No Preservatives, No Hangover?

[Zizzle]

I used to think it was a myth too.

Then after only drinking HB for a while, I noticed that I got a headache after someone gave me a single stubbie of megaswill.

Last week I had a couple of sessions drinking only LCPA. I was impressed both times at the lack of hangover, even compared to my own HB.

 

[Wortgames]

I have a firmly held belief that hops are somewhat involved in my hangovers.

If a beer gives me a disproportionate hangover it will probably be a really hoppy one, or one where the hop 'content' has come from chemically processed hop extract like most megaswill.

Maybe there is a certain personal predisposition involved, but a well-hopped beer that has been brewed 'properly' (ie, real hops added in 'normal' quantities) usually leave me fine. Certain microbreweries 'IPA's that are packed full of pellets (if not iso) will almost certainly make me a bit crook the next day.

 

[tangent]

some bloke tried to tell me hangovers had nothing to do with alcohol and he in fact suffered with "hop poisoning".
I took note of the exits and backed away smiling and nodding.
That's why red wine hangovers are so enjoyable.

 

[Wortgames]

Oh make no mistake, alcohol is the main offender - I'm just saying that there are other players involved. Some beers I can tell from just one sip that I'll be suffering in the morning - I don't get that from wine or anything else.

 

[PistolPatch]

I like your hop theory Wortgames. This explains the massive hangovers after any QLD brewer's meet :wacko:

 

[tangent]

maybe it's isohop then
because i'll go to town at the wheaty on LC beers and wake up in a gutter somewhere feeling on top of the world.

 

[capretta]

Other than a very small amount of sulfur dioxide (occurs naturally but breweries often 'top-up' to the limit), no preservative can be added to beer.

Preservative 220 (sulphur dioxide) is exactly what my "hangover theory" has been based on . the fact that im a homebrewer is due to my theory... i used to occasionally suffer all day crippling sickness from totally disproportionate amounts of alcohol. 6 schooners would lay me up for 15 hours :blink: but 3 days later (for example) i could drink 14+ with no real effects (aside from normal) . i have never been able to eat cheap sausages and dont even talk to me about frankfurts.. red wine also causes me pain and i found that all these items share (sulphur dioxide) 220.

LINK

i searched around for a preservative free beer (Coopers) and then got into homebrewing, and here i am today!!!

:chug: Still suffering hangovers, but at least they seem more proportional ( just seems fairer!)


$0.02

 

[PistolPatch]

Good post Capretta!

I love tasting and smelling red wine and hoppy beers but not consuming them in quantity due to the resulting hangover. But, far worse, as there is no upside, are nearly all mainstream beers. Do you reckon they have a heap of 220 or isohop?

I used to be able to handle them fine up until about the age of 30. Now, 12 years later, no chance

 

[Kai]

Preservative 220 (sulphur dioxide) is exactly what my "hangover theory" has been based on . the fact that im a homebrewer is due to my theory... i used to occasionally suffer all day crippling sickness from totally disproportionate amounts of alcohol. 6 schooners would lay me up for 15 hours :blink: but 3 days later (for example) i could drink 14+ with no real effects (aside from normal) . i have never been able to eat cheap sausages and dont even talk to me about frankfurts.. red wine also causes me pain and i found that all these items share (sulphur dioxide) 220.

LINK

i searched around for a preservative free beer (Coopers) and then got into homebrewing, and here i am today!!!

:chug: Still suffering hangovers, but at least they seem more proportional ( just seems fairer!)
$0.02

Too many dried apricots must give you a pounding headache the next day too.

 

[Stuster]

Too many dried apricots must give you a pounding headache the next day too.

That's why he's a homedrier too. :lol:

 

[Jazzafish]

Interesting...

What type of hangover are we talking about?

The I feel tired and worn out?
The I feel tired and sore and have a huge headache?
The I just threw up and felt fine after that?
The I'm throwing up every 10mins and can't keep down food or water?
The emergency ward is expecting my arrival any time now?

I have had some nasty hangovers, but none bad enough for a hospital or doctor visit. Homebrew has never given me a very bad hangover. Sure I have been sore and tired after a big session, but I'd be sore and tired if I did half of the drunken adventures without sleep had I been sober. Never had a hangover to the scale of a VB session gone crazy (pre homebrew days). That was very close to a hospital visit.

I recon fermentation temps have a big part in the hangover percentage of home brew. Perservatives add to this in swill. Iso hops... possibly... perservatives (other than hops) more than likely

 

[albrews]

Interesting...

What type of hangover are we talking about?

The I feel tired and worn out?
The I feel tired and sore and have a huge headache?
The I just threw up and felt fine after that?
The I'm throwing up every 10mins and can't keep down food or water?
The emergency ward is expecting my arrival any time now?

I have had some nasty hangovers, but none bad enough for a hospital or doctor visit. Homebrew has never given me a very bad hangover. Sure I have been sore and tired after a big session, but I'd be sore and tired if I did half of the drunken adventures without sleep had I been sober. Never had a hangover to the scale of a VB session gone crazy (pre homebrew days). That was very close to a hospital visit.

I recon fermentation temps have a big part in the hangover percentage of home brew. Perservatives add to this in swill. Iso hops... possibly... perservatives (other than hops) more than likely

hi,
woolies stores now stock "fruit sugar" for the old ,late at night mistake of 1 more for the road.
picked some up the other day just in case i need it.
cheers

 

[capretta]

Interesting...

What type of hangover are we talking about?
The I'm throwing up every 10mins and can't keep down food or water?
The emergency ward is expecting my arrival any time now?

ha, if only i could make it to the emergency ward!!! seriously tho, the first time it happened i drank no more than 8 schooners over 4-5 hours and the next morning i had a bad headache which soon turned to spewing every 15 mins for 14 hours!! i thought i was poisoned!!!
i wasnt keen to repeat that marathon performance but i did and though they were quite rare, it was often enough to be able to not attribute it to external causes (Al la late night dodgy lamb sanga).

i did half a biomed degree and had heard of allergies to sulphates etc ( not just related to asthma) and over time developed my own theory that seems to work for me. I get strong headaches from sausages/ franks wine etc and i cant vouch for dried apricots cause i generally dont eat fruit (vegies for me!!) well at least not 8 schooners worth..

its not something im anal about and if a mate offers me a vb\new and a sausage sandwich i will eat and drink (with as much gusto as vb\new inspires) no prob, but i will be mindful,

" Do not go and overindulge in megaswill and sausages! "
( a good life-rule in any case )

to those who suffer similar hangovers to which i described, maybe you could trial a month on preservative free (220) beers and see if that helps at all, as i would be interested in your experiences.. a good excuse for a couple of cases of coopers longnecks if ever i heard :chug:

 

[Cortez The Killer]

I've honestly never had a hang over from my brews - maybe felt a little dry in the morning - but never a headache or anything like that.

Commercials knock be about significantly though :wacko:

Another factor is probably don't hit the homebrew quiet as hard as i used to when i drank commercial beers at the pub.

If I am out - I'll try and stick to coopers sparkling - which has never (by itself) caused me grief :chug:

Cheers

 

[chimera]

It is my (rather well) researched opinion that homebrew is truly capable of inflicting as nasty a hangover as any other alcoholic beverage.

My research has also shown the results to be quite predictable and repeatable, but will vary greatly depending what is being consumed.

I wonder whether it would be possible to write a post graduate thesis on hangovers.... might be i can time my 'study' to coincide with the next Ashes tour of England

Now.. back to my research.

 

[capretta]

heh heh get into it, but please dont misunderstand that i mean you DONT get hangovers from not drinking preservatives in beer. i would find it hard to believe anybody who says they have NEVER got a hangover from drinking homebrew. If you drink 9 or so litres of 5% a.b.v beer you are still poisoning yourself!!! dehydration at the very least would provide some annoying side effects.
i just believe that the hangover is PROPORTIONAL to the beer you drink..

 

[Mr Bond]

Don't know if they count as preservatives or simply additives, but I know for a fact that Sodium Met, Potassium Carbonate and Ascorbic acid are all added to at least one of the mega brews here in Aus.

Small amounts indeed. But go in they do.

And they would be in most softdrinks as well!And they don't give hangovers,unless of course they are mixed with alcohol

For the record ,too much of any boozy beverage gives me a hangover,HB included.
i think Dig makes a good point.

 

[paul]

I used to be able to drink VB until I couldnt walk and I never got a hangover.

This changed about 5 years ago. After 2 stubbies I had a headache that felt like my heads in a vice. I started drinking Carlton Draught and didnt get hungover. After about six months I had the same reaction to it.

I changed to drinking Coopers and never got hungover.

Im now into homebrew and dont get hungover from it.

If i drink spirits I get heart burn after 3/4 of a bottle. Home made spirits dont give me heartburn.

A few years ago I did a tour of Cascade brewery and was told the beer ferments for 3 days. The whole processs is 5 days from grain to being in a bottle or keg. What chemicals do they use to get a lager to ferment out that quick?

 

[Thirsty Boy]

And they would be in most softdrinks as well!And they don't give hangovers,unless of course they are mixed with alcohol

For the record ,too much of any boozy beverage gives me a hangover,HB included.
i think Dig makes a good point.

Yeah, I just thought it conflicted with the notion that they weren't "allowed" to put preservatives in beer. except for S02, which by the way, they dont actually add at the brewerry to which I refer. Not that theres none there, but they dont add it..

A few years ago I did a tour of Cascade brewery and was told the beer ferments for 3 days. The whole processs is 5 days from grain to being in a bottle or keg. What chemicals do they use to get a lager to ferment out that quick?

They dont particulary use chemicals, beyond some yeast nutrient (zinc sulphite) they use specialized proprietary yeast, lots of it, high temperatures and filtering helps a lot.

Thirsty

 

[hockadays]

I was at the cascade brewery the other day and noticed all there fermenters at 17degc. Clean ALE strain of yeast I think...