks at Oregon State University. Its beauty rests in its warm aroma, reminiscent of flowers and citrus. Unlike some hops, the cascade hop is excellent for brewers because it not only adds a dynamic aroma to beers, but its unique flavor enhances an ordinary beer and gives it a stellar flavor profile. Since it is one of the most popular among American craft brewers, chances are good that if you’ve had a New Planet Beer recently (namely our Pale Ale or the Seclusion IPA) or a pale ale from any number of American craft breweries, you’ve tasted or smelled cascade hops.

Sterling Hops

This is one of our favorite hops out there! We love the nose it gives our beers as well as the flavor it lends to some of our favorite brews. This hop is just 20 years old, so by US drinking laws, it isn’t old enough to buy a beer flavored with itself, but in that short amount of time, it has become one of the best-known hops in the brewing community.

Popular for its floral, spicy, and citrusy qualities, this hop is ideal for American Ales, Pilsners, Lagers, and Belgian-inspired ales. It is so versatile, in fact, that we use it in our 5 core beers: Pale Ale, Blonde Ale, Tread Lightly, Seclusion IPA, and Tread Lightly Session Ale. We also love it because it pairs well with other hop varieties, meaning nearly endless possibilities exist for beers when using Sterling.

New Zealand Hops

It might be hard to believe that the Kiwis on the other side of the world from us are crushing the hop-growing game right now. After all, when you think of beer, doesn’t Germany and the United States come to mind before…New Zealand?! If you think so, you’re not alone, but then you’d be missing out on some amazing beers that are flavored almost exclusively with New Zealand hops!

The New Zealand hops we use are very fruit-forward, giving our beers a juicy, citrus-inspired flavor and aroma. They’re also harder to come by since New Zealand only produces a small fraction of hops for export compared to the USA and Germany. But not to worry! New Planet Beer uses New Zealand hops in our amazing gluten-reduced Seclusion IPA.

Whether you’re a hop-head or prefer your beers a little less bitter, New Planet Beer has something for everyone. This little flower has been central to beer brewing for over a thousand years, and if today’s brewing culture is any indication, it will be around for another millennium. So, wherever you find yourself this year, search out a six pack of New Planet Beer and raise a glass to this magnificent little cone!

April 17, 2018/0 Comments/by GFBeer

The Truth is Out There! Demystifying Gluten-Free and Gluten-Reduced Beers

Blog, Gluten-Free Beer, Living Gluten-Free

While it may not be an age-old question, it is certainly one that we at New Planet Beer get a lot: What is the difference between gluten-free and gluten-reduced beer?

Grab a pint and let’s dive in! Also, be sure to check out our sweet new infographic at the bottom of this article. Whether you’re Celiac or unsure if you have a gluten intolerance, the infographic is designed to help you understand a bit more whether gluten-free or gluten-reduced is the right choice for you!

Gluten-free beer is brewed with ingredients that are naturally gluten-free, such as millet, sorghum, rice, corn, quinoa, gluten-free oats, and cane sugar. If you’re not sure if a beer is truly gluten-free or not, know that all gluten-free beer labels must adhere to specific FDA standards.

Gluten-reduced beer is brewed with traditional ingredients such as barley and rye, which is then given an enzyme that specializes in breaking down the gluten-containing proteins. Gluten-reduced beers are technically called “crafted to remove gluten” and, similar to gluten-free beer’s need to adhere to FDA standards, must adhere to the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) standards. To obtain a “crafted to remove gluten” label the TTB requires that the beers pass a laboratory test at less than 10 ppm (parts per million) of gluten. When choosing a “crafted to remove gluten” beer, be sure to look for the TTB language on the package (the can or bottle) as there are many breweries that claim their beer is crafted to remove gluten despite it never being tested to TTB standards.

The key to brewing gluten-free beers is to start with 100% gluten-free ingredients and to develop a consistent process to eliminate cross contamination. As far as the actual brewing process is concerned, ensuring that your equipment is absolutely clean is an essential step for creating gluten-free beers. Cross contamination from gluten grains can completely ruin a gluten-free batch. That’s why at New Planet we only brew gluten-free beers after a scheduled CIP (clean in place) of the equipment and a deep clean of the surrounding areas. This way, we can ensure our equipment is 100% clean and free from possible gluten contaminants.

When brewing “crafted to remove gluten” beers, it is best to incorporate friendly grains like oats, non-gmo blue corn, and cane sugar into the grain build and start the brewing process with less gluten than a traditional barley craft beer. Also, we have tested and calibrated the enzymatic process over the last three years and have developed a proprietary process in dosing the enzymes to ensure the best possible outcome. (If you can’t tell, we nerd out about this, because we love making beers for everyone!)

No matter where you fall on the gluten-free or gluten-reduced spectrum, there is promising news: more and more breweries are seeing the opportunity that these beers present. As more people begin to ask about what’s in their beer, breweries are adapting and making tasty brews with this market in mind. For you, this means more choices will be available for you to drink gluten-free or gluten-reduced beers.

Below, explore our helpful new infographic to get a better understanding of whether gluten-free or gluten-reduced beer is best for you.

If you’ve already been diagnosed Celiac, the answer for you is simple: Drink gluten-free beer!

For those of you who haven’t been diagnosed Celiac, a few options exist for you. If you have already tried gluten-reduced beer and you still react to it, it is best that you stick to gluten-free beer altogether. Afterall, a beer is only good if you enjoy it during and after!

Lastly, if you’ve had both gluten-free and gluten-reduced beer, and the gluten-reduced beer doesn’t seem to give you any issues, we’ve got good news for you: drink both gluten-free and gluten-reduced brews!

At New Planet Beer, we’re proud to be brewing gluten-free and gluten-reduced beer. Not a group to settle, we continually improve our recipes to give you the highest quality beer that fits your dietary needs and your wallet.

So, next time you’re in your local liquor store and reach for a gluten-free or gluten-reduced beer, check the packaging so you see what we’re talking about…and keep supporting your local brewers by picking up a New Planet six pack for your next adventure.

Cheers!

September 18, 2017/0 Comments/by GFBeer

Schoolin’ Lesson 1: Gluten Free vs Gluten Reduced Beers

Blog, Gluten-Free Beer

Summer is just around the corner, and that is getting the brew crew at New Planet Beer really excited! Don’t get us wrong, we love a fresh blanket of snow on the Rockies, but there’s just something about a cloudless blue-sky spring day that gets us going!

But, as any parent with a kid will remind you: It isn’t summer yet. School’s still in session. In that spirit, we’ve developed a few “Lesson Plans” we wanted to share with you. Below is Lesson 1. Stay tuned for more lessons over the next few weeks!

Alright, class: Pay attention!

At New Planet Beer, we brew only gluten free and gluten reduced beer. In fact, we’re the only brewery around that has that claim to fame. There are other breweries who brew gluten free or gluten reduced beers, but not both.

Please raise your hand if you know the answers to the following questions.

What’s the difference between gluten free and gluten reduced?

Easy. “Gluten Free” is defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and it gets even more in depth when discussing gluten free beer.

The definition from the FDA is long and boring, but in truth, those details makes a world of difference to our customers and how we brew our beer.

In short, in order to call a beer “gluten free” (and be labeled as such by the FDA), it must be brewed with ingredients that test out less than 20 Parts Per million (PPM), and the brewing process itself must mitigate cross-contamination with gluten. Finally, the resulting beer must be less than 20 PPM, too.

Long story short: Any gluten free beer will have a label saying it is 100% gluten free. No label? Not gluten free. Simple as that!

Okay, so what about Gluten-reduced?

Gluten-reduced is a bit different. It is a brewing industry term and isn’t regulated by the FDA, but is a category created and tested by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau (TTB)…try to say that fast five times after a few beers!

While the TTB may not be the FDA, it is still strict! Just to give you an idea of the testing the TTB puts a gluten-reduced beer through: New Planet’s Seclusion IPA and the Tread Lightly Ale both went through the TTB testing process. And it took 12 months to get approval!

Why so long? Well, the TTB performs lab tests, formula ingredient reviews, as well as tests the beer for PPM of gluten. We’re proud that our beers that are gluten-reduced test out at less that 5 PPM…that’s pretty awesome.

Using Gluten-free or Gluten-reduced ingredients is one thing, but how do we ensure that our beers stay that way?

This is a question we get a lot. Gluten, after all, seems to be everywhere.

We have incredibly strict policies at New Planet that guides how we brew our beer. For example, we only brew gluten-free beers on Mondays. Why Mondays? Because our brewery undergoes a deep clean on Sunday. This eliminates any traces of gluten that could remain from when we brew our gluten-reduced brews.

By doing it this way, we ensure that our equipment is in pristine condition, and no other beers are brewed during this time. Our adherence to this policy, among many others, ensures the integrity of our beers.

Alright class, that’s it for today. Your homework for the week is to crack open a New Planet Beer and kick your feet up. Good luck!

April 12, 2017/0 Comments/by GFBeer