Why does homebrew seem stronger than store bought?

[Mascrappo]

An old time brewer here, but recently started brewing again after many years away. This forum is great and I have a stupid question.

Why does even low ABV beers give me more buzz than store bought? Anyone else notice this? I intentionally make 4.7-5.4% ABV these days so I can drink several, but wow, seems harder-hitting than Shiner I buy from the store? Thanks

 

[AJinJacksonville]

I find that the 'session' ales I brew (even with low ABVs) tend to feel more boozy than the store-bought as well. I don't think it's you.

 

[ba-brewer]

High on the pride of drinking something you made with your own hands.

How confident are you with your gravity measurements, a few points high on one end and low on the other could add some ABV.

If you rushed your beer or fermented too warm you might get some higher order fusel alcohols.

Not familiar with shiner so I looked at the shiner Bock and premium and they are both 4.4%ABV. I was surprised the bock was only 4.4%.

 

[kh54s10]

It all depends on what you are brewing and what you are comparing it to. If you brew a 5.4 beer and compare it to a 4.4 beer????

I don't find that when comparing like beers.

 

[Mascrappo]

I am quite thorough when checking gravities, but good suggestion. I guess even my low ABV could be higher than what I buy, wow.

 

[RM-MN]

Most beers in the US do not specify what their alcoholic content is. They usually are either 3.2% (for certain markets) or strong beer. Strong beer is anything that does not meet the definition of 3.2% which is tightly regulated. That means that a beer that has only 3% alcohol has to be labeled as strong beer.

 

[ehk089]

^ Not sure where you live, but it’s not the US.... most craft beer as well as macros put abv right on the label.

 

[brewbama]

I have a bottle of Shiner Bock in the fridge. I just looked at it. It does not list ABV on the label.

 

[grampamark]

Most beers in the US do not specify what their alcoholic content is. They usually are either 3.2% (for certain markets) or strong beer. Strong beer is anything that does not meet the definition of 3.2% which is tightly regulated. That means that a beer that has only 3% alcohol has to be labeled as strong beer.

BS, no matter how authoritatively presented, is still BS.

I had to dig deep to come up with any commercial beer, but both the Coors Light (the mountains were blue!) and the SNPA I found in the back of a fridge displayed the ABV.

 

[Dland]

Maybe 'cause you always serve yourself more than 12 oz a glass? I know I usually do.

 

[Mascrappo]

Maybe 'cause you always serve yourself more than 12 oz a glass? I know I usually do.

That didn't cross my mind, but you're right, glass is a 16! Thanks!

 

[thehaze]

If your gravity measurements are done properly, then your own beer shouldn't be or feel " boozier ". Some people are more susceptible to fusel alcohols than others, something that could well happen with homebrew. I do believe ( and know from my own experience ) that as a homebrewer, you tend to drink more at home, from your own stash, than say when you go out. Bigger glasses, bigger kegs, bigger bottles...

 

[RM-MN]

BS, no matter how authoritatively presented, is still BS.

I had to dig deep to come up with any commercial beer, but both the Coors Light (the mountains were blue!) and the SNPA I found in the back of a fridge displayed the ABV.

That wasn't always true. Several years ago while I was still buying beer that info wasn't available on the bottles or cans except in Canada. If you go to the bar and buy tap beer do they tell you the ABV? I haven't been to bars for several years but I don't recall seeing it mentioned there.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Depends on the jurisdiction.

ABV labeling is not *federally* required for beer.

And 3.2% is only a thing in some states. And larger breweries often do separate runs for those states to meet that ABV.

Some states, the ABV is legally required to be on the label. "Label" for draft beer purposes usually means "on the keg collar".

 

[ESBrewer]

Why does even low ABV beers give me more buzz than store bought? Anyone else notice this? I intentionally make 4.7-5.4% ABV these days so I can drink several, but wow, seems harder-hitting than Shiner I buy from the store? Thanks

One of the possible reasons could be fusel alcohols such as butyl & amyl alcohol etc. Those are side products in fermentations, especially in not so clean and succesful ale fermentations. Those could make it hit a bit harder than ethanol alone. I also noticed this behaviour in my very first home brewed batch that definitely contained some off flavors. I haven't noticed it since I started to control the brewing process in more detail (actual fermentation temps and pitch rates & yeast health can be important in preventing fusels).

 

[grampamark]

Actually, as of this year, Minnesota will be the last state with a 3.2 by weight (4.0 ABV) law on the books.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Wow. Utah and Oklahoma actually scrapped theirs?

The point is that, in the US, alcohol regulations are vastly varied and vastly set at state level.

 

[kh54s10]

Don't know about all the states, but I often looked at the ABV before buying in both Rhode Island and Florida. I often based my purchase on what the ABV was. I believe it is on MOST labels.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Most states brewers can add it voluntarily (as I said it's not a federal requirement), and most breweries do list it. Few states actually *require* it on their own, and sometimes only at certain thresholds. Ironically some (I think at least NY) actually ban the ABV from being on the label at all.

 

[bracconiere]

because drinking homebrew makes you a mini gangster....with out the gang anyway, lol, unless you count the local brew club...

 

[kevin58]

Beer labels in the US must be approved by the TTB and certain information is required. There is a TTB publication called the Beverage Alcohol Manual (BAM). https://www.ttb.gov/images/pdfs/beer-bam/chapter1.pdf

Section 5 of chapter one deals with alcohol content...

5. ALCOHOL CONTENT - GENERAL - A statement of alcohol content is optional unless It is required by State law OR It is prohibited by State lawn - Unless otherwise prescribed by State law, the optional statement of alcohol content must be expressed in percent by volume. See “FORM OF STATEMENT” section of this item.
Then the form of statement section just goes on to explain the wording required.

 

[bracconiere]

prohibited by State lawn

stay off my lawn you damn alcies! lol

 

[kevin58]

The way the table I copied from the PDF displayed some of the formatting came out as "n"s. I thought I found them all but one must have slipped by.

 

[myelo]

That didn't cross my mind, but you're right, glass is a 16! Thanks!

mystery solved

 

[Nate R]

Great thread all- i think @Dland nailed the answer- larger glass. Also, having any beer on tap at home (commercial or homebrew) can be harder to track consumption. I've had countless 'one more half glass' in a night!!

But, i think we are all missing the most important, glaring issue:
@grampamark that bottle of pale ale is from late August 19! Better put that up to the front of the rotation soon!!

 

[Cavpilot2000]

I;ll second the size of the pours as the cause.
Anymore when I drink a 12 oz botle of something commercial, I am amazed at how little volume it seems and how fast it goes.
Most pours at a bar are going to be at least 14 if not 16 oz, and if you're used to German (at least Bavarian) pours, those are a half liter standard (and most of my home glassware are German half-liter glasses or English pints).

 

[G-Hog]

That didn't cross my mind, but you're right, glass is a 16! Thanks!

The standard 16 oz pint glass only holds 16 ozs if filled to the rim. Otherwise expect 12-14 ozs depending on size of the head.