Homebrew hangovers- why, for the love of God?

[Dai]

Just wondering why I have been getting some wicked hangovers from homebrew lately. Even when I don't drink too much (like a 1.25L flagon), I can wake up feeling jaded. I can easily drink this much at the pub and feel fine... I don't add preservatives or filter my beer, so why do I feel like someone is switching my beer with Steinlager?

I can think of only a few reasons:

1) I am calculating my abv incorrectly, and it is stronger than I think. This is a possibility as I usually feel more tipsy after two pints of my "4.5%" bitter cf. commercial beer. I just use the standard OG-FG x 131 plus 0.2% for the priming sugar. Does abv increase further in the bottle?
2) I am drinking more sediment. Is this a problem? I thought yeast was good for you anyway. I rack my beer into a bottling bucket after fermentation, so don't get that much sediment anyway.
3) I am fermenting at too higher temperature. This is true for my latest brew at least, which I am drinking at the moment. I do not have temperature controllers, so it is hard to keep this down over summer. Could be this reason, as this hangover problem is a recent thing... Have read somewhere that higher fermentation temps can increase hangover potential.
4) I am becoming a big girl's blouse, and I should start brewing Radlers (if DB lets me, which they wont). Also, I don't like shandies.

Any thoughts on this distressing quandary would be welcome.

[denimglen]

You're getting old and can't handle it any more....sad but true :-(

1 - It does increase more in the bottle but not significant enough for the hangovers.

2 - Sediment shouldn't be the problem.

3 - Most likely the problem I reckon, higher ferment temp, more by products - higher alcohols, more hangover.

[JoKing]

#3 is your problem. Your yeast is pumping out some fairly volatile shit around the 23 degree mark. You can taste these compounds as phenolics sometimes... but some yeast just throws out the old methanol / nail polish remover / wax........... and you end up with a wicked hangover.

All yeast is different, and some of the ferm temps where these compounds are produced changes... and to make things worse, it may only take a spike in temp, or pitching too hot - and the yeast will reward you with the need to consume panadol.

IMHO... smack on the back of your hand... fermenting you lovely wort too hot.... naughty boy!!!

[Greig McGill]

Hrm, joking aside, consider getting a checkup from your doc. Check the old liver is doing its job. Hopefully you're fine, and then my guess would just be point 3 - especially if you're combining high temperatures with adjuncts. Sugars have their place in brewing, but I always find they hurt in the morning. Belgians. Crazy.

[Horace]

Just remember the mass produced stuff at the pub may actually be 0.3% lower than what is stated.......

[vdog]

Interesting that you use a different abv calculation than I do - wonder which of us is right? I use (OG-FG/0.75)*100 - which would give a slightly higher result than using your calcs. Can't remember where I got mine, but most likely Charlie Papazian I think?

[Stu McKinlay]

I use (OG-FG)*131 also.

[MrC]

I agree with Greig. Be nice to your liver so that you can enjoy beer for many more years to come.
Do you get pissed really quickly too? That could be a sign a sluggish liver.

#3 can definatley cause bad hangovers. I brewed a cider once that tasted like nail polish remover. I tried to drink a 1.25L of it and had to go to bed before I finished it. Woke up with a MASSIVE hangover. Same thing thing happened the next night, LOL :o)

I'd say either get a checkup (most likely blood tests) or brew something around the 4-5% mark, ferment it below 20c and see how you go. Brewing's probably cheaper.

[Stu McKinlay]

One word: acetaldehyde
Higher temp ferments mean yeast, as well as producing unpleasant alcohols, is going to give up the ghost early in a screaming sweaty acetaldehyde mess... you are left with unfinished (and unpleasantly hangover inducing) business.

Though I agree you should check with doc to be sure.

[Dai]

Hey, thanks for all the input, guys, and concern for a fellow brewer's health! I will check with my GP next time I go, but I really feel that the problem was that I fermented a brew too hot. After thinking about it, I only seem to be getting this from one particular batch that was made at the end of January, so I suppose the remander of this drop will be getting the Spanish archer. I suppose this is the problem with living in sub tropical Cambridge where the sun is always shining, eh?! All my other beer drinking, which I must add is done in moderation :), does not (usually) leave me feeling below par. Lesson learnt, and I wont be making this mistake again. Lucky the weather is cooling off now, so soon I will only need to worrying about keeping the wort warm enough...