Thank you everyone!

give it 2 weeks, then let it lager 2 or 3 more weeks before drinking. It's interesting to open a bottle after 2 weeks and check how it tastes, then open another 2 or 3 weeks later to see how the tastes change.

The way I can tell if the beer isn't ready yet is when you drink it, you get this massive headache, almost like a brain freeze or like you suddenly have a fever, but then it goes away in 5 minutes. That means the alcohol isn't ready. Once you can drink it without the massive headache, it's ready to drink, proudly share with friends and show your wife how much it was worth all the brew day mess.

My rule of thumb is that 5% beer is 4 to 6 weeks, 6% = 8 weeks, basically, for every extra 1%, add 2 to 4 extra weeks.

 

You are joking, right?

 

no, that's what's been my experience when I've tried to drink beer that hadn't finished lagering

 

So what do you think there is about the alcohol that's not ready?

 

Beats me, I'm not a chemist or biologist, it's just been my experience, and this "headache" didn't come with just a sip, but rather drinking almost 1/2 a 12 oz-er. It's always puzzled me why this affect occurs, after all alcohol is the same from week to week, isn't? Yet this has happened with almost every beer I've brewed since 1999, so that's how I learned when the beer was finally "drinkable." This has never happened to you?

 

No. I have had a big beer with traces of hot (probably fusel) alcohols that have smoothed out after aging. But no headaches. The thing is...if you have enough fusels to give you an instant headache, no amount of aging/conditioning/prayer is going to get rid of them. And I can't think of another chemical in beer that would cause a headache after half a beer.

 

Maybe you should see a doctor about your symptoms.

 

Lagering cleans up diacetyl and acetaldehyde, the later is known for headaches and hangovers.

 

My understanding is that acetaldehyde is indeed a factor in headaches, due to the human body metabolizing ethanol into acetaldehyde, but in larger amounts than would be present in beer. IOW, we make (not drink) the acetaldehyde that causes headaches. But assuming this understanding is wrong, how much acetaldhyde would have to be in the beer for a half glass to cause an instant headache?

FWIW, I taste my lagers before lagering, and haven't tasted any acetaldehyde.

 

Was saying that could be a cause. If you do a D-rest, that should help the clean up of acetaldehyde too.