What a headache... literally!

[13ronin]

So I decided to try out my first batch of mead since getting back into the hobby. Not bad, still got that immature bite but it's mellowing. But Damn did I get a headache the next day!

It's Young, only 1-1/2 months old and not yet cleared. 17% ABV, EC-1118 yeast, a couple vanilla beans, and a couple chunks of baked white oak for flavor.

Now I was drinking a good single malt with it, but I've never had a headache from that. I only drank like 8oz as a test run. What could cause that from a mead? Just too young with too many impurities still floating around?

Opinions?

 

[DBhomebrew]

8oz of mead. How much of the whisky? Were you well hydrated?

Was the fermentation within the recommended temperature range for the yeast? That's the temp of the actual fermentation, not the ambient room temp.

If it fermented too warm, you might have produced fusels and other higher alcohols along with the ethanol. Those don't age out.

 

[Maylar]

If it fermented too warm, you might have produced fusels and other higher alcohols along with the ethanol

I thought of that too, but I looked up EC-1118 and it's claimed to not throw fusels. Don't know if that's true over a wide temp range though.

 

[hout17]

 

[13ronin]

I had a good 3-4 fingers of The Sexton single malt Irish Whiskey. Certainly not rotgut, and not an atypical weekend evening. I just haven't woken up with that kind of headache in a long time, so I'm suspicious.

Ambient temp is around the 70⁰ mark I'd say, maybe a little higher. That's one reason of the many reasons I chose that yeast. Very wide and warmer side temperature, efficient, and doesn't produce many esters. I was also very careful when preparing and cleaning equipment using a very strong solution of sodium metabisulfite then rinsing with tap water after.

I picked up some Super Kleer to use because one of the negatives about the yeast is that it has a very low floculation value. I've racked twice and it's still extremely foggy. That's why my first guess is that it just has too much junk in suspension.