1 dead 3 critical

[QLD.Andy]

On the news tonight they said the guys were drinking home made grappa but no mention of it on the news site:
http://www.news.com.au/national-news/qu ... 6660883546
Just goes to show, complete dumb fucks shouldnt have stills 8-}

[Distillnation]

Seems a little odd that they are classing it as a "mystery illness". If it was alcohol poisoning (or related chemicals in the foreshots), then you would think it would be easy to detect. Not to mention the fact that one of the guys would surely have said they were drinking high proof alcohol.

Interested to hear more on this, myself.

[Sam.]

I would hope anybody on this forum would realise that these fucking jokers were doing something extremley wrong.

Even if you listen to the HBS and keep everything out of your still, it isn't going to kill you, may give you a bad hangover but fuck all.

The deadshits in the story were probably taking other drugs and it was put down as alcohol because it's legal,

Good comment though that the other guys starting feeling sick, probably happened about the the same time the cops showed up :laughing-rolling:

[jamjar]

Looks like a second one is dead.
http://www.stanthorpeborderpost.com.au/ ... s/1900423/

As you said it has to be something more that home made spirits - unless they mixed it with something like radiator coolant for more of a kick.

[Kimbo]

I would hope anybody on this forum would realise that these fucking jokers were doing something extremley wrong.

Even if you listen to the HBS and keep everything out of your still, it isn't going to kill you, may give you a bad hangover but fuck all.

The deadshits in the story were probably taking other drugs and it was put down as alcohol because it's legal,

Good comment though that the other guys starting feeling sick, probably happened about the the same time the cops showed up :laughing-rolling:

:text-+1:
I remember when I first started, the sheila in the HBS told me to use the Turbo Triple distilled yeast coz it doesnt produce heads.
Her words were " that's what I use with my Airstill" :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead:
And this Tragedy is what happens when people are either misinformed or profit driven :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead:

[MacStill]

it would be nice to know the "absolute" truth, however I doubt we'll ever hear it.

next news bulletin will be "crack" down on moonshine in Australia due to increased death rates from methanol consumption.

Whatever the truth is I'll bet we're in for some bad press.

I really do feel for their families and wish them well, and agree it's unacceptable people die from drinking spirits made by uneducated people....

A sad day for the hobby distiller, the press wont have it any other way :cry:

[Sam.]

I would bet the people that are left know it wasnt from a dogey drink.

When I first started making spirits we used the fucking most basic pot still, chucked the first 50ml then kept everything and drank.

Yeah obviously a bit rough but didn't kill me. I would put it to you that you could drink a fair portion of foreshots (if you were that retarded) and it wouldnt kill you.



End of story, bloked don't die from home brew spirits

[QLD.Andy]

I got a funny/gut feeling we wont hear a lot more about this story.
Dont know why just do is all

[Distillnation]

Here's the article where they are said to be drinking grappa. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/nation ... 6661107491

I hope in a couple days we will know what really happened, assuming the ones that are left get back to full health.

All the other stories are now labeling it as a "bad batch of homebrew spirits". I guess that's what happens when one word slips up, and the police won't say anything about it. The media just goes nuts reading up on wikipedia. (hence the grappa article)

[jasonc2861]

Geezuz must have been a big batch of bad grappa to do that.i think there's more in this.as usual big brother(media) will just say whatever anyway for the masses to consume as truth of course.those guys should have joined a forum,like this awsome one :handgestures-thumbupleft: ,and it would be all good!!

[crow]

If they died of alcohol or methanol poisoning it wouldn't be any mystery that is for certain and the media would be all over it that is also for certain. My first guess would be drugs

[Distillnation]

http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news ... s/1900423/

Looks like they are doing an analysis to determine what caused it. Will finally get to know the truth.

[MacStill]

Snr Const Armbruster said the spirits the men were drinking before falling ill were "pretty much moonshine".

He advised others from being tempted to consume unknown substances.

"Unless you know what is in it and the strength, I would avoid touching any of it - some of this stuff you can use to run race cars," he said

Goes to show what Snr Const Armbruster knows, what a crock of shit :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead: :angry-banghead:

[jasonc2861]

http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/man-dies-after-drinking-homebrewed-spirits/1900423/

Looks like they are doing an analysis to determine what caused it. Will finally get to know the truth.

Yer just read that.no good realy,bloody idiots,there family will suffer,but anyway,what would be the typical scenario for this to happen to these guys in all seriousness?not knowing the facts yet of course,would it have been a massive pot still,the keeped the fore shots,chucked the rest?mixed it with some heroin maybe???

[Distillnation]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-10/o ... pa/4743090

Looks like for the timebeing they are labelling it as "Methanol Poisoning".

I particularly like this quote:

"In our country, Australia, where you can buy legally prepared alcohols so very, very cheaply, there's not a major economic incentive to get home brew," he said.

I don't know where he is shopping, but I certainly wouldn't say you can buy (good spirits) "very, very cheaply".

This quote is pretty spot on for quite a few though:

"I think most people are doing it because it's a hobby and they like it rather than because it's the cheapest way to get alcohol.

That kind of attitude could be what leads to making it legal. The fact that we do it because it's a hobby and we enjoy it. We aren't all out to make a quick buck.

[bcg1976]

In our country, Australia, where you can buy legally prepared alcohols so very, very cheaply, there's not a major economic incentive to get home brew," he said.

I do like a good out-of-touch academic...

(Disclaimer: I am a science PhD)

[MacStill]

Gotta hate the generalisations in that report, the poor souls that died recently in Asia had their alcohol cut with methanol.... it wasnt home distilled spirits that killed them :naughty:

Another concerning factor is the reports mention grappa, but not any equipment or other findings that prove "home distilled grappa" actually killed anyone, yet the findings do suggest methanol poisoning.

At 5 am the coppers got to the scene, one was unable to be saved... I'll bet they were pissed as farts and found uncles big bottle of uncut/90% ABV foreshots or something along those lines and traces of methanol were found after blood tests.

Typically a pot stilled grappa even if it had no cuts done would not kill even if drank straight from the still, it just doesnt produce 100% methanol at any stage of the distilling process, and the fact remains that with our hobby type stills it's near on impossible to produce methanol strong enough in any quantity to kill......

There's many facts missing from these reports, ones that shouldnt be ignored, let alone slamming the hobby distiller :angry-banghead:

[db1979]

From what I've read about methanol poisoning, everyone has a different tolerance level and that some people croak it off a small amount while others can handle quite a bit. It would seem very unlikely then that all of these blokes would all react in the same way to methanol in home made (uncut) spirits. Like others have already mentioned, something else like drugs is probably playing a bigger part in all this. Time will tell I guess.

[MacStill]

I don't think the drugs comments are warranted here yet guys, there has been no mention of it by the press or investigating officers to even suggest it.

I am certain if drugs were a factor we'd be reading comments from the press like illicit cocktail kills etc etc, and lets not forget that someones family has been destroyed, and if home distilling was a factor contributing to these unfortunate souls, it's quite possible a grieving father/uncle/brother/mother etc could possibly be a member here.

The focus here should be responsive to the fact that home hobby distilling is quite safe if practiced correctly, and that our hobby is no more dangerous than surfing or swimming, fishing, diving, motor bikes and all those other hazardous hobbies people indulge in, where death rates far outweigh those of the home hobby distiller.

Lets keep it real please.

I offer my sincerest condolences to those affected by this terrible situation.

Mac.

[Brendan]

:text-+1: Well said Mac