Homebrew Laced With Acid Kills 51 Kenyans

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Doc

Doctor's Orders Brewing
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That is some seriously bad brewing techniques :angry:

Doc

Homebrew laced with acid kills 51 Kenyans
By Mike Pflanz in Nairobi
(Filed: 29/06/2005)

Kenyan police cracked down on illegal shebeens yesterday after 51 drinkers died and a dozen were blinded by homebrew laced with battery acid and methanol.

Last night, 180 mostly male drinkers were in hospitals in Machakos and Nairobi and the death toll could rise, said medical officials.

The brew was sold at a drinks stall in Machakos town slums, 40 miles south-east of Nairobi. Residents wrecked stores of homebrew as the deaths mounted on Sunday, forcing traders to flee.

President Mwai Kibaki ordered an inquiry into the illicit alcohol trade yesterday, authorising police to storm property suspected of being used as illegal breweries.

"We must as a nation seriously reflect on the circumstances under which so many people died at the hands of greedy brewers of this lethal brew," he said.

A half-litre bottle of beer from a licensed brewery costs about 65 Kenya shillings (48p), a day's wage for most ordinary Kenyans. The moonshine homebrew, distilled from fermented maize or sorghum then mixed with methanol, battery acid or solvents, sells for 10 shillings at slum stalls.

Methanol attacks the central nervous system, including the optical nerve, which causes the blindness common in small overdoses.

Higher intakes shut brain function, leading to mental confusion, extreme dizziness, nausea, coma and death. In 2000, 134 people died in a similar incident.
 
So the Kenyan Govt has a plan.
From here including more info
Anyone want to setup a brewery in Kenya ?

Beers,
Doc

Plan for cheap safe beer

The Cabinet is considering licensing an affordable and safe beer to stop Kenyans from consuming killer brews, Local Government Minister Musikari Kombo said yesterday.

Pastor Joel Macharia Nganga prays for Jackson Wanjala, who has been blinded by the lethal kuona mbee at the Machakos District Hospital yesterday. The brew has killed 50 people.

Reacting to the death of 50 people after consuming a brew believed to be laced with methanol, the minister said the affordable beer matter had been discussed by the Council of Ministers chaired by the President and was awaiting a final decision.

Such a drink would render the dangerous brews unpopular.

"Although we do not want a nation of drinking citizens, it is now deemed necessary to come up with a policy to facilitate the manufacture and sale of cheap and tested brews," said Kombo.
 
Coodgee said:
what the hell is the point of putting battery acid in the beer? why the hell would you do that?
[post="65383"][/post]​
MONEY!

I believe that even early pioneer brewers in Australia used acid in their first beers. They tried many crazy things to change the flavour and make them more drinkable. (can't remember where I read that, think it was in a book on the history of Australian brewerys, will try and find out)
The same thing happened with moonshiners during prohibition in the US. Because they can get their hands on methanol very cheaply they add it to the moonshine to try and make a quick buck. They think along the lines of - if they're caught they're in big trouble anyway so what's the difference.
 
Coodgee said:
what the hell is the point of putting battery acid in the beer? why the hell would you do that?
[post="65383"][/post]​

Lowering sparge pH maybe!
 
Hoops said:
Coodgee said:
what the hell is the point of putting battery acid in the beer? why the hell would you do that?
[post="65383"][/post]​
MONEY!

I believe that even early pioneer brewers in Australia used acid in their first beers. They tried many crazy things to change the flavour and make them more drinkable. (can't remember where I read that, think it was in a book on the history of Australian brewerys, will try and find out)......
[post="65385"][/post]​

What the hell do you mean 'early'??
 
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