Homebrew hangovers

[BansheeRider]

Since I started drinking homebrew a year ago I've noticed the hangovers are much worse vs drinking commercial beer. The tradeoff is worth drinking great beer however. Anybody else have the same experience?

 

[beerkench]

Is it not that you drink more now you have your own?

 

[BansheeRider]

Is it not that you drink more now you have your own?

Possibly that and the fact I'm getting older

 

[coolharry]

Its the opposite for me. I get less hangover off my own brews, but I also swirl up the dredges and drink them after I pour to get those sweet hangover preventing b vitamins.

 

[Wings13]

Its the opposite for me. I get less hangover off my own brews, but I also swirl up the dredges and drink them after I pour to get those sweet hangover preventing b vitamins.

It's the same for me, I have noticed my hangovers are not as bad when over indulging on home brew vs commercial.

 

[beerkench]

Possibly that and the fact I'm getting older

Maybe you're brewing bigger beers too?

 

[Xpertskir]

If you are not having a clean fermentation and getting by products like fusel alcohols, you should expect a worse hangover.

 

[ny101]

If you are drinking enough water, and still getting headaches, you are probably just consuming way to much alcohol.

 

[BrewCrewKevin]

I agree with Xpert. If you get fusel alcohols and different fermentation by-products, you may have a worse hangover.

If you have a pretty clean fermentation, however, it should be the opposite. Like some have said on here, brewers yeast has quite a bit of Vitamin B12 (i think?). Typically, that coupled with dehydration = hangover. So yeast should help. In commercial brews, it's cold filtered out.

 

[Upthewazzu]

Hangovers weren't my problem, it was the nuclear gas. However, my body seems to have adapted, to the delight of my wife and friends

 

[BansheeRider]

If you are not having a clean fermentation and getting by products like fusel alcohols, you should expect a worse hangover.

I agree with Xpert. If you get fusel alcohols and different fermentation by-products, you may have a worse hangover.

If you have a pretty clean fermentation, however, it should be the opposite. Like some have said on here, brewers yeast has quite a bit of Vitamin B12 (i think?). Typically, that coupled with dehydration = hangover. So yeast should help. In commercial brews, it's cold filtered out.

I have clean fermentations all the way

 

[krackin]

Some hops seem to be horrendous the next day and I' not talking about the head.

 

[BrewCrewKevin]

Interesting...

I don't get hangovers from beer. Combination of being young (26) and from Wisconsin (drink Wisconsinbly), I've got a solid tolerance. I'm only hung-over if I get a running start with some Whiskey.

I think I'm actually the opposite. Bud/Miller give me headaches now... Craft and homebrew is my preferance. I think I drink more responsibly because I get full before I get drunk.

 

[krackin]

If you don't get hangovers from beer then you are running with the wrong crew. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sayin' you can't mend your ways....

 

[Piratwolf]

I don't get headaches from drinking a lot my beers or most craft beers, but I do get poor sleep and my brain doesn't work very well for a few hours when I get up.

 

[BorealBrewer]

Fusels have been mentioned, what about acetaldehyde? Is their any green apple taste/aroma in what you're drinking and then getting the hangover from?

A friend of mine gets pretty ill from beer with any noticeable acetaldehyde profile.

Just a thought. Personally, if I drink smart, homebrew and commercial beer have about the same impact. Same with homebrew wine and commercial wine...come morning, too much red makes me want to be dead...DIY or if I buy...

 

[coolharry]

Interesting...

I don't get hangovers from beer. Combination of being young (26) and from Wisconsin (drink Wisconsinbly), I've got a solid tolerance. I'm only hung-over if I get a running start with some Whiskey.

I think I'm actually the opposite. Bud/Miller give me headaches now... Craft and homebrew is my preferance. I think I drink more responsibly because I get full before I get drunk.

Spotted cow all of a sudden started giving me hangover headaches after drinking a few the night before. I'm assuming its because of the corn, but I have no idea.

Off topic but my wife got me a "Drink wisconsinibly" sweatshirt for Christmas. Packer colors even!

 

[timrox1212]

For me I've noticed that I don't get hangovers as easily or they aren't as bad but when I do get a hangover it ends up being a horrible all day hangover

 

[shepardshollowbrewing]

The major reason I enjoy craft brew and home fees is because of the lessening of the hangover. I went 10 years getting horrible hangovers from just a few drinks, strangely if I had 12 or more I was fine, but now craft and Homebrew have brought me back to enjoying beer during the week.

 

[gwapogorilla]

I don't get hangovers from my home brew. I thought it was just me, but my buddy has sworn off commercial beers and now only drinks mine...just for that reason.

 

[clarksc4]

Homebrew gas is about the worst I get if I have gone a few months without one. Copious, but only mildly nose watering....except to my pregnant wife who now has the nose of a bloodhound. For her they are now close to vomit worthy

 

[zardozap]

Homebrew gas is about the worst I get if I have gone a few months without one. Copious, but only mildly nose watering....except to my pregnant wife who now has the nose of a bloodhound. For her they are now close to vomit worthy

Best lay off the Dutch Oven gag then, if possible.

 

[BrewCrewKevin]

Spotted cow all of a sudden started giving me hangover headaches after drinking a few the night before. I'm assuming its because of the corn, but I have no idea.

Off topic but my wife got me a "Drink wisconsinibly" sweatshirt for Christmas. Packer colors even!

Awesome! I've seen them around. I love that quote.

I'm actually brewing a cream ale modeled after Spotted Cow this weekend! It's modeled after it, but I tweaked a few things.

...I don't know. Could be the corn I guess. But Miller Lite also has corn. Does that give you headaches too?

Good to see another Appleton guy! Are you part of the ALE club or anything?

 

[BrasseurGeorges]

Most of the homebrewers I know have poor (or no) temp control, throw fusels, and poison themselves and their friends.

 

[Jayhem]

I've only had a hangover from homebrews once or twice and I drink homebrew at least 5 nights a week. I usually feel fine if I drink a lot of beer in the afternoon but stop drinking beer at least 2 hours before bed and drink water. Otherwise I just have to go easy on it if I'm going to crash after the last beer.

 

[Setesh]

My homebrew would give me headaches when I didn't temp control the fermentation and fusels were developed. I haven't had any problems since I got my mini fridges to ferment in.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

That's all fussels, you're fermenting too hot.

 

[fmr_army]

I only get hangovers based on volume.

As an aside, since I started kegging, I have noticed that each batch doesn't last as long. That visible reminder of having bottles lined up drying after rinse served as a pretty good prompt as to how many I'd had. Now that I just top off once or twice, it seems that I might be losing track.

 

[masonsjax]

I sometimes get a headache after having a couple of craft brews at local pubs, never got a headache from my own homebrew though.

 

[gwapogorilla]

Drink the yeast, it helps.

 

[Setesh]

Could you get your beer to a BJCP judge? They might be able to detect the compound in your beer giving you the problem

 

[masonsjax]

Drink the yeast, it helps.

Yeah, if you like diarrhea it helps a lot! :cross:

 

[Black]

I don't get horrible headaches/hangovers from homebrew, or any beer. However, overindulgence with red wine makes me lose the next day.

As for the gas thing.. never experienced that. I too find that if I stop drinking for at least 1 hour and drink a lot of water before going to bed, I usually wake up the next morning feeling OK.

And yes.. I drink too much. I'm Canadian.

 

[BansheeRider]

Could you get your beer to a BJCP judge? They might be able to detect the compound in your beer giving you the problem

I know it has nothing to do with off flavors or hot alcohol. My fermentation temps are always spot on. Maybe I should drink more water in between. Also it's been a while since I've had commercial beer, so maybe I should do another comparison.

 

[benco]

Whell I have a christmas ale that's giving me a headache! It's all grain biab. I have a fermentation chamber, fermented at about 65. I don't remember screwing anything up. I did ferment about 6 gallons, a little more than usual, may not have been a clean fermentation. It taste good. The first time I got a headache I thought I drank to much. Had some last night and had the worse headache ever this morning. It took 3 hours to get over it. Can over attenuating cause it? Any advise appreciated!

 

[BansheeRider]

Whell I have a christmas ale that's giving me a headache! It's all grain biab. I have a fermentation chamber, fermented at about 65. I don't remember screwing anything up. I did ferment about 6 gallons, a little more than usual, may not have been a clean fermentation. It taste good. The first time I got a headache I thought I drank to much. Had some last night and had the worse headache ever this morning. It took 3 hours to get over it. Can over attenuating cause it? Any advise appreciated!

What was your FG and mash temps?

 

[benco]

Og was 1.068, fg was 1.010 and I think my mash was around 153.

 

[BansheeRider]

Og was 1.068, fg was 1.010 and I think my mash was around 153.

That's only 85% attenuation, which is normal IMO. Maybe you drank too much

 

[benco]

Possibly! Thanks!

 

[Zamial]

I know it has nothing to do with off flavors or hot alcohol. My fermentation temps are always spot on.

Temp is not the only way fusels/high alcohols are developed, underpitching, bad water chemistry, using an adjunct or mutated yeast can also do the same. I am also highly sensitive to fusel/high alcohols and will get a headache nearly instantly even in nearly undetectable amounts.

This still does not cover if you can taste every off flavor and it's precursors correctly. I would join a HBC and take em a 6er to sample and/or enter some into a BJCP comp.