Official BARF BEER Crew

[Stormdragon]

A lot of that can be attributed to fusel alcohols that are produced during high fermentation temps.

Or a wild yeast contamination. Or...

 

[Lunch Box]

So... I suspect some (many? None? Only two?) 'craft breweries' to have somewhat unclean distillation process..

.. leading to me headache.

The theory is, basically you can make any sugary drink; but then if you lack the % of pure alcohol, you simply up that % by adding pure ethyl alcohol. That's what can be called 'unclean' and can create a headache.

Let's not even get into worse cases like using methyl alcohol. I hope/suspect that doesn't happen here in the reputable West Coast, right?

p.s. proud owner of a fresh growler from a certain place in Alameda from last Saturday... but the above is still valid;

You didn't expect this bomb did ya!

I'm just confused as to what kind of brewery would have a distillation process. Methinks that you don't know what you are talking about quite as well as you think.

 

[AbsolutEnduser]

I'm just confused as to what kind of brewery would have a distillation process. Methinks that you don't know what you are talking about quite as well as you think.

What is it that I don't know what I'm talking about ? My headache? OK you know better

The point is the quality of the beer and the process, you didn't understand. Sure, latch on to a word though, there is no distillation or it's called 'brewing'

 

[Brokenlink]

What is it that I don't know what I'm talking about ? My headache? OK you know better

The point is the quality of the beer and the process, you didn't understand. Sure, latch on to a word though, there is no distillation or it's called 'brewing'

Yeah but the headache is likely due to something other than "dumping ethanol" in the beer.

 

[Lunch Box]

What is it that I don't know what I'm talking about ? My headache? OK you know better

The point is the quality of the beer and the process, you didn't understand. Sure, latch on to a word though, there is no distillation or it's called 'brewing'

Distillation is a VERY different process from brewing. I have also never heard of any craft breweries fortifying their beer with grain alcohol or anything else. As has been stated, the issue is likely an undesirable fermentation byproduct, not a post-brewing addition to the beer. If you have some links I would be VERY interested in seeing them.

 

[westie]

Distillation is a VERY different process from brewing. I have also never heard of any craft breweries fortifying their beer with grain alcohol or anything else. As has been stated, the issue is likely an undesirable fermentation byproduct, not a post-brewing addition to the beer. If you have some links I would be VERY interested in seeing them.

This. I'd also stay away from any beer that has fruit as an ingredient. I once drank a bunch of Kiltlifter Apricot Ale. I spent the entire next day running from bathroom to bathroom lifting my kilt.

 

[squid vicious]

Distillation is a VERY different process from brewing. I have also never heard of any craft breweries fortifying their beer with grain alcohol or anything else. As has been stated, the issue is likely an undesirable fermentation byproduct, not a post-brewing addition to the beer. If you have some links I would be VERY interested in seeing them.

Could be the next big thing: Imperial Shock Top made with Bacardi Limon

 

[Lunch Box]

 

[AbsolutEnduser]

Distillation is a VERY different process from brewing. I have also never heard of any craft breweries fortifying their beer with grain alcohol or anything else. As has been stated, the issue is likely an undesirable fermentation byproduct, not a post-brewing addition to the beer. If you have some links I would be VERY interested in seeing them.

I have tons of links... of other stuff.

Anyway, OK so we got it cleared out. I'm sure it's the 'undesirable fermentation byproduct' .. but it's very hard NOT to blame the beer after you get a headache just from a reasonably small amount.

However, after drinking real Belgians -- no headache

As for the ethanol and links. Just because there isn't a link on the blog or kitchen sink doesn't mean it couldn't happen. I was just wondering. It is probably not that. Or what, you think a brewmaster is gonna go and put that on the internet??? But just because you haven't heard it.. :|

It could've been the added sugar*

 

[Brokenlink]

I have tons of links... of other stuff.

Anyway, OK so we got it cleared out. I'm sure it's the 'undesirable fermentation byproduct' .. but it's very hard NOT to blame the beer after you get a headache just from a reasonably small amount.

However, after drinking real Belgians -- no headache

As for the ethanol and links. Just because there isn't a link on the blog or kitchen sink doesn't mean it couldn't happen. I was just wondering. It is probably not that. Or what, you think a brewmaster is gonna go and put that on the internet??? But just because you haven't heard it.. :|

It could've been the added sugar*

Belgian ales do have added sugar (preferm). They are also typically fermented at warmer temps. It doesn't surprise me that an American belgian style ale would have this problem. But it's just a byproduct of fermentation sometimes. I've had that problem from a DIPA I had at a brewery. It was clear they tried to boost alcohol with corn sugar, and ended up with too much fusel alcohol. You could taste it, it was like wood alcohol.

 

[Stormdragon]

As for the ethanol and links. Just because there isn't a link on the blog or kitchen sink doesn't mean it couldn't happen. I was just wondering. It is probably not that. Or what, you think a brewmaster is gonna go and put that on the internet??? But just because you haven't heard it.. :|

It could've been the added sugar*

I can't quote the line and paragraph, but having been looking into starting a brewery for over a year now, I'm pretty sure adding distilled alcohol is massively illegal. The TTB would probably shut down anyone adding grain spirits to their beer. Currently, in California, you have to have a distillery or winery physically separate from the brewery, and cannot share tasting rooms. This (for some st00pid reason) also applies to mead, and cider.

Arrogant Bastard always used to leave me with a touch of a headache, and I always suspected it was the extra sugar, and other byproducts. None of the other Stone beers were an issue. I had to give up on Fischer quite a few years ago as well. It'd lay me out with flu-like symptoms for a couple days after just one bottle.

 

[Lunch Box]

Not sure why you are being so antagonistic. I happen to know quite a few professional brewers and none of them have heard of such a practice. Sure, it could happen, but I have seen absolutely no evidence of it actually happening. I just wanted to know why you think that it is happening.

There are some beers that give me headaches, too. For some reason whenever I used to drink more than one beer from the Tied House (garbage beer anyway) I would get a headache. I don't know if they used preservatives that were odd, if they had fermentation issues, or what. All I know is that I almost always got a headache after drinking their beer.

Mostly, I just want to understand how, "this beer gives me a headache" leads to "they put grain alcohol in the beer."

 

[Jdizzy92]

Would that grain alcohol change the flavor of the beer and mouth feel?

 

[Stormdragon]

Would that grain alcohol change the flavor of the beer and mouth feel?

Mouth feel would change because of the alcohol 'bite'. Flavor would only change if the distilled spirit was flavored. IE: Vodka, little to no flavor change. Bourbon, big flavor change.

 

[AbsolutEnduser]

Mostly, I just want to understand how, "this beer gives me a headache" leads to "they put grain alcohol in the beer."

Because it has happened in other countries and other times. Now that I think of it it was pre-internet (links?) I explicitly said that in my first post if you'd read: "I hope not on the reputable West Coast". So there

Also I said "ethyl alcohol" because that's closer to the actual international name to the chemical. I didn't say nor know anything about "grain alcohol" ...wikipedia can tell me..

Also read my last post I thought we figured out thanks to two of you guys that it could be a different product that's a problem.

 

[Brokenlink]

Not sure why you are being so antagonistic. I happen to know quite a few professional brewers and none of them have heard of such a practice. Sure, it could happen, but I have seen absolutely no evidence of it actually happening. I just wanted to know why you think that it is happening.

There are some beers that give me headaches, too. For some reason whenever I used to drink more than one beer from the Tied House (garbage beer anyway) I would get a headache. I don't know if they used preservatives that were odd, if they had fermentation issues, or what. All I know is that I almost always got a headache after drinking their beer.

Mostly, I just want to understand how, "this beer gives me a headache" leads to "they put grain alcohol in the beer."

Gordon Biersch, everytime

 

[Abacinator]

Could be an allergy to a particular grain that causes the headache. I abhor any beer with weird adjuncts; fruit has no place in my beer, thankyouverymuch. Water, malted grain, hops, yeast. That's all that belongs in beer.

 

[squid vicious]

Could be an allergy to a particular grain that causes the headache. I abhor any beer with weird adjuncts; fruit has no place in my beer, thankyouverymuch. Water, malted grain, hops, yeast. That's all that belongs in beer.

My betting side says Brokenlink (and Lunch Box subsequently concurring) nailed it on the first guess: A fusel alcohol or some other small by-product of an imperfect fermentation that didn't agree with AbsolutEnduser's system. Lagunitas IPA does it to me from time to time.

There is no one, anywhere in the world, adding grain alchohol or any other ethyl to increase the ABV of their beer, at least not commercially It wouldn't make any financial sense, distilling the ethyl out of a fermented wort only to add it back in would be a prohibitively expensive and time consuming way of increasing alcohol content. Anyone trying to increase the ABV is simply going to add sugar and maybe some heartier yeast in the fermenter.

 

[Brokenlink]

My betting side says Brokenlink nailed it on the first guess: A fusel alcohol or some other small by-product of an imperfect fermentation that didn't agree with AbsolutEnduser's system. Lagunitas IPA does it to me from time to time.

There is no one, anywhere in the world, adding grain alchohol or any other ethyl to increase the ABV of their beer, at least not commercially It wouldn't make any financial sense, distilling the ethyl out of a fermented wort only to add it back in would be a prohibitively expensive and time consuming way of increasing alcohol content. Anyone trying to increase the ABV is simply going to add sugar and maybe some heartier yeast in the fermenter.

 

[Lunch Box]

^
Yup, Brokenlink called it. I merely agreed.