High Gravity Beer= Headache

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purphumpbackedwhale

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I brewed a winter warmer mid october see recipe below. The beer is still relatively young for a higher gravity beer but before I bottled this past Sunday the 25th of November the beer was overly sweet and almost instantly gave me a headache. I don't know if anyone can relate to this taste? I used a 2 liter yeast starter of wyeast london ale and fermented at 65-67 F.

19.5# Pale ale
.75# Carmel 80
.25# Black Malt
1 oz Horizon @ 90

½ Tsp. Cinnamon @ 5
1/8 Tsp. Ginger @ 5
1/8 Tsp. Nutmeg @ 5
1/8 Tsp. Allspice @ 5

wyeast 1028

OG: 1.090
FG: 1.021

Can anyone give me any suggestions of something I may have done wrong to achieve this taste?
 
How long was it in primary for? What was the fermentation temperature for the first few days (well, all of it)?
 
A lot of grain and spice without corresponding hop balance, maybe?
 
Instant headaches are fusels in my experience. You most likely underpitched and stressed the yeast. If you used a stir plate for your starter you needed 3 liters. If you didn't use a stir plate and made just a simple "sit there" starter then you needed 8 liters.

Also, if you're not controlling your fermentation temps you could have gotten into the high 70's with room temps in the high 60's.

If it smells like solvent and burns your throat and sinuses and gives you an instant headache it is fusels and you are pretty much screwed. Depending how bad they are they may age out so that you can drink it, but I'm guessing that since it's giving you a headache instantly you're not going to want to be drinking too much of it.
 
chumpsteak said:
Instant headaches are fusels in my experience. You most likely underpitched and stressed the yeast. If you used a stir plate for your starter you needed 3 liters. If you didn't use a stir plate and made just a simple "sit there" starter then you needed 8 liters.

Also, if you're not controlling your fermentation temps you could have gotten into the high 70's with room temps in the high 60's.

If it smells like solvent and burns your throat and sinuses and gives you an instant headache it is fusels and you are pretty much screwed. Depending how bad they are they may age out so that you can drink it, but I'm guessing that since it's giving you a headache instantly you're not going to want to be drinking too much of it.
Click to expand...

FWIW I used two smack packs for the starter and shaked about once an hour for 36 hours. But I think you're onto something as far as fusels. It doesn't burn my throat and sinuses but it definitely gives me a headache almost instantly.
 
I've found certain beers give me a headache. But I've narrowed it down, I think it's the 12th.
 
purphumpbackedwhale said:
FWIW I used two smack packs for the starter and shaked about once an hour for 36 hours. But I think you're onto something as far as fusels. It doesn't burn my throat and sinuses but it definitely gives me a headache almost instantly.
Click to expand...

Did you control ferm temps or just stick it in a high 60s room? My first 2 all grain batches got fusels from fermenting in a 70 degree room and slightly under pitching.
 
chumpsteak said:
Did you control ferm temps or just stick it in a high 60s room? My first 2 all grain batches got fusels from fermenting in a 70 degree room and slightly under pitching.
Click to expand...

Yes just ambient room temp which was 65-67 so you are probably right. What did you do with those two batches? were they drinkable?
 
purphumpbackedwhale said:
Yes just ambient room temp which was 65-67 so you are probably right. What did you do with those two batches? were they drinkable?
Click to expand...

Been sitting in bottles in my garage for a year and a half now. Will let you know when they become drinkable.

Fusel levels can vary though so try yours again in a couple weeks and see if they are better. If not live and learn. Those bad batches are what prompted me to build a fermentation chamber and I haven't had a bad batch in the last 300 gallons.
 

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