Death by Homebrew

[Adr_0]

The only way they could have died from undoctored distilled spirit from wine or grape skins is if they overdosed on ethanol. As in drinking litres of high proof.

There is nothing in wine that will kill you except ethanol and there is nothing in distilled wine except wine.

...and methanol.

 

[Parks]

...and methanol.

There is a 0% chance that this happened unless they were using lab grade equipment to separate methanol from ethanol and were deliberately keeping and consuming it.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Topping up the brew with metho (or antifreeze)? I'm no expert, but I am curious.

 

[Adr_0]

There is a 0% chance that this happened unless they were using lab grade equipment to separate methanol from ethanol and were deliberately keeping and consuming it.

Not saying they separated it from the ethanol (you're right, a lot of stages in a distillation column needed for that) but that it was probably produced in a decent proportion if they are using fruit (pectin). Dunno, pretty sure acetone or glycol would kill you just as dead...

 

[Rowy]

What I can tell you is that your talking banjo country where that property was. Could have been trying to cut / improve / mix it with anything.

 

[tricache]

Topping up the brew with metho (or antifreeze)? I'm no expert, but I am curious.

Same here...that sounds pretty crazy

 

[Parks]

Not saying they separated it from the ethanol (you're right, a lot of stages in a distillation column needed for that) but that it was probably produced in a decent proportion if they are using fruit (pectin). Dunno, pretty sure acetone or glycol would kill you just as dead...

Even in the most likely situations (like a wine or cider high in pectins) they would have to consume the methanol from something like 400L of cider/wine (I'm not sure on the exact volume but it's rediculous).

Antifreeze sounds like a very likely culprit. Very interested to hear the findings (they probably won't tell us).

 

[bum]

There are some on this site who have led very sheltered lives me thinks. I say that on a whole number of levels.........

You may have missed the one about the child sex-slave trade.

 

[tallie]

You're a good guy mate, but it's obvious that you really do know little about distilling. As i said earlier in the thread, if they had drunk all heads, they would have suffered nothing more than a severe headache and a baaaad hangover.

The only way they could have died from undoctored distilled spirit from wine or grape skins is if they overdosed on ethanol. As in drinking litres of high proof.

There is nothing in wine that will kill you except ethanol and there is nothing in distilled wine except wine.



I'd be very keen to hear that interview and how you portrayed you knowledge of distillation while diferentiating between homebrewing and home distilling. Please post a link.
There is a very wide base of the community who would love to see true information disseminated and a movement for legalisation of the hobby.

Sorry, I'm not sure if they'll post a recording. It should be here if they do: http://www.abc.net.au/southqld/programs/southern_queensland_mornings/

I tried not to comment on distillation, as I have no experience on the matter. I did mention that methanol can be present in all alcoholic beverages, albeit at very low levels. My source for this is http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc196.htm#SubSectionNumber:2.4.1:

Greizerstein (1981) utilized GC-FID and GC-MS for the analysis of
alcohols, aldehydes and esters in commercial beverages (beers, wines,
distilled spirits). ... Methanol was found at
levels of 6-27 mg/litre beer; 96-321 mg/litre in wines and
10-220 mg/litre in distilled spirits.

My reference for methanol toxicity was Wikipedia (lame, I know), and mentioned at those rates, we're talking 100's of litres of wine or 1000's of litres of beer for permanent damage.

 

[chefeffect]

Sorry, I'm not sure if they'll post a recording. It should be here if they do: http://www.abc.net.au/southqld/programs/southern_queensland_mornings/

I tried not to comment on distillation, as I have no experience on the matter. I did mention that methanol can be present in all alcoholic beverages, albeit at very low levels. My source for this is http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc196.htm#SubSectionNumber:2.4.1:

My reference for methanol toxicity was Wikipedia (lame, I know), and mentioned at those rates, we're talking 100's of litres of wine or 1000's of litres of beer for permanent damage.

If you email the abc they will email an mp3 of the recording. Just Google the program you where on and you should find an email address I have received a recording from centralvic abc in the past. They will tell you not to share on any other media platform with out permission but you can email or PM people the recording.

 

[Scobieb]

Yeah read this story about a week okay, it was spirits they were making.

 

[tricache]

Has anyone else been coping the "homebrew = crap" a bit more than usual since this happened...I think I have had about 10 guys at work give me sh*t about homebrew beer and thought it might have been me or "I always knew that homebrew stuff was pretty bad" ect <_<

 

[pcmfisher]

I would suggest the damage was done by drinking high proof (80 -90%) alcohol.
Doesn't really matter whether its ethanol, methanol or what ever, you might as well be drinking petrol.

 

[Parks]

Has anyone else been coping the "homebrew = crap" a bit more than usual since this happened...I think I have had about 10 guys at work give me sh*t about homebrew beer and thought it might have been me or "I always knew that homebrew stuff was pretty bad" ect <_<

Nope. My work mates rate my beer much higher than I do. I keep saying it's because I know the faults etc but they don't care.

The term "home brew" has been pretty badly tarnished by all manner of brewing. IMO in 10 years it should have turned around with the wealth of knowledge easily available today.

 

[Adr_0]

Even in the most likely situations (like a wine or cider high in pectins) they would have to consume the methanol from something like 400L of cider/wine (I'm not sure on the exact volume but it's rediculous).

Antifreeze sounds like a very likely culprit. Very interested to hear the findings (they probably won't tell us).

Are you saying they didn't consume 400+ litres...

Got it. Have never looked at the numbers (i.e. ~0.5-2%) produced, but have heard a hell of a lot of stories about people being 'body drunk' off similar stuff (grappa, fruit brandies) and of course blindness and death where methanol has copped the blame.... fairly/unfairly or accurately I don't know. With a mean lethal dose of about 80mL they would have needed to hit 4L of the stuff...

Or, 15-20mL of antifreeze (ethylene glycol)...

 

[tricache]

Nope. My work mates rate my beer much higher than I do. I keep saying it's because I know the faults etc but they don't care.

The term "home brew" has been pretty badly tarnished by all manner of brewing. IMO in 10 years it should have turned around with the wealth of knowledge easily available today.

I work with a lot of Corona, VB and Miller Lite people...I now see the problem <_<

 

[Parks]

Are you saying they didn't consume 400+ litres...

That's 400L before distillation. Very rough numbers but yeah, I'm saying they didn't (couldn't) possibly drink that much.

As Rowy alluded they may not be from the highest socioeconomic background either...

 

[Dave70]

I blame the current spate of DIY programs airing on the Fox network.

http://youtu.be/rMauhz9V_Ck

 

[Rowy]

You may have missed the one about the child sex-slave trade.

And where was that? I saw some blokes having a joke or two about adult females.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

And where was that? I saw some blokes having a joke or two about adult females.

I saw it about a millisecond before it was deleted by Brad, Rowy.

Started as "get a 2nd wife, used model" to "get a 2nd wife, used model plus kids" and escalated from there. It was pretty crass, not the usual AHB smut that we're all used to.

 

[Rowy]

I'm pretty sure everyone was talking about the wife.

 

[Florian]

Rowy, those posts came after the ones you mentioned and were fortunately promptly deleted.

I'm all for bad jokes and often don't agree with the moderation on here but that post was just outright disgusting.

Nothing to do with sheltered lives.

EDIT: beaten, and no, this post was not about the wife, bum's interpretation pretty much summed it up.

 

[sillyboybrybry]

Has anyone else been coping the "homebrew = crap" a bit more than usual since this happened...I think I have had about 10 guys at work give me sh*t about homebrew beer and thought it might have been me or "I always knew that homebrew stuff was pretty bad" ect <_<

Yes and I am not even at work - getting sent the news links on facebook and text messages.

Nope. My work mates rate my beer much higher than I do. I keep saying it's because I know the faults etc but they don't care.

The term "home brew" has been pretty badly tarnished by all manner of brewing. IMO in 10 years it should have turned around with the wealth of knowledge easily available today.

Most people I know that have issues with homebrew are the people that used to make it and I am guessing made it badly.

 

[Florian]

No need to repeat it all, LRG.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

No need to repeat it all, LRG.

Just deleted, long enough for Rowy to have a look, and you summed it up pretty well (and beat me).

I tried to explain it as reasonably as possible without being too detailed.

 

[sillyboybrybry]

I had a bit of a joke at the start but as it went along even I thought it was starting to go a bit far - and that is a long way gone for me.
Or maybe I am just getting older and more conservative?
Next thing you know I will be supporting Tony Abbott.

 

[Rowy]

No dramas missed what was posted later. All good. Might just hit the kitchen and have a brew!

 

[Rowy]

I have now read the later post and am disgusted. My apologies gents. Those that know me on here would know what I would have thought of that. I enjoy a joke and a dig but agree some things are just beyond laughing at.

 

[bum]

That's what I was saying.

 

[Mattress]

I enjoy a joke and a dig but agree some things are just beyond laughing at.

Totally agree, and I'm more twisted than the normal person.