A microbrewery in Edinburgh is the first in the UK to run brewing trials with a new, gluten-free barley from Australia.
Over the coming months, Bellfield Brewery – a dedicated gluten-free brewery – will experiment with Kebari, the world's first gluten-free barley, to learn more about the capacity of this new grain.
The new grain meets the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommended classification of gluten-free and has taken scientists in Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), thirteen years to perfect.
Bellfield Brewery hope that the grain will offer a number of benefits, including simplifying the production process.
Kebari barley was developed by CSIRO scientists using conventional plant breeding methods and contains 10,000 times less gluten than regular barley.
At 5 parts per million (ppm) gluten, it also falls well within the WHO's recommended limit - for gluten-free - of 20ppm.
Brewer and brewery manager Kieran Middleton commented on the new grain's potential by saying: “We're hoping that Kebari barley may allow us to brew a wider range of beer styles that everyone – whether coeliac or not - can enjoy.
“These new trials continue our strong commitment to R&D and innovation in brewing. Last year we completed a research programme with Heriot-Watt's Institute of Brewing and Distilling. We'll soon be starting another round of research and recipe development so that we have a pipeline of tasty gluten-free beers.
“Kebari barley has the potential to be a game changer, in allowing us to brew darker beers with even greater flavour, without using enzymes or other additives.”
Since launching its first two beers in March 2016, Bellfield has gone from strength to strength, having recently secured a number of distribution deals.
Bellfield brews its beers in small batches; they are accredited by Coeliac UK and carry the “crossed grain” symbol.
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