Body rejecting beer!!! Leaning towards low ABV (session) beers

[SouthBay]

Yeah seriously. I am liking the smaller session beers, because, as any self respecting alcoholic will attest, only having one beer a night is super lame.

 

[flyingfinbar]

Wow. This thread morphed from "I'm starting to brew lighter beers" to "how much do you drink?" to "you drink too much!" and the final reduction "binge drinking is bad". And now 30 is the new 70?

I am nearly 50 and do half-marathons and cross train. And I drink copious amounts of beer. Drink what you can handle. If you have more than a couple, drink a good amount of water. Eat right, exercise, take yer vitamins, make good homebrew, and drink it.

What great news for all the 30 somethings! Your life is not yet quite over! Let's celebrate by having one beer and then going to bed early.

Yeah, I don't really know where the surprise that people on a beer brewing forum occasionally drink more than a beer a night came from.

 

[barneygumble]

I'm 33 and I think 30+ is over the hill physically. I didn't feel aches and pains in my 20's. I could do anything without stretching and rarely pulled a muscle. Now I have to be super careful and warm up before any sports or strenuous activity to avoid hurting myself. It's sadly the truth fellas.

Medically speaking human beings reach their physical peak between 18 and the lower 20's. Why are there so few pro athletes over 30? Because yes, we really do start to go downhill when approaching 30. How many guys who were trim and fit in highschool/college are now overweight and out of shape at 30 something? I'd say at least 75%.

We can make a lot of mistakes in college and not pay for it physically but as we age we need to learn to take care of ourselves if we want to stay healthy. Binge drinking is not healthy.

ROFL!!!

Over 30 is over the hill? I was in the best shape of my life between the ages of 35 and 40. At 40, I caught a cold and it attacked my heart. That set me back a bit, but got back into good shape anyway. In my mid 40's I tore a rotator cuff and meniscus and that put the kabosh on things. No more weights and I gained weight. Its been a struggle since, but I eat right, exercise and medically I am in great shape except for the ticker. Like some said tho, everything hurts now, especially in the morning. Some days I cant put weight on my feet for a few mins cuz of the knee or the hip, or ankle or arches. All have been victims of overuse/abuse injuries through the years.

As far as alcohol, I just started having problems and becoming intolerant these last 4 years. I think its related to how high I was keeping my motabolism and the lower level now. Age, in my 50's, btw, is finally catching up to me. Now its two, maybe three pints once a week and I am done. That third pint is pushing it too. Some days I wake and feel like hell after 3. I will have A beer pulled from my tap between brew pub nites. One is very enjoyable without any repercussions.

So if you are under the age of 45 and you are suffering from low alcohol tolerance, how much exercise are you getting? When I was in my thirties, I ran 3 miles 7 days a week and lifted weights for an hour 6 days a week. I ate clean, no refined starches or sugars besides beer, and drank a ton of water.

My guess is most younger people who suffer like this are sedentary, eat lousy fast food, fried, lots of dairy, and dont flush their bodies. You might still be younger but you are not kids is all. No free rides on the metabolism train. Your livers and kidneys are getting overworked.

 

[flyingfinbar]

ROFL!!!

Over 30 is over the hill? I was in the best shape of my life between the ages of 35 and 40. At 40, I caught a cold and it attacked my heart. That set me back a bit, but got back into good shape anyway. In my mid 40's I tore a rotator cuff and meniscus and that put the kabosh on things. No more weights and I gained weight. Its been a struggle since, but I eat right, exercise and medically I am in great shape except for the ticker. Like some said tho, everything hurts now, especially in the morning. Some days I cant put weight on my feet for a few mins cuz of the knee or the hip, or ankle or arches. All have been victims of overuse/abuse injuries through the years.

As far as alcohol, I just started having problems and becoming intolerant these last 4 years. I think its related to how high I was keeping my motabolism and the lower level now. Age, in my 50's, btw, is finally catching up to me. Now its two, maybe three pints once a week and I am done. That third pint is pushing it too. Some days I wake and feel like hell after 3. I will have A beer pulled from my tap between brew pub nites. One is very enjoyable without any repercussions.

So if you are under the age of 45 and you are suffering from low alcohol tolerance, how much exercise are you getting? When I was in my thirties, I ran 3 miles 7 days a week and lifted weights for an hour 6 days a week. I ate clean, no refined starches or sugars besides beer, and drank a ton of water.

My guess is most younger people who suffer like this are sedentary, eat lousy fast food, fried, lots of dairy, and dont flush their bodies. You might still be younger but you are not kids is all. No free rides on the metabolism train. Your livers and kidneys are getting overworked.

I'm actually in really good shape, too! I teach and train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and box/Thai box on the side. I thought maybe that was leading to my decreased alcohol capacity, like I was already beating myself up enough, and a little over indulgence put me over the edge. Who knows?

 

[RiffMagnum]

Yeah, I don't really know where the surprise that people on a beer brewing forum occasionally drink more than a beer a night came from.

No doubt. I'm starting to feel like an alcoholic because i never just drink one beer "with dinner."
Anyways, i think the OP already knows the answer to his own question. What was the question again?

 

[RootDownBrewing]

The point I was originally trying to make is that I once (5-10 years ago) could consume as many as 12 light beers in an evening and then wake up and play football followed up with some basketball the next day. Now at 30 I can consume as little as 3 micro brews in an evening, drink a glass of water before bed and wake up with a splitting headache that can't be cured.

I'm finding it hard to brew beer when I want to consume the beers I brew only to end up regretting the beers I drink. It's become a vicious cycle that is drawing me towards changing the strength of the beers I brew and/or my habits all together.

30 is not old for the record! Although it was the toughest age to turn for me to date.

 

[flyingfinbar]

The point I was originally trying to make is that I once (5-10 years ago) could consume as many as 12 light beers in an evening and then wake up and play football followed up with some basketball the next day. Now at 30 I can consume as little as 3 micro brews in an evening, drink a glass of water before bed and wake up with a splitting headache that can't be cured.

I'm finding it hard to brew beer when I want to consume the beers I brew only to end up regretting the beers I drink. It's become a vicious cycle that is drawing me towards changing the strength of the beers I brew and/or my habits all together.

30 is not old for the record! Although it was the toughest age to turn for me to date.

I hear ya, bro! My issue is that, while I seem to be less able to physically tolerate the big beers, my palate has changed so that I do tend to enjoy them more...weird. You'd think I'd get the hint after a few too many nights spent with big triples and IIPA's, right?

 

[Mongoose40]

I'm only 23 (I promise that's not meant to sound like bragging), so I tend to only get hangovers if I put away a case - BUT I do have an absolute miracle suggestion.

The night before you go to sleep, drink pedia-lyte. The bottle is conveniently ribbed on the outside, and I tend to portion off the distance between two of the ribs. I've hit the whiskey bottle real hard and then drank pedia-lyte, and I have felt great in the morning. Couple it with a big ol' glass of water, and it should definitely cut back on the headaches, even if it doesn't cure them.

 

[flyingfinbar]

i never heard of pedialyte, is it sold at most supermarkets?

It's basically sweet electrolyte fluid. It's meant for babies when they have the ****s so they don't get severely dehydrated. Tastes delicious, and perfect for when you're banged up!

Look for it in the babies section.

 

[barneygumble]

Gatorade and vitamin waters work well too. Also good if you wake up not in the best of shape. Restores Vitamin C and electrolytes your body became deficient in.

 

[spearko520]

we give our kids coconut water for the trots- it works great. i drink it a lot when i am hung over, which is when i'm not drunk. i haven't had a solid bowel movement since my sophomore year in hs

 

[erockomania]

The older I get the more I have to work water in during the evening. I drink an 8oz glass about every two beers and 20-30oz right before bed. The water intake is key. If I feel a little bit of a headache in the morning I will take a couple of ibuprofen with 8oz of water. Never fails. I never get bad headaches anymore and I'm 40 and drink 8% IPAs most of the time. I got worse headaches in my late 20s! Then i realized that most of the time I would get headaches because of low water intake vs high alcohol intake.

 

[bscott1011]

I'm only 33 and definitely do not feel over the hill but I have realized that I can't hang like I did ten years ago. I am also drinking smaller amounts of much better beer now than I was in my heavy party days. I'm glad to have learned that quality trumps quantity. Hangovers hurt way more than they used to but I don't go out pounding shots and pitchers of cheap beer anymore (very often) so it isn't much of a concern. +1 for drinking water and eating well while enjoying one or two big beers.

 

[Krazykripple]

from around age 18-22 I could drink until i just about blacked out and be fine the next day. I went out with friends one night when i was 22 and i was hung over for 3 days. since then i only have 3-4 beers a night max

 

[befus]

Guess I'll take the heat on this one, but it's what I'm thinking. Why do you boys that say you drink three beers a week even bother with homebrew? Three a week? It would take you 16 weeks to drink a 5 gallon batch! To tie up the $$ and time, and storage space, to brew once every four months just doesn't compute for me. What with all the really decent craft brews available these days why don't you just buy a case once every blue moon and party down? No offense intended, and to each his own, but it really just seems to me not to be worth the effort if you drink so infrequently.

 

[stat]

I'm 25 and I usually feel fine the next day unless I really over do it and skip eating or something. But if I sober up while I'm still awake I get the worst headache. If I catch a good buzz while brewing or something but then stop before I get too stupid I'm guaranteed a headache in a couple hours. I think I read somewhere that it was the blood vessels in my head re constricting to normal.

 

[DrummerBoySeth]

Guess I'll take the heat on this one, but it's what I'm thinking. Why do you boys that say you drink three beers a week even bother with homebrew? Three a week? It would take you 16 weeks to drink a 5 gallon batch! To tie up the $$ and time, and storage space, to brew once every four months just doesn't compute for me. What with all the really decent craft brews available these days why don't you just buy a case once every blue moon and party down? No offense intended, and to each his own, but it really just seem to me to be worth the effort if you drink so infrequently.

I am one of those 3 beers a week guys. The reason I homebrew is two-fold. When I do drink beer, I want to drink really good beer. But the MAIN reason I homebrew is the brewing and recipe-crafting process. It is a lot like gourmet cooking. Many people love to cook gourmet meals. Part of it is the love of good food, part of it is the theraputic effect of time spent crafting something you can truly be proud of. I relate homebrewing to cooking. My personal quest is to make the best possible beer I can. Maybe someday I will open a small brewery if I get good enough. For me the therapy is in the brewing. Having a really great beer every now and then is just the icing on the cake, so to speak.

 

[befus]

I am one of those 3 beers a week guys. The reason I homebrew is two-fold. When I do drink beer, I want to drink really good beer. But the MAIN reason I homebrew is the brewing and recipe-crafting process. It is a lot like gourmet cooking. Many people love to cook gourmet meals. Part of it is the love of good food, part of it is the theraputic effect of time spent crafting something you can truly be proud of. I relate homebrewing to cooking. My personal quest is to make the best possible beer I can. Maybe someday I will open a small brewery if I get good enough. For me the therapy is in the brewing. Having a really great beer every now and then is just the icing on the cake, so to speak.

Makes sense I suppose. I think I might do smaller batches just so I got the feedback on a more frequent basis, but who can argue with doing something which pleases you? Prost.

 

[Piratwolf]

Makes sense I suppose. I think I might do smaller batches just so I got the feedback on a more frequent basis, but who can argue with doing something which pleases you? Prost.

I drink more like 5/work week then between 5 and 10 on weekends. And I brew more like 3 times a month, often with double batches. I really enjoy the whole process, from planning to brewing to refining and sharing.

However, like you suggested, I have switched to 3gal batches (2.5gal yield) and I also give away a lot of my beer to friends. It makes sense to me

 

[bscott1011]

+1 for therapeutic brewing. I average 6 to 10 beers a week and my dad usually has one or two when he stops by on the weekend. I usually brew two 2.25 gallon batches a month, production is about equal to consumption. To me the process of brewing is great therapy and I get beer when I'm done

 

[Nateo]

Why spend the time/money/effort on any hobby? They're invariably a time/money suck you'll never get back. There is no "cost-benefit analysis" going on in my head when I'm thinking of making a beer.

 

[Calichusetts]

Guess I'll take the heat on this one, but it's what I'm thinking. Why do you boys that say you drink three beers a week even bother with homebrew? Three a week? It would take you 16 weeks to drink a 5 gallon batch! To tie up the $$ and time, and storage space, to brew once every four months just doesn't compute for me. What with all the really decent craft brews available these days why don't you just buy a case once every blue moon and party down? No offense intended, and to each his own, but it really just seems to me not to be worth the effort if you drink so infrequently.

Classic 5-gallon mentality. I do 1 gallon brews and love it. I drink, maybe not like most posters on here but I also enjoy "researching" my next brew by picking up a 6-pack or a couple bombers each week. Right now I have 5 16ozers of my brew in the fridge...2 batches (12-pack) just finished carbing, 2 more batches are dryhopping, and 1 batch is just finishing fermenting. Thats 6 different brews I get to do and unlike a 5 galloner who only has one style. I get it, more beer for the same time of work...its a valid point. But some of us enjoy the smaller brews and experimenting. Just remember that 5 gallon is not the smallest size you have to brew.

 

[befus]

Classic 5-gallon mentality. I do 1 gallon brews and love it. I drink, maybe not like most posters on here but I also enjoy "researching" my next brew by picking up a 6-pack or a couple bombers each week. Right now I have 5 16ozers of my brew in the fridge...2 batches (12-pack) just finished carbing, 2 more batches are dryhopping, and 1 batch is just finishing fermenting. Thats 6 different brews I get to do and unlike a 5 galloner who only has one style. I get it, more beer for the same time of work...its a valid point. But some of us enjoy the smaller brews and experimenting. Just remember that 5 gallon is not the smallest size you have to brew.

I'm classic in many ways......including my age . You misconstrued my comments. I had a little trouble understanding why someone would go to all the trouble if they drank three a week AND brewed once every four months. The smaller, more often brewed batches I absolutely understand. I was not being critical, I just needed clarification...........what with my five gallon mentality and all .

 

[lcf8088]

I have been noticing this also and I am only 26. Four years ago I could drink anyone under the table, it was nothing to come home and shotgun 2-3 beers and finish a case 3-4 days a week. Now, if I have 10 BMC or a sixer of something higher in ABV I feel it the next day. I only expect this to get worse as I get older.

 

[SquareHeadBrew]

Just about any well crafted beer I will not get a hangover the next day. Even my 55 year old father says the same thing. If I have a BMC mixed in, and it only takes 1, I will feel it the next day. I have proven this true by trying it multiple times. And there's alot of **** beer out there that may seem like craft beers that will do the same. After a swig or two of bad beer It immediately gets poured out. I am 28 and will drink on average 15-25 beers a week - mostly on weekends when I brew or attend to the hop garden. All the beers I drink are 8% + as that's what I like to drink. Like others have mentioned.. eating right, drinking water with beer and only drink either beer or water/tea in life as well as exercising is beneficial.

 

[divrack]

I find each percentage point between 4 and 6 makes a world of difference.
At 4 percent I can pretty much drink indefinitely and hardly feel the effect. At 6 I have three or four and suddenly I'm on the wonky side of sober.
Keeping it light is my rule. I shoot for just 4-5 percent. Sometimes even lighter.
I'll have some barley wine or imp something sitting in bottles somewhere, but the problem for me is less the sickness than the Doom Fear the next day.
Being self employed I can't afford to be a total phantoid the next day, or I make a tit of everything

Low abv beer is brilliant though. Just up the mash temp a bit to leave in some body or aggressively dry hop if that'syour thing. I like a session neipa as a go to drink. Plenty of stuff going on to keep your mind of the lack of alky bite.

 

[rhys333]

Skimming through from the start...

Four to five beers a day is a lot, and I'm not surprised to see negative health effects from that. That's pretty much the weekly recommended maximum in just one to two days.

 

[Bill Huelsman]

I'm 53, been being for three years. I find myself having typically 1-2 beers a day. Don't drink too get drunk, but i enjoya good brew! Since I've gone to all grain, my focus is been on brewing session beers. Most my beers are between 4-4.7% ABV. I'm likely to stick to this, even though the guys in my home brew club give me allot of **** for it. I hate the monkeys with hammers in my head now!

 

[Bilsch]

Fermenting a lower temperatures helps a lot with this. Drinking lagers done below 50f will make your head feel much better the next day.