What are hops used in beer and are they gluten free?
Well, I’m not sure if I’m reading the question right or not, but here we go: I think you’re asking “What is the reason that hops are used in beer”. The short answer is: bitterness and aroma. I also believe that hops are naturally gluten-free, but don’t quote me on that – there are so many varieties of hops that even if I knew for sure that some were, I couldn’t speak for all of them. The bitterness of hops is used to offset the malty characteristics of the grain used in the brewing process. Bittering hops are added early in the boil of the wort (pronounced wert, like squirt), where they release some flavorful acids into the sweet and malty beer. Aromatic hops are typically added near or at the end of the boil, and tend to collect in the beer’s “head” or foam on top when you pour it into a glass. The grain used in brewing is NOT gluten-free! I believe a lot of gluten-free beers are made with corn, rice, sorghum, etc. Cheers!
