Type 1 Diabetes and Beer

[GlassForest]

Hey there HBT community! I haven't posted in a while, but I was starting to do some research on gluten free brewing for my brother whom just got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

I was thinking that gluten free beer would be a good step towards making low-carb beer. But Im realizing its not the gluten thats making him cut back on the drinking, its well, all the sugar.

Obviously besides making a lower alcohol beer which would be by its very nature having less sugar (less-carbs). Is there a DME/LME with low sugar content somewhere online? Should I be planning a low alcohol sogruhm beer? Just curious if there is a good resource for low sugar brewing. Or if anybody is in a similar situation as I, and still wants to be able to produce beer for the family.

I am going to post this in the ingredients forum as well. Thanks for any input, Cheers!

 

[Cyclman]

It’s more than the sugar: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/alcohol-and-blood-sugar.html

 

[Legume]

So i am lucky enough to be both a celiac and a type 1 diabetic.
There is quite a bit of variation across beer styles with regards to how they affect my blood sugar.
I try to make dryer (lower final gravity) beers, both because i prefer them; and because they have fewer carbs and result in less of a blood sugar spike.

Most of my beers are in the 6 to 7% ABV range, and have a FG of 1.010 to 1.012, I tend to require 1 to 2 units of insulin to balance the carbohydrates from a glass of beer like this (but every one is diffrent).

The most diabetic friendly beers i have made are saisons using either 3711 or Belle Saison yeast (they are very similar). This yeast can eat some short dextrins that many other yeast can not, resulting in a very dry (low carbohydrate) beer. My beers made with this yeast often finish between 1.001 and 1.004, and dont have a dramatic effect on my blood sugar.

If i were to brew the ultemate diabetic friendly brew, i would make a lowish ABV Saison with Belle Saison yeast. Be carefull to go light on the IBUs, those super dry beers cant handle much bitterness.