Diabetic: Home Brewing Considerations?

[Ditch]

My mate's diabetic, see. I'm encouraging him to start HB ~ largely so we can then compare 'notes' ~ only he mentioned, the other day, his condition.

I really know precious little about diabetics. I know it has something to do with sugar. He asked me about the sugar in the beers and I could only ..... well, flounder, quite frankly. I burbled encouragingly about sucrose, fructose and spray malt. But then I said I'd come and ask you guys.

Now, this man likes a pint or three and it does him no harm. I can't personally see why HB would be any different. Just said I'd check; So I am.

Anyone?

Thanks

[maxashton]

Diabetes is a dysfunction of the body's ability to produce insulin, which regulates blood sugar.

The sugar you're adding to the beer isn't what's going to affect it, per se. Alcohol is something medical professionals generally recommend diabetics avoid or only consume in moderation, depending on the type of diabetes.

Alcohol is metabolised in the liver into carbohydrates, which are where the problem is. Carbohydrates, to simplify things, are a category of energy giving compounds to which sugar is a member.

Drinking homebrewed beer shouldn't be any different to drinking commercial beer, but you have to bear in mind you don't have a label on the back saying, "233 calories per pint" or whatnot. At best, you could only take a very rough estimate.

Not sure anyone on here is qualified to give medical advice on diabetes, but I'd urge your friend to drink only in moderation considering his condition.

Doom and Gloom

Max

[Jaoqua]

I am definitely not qualified to comment, but it occurs to me that a beer that failed to reach intended FG or a beer with a large number of unfermentables would be relatively high in sugar. Since blood sugar regulation is the issue here then such beers could be a problem.

Maybe these people would be worth talking to: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/.

[likesbeer]

Just thought I would chip in another comment from an un-qualified.
A friend of mine is diabetic as well, he needs some sort of injection but I have no idea what type or how bad.
However, good news is he does home brews in fact he recomended the brewers choice range to me.
So it might be OK.
But I know what my nuresey wifey would say, he should speak with someone who does know what they are on about.

[Jim]

This is not a recommendation for anyone else, but my brother in law is diabetic and drinks my home brew (though he doesn't drink excessively).

Your friend should ask his doctor what it's safe for him to drink - and properly made homebrew is just the same as an equivalent strength commercial beer (only better ).

[Ditch]

Cheers for the input, guys

So, I guess it really amounts to my man here - being the one with the condition and being probably later thirties - would probably know his own tolerances better than any of us. He's certainly capable of drinking beer (although he recently mentioned " Miller Lite "; I'm not at all convinced That qualifies as 'Beer'! )

I really just wanted to double check that our sort of stuff should hold no new surprises for him. He can judge the rest on the basis of 'not really' then

I'll just be sure to instruct him that his brews really would be best Fully Fermented out.

So; NO Cuntons kits for him then!

[brewzone]

Alcohol is also a carbohydrate!

If for instance two ounces of sugar go into each pint then You

are consuming all two ounces each and every pint.

Eight pints and You've consumed 1 pound in weight of sugar.

The strange thing is though that alcohol tends to lower blood sugar and

can lead to coma if using insulin as it lowers the blood sugar more

than the diabetic person realises.


We don't want your mate not waking up one morning after a binge!

I'd say the same to any of My own mates with diabetes.

[maxashton]

The general medical consensus is that having a pint or two is fine, but getting drunk is not. This is medically drunk, not pissed to your own tolerances.

A couple of pints, or a glass of wine, no probs.

After that, you're getting into dangerous territory, and at risk of the aforementioned coma.

[Dill]

Seems like the manufactuers of home brew kits cater for everybody these days

Click Here

I know it states DIAMALT WHO PRODUCED THE JOHN BULL RANGE HAVE CLOSED THEREFORE THIS PRODUCT IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE but i'd give them a ring to see if they have got any left. If not there still may be some stockists who have some left over. I know there are plenty of shops still got the normal John Bull kits on the shelf.

[simon]

Hi Ditch, i worked at Vina/Diamalt for 22yrs and we did produce a diabetic beer kit, i now work at ritchies, we purchased the remainder of the Diamalt stock there is some Diabetic lager but no bitter, if your friend fancy trying a lager drop me his address and i will get one sent to him.

[Ditch]

Jesus wept! That's an uncommonly decent gesture, Simon! Only, whether he'd like it or not, I feel I'd better do the proper thing and graciously decline

See; We're in Eire. And the cost of getting anything, let alone anything weighing like a beer kit, into this country is just stupid. Up north? Royal Mail standard parcel rates. Cross into An Post territory? They skin ye alive on shipping! Postage would likely be about the same as the kit. Just not economically viable.

I'll tell him of ye kindness though ~ and he'll understand.

Thanks.