Joe Morris
Joe Morris is an established home brewer that has been brewing beer since 2007. He was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2017 and has since made the switch to brewing Gluten Free Beer. He is the founder of Zero Tolerance Gluten Free Homebrewing Club that meets regularly at Ground Breaker brewing. Check out their facebook group here for an updated meeting schedule.
How did you come to brew Gluten Free beer and how long have you been doing it for?
I have been brewing GF beer since Summer 2017. Before that, I had been a pretty serious homebrewer with traditional grains since about 2010.
When were you diagnosed with Celiac Disease and how long have you been Gluten Free?
I was diagnosed right around Mother’s Day 2017. I remember because my Mom was out to visit us for the first time in years and it sort of messed with her trip. It was a real gut punch for someone who enjoyed brewing beer every 2 weeks. I was constantly handling 50lb bags of grain. Brewing and tasting beer. It was a big part of my identity, honestly. I went through all the stages of grief over the diagnosis. But ultimately reached acceptance and, with my wife’s support, we converted to a GF kitchen and I remade myself as a GF homebrewer.
What has been the best part of being Gluten Free? What has been most challenging?
The absolute best part of being GF is the improvement I have felt in my health. I was constantly sick before my diagnosis. I was misdiagnosed as having ulcers when I was about 8 yrs old. It was almost certainly celiac damage they saw, but misunderstood with 1980s technology and understanding. For the next 32 years, I had perpetuated that damage unknowingly. It is a miracle I was even able to recover as well as I have.
The biggest challenge for me is the social isolation you feel having Celiac. Work socializing is still often centered on food and beer. Then the conversation always shifts to my disease, which can be uncomfortable. I would love to talk about *anything* else when I am first meeting people, but the conversation invariably shifts to my disease, why I can’t eat the food or drink the free beer (Imagine a guy who has spent as much time studying beer and brewing being asked “Oh, you don’t like beer?”) and can be a real mood-killer.
What has been the best part of brewing Gluten Free Beer? What has been the most challenging part of brewing Gluten Free Beer?
I consider being able to brew, and to brew all-grain beer again (now using millet, rice and buckwheat) to be a real blessing. The process is significantly more challenging that barley, wheat and rye. Honestly, I had reached a point of stagnation in my old brewing life. I was running out of new things to try and this challenge has really made brewing fun and interesting again.
What are some of your favorite Gluten Free Breweries? Or specific Brews?
I have been very fortunate to have had beer from nearly every dedicated GF brewery in North America in a very short time because of the club I founded. We recently had a party that featured over 70 different GF beers from 11 breweries and 6 homebrewers. I honestly didn’t expect the party to have that much selection, but it was important for me to try to get as many beers represented as possible to give hope to GF beer drinkers.
I love beers from all over the country: Holidaily in Colorado, Aurochs in Pittsburgh, Ghostfish in Seattle and our club’s host Groundbreaker. Our four locals Ground Breaker, Evasion, Bierly and Moonshrimp make us unique in Portland. There aren’t that many GF breweries in any other part of the country. We are very fortunate.
What is some advice you would give to people who are interested in homebrewing Gluten Free?
Come to a meeting! Zero Tolerance was founded with the specific goal of growing more gluten free brewers. There are people with a wide degree of brewing experience. We have former and current commercial brewers, first timers, and people in between. There is always free homebrew to sample, as well as commercial beer unavailable in our market. Our meetings are webconferenced on Zoom as well, if attending in person is not possible or intimidating. The entire point of the club is to help people become better GF brewers and give them the opportunity to taste other GF beers while asking questions and discussing GF beer and brewing.
What is one thing you wished people knew about Celiacs and Celiac Disease?
Nobody asks for this. It’s an inconvenient and socially-isolating disease that really just gets forced upon you one day. We can often be treated as an inconvenience to others when social planning happens, and I just wish that people could understand what that inconvenience can feel like on a daily basis.
How long has the Gluten Free Homebrewing Club been meeting? How can people join the club?
We have been meeting at Ground Breaker since January 2018. All you have to do to “join” is self-identify. There are no dues. We also have a facebook page at where a lot of great information is shared.
Congratulations on your award winning, Red Ale. How long will it be available and where can people buy it?
Thanks! Winning the First Annual PNW Gluten-Free Homebrew Competition was awesome. Brewing Dad’s Red Ale with Ground Breaker was a great experience.The beer is a pretty limited run of 12oz cans and is available at the Ground Breaker Gastropub and some select retailers. They should have a distribution list available if you reach out. Raise a glass to my late stepmother (to whom the beer is dedicated) with a toast of “love and light.”