Headache beer

[Jake837]

I recently did a toucan (two cans of extract into a 23 L volume brew) with a can of Coopers Lager and a can of Coopers Australian Pale Ale.

I split the wort into 11.5 L two batches, from a mix of Lager and APA extract with no added sugar.
One batch got the lager yeast.
One batch got the APA yeast.

Primary fermentation took place at 22 C, with no major fluctuations.

After three weeks of secondary fermentation in the bottle, the APA yeast batch was amazing.

The lager batch, though, is bad. Drinking half a bottle gives me a headache.
Why?

I would think that sanitation was good because the APA was good. Temp was probably also good.

Thoughts?

 

[alexnova]

22C is awfully warm for lager yeast (really should ferment at ~10C). My guess it created fusel alcohol.

 

[giraffe]

The lager fermented at 22C as well? Lager yeast will be happiest around 10-15C especially for the first few days (unlike an ale strain which prefers 17-22C in general). If the temp is too high for the yeast strain, it can throw fusel alcohols, which will give a prickly solvent taste, and give terrible hangovers.

Also lager yeast needs to be pitched at twice the amount of ale yeast. Im not sure if coopers puts enough lager yeast in their packs. While not a big deal usually, underpitching will stress the yeast, which probably made the high temperature worse.

 

[Jake837]

Hmm, that would do it then. Definitely a lager yeast thing. I'm still at the phase where I read the packaging, and thought I was fine since it said (I think) 21-27 C for the lager and APA.
Thanks guys!

 

[Jake837]

Any chance the fusels will be conditioned out if the bottles are stored at lower temperatures?

 

[giraffe]

Any chance the fusels will be conditioned out if the bottles are stored at lower temperatures?

Sadly no. Fusels are hard to get rid of once they are in your beer.
I'd just make more beer. That said, it cant hurt to stash them in a dark corner of the basement for a month and see what happens.

 

[Jake837]

Thanks for letting me know. Half the batch was really good, so I have no problem throwing out the bad half.
Learning is fun.

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks for letting me know. Half the batch was really good, so I have no problem throwing out the bad half.
Learning is fun.

Since you have already done the work and spent the money, leave this beer for another 3 months to see if it comes around before you dump it. The only loss from that is that your bottles are tied up for that long. If it is still bad at 3 months you can dump it and recover the bottles leaving the waste to be yeast, wort, and bottle caps.

 

[flars]

Thanks for letting me know. Half the batch was really good, so I have no problem throwing out the bad half.
Learning is fun.

Was the lager the European Lager from the International Series? This lager comes with a yeast that can be fermented down to 13°C. The other lagers are pseudo lagers and can be fermented at ale yeast temperatures.

Does sound like fusel alcohols were produced in the lager with the description of head ache beer.

 

[Jake837]

It was the Coopers Original. Still definitely produces fusels at 22 C.

Hey, on the bright side it was a great first hand experience with fusels.

 

[GHBWNY]

Sadly no. Fusels are hard to get rid of once they are in your beer.
I'd just make more beer. That said, it cant hurt to stash them in a dark corner of the basement for a month and see what happens.

I've had a fuseled nut brown in the bottle for going on 6 months, and you're right--- the fusels are here to stay. A fusel brew is, however, great for cooking with.

 

[Jake837]

No kidding? That's great to know.

 

[CavA3R4]

they make good "buddy bottles" too. Especially to some ******** where you work!

 

[jmcdaniel0]

they make good "buddy bottles" too. Especially to some ******** where you work!

That is funny right there. Mean, but funny