Has Home Brew ever 'messed with your head' ?

[Personal91]

what about cider? try making that aswell.

another thing is are you eating cheese before you go to sleep or when drinking homebrew as this can lead to intense dreams and affect you the day after etc

 

[Ale]

I get that a lot and have a headache with what is called mental fog and mental fatigue right now. Sounds very much like you may have a food intolerance, like me.

What causes it for me is a food intolerance to sweetcorn (maize, corn) and it is possible a food intolerance to one of the ingredients causing it for you. You need to check the ingredients of the particular kits you did. With my corn intolerance there are literally hundreds of food additives made from it so it can be hard to identify. I also find if I have more I get affected worse so having a few pints could cause a build up. Dextrose and brew enhancer are corn sugar (and with corn its almost definitely genetically modified to kill rats and disease on contact but apparently fit for human consumption) so I have to be careful. It can also take a day or two to hit me but I can usually trace it to a mistake I've made with something I've eaten or drunk.

Have you ever had a reaction like this with food you've eaten? If so a common ingredient could help identify what it is.

 

[Grunaki]

I went to see my doctor. I told him the story and he said that it was a bit weird and asked if I was sure my brewing equipment was clean (etc) and I'm sure that it was.

He said that it's most likely an allergy to something in the mix and I should see if anyone else who would be willing to drink it had the same reaction.

But he said for now, seeing as the reaction seems to be going away by itself, (I've felt a fair bit better today), he would recommend that I don't drink it any more and he feels that it's not worth prescribing anything for it.

He said to give it a bit more time and to come back if I still feel like the weird feeling is still there in a few more days.

 

[Grunaki]

what about cider? try making that aswell.

another thing is are you eating cheese before you go to sleep or when drinking homebrew as this can lead to intense dreams and affect you the day after etc

I didn't eat any cheese. I have made cider before and it was pretty good - was thinking about doing another batch.

I get that a lot and have a headache with what is called mental fog and mental fatigue right now. Sounds very much like you may have a food intolerance, like me.

What causes it for me is a food intolerance to sweetcorn (maize, corn) and it is possible a food intolerance to one of the ingredients causing it for you. You need to check the ingredients of the particular kits you did. With my corn intolerance there are literally hundreds of food additives made from it so it can be hard to identify. I also find if I have more I get affected worse so having a few pints could cause a build up. Dextrose and brew enhancer are corn sugar (and with corn its almost definitely genetically modified to kill rats and disease on contact but apparently fit for human consumption) so I have to be careful. It can also take a day or two to hit me but I can usually trace it to a mistake I've made with something I've eaten or drunk.

Have you ever had a reaction like this with food you've eaten? If so a common ingredient could help identify what it is.

Yeah, that does sound like it, but I've never gotten this sensation from anything I've eaten before. (Other than the last time it happened, when I made Stout, obviously..)

I do have an intolerance to something they use as a preservative or flavour in Canada - I think it's Banana Pepper extract. I never came across those until I moved here, but then I got some on something once and had stomach cramps and diarrhea soon after.

I also notice that I sometimes get the same effect from some processed sauces and condiments over here, but I seem to have built up a tolerance as it hasn't happened in a long time.

I know I'm not allergic to Corn as I really enjoy corn on the cob and have never had a bad reaction to it.

It's funny you mention Dextrose though, as I used it as my gassing sugar in this batch - I was using regular white sugar before - and I used Spraymalt as my fermenting sugar this time, when last time I used liquid glucose.

Maybe that has something to do with it. Hmm. Maybe I should binge on Malt and see what happens.

 

[Personal91]

I didn't eat any cheese. I have made cider before and it was pretty good - was thinking about doing another batch.



Yeah, that does sound like it, but I've never gotten this sensation from anything I've eaten before. (Other than the last time it happened, when I made Stout, obviously..)

I do have an intolerance to something they use as a preservative or flavour in Canada - I think it's Banana Pepper extract. I never came across those until I moved here, but then I got some on something once and had stomach cramps and diarrhea soon after.

I also notice that I sometimes get the same effect from some processed sauces and condiments over here, but I seem to have built up a tolerance as it hasn't happened in a long time.

I know I'm not allergic to Corn as I really enjoy corn on the cob and have never had a bad reaction to it.

It's funny you mention Dextrose though, as I used it as my gassing sugar in this batch - I was using regular white sugar before - and I used Spraymalt as my fermenting sugar this time, when last time I used liquid glucose.

Maybe that has something to do with it. Hmm. Maybe I should binge on Malt and see what happens.

what was the kit out of interest + if cider youve brewed doesnt have a bad affect then i'd recommend making more of that :)

 

[DoctorMick]

Do you get it from commercial stouts or are they ok?

 

[Slid]

My guess is that the yeast that comes with your kits is a bit old and there are too few viable cells on pitching.

This leads to a "stressed yeast" which will produce more by-products on fermentation than is really desirable.

The fermentation "cycle" always involves some by-products on the way to converting sugar to ethanol and it is these by-products that "mess with the head".

Starting the brew at a relatively high temp will exacerbate the problem also.

My personal experiences lead me to give you an imperative, here:

Please, please just chuck the brew that is giving you problems.

If you want to brew again, make sure the yeast is well in date. If in doubt make a yeast starter to ensure there are sufficient yeast cells present at pitching to avoid yeast stress.

 

[GilBrew]

My dad used to go like that when drinking Caffreys Irish Ale in the mid 90's. He never did find out why and just avoids it. If it is one specific batch thats giving the issues I would just chuck it. As you make a decent cider just make that instead