Home brew buzz VS commercial buzz

[kennyconley0269]

I’m sure we can all agree that drinking homebrew is different than drinking commercially produced beer. The buzz for one seems a bit less disorienting and I can drink 20 of them in a night- yes even at 7% ABV and not have a hangover in the morning.

What are your hypotheses about why that is?

 

[kgranger]

When I am out drinking at a brewery, I will start feeling it after a couple 6% pints, but then I realize that I haven't eaten any food since lunch. Especially if I'm having a good time with friends at a happy hour, I tend to forget basic human needs like drinking water and eating, leading to a quick shift in buzz. At home, I'm probably snacking on something because I can just grab it, or drinking it when cooking dinner.

But if you are still experiencing this difference drinking commercial beer at home, then maybe there's more to it. Unless it was an exaggeration, 20 beers a night would be coma inducing for me. Maybe ABV calculations are way off?

 

[mac_1103]

I can drink 20 of them in a night- yes even at 7% ABV and not have a hangover in the morning.

Define "a night." Twenty 12 oz 7% ABV beers in six hours will get a 200 lb man a BAC >0.3, which is a recipe for an ER visit not a hangover.

 

[bellhp]

One explanation could be the B vitamins in beer yeast in your homebrew that was likely filtered out in the commercial beer .
This was written in Papazians "complete joy of homebrewing" IIRC .

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Ethanol is ethanol, regardless of the label on the bottle, only the concentration and rate of ingestion would play a factor. That said, it's gotta be the other things in homebrew that isn't in commercial beer. I like what bellhp said about the B vitamins. That's gotta have some merit.

 

[odie]

preservatives? Something lacking in homemade food and drink.

 

[Airborneguy]

While I agree with this to an extent, twenty 7% beers in any amount of time I would consider "a night" is definitely knocking most people down, homebrew, commercial, brewer, non-brewer, drinker, non-drinker. Doesn't matter.

 

[beersk]

One explanation could be the B vitamins in beer yeast in your homebrew that was likely filtered out in the commercial beer .
This was written in Papazians "complete joy of homebrewing" IIRC .

This is BS. I get the same buzz and hangover regardless of homebrew or commercial.

And OP, something is wrong if you're able to drink 20 beers and not have a hangover.

 

[Miraculix]

I've had homebrew giving me the hangover of death after two beers .

Good day Mr. 002 fermented above 22c, how are you today?

 

[mac_1103]

One explanation could be the B vitamins in beer yeast in your homebrew that was likely filtered out in the commercial beer

This is why I always snack on marmite whenever I drink commercial beer.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

This is why I always snack on marmite whenever I drink commercial beer.

 

[kennyconley0269]

This is why I always snack on marmite whenever I drink commercial beer.

One explanation could be the B vitamins in beer yeast in your homebrew that was likely filtered out in the commercial beer .
This was written in Papazians "complete joy of homebrewing" IIRC .

Why do they filter out B vitamins?

 

[kennyconley0269]

Ethanol is ethanol, regardless of the label on the bottle, only the concentration and rate of ingestion would play a factor. That said, it's gotta be the other things in homebrew that isn't in commercial beer. I like what bellhp said about the B vitamins. That's gotta have some merit.

I would have to disagree with you on that. If ethanol were ethanol there would be no difference between liquor and wine or wine and beer. If you can’t tell a difference between these beverages than you must not be much of a drinker… I can even tell the difference between a cheap whiskey and a top shelf whiskey… namely the buzz seems cleaner and more functional… less nausea inducing, less hangover inducing. This is why people pay too dollar for the good stuff.

Even between homebrew batches. The first batch I ever brewed got me absolutely tanked. I determined that I had underpitched the yeast and had fusel alcohols and diacetyls that didn’t clean up. I would also assume this is why people say moonshine is so strong. When you distill liquor you are supposed to discard the heads and tails to get rid of these more toxic forms of alcohol… thinking something along these lines might apply to hb vs cb

 

[kennyconley0269]

preservatives? Something lacking in homemade food and drink.

Could very well be. Are preservatives used in commercial beer?? Any idea which preservatives?

 

[kennyconley0269]

While I agree with this to an extent, twenty 7% beers in any amount of time I would consider "a night" is definitely knocking most people down, homebrew, commercial, brewer, non-brewer, drinker, non-drinker. Doesn't matter.

To the extent that you agree do you have any input? I don’t count my beers when I’m pouring them right out of my draft line but let’s just say it’s delicious and I drink a lot of them. And while drinking a lot of them I can play music, hold a conversation and walk a straight line. Not the case when I’m pouring beers out of a can

 

[Airborneguy]

To the extent that you agree do you have any input? I don’t count my beers when I’m pouring them right out of my draft line but let’s just say it’s delicious and I drink a lot of them. And while drinking a lot of them I can play music, hold a conversation and walk a straight line. Not the case when I’m pouring beers out of a can

I agree that my hangover from homebrewed beer is typically much more mild than from commercial beers.

I can’t possibly fathom a mild hangover after drinking twenty 7% beers though. If that’s true as written, you have a superpower.

 

[kennyconley0269]

I've had homebrew giving me the hangover of death after two beers .

Good day Mr. 002 fermented above 22c, how are you today?

Are you saying fermentation temperature plays a role?

 

[Miraculix]

Are you saying fermentation temperature plays a role?

Of course. Headache comes from either way too much alcohol or from fusel alcohols. The latter is being produced by the yeast when fermented at too high temperature. Some are more temperature sensitive than others.

 

[kennyconley0269]

Define "a night." Twenty 12 oz 7% ABV beers in six hours will get a 200 lb man a BAC >0.3, which is a recipe for an ER visit not a hangover.

 

[bellhp]

Worst beer I ever drank was in Mumbai India ... It was called Kingfisher ... or woodpecker .. or something ... you could drink twenty of those things and not catch a buzz but it would split your head wide open . Straight to the headache ... kinda like Budweiser

 

[odie]

Could very well be. Are preservatives used in commercial beer?? Any idea which preservatives?

in south Asia...formaldehyde

 

[kennyconley0269]

Of course. Headache comes from either way too much alcohol or from fusel alcohols. The latter is being produced by the yeast when fermented at too high temperature. Some are more temperature sensitive than others.

Well my hangovers never include a headache, but maybe you’re on to something. I was under the impression that if your pitch was adequate the yeast would clean up the fusels… but if not… I know at home I maintain a tight 68 throughout fermentation. Typical Colorado craft breweries may be more in the habit of fermenting ales at ambient room temp, which would rise quite a bit with a large batch of beer doing its thing…

 

[Kickass]

I’m sure we can all agree that drinking homebrew is different than drinking commercially produced beer.

Nope, we don’t all agree. Drinking homebrew is no different than drinking commercial.

It’s like people saying I get a different buzz from vodka than I do tequila. No, no you don’t. Maybe your biases project that but in the end, it’s the same.

Now hangovers, there’s much more that plays into that

 

[mac_1103]

Why do they filter out B vitamins?

They filer out the yeast. Yeast are rich in B vitamins. Part of the reason that nutritional yeast is a thing.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I would have to disagree with you on that. If ethanol were ethanol there would be no difference between liquor and wine or wine and beer. If you can’t tell a difference between these beverages than you must not be much of a drinker… I can even tell the difference between a cheap whiskey and a top shelf whiskey… namely the buzz seems cleaner and more functional… less nausea inducing, less hangover inducing. This is why people pay too dollar for the good stuff.

Even between homebrew batches. The first batch I ever brewed got me absolutely tanked. I determined that I had underpitched the yeast and had fusel alcohols and diacetyls that didn’t clean up. I would also assume this is why people say moonshine is so strong. When you distill liquor you are supposed to discard the heads and tails to get rid of these more toxic forms of alcohol… thinking something along these lines might apply to hb vs cb

I'm not saying you can't tell the difference between those beverages, just the one similar ingredient. There is no difference between the alcohol in wine, spirits, or beer. It's all ethyl. Your other choices of alcohol are methyl, propyl, and butyl - none of which you would ever want to drink. The rate of inebriation is from the concentration of alcohol (5% ale vs 80 proof whiskey) and consumption rate. Quality ingredients and manufacturing process can lend to your 'cleaner' buzz, but at the end of the day yeast only know how to make ethanol alcohol.

 

[mac_1103]

preservatives? Something lacking in homemade food and drink.

Unless you're one of the folks who think that vitamin C is a game changer.

Please note that I am not in any way suggesting that ascorbic acid causes hangovers, but rather that at least some preservatives are likely to be completely inocuous.

 

[PCABrewing]

less nausea inducing, less hangover inducing. This is why people pay too dollar for the good stuff.

That is definitely NOT why I pay top dollar for good stuff...
I pay-up for taste and smoothness.

To minimize nausea and hangover I control my consumption.

 

[kennyconley0269]

They filer out the yeast. Yeast are rich in B vitamins. Part of the reason that nutritional yeast is a thing.

It’s an interesting thought. But bottle/can conditioned beer should have more yeast in it than cold crashed force-carbonated home brew.

 

[kennyconley0269]

I guess I should just speak for myself then. I started brewing 5 months ago. At that time I was drinking 3-7 IPAs a day and having varying degrees of hangover every morning. Now I’m drinking 5 gallons a week and haven’t had a hangover in 5 months. Based on comments I’ve read in this forum I thought that was a universal experience for home brewers but I stand corrected. Still there’s got to be some explanation. Maybe 20 7%ers is an over exaggeration but not by a lot.

 

[kennyconley0269]

That is definitely NOT why I pay top dollar for good stuff...
I pay-up for taste and smoothness.

To minimize nausea and hangover I control my consumption.

Really? You don’t notice any difference at all between Kentucky Deluxe and Johnny Walker Blue? Maybe it’s a genetic thing