I tried my first Brett beer with dinner tonight (specifically New Belgium/Lost Abbey Lips of Faith - Brett Beer: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/192/81733), and without going into too much detail I did NOT react very well. I'm not 100% sure that it was from the beer; it could've been something I had with dinner, though there wasn't anything out of the ordinary there - just the beer. So I'm just wondering, has anyone here had any allergic reactions to Brett? I definitely plan to give it another try at some point either way - just thought I'd see if this were a common problem.
What were the symptoms you experienced? Honestly, its hard to say what the cause was and if it was an allergy or an intolerance without any details. I believe it would be possible to list vague details without going overboard .
Pretty intense cramps and nausea. It was 1 beer in so not too much alcohol, and I'm male so it wasn't that time of the month, to rule those out.
Interesting. Ever had Orval? Try that and Logsdon Seizoen Bretta. Those both are beers with Brett, are more than incredible beers and should give you a good idea if it is indeed Brettanomyces.
Also don't rule out that it could have been a "bad" improperly stored beer. I once had a Duvel that made me incredibly sick even though i have no tolerance issues with Duvel in general. It is rare but i think it happens.
I want to learn. What is "enteropathegenic characteristics" near 7.5% abv, and your reasoning for ethanol and enteric pathogens. I am very intrigued. Thanks harrymel.
Hey devlishdamsel, I agree with you! Everytime that I have a couple of Duvels (I'm never able to drink only one or two) I also start having strange reactions. It starts with a very good sensation but then I start to loose my balance, I start to talk nonsense and a lot, in a worst stage I can fall down or vomit... Ok, ok, just kidding
Enterococcus can easily survive in an environment with ethanol. They love harsh environments. However, I would hardly call 3.5% harsh. Hell, almost any bacteria can easily survive at 3.5%. I know you said you were too lazy to look up an ethanol concentration that inhibits survival, but stating 3.5% is silly. Disinfectant sprays I use while making IVs are 70%. A better explanation lies within an opportunistic infection. Perhaps the weaker harmless bacteria/yeast are overrun in an environment with an unknown concentration of alcohol. Giving a yellow brick road for something more harmful.
I'm not sure that it was the brett that got you sick. This beer (if it was the New Belgian version) was pasteurized. Is it still possible to react to something that is pasteurized? http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-belgium-and-lost-abbey’s-brett-beer-reportedly-“accidentally-pasteurized”.32621/
Honestly, sounds more likely from the food. It depends on what you had, but the organisms that make you ill in that time frame specifically, with those symptoms, are more commonly found in improperly handled, prepared, or stored food than liquids.
If you look at most probiotics you will find that they have similar bugs as most sours. IE the Brett beer was probably just helping your body along in the same way one of these probiotics would.
Knowledge. I was holding back until I read this. Yeah, you wouldn't say to a doctor, nurse, or anyone sticking you with a needle or cutting you open, "Make sure you scrub my skin with some 3.5% alcohol before doing that." LOL! The standard alcohol preps used for blood draws are required to be at least 70%. (They're actually isopropyl in most cases.) And those aren't even strong enough for performing blood or other body fluid cultures. In those cases a minute of scrubbing with chlorhexidine and then iodine is typically in order. Anyway, the point is that many pathogens don't just give up when they encounter a little alcohol, otherwise we would be going to the liquor store to treat infections.
Beer is safe to drink, bad stuff doesn't live in beer. Beer, along with dogs and grandparents, helped civilization to get started for this exact reason. I suppose that saying it is absolutely impossible for an infection that causes an upset stomach to ever, under any circumstances, be present in a low alcohol beer would be too much to say, but modern brewing practices and the nature of the yeast used in fermenting makes it so unlikely as to be the absolutely least likely of any and all possiblities. Not a doctor nor nurse, but I have read this enough to believe it, and if I have been misinformed someone is sure to chime in. OTOH if you drink too much it can cause problems. Too much alcohol may make you feel crappy, and too much brett and/or associated bugs in sours, wilds, lambics, and Berliner weisses can also give you a whopper of an upset stomach.
Funny that someone else has had a bad experience with a Lips of Faith series beer. I won't tell my story again, but La Follie is a sworn enemy of mine. I've had a couple of minor reactions with Unibroue beers - swelling and itching of lips and tongue. No problems with any other beers. It is possible that Brett is no friend of yours, but I would seek out another source and be your own lab rat before making that assumption.
Back on topic, I have had allergic reactions (facial swelling, stuffed nose, sneezing) to some sours. I have ruled brett out completely, beers like brett beer, mo betta bretta, sofie, and wwb series have never given me a problem. My issue seems to be with either pedio or lacto bugs. That being said, I would try another brett beer to be sure. I still sneak sours in on occasion, and some don't affect me at all, and sometimes they do. But to write off sours and wild beers altogether would be terrible, just terrible.
