please help, I can't digest my own beer

[gilamonster]

I need help. I am relatively new to hombrewing, I love it. However, I have problems digesting even a little bit of my beer. I get very severe diarea as a result of drinking even a half of a bottle. I suspect it COULD be the yeast from the kits I use. I use Nottingham brewing yeast (GMO and Gluten free), from Danstar. I have not tried "suspending" the yeast as the intructions indicate b/c the folks at the home brew shop I get it from say that this step is not necessary. I worry that I am actually allergic to yeast. Also of note, regular store-bought beer does not give me this problem. I know that these are pasturized products, and wonder further if this could be the reason my own unpasturized beer makes me sick. Any help/thoughts on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Badbrewer]

Do you tolerate store bought, bottle conditioned beer?

 

[Hermit]

Are you chilling your bottles for at least two days to make sure the yeast drop out and being very careful when you pour to make sure the yeast stay in the bottle?

 

[joety]

That doesn't sound like an allergic reaction but just that your digestive tract is not tolerant of yeast or something else in the beer. I have the same problem with fatty cuts of meat such as ribs and undercooked steaks. I only eat ribs if I am going to be home for a while.

 

[samc]

I would do a long (at least a week) crash cooling of your beer before bottling. A week at 32F will help drop out the yeast. It also takes a while for your body to adjust to drinking home brew and to some degree I think most people go through some intestinal changes during the process.

 

[Airborneguy]

It also takes a while for your body to adjust to drinking home brew and to some degree I think most people go through some intestinal changes during the process.

?

To the OP: you should see a doctor. IF you really want to find out what the problem is, that is the only way you will get a definitive answer.

 

[celts]

Are you sensitive to gluten?

 

[NewBrewB]

I had some problems drinking homebrew from bottles but now that I switched to kegging, it is much better.

I'm 99% sure the reason bottles gave me issues was that I was using 22oz bottles, which builds up some speed pouring down into a glass, and I never wanted to "waste it" so i'd usually end up with some yeast in my glass.

With kegging, all of the sediment and sludge goes to the bottom of the keg and with the dip tube, you pull beer from the bottom, so all of that junk is gone with the first glass (which you DON'T drink)

Good luck!

 

[dukeredhair]

I believe somewhere in papizan he talks about yeast being a stomachs worst enemy. I know if I get even a bit of yeast from the bottom of the bottle into my glass I hurt like the dickens all night.

 

[goose1873]

gelatin after cold crash and it will be crystal...if kegging

 

[motobrewer]

yeast is a laxative

maybe you're just overly sensitive to it. try filtering.

as asked before, are you sensitive to bottle conditioned store bought? ie sierra nevada?

 

[bam]

This may be kinda similar.. When I first started drinking homebrewed beer I would get gas very bad. From both ends and at times my stomach would get "tore up." However, my body/digestive system has grown accustomed to it and I rarely have any issues at all now.

 

[Skins_Brew]

When I first started brewing I was getting some SERIOUS rhino farts. Some of the foulest smelling air I have ever produced. After a few months though, I noticed my body was handling it better. Now, I hardly ever get the rhino farts. I have to drink A LOT of homebrew to get the rhino farts now. Maybe you just need to adapt.

 

[KayaBrew]

Did you think of asking a DOCTOR instead of a bunch of random people on the internet?

 

[bam]

I would hafta agree that it is a question for the family doc, but does make for interesting, if not somewhat grotesque, conversations

 

[phrogpilot73]

I got some pretty good gas and diarrhea when I first started homebrewing. Once I got used to more yeast in my diet, I was back to normal. God bless my wife for encouraging me to continue brewing during those dark, dark days...

 

[johnnyboy1965]

First of all...stop drinking beer.
See a doctor.
Your health is far more important thatn drinking beer

 

[chask31]

If the problem does happen to be the yeast, your solution may be to buy a filtration system.

 

[ArcaneXor]

I almost quit brewing after my 4th batch because the beer would irritate my GI tract so much. For me, it was just a matter of acclimation - now I don't have any issues with any type of beer I drink, even beer with lots of suspended yeast.

If you have the same type of sensitivity, taking steps to minimize yeast transfer (such as using finings, lagering, etc) might help ease the transition. In the meantime, enjoy your beer in small amounts with a half-pill of Immodium or so, but of course you may want to check with your doc to make sure it's not some more serious problem first.

 

[mightynintendo]

Just keep drinking. Your body will eventually give up and join you.

 

[Sigafoos]

Crash cooling and pouring slowly won't get all the yeast out. Unless you filter it, yeast will be there.

But yeah, go see a doctor instead of consulting Dr Jackass MD.

 

[hairy]

Yeast will never kill anyone. I am sure pple of ancient past all got used to yeasty beer. No reason why we can't in modern times.

If you are rrrrreally concerned, then go see the family doc but even medical experts in these cases may not truly give a convincing answer.

 

[Sigafoos]

People in ancient past also used to eat peanuts, but that doesn't mean some people aren't horribly allergic to them.

 

[rawlus]

i suspect it is not the yeast but the fiber associated with quality homebrew. a litre of beer will give you anywhere between 20-60% of your RDA of fiber. the yeast itself is not bad for you, brewer's yeast has been used as a nutritional supplement for decades. good source of chromium and b-complex vitamins.

 

[hairy]

It is seriously interesting to know that peanut allergy is really unheard of in many places. Seems like an isolated problem in North America and Europe.

But anyways, it is true that we can't rule out any allergy to the yeast but yeast is not just present in beer. There are other products that is also yeast containing. If there is no problem with those, then yeast allergy is a serious doubt.

 

[gilamonster]

Great, thanks to you all! I will try crash cooling next. If this does not work I'll switch to kegging. The problem for me with kegging is that I live in extreme rural New Mexico, and getting CO2 is not an easy task.

 

[gilamonster]

sounds good. I think I'll try to see an allergist just to be sure.
Is filtering that difficult to do? What kind of gear does this require?

 

[remilard]

Great, thanks to you all! I will try crash cooling next. If this does not work I'll switch to kegging. The problem for me with kegging is that I live in extreme rural New Mexico, and getting CO2 is not an easy task.

Get a 20lb tank, you must drive to a populated area at least a couple times a year right?

 

[sirsloop]

I think you're fine dude... its called beer sh!*s.

 

[mightynintendo]

I had a dream last night about getting a 20lb CO2 tank...