Beer with unnatural ingredients

[Digital2k2]

Last week I figured I would try Newcastle Brown Ale. Usually when I try a new beer, I look it up on beeradvocate to find out more about it and see their review of it.

I noticed a few reviews stating the use of caramel coloring, so I decided to search the web. I came up with various websites that really gave me some shocking information not only about Newcastle Brown Ale, but most domestic beer as well.

Here are a few links for you all to do some reading:

http://foodbabe.com/2013/07/17/the-shocking-ingredients-in-beer/

www.organics.org/8-beers-that-you-should-stop-drinking-immediately

http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-Natural-Beer

I really like the idea of a value priced beer a lot of times (case of 30 Busch beer for less than 50 cents a can after tax for example), but is saving 50 cents a beer worth it if they're adding this junk to them? Looks like Heineken runs a little over a dollar a beer and might be the easiest to find/cheapest of the supposedly natural ingredient beers?

What are your thoughts on these write ups? If a company just uses GMO corn, is that so bad? I really don't want high fructose corn syrup in my beer or MSG or propylene glycol or calcium disodium EDTA or carrageenan or any type of coloring, especially caramel after reading about it being carcinogenic... or mostly anything else listed in that first link. Anyone know of a domestic beer that's reasonably priced that doesn't have much of this stuff in it?

 

[Shannow]

Here Brice Dickinson explains some of the ingredients in Newcastle Brown ale...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbX_T6goFII

Caramel is a part of traditional beers, and exotic sugars are as well.

"Milk Stout" was made as such as the lactose didn't ferment, and changed the flavour.

Caramel is a natural part of some brewing processes, e.g. a Pilsener traditionally had extremely hot stones (burned in a fire) dropped into the wort, which heated, but produced caramels on the stone surface

Edit...wasn't pilsiner, but Stein "stone"...

http://byo.com/stories/beer-styles/item/857-hot-rocks-making-a-stein-beer

 

[TrevorS]

There's definitely something very pure about German beer.

I'm someone with very little trust in food from big business but was still shocked. I always wondered why there were no ingredients on beer bottles and now I know why.

This has pushed my trust level in big food businesses to near zero.

 

[RF Overlord]

I no longer drink, but when I did, I liked the German and Dutch/Belgian beers better than the mass-produced American swill. The micro-brew and "craft" beers all started becoming popular after I quit, so I missed out on being able to try those.

 

[OVERKILL]

I had a thread that was somewhat in the same vein as this one:

Beer thread

Never did figure out what was causing the reaction. I just tailored what I bought accordingly.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
I had a thread that was somewhat in the same vein as this one:

Beer thread

Never did figure out what was causing the reaction. I just tailored what I bought accordingly.


Read that thread, someone stated Samual Adams is fine. Thats good, thats what i like.

 

[otis24]

Will have to check these out.

 

[The_Eric]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Here Brice Dickinson explains some of the ingredients in Newcastle Brown ale...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbX_T6goFII

Caramel is a part of traditional beers, and exotic sugars are as well.

"Milk Stout" was made as such as the lactose didn't ferment, and changed the flavour.

Caramel is a natural part of some brewing processes, e.g. a Pilsener traditionally had extremely hot stones (burned in a fire) dropped into the wort, which heated, but produced caramels on the stone surface

Edit...wasn't pilsiner, but Stein "stone"...

http://byo.com/stories/beer-styles/item/857-hot-rocks-making-a-stein-beer




Originally Posted By: organics.org
The Newcastle beer has been found to contain caramel coloring. Class 3 and 4 caramel coloring is made from ammonia, which is classified as a carcinogen. “The one and only” beer with cancer causing qualities.

 

[yeti]

overkill -- if an antihistamine worked to keep you off the toilet, then your issue is allergy.either you developed a slight allergy to some chemical in the beer, or a new chemical has been introduced to which you have a slight allergy.
Costco sells a couple of pure antihistamines that are very cheap.

 

[Pablo]

I've had the original Newcastle Brown on tap in the UK years ago. It tastes nothing like the bottled brown water stuff here.

Stuff like Theakston's Ol' Peculiar or many REAL ales (CAMRA) are examples of real beer made from real ingredients in the UK. Getting rarer, but they exist. I pretty much stick with real beer made locally, although many PNW ales are overhopped for the style.

 

[bdcardinal]

Newcastle is my go to beer. I prefer it from the tap, but don't mind bottles.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: Digital2k2
Anyone know of a domestic beer that's reasonably priced that doesn't have much of this stuff in it?
There are hundreds of craft breweries in the US. Of course it's not going to be as cheap as the stuff brewed in oil tanker sized fermenters out of the cheapest available materials. Life isn't fair.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: hatt
Originally Posted By: Digital2k2
Anyone know of a domestic beer that's reasonably priced that doesn't have much of this stuff in it?
There are hundreds of craft breweries in the US.


If Newcastle isn't served we have Firestone-Walker beer here. Yes, it is from the same family that used to own the tire company. Also back east I have had Yuengling (sp) and it was awesome, really liked it a lot.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Also back east I have had Yuengling (sp) and it was awesome, really liked it a lot.


They finally brought Yuengling to Ohio a few years ago. Same price as Miller Light, Bud Light etc. So about $5.99 a six pack. Very nice beer and real popular around here.

 

[Warstud]

Man I just bought some. Maybe I'll wait until it's gone before I read anymore.

 

[01rangerxl]

I wonder where AB's cheapo Natural brand falls in this. The labels claim "all-natural ingredients." The ingredients list consists of water, barley malt, cereal grains, hops, and yeast. The only suspect ingredient I see is "cereal grains," which I suppose could be GMO. Would be interesting if a cheap beer is truly "all-natural."

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: yeti
overkill -- if an antihistamine worked to keep you off the toilet, then your issue is allergy.either you developed a slight allergy to some chemical in the beer, or a new chemical has been introduced to which you have a slight allergy.
Costco sells a couple of pure antihistamines that are very cheap.


Yeah, but what am I allergic to? It isn't wheat, I can down Paulaner wheat beer and be just hunky-dory.

I simply decided to avoid the beers that I know cause it. Means I have to be less adventurous than before, but oh well.

 

[TrevorS]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Yeah, but what am I allergic to? It isn't wheat, I can down Paulaner wheat beer and be just hunky-dory.

I simply decided to avoid the beers that I know cause it. Means I have to be less adventurous than before, but oh well.


You can get very comprehensive allergy testing from an allergy specialist.

They will pri ck your back with dozens of different allergens and see which one react.

BUT, there is a difference between allergy and intolerance. The things I am food intolerant to showed no reaction in allergy testing.

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
I've had the original Newcastle Brown on tap in the UK years ago. It tastes nothing like the bottled brown water stuff here.

Stuff like Theakston's Ol' Peculiar or many REAL ales (CAMRA) are examples of real beer made from real ingredients in the UK. Getting rarer, but they exist. I pretty much stick with real beer made locally, although many PNW ales are overhopped for the style.


Mass market Beers are made to a price and made to be consistent, batch after batch, regardless of the season or where they are Brewed.
Don't be fooled if you think this is brought about by the loving care of a Brewmaster, It has MUCH more to do with the Marketing Dept, the Accountants and the Lab!
Hops alone will come from various places on the globe (NZ, Northern U.S. Germany) Be reduced to Ismerized Hop extract in a Lab, blended and sold to meet the requirements of YOUR favourite Brew.
If it is felt that 'enhancing the flavour' of a beer (perhaps with MSG) might yield an extra 1% market share, then This Buds for you!
Same goes for Malt, and if they can substitute Corn syrup and colouring to improve the bottom line, so be it, the average consumer just buys the name on the can.
CAMRA (Campaign for real Ale)has been VERY successful in the U.K. and contrary to what you say, 'Real Ale' is FAR more widely available there now, than it was in the Bad old Days of 40 years ago. Theakston is probably the #1 success story, but there are many, many more small breweries that might have 'Gone under' if the public (me included) had not been educated to learn Beer can be much more than Fizzy brown water.
The bloom of Micro Breweries this side of the pond is also very encouraging, although, I have to say, they too are market driven, and tend to give the public what the 'think' they want, or are bending over backwards just to be different.
As you mention, the trend here, lately, has been to 'over-hop'
"You want to taste Hops" "Well get a load of this"

Of course, choice is good. I just fear people will forget what a Good, Full flavoured beer can be.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: TrevorS
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Yeah, but what am I allergic to? It isn't wheat, I can down Paulaner wheat beer and be just hunky-dory.

I simply decided to avoid the beers that I know cause it. Means I have to be less adventurous than before, but oh well.


You can get very comprehensive allergy testing from an allergy specialist.

They will pri ck your back with dozens of different allergens and see which one react.

BUT, there is a difference between allergy and intolerance. The things I am food intolerant to showed no reaction in allergy testing.


Yes, my sisters went through that (they have some rather severe food allergies) and I'm not about to embark upon that uncomfortable journey of acupuncture to potentially get an answer about what I'm allergic to when I can just avoid it