Headache Beer

[claypot]

Hi All,
Have recently returned to brewing, this time with a keg set up and brew fridge with temp control and have not looked back definatly the way to go.
My first few beers were lower in alc vol ( 3.8 - 4.2% ) and were great beers.
My last 2 brews were about 5.2% and after a bit of a session a mate and I had the headache from hell.
I have been using coopers kits with supplied yeast. I have been setting the temp for ferment to 18 for ales and 13 for lager. I was under the impression it was best to pitch the yeast around 26 ( dry from packet ) to get it started then strait into the ferment fridge. My thoughts were that the temp control would pull the temp down in time to avoid off flavours ect.
I have now been reading about fusel alcohol and it's production. Is it possable that even though it is going into an 18 deg brew fridge that the temp is still staying high enough to produce the fusel alcohols?
The brews that caused the headaches are as follows:

Low carb corona
1 Kg coopers BE2
coopers mexican
kit yeast
brew craft dry enzyme
5 gm amarillo dry hopped
O.G 1.036
yeast pitched 26 deg
ferment temp 18 deg
F.G .998

Golden ale
1 Kg coopers BE2
450 gm liq light malt
17 gm amarillo different stages
4 wheet bix steeped
O.G 1.047
yeast pitched 30 deg
ferment 18 deg
F.G 1.010

I also did a coopers euro lager a while back that gave headaches but drunk that much other stuff was hard to be sure it was the beer.
coopers euro lager
900 gm liq light malt
O.G 1.036
F.G .006
yeast pitched 27 deg
ferment at 13 deg 3 weeks.

What would be the lowest temp I could pitch the yeasts?
As I'm thinking the high start temps are the problem and because my first brews were lower in alc vol it is only become a problem now that I have increased the alc vol?

Thanks in advance,
Clayton.

 

[DJR]

Pitch lower, pitching at 18C is fine. Ignore what the kit says!

A lot of the fusel/esters etc are made in the first few days of fermentation, so keep it low.

Also try pitching more yeast - grab a few packs of US-05 from your local home brew shop and use that - 11.5g instead of the measly 5g in the kits.

 

[keifer33]

The high pitching temp for when the yeast is still dry is to help guarantee it gets going although it doesn't mean its going to be amazing but works for the masses to get brewing average beer. Trying either pitching closer to 18-20 or rehydrate your yeast to the manufacturers instructions. My vote is for US05 and keep it around 18 for the ales and if you want to do lagers it also produces a good fake lager when used a few degrees lower. Had US05 plod along nicely at 15 in winter.

 

[QldKev]

Normally for headace beers I would suspect high ferment temps, but generally it needs to be really high, not something someone with a ferment fridge would worry about. Also you are using the kit yeast and normally the strain is more tolerable to high temps.

I pitch warm, as in no-chill cubes at QLD summer temps and dump it into the fermenting fridge. For US-05 I do set the fridge to 16c to help make if drop as quick as possible. Once the fermenting is under control I then increase the temp to 18c. If you are at 18c within a few hours I don't think it will give the yeast time to finish multiplying and commence fermenting the sugar, hence you should not have a huge issue with doing it. I don't produce headace beers (unless you empty an entire keg to yourself), and no one has ever commented on fossil fuels. So I don't think this is the cause of your issue.

Do you have the temp probe stuck to the side of the fermentor? I wonder if you don't and it is taking too long for the wort temp to get to 18c.

What cleaners/ sanatisers do you use?

The FG seems to be correct for the beers, so I don't suspect infections.


QldKev

 

[claypot]

Thanks for the replies Guys,
I had wondered about the coopers yeast as I did have a falling out with Coopers pale ale a few years back as it was giving me hangovers.
How ever my test pilot is pretty resiliant to most beers so if he pulls up bad it must be no good!
So I think I will move to a specialty yeast.
My probe is just poked into the fridge about 200 mm, I geuss it would be better to have it taped to the side of the F.V but I do often have two F.V's on the go.
I have used this method for all my beers and it seems that the ones that were below 4 % Alc vol could be drunk all day with no problem, it is the 4.5% - 5.2% that have been giving grief.
I have a T.C Pilsener on secondary now that I pitched the yeast at 21 deg and will be around 5% so will be good to see how that goes.
I use ether Coopers sanitiser if I have prepared early to the recomended spec's then rinse with boiling filtered water.
If I haven't prepared in time I use bleech then rinse with tap water untill no smell, then rinse with boiling filtered water.
Thanks Clayton.