Just out of curiosity are there any factors that could throw a hydrometer reading where what you read is not indicative of the true ABV% in a beer? The reason I ask is that my first beer, according to OG/FG should have an ABV of 8.57% alcohol. However, after drinking it almost everyone has noticed that the inebriating effect of a simple 12 oz glass is like drinking a double whiskey and Coke. The flavor is not overly alcoholic in nature, in fact it has a very sweet, malty character, but the warmth it produces in the belly reminds one of a very strong drink.
Having drank a multitude of different beers and having a good idea of what one beer's effect would be at a certain ABV I would say that the beer feels more like %10-11 ABV. Is there any chance something is "fooling" the hydrometer? Or could the ABV have changed that dramatically after bottling (the FG reading)? I would think if the ABV had changed that much in the bottle I would have gotten bottle bombs or gushers. Neither of those things have occurred.
Having drank a multitude of different beers and having a good idea of what one beer's effect would be at a certain ABV I would say that the beer feels more like %10-11 ABV. Is there any chance something is "fooling" the hydrometer? Or could the ABV have changed that dramatically after bottling (the FG reading)? I would think if the ABV had changed that much in the bottle I would have gotten bottle bombs or gushers. Neither of those things have occurred.