Putting this in the mead forum, because mazers are better than all the other homebrewers combined. ;-) I can drink a twelver o beer, two bottles of wine, or half a fifth of whiskey and still stand still. Why does homebrew get me giddy? After two glasses of whatever concoctions I've got going, I'm buzzed proper. I catch up after the first 2, and level out like it's regular booze, but there's just something about it that starts me off quicker. Is it maybe the higher alcohols? Noticed this with friends too...
the "magic" in homebrew?
- Thread starter Descender
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It may have a little to do with the way alcohol is measured. Like here in Oklahoma I believe a bud light is made at 3.2% AB"W" (alcohol by weight) which the number is less than alcohol by volume when you do the conversion which is about 4.0% ABV. Now that I think about it then that is a little backwards giving the edge to store bought but only if you are mimicking the store bought crap beers.
I do not see a point in brewing anything with that low an ABV and have gone as low as 7% in a mead. So if most brewers are like me then yes there is more alcohol in your brew.
Also the "proof" measurement may be confusing. A 14% ABV Mead or wine is close to 28 proof alcohol depending on which side if the pond you are on. (UK and America have differnent proof systems.) lots of cheap (less than $20.00) wines I see are closer to 8%-12% ABV again compared to a more common 14% home brew.
I do not think chemically there is much difference between home brew and commercial except that a few sources say that with mead alcohol metabolizes more quickly. I do not know why it does that from my extensive personal research of drinking Many Many bottles of mead I believe this may be true.
So in short I think home brew is more commonly brewed to a yeast's limit where in commercial they have to stick to laws or hold back sugars because it is cheaper. So more ABV in home brew.
I do not see a point in brewing anything with that low an ABV and have gone as low as 7% in a mead. So if most brewers are like me then yes there is more alcohol in your brew.
Also the "proof" measurement may be confusing. A 14% ABV Mead or wine is close to 28 proof alcohol depending on which side if the pond you are on. (UK and America have differnent proof systems.) lots of cheap (less than $20.00) wines I see are closer to 8%-12% ABV again compared to a more common 14% home brew.
I do not think chemically there is much difference between home brew and commercial except that a few sources say that with mead alcohol metabolizes more quickly. I do not know why it does that from my extensive personal research of drinking Many Many bottles of mead I believe this may be true.
So in short I think home brew is more commonly brewed to a yeast's limit where in commercial they have to stick to laws or hold back sugars because it is cheaper. So more ABV in home brew.
OP
OP
Descender
Well-Known Member
I don't think it has anything to do with the amount of alcohol. I can drink 3 shots of booze and I get that familiar numbness. When I have two glasses of hb cider, mead or wine, I get a different buzz. Makes me feel more light headed and almost giggly. Gave a 3 ounce shot of ginger beer to one of my waitresses last night and she reported the same effect. It is about 12% abv. Maybe it's because I usually drink my stuff pretty young. Maybe the "other" alcohols?...
