Interesting that right now the poll says that 16.7% of those polled are allergic to hops. On a beer site! That's perseverance! Granted, people that aren't allergic are likely to skip the thread and poll, so the actual percentage for all BAs is likely single digits.
Hilarious timing, as I was just discussing this with a peer who also drinks far too much beer over the weekend (also my brew buddy). I will occasionally hit a Lager or IPA and halfway through, my sinus clogs up like it does when i have other allergic bs (my cat and dogs, for example). Too lazy and no interest to get tested for it, and I don;t avoid any beer styles either. If I had to guess, I'd say 10-15% of beers will trigger something.
I don't have an allergy to hops but I have a son & a friend who are. If they drink any beer that is more than about 30-35 IBUs they get stomach cramps. So, both are switching to lighter IBU beers. This is a reason IBUs on a beer is important.
I’ve never been medically checked for it and based on my consumption and the effects on me I’d clearly assume NOT.
Certain hops make my nose itch. Sabro is one example, Krush as well. Often it is hard to identify as beers will have several different hops, but I have also noticed it with certain beers with new hop strains without a name yet such as HBC xxx etc.. which makes it harder to remember.
Milkshake/hazy lactose bombs tend to give me explosive diarrhea. This has made me very selective about the IPAs I drink.
You raise a point I once wanted to mention, spicy beers give me diarrhea as well… but it’s certainly not pretty enough to start a thread on BA.
I think it's worth noting that beer, alcohol generally, contains histamine that I personally seem to be becoming more sensitive to as I age. I've always had seasonal allergies, so I know precisely when they're starting to flare up. But it's starting to happen outside of seasonal events, particularly when I'm drinking or the next morning even if it was only one or two drinks. It's especially worse with wine, it seems, but hits with beer too. Runny or stuffy nose, itchy skin and throat, dull pain/swollen eyes, migraine, all the greatest hits.
I'm a professional brewer so I'm exposed to large amounts of hops all of the time. After I've opened a bag, and I go to reseal it, I usually put it against my chest and roll it to get the air out of it before I seal it up. That's the easiest way for me to get it really tight and then hold onto it so I can tape over the opening. Unfortunately quite often that'll send a whole lot of hop dust up into my face - in my nose, in my mouth, and in my eyes. If I was allergic I'd definitely be dead by now.
I've considered keeping track of hops to see if some are more problematic, but I'm still going to drink the beer so it doesn't matter.
I sometimes get sneezy, drippy, etc. from Stouts on tap. I think there was a thread on this subject several years ago.
My mother in law was never a big drinker, but about 15 years ago, she developed a really strong allergy to alcohol. Her face would turn red, she would start sneezing like crazy and even get hives, so no more alcohol for her.
Interesting, too. I just believe we drink less as we age, whether because we become more self-conscious about its likely dangers in the long run (especially in large quantities) or we just lose taste for it. Neither my parents are drinkers to any standards and now are pretty much totally sober. Odd drink for the rare festivities and that’s it.
Another thing to consider is trying the line of Dogfish Head IPAs, 30 minute, 60 minute, 90 minute, and 120 minute. One per day so you recover between them. You may only find 60 and 90, and it may not be the perfect test since the hop bill and timing/sequence probably differs. If it's a compound released from the hops in the boil, the higher minute boil should impact your sinuses more than the lower minute boil.
