Expert: Ed Westemeier - 10/17/2005

Question
Thank you for your help with this matter.
May I ask, which other breweries are very high
with this problematic yeast strain?

Followup To
Question -
Hello.
Is it true that certain beers have byproducts that cause headaches?
I found that Budweiser and other beers from Anheasur(sp?) Busch give me bad headaches.
A friend of mine says the same thing.
He switched to Coors, and no more headaches for him. Before I make the switch, I'd like to ask if there is any truth to his theory.
Thank you.

Answer -
Unfortunately (for them), it is true.
There is a chemical that causes headaches for about 1 person in every 15. It's a natural byproduct of certain strains of brewer's yeast, not something that is added to the beer. Switching to the products of a different brewery that uses a different strain of yeast for their fermentation will often clear up the problem.

Even though the breweries that have this difficulty are aware of it, they don't change their yeast because doing so would also change the flavor of their beer.

I should mention that every strain of brewer's yeast produces this chemical byproduct, but only a few of them have it at such a high level that it affects people. The Anheuser-Busch breweries just happen to be one of the highest.  

Answer
It wouldn't be very useful to compile a list like that, and I don't think anyone has actually tried. The reason is that sensitivity to any chemical depends on the individual. What seems like a lot to me might not even register for someone else.

The only thing I can say to help you is that the chemical we're talking about here is called acetaldehyde, and it is frequently described as having an aroma and/or flavor that reminds people of green apples, or sometimes fresh pumpkin. If you can detect that aroma/flavor in a beer, you should avoid it, because that means it's above your personal threshold. Since acetaldehyde is actually toxic to humans, you want as little as possible in your beer (although you can't avoid it completely).

Most American lager beers are subject to this problem, but Anheuser-Busch seems to be the major one, due to their brewing techniques (very short lagering period) and ingredients (that characteristic yeast).

Hope that helps.
Ed