StillSmart

Was wondering how many of you encounter the 'will it turn me blind' question when you offer your friends a tot of your spirit?

When I started out, it was a fear I held until I read enough good information on this craft.

I would probably reply "who said that !!"

I think this is normally said out of total
ignorance. Could be something to do with
old wives tails about potato whiskey and
moonshine in the 30's.
If someone is interested enough, I explain
in brief what we do,ie cuts etc.
It goes one of two ways from there.
Either an uuuhhur and a nod. Or a real
interest and a load of questions and
a somewhat slurred conversation after
some tasting.

I go with the old war time poster..."walls have ears"....the less said about what you do the better.....it only takes one slip from someone to say "I know this guy who makes his own".....just my 2 cents.

Icefever wrote:I go with the old war time poster..."walls have ears"....the less said about what you do the better.....it only takes one slip from someone to say "I know this guy who makes his own".....just my 2 cents.

Yeah. +1 to that

This topic (i.e. going blind) has gained traction in Australia recently due to an ongoing court case where a home-based grappa distiller was charged with killing his drinking friends. I will leave the case and its findings for those whom wish to 'google it' however.....

I simply remind friends whom ask me, that beyond my careful methodology regarding distillation/cuts, I am the first and majority consumer of my product, so

A reminder to us all to do it properly.

Frank wrote:This topic (i.e. going blind) has gained traction in Australia recently due to an ongoing court case where a home-based grappa distiller was charged with killing his drinking friends. I will leave the case and its findings for those whom wish to 'google it' however.....

Googled it

Sounds like the bloke re-distilled a bucketful of fores or some industrial product which should have been clearly identified.

I keep a 330ml bottle of fores which I use as a solvent or a barbecue lighter (stuff a rolled up magazine down a kitchen roll core and trickle fores through it) but it is VERY clearly labelled as not for human consumption.

I was worried about blindness and methanol poisoning before I started researching and reading around this forum, but very quickly learned that this is usually due to adulteration by the unscrupulous and nothing to do with the fermentation process as generally used in the home.

Well said

Frank wrote:
I simply remind friends whom ask me, that beyond my careful methodology regarding distillation/cuts, I am the first and majority consumer of my product, so

That is good point!



Very few people get to know what I produce.
Those that do place absolute trust in me, and I take every care to keep them safe,
Blindness, as anyone that hangs around here knows is simply not an issue.

Robert.

hnnn, as I am Registered Blind I never talk about my hobby, don't want folk saying '' it's that Moonshine '' you make, sent you Blind.

Note
.....
NO it isn't the Quality product I make that caused my Blindness,

Registered Blind 1984, started Hobby Distilling 2008.

OK mate,someone has to ask the question,- are you having a laff?
If so it is pretty tasteless.
I have just read all of your previous posts on this forum, and if you are for real, then good for you dude!

Robert.

I don't think it was a joke. My mother was considered legally blind (as we term it here) for decades before she slowly lost the last of her usable vision. That did not stop her from living her life as normally as possible, though it did make for an interesting meal on occasion when she did not look carefully at what she was getting out of the pantry. She certainly would have been able to distill.

Easydrinker wrote:OK mate,someone has to ask the question,- are you having a laff?
If so it is pretty tasteless.
I have just read all of your previous posts on this forum, and if you are for real, then good for you dude!

Robert.

I would not joke about Blindness, have a condition named Retinitous Pigmentosa, ( RP ) No cure

Tunnel vision, night blindness,

you should see me using a stamp collectors magnifying glass with light, to read my alcohol meter in the parrot, LOL

if you want to read some more post of mine there is nearly a thousand on Artisan Distiller, same name, been there from 2008

and a few on HD.

No Problem

Fair play to you mate.
Have full eyesight and I still find
this a challenging and demanding
hobby.
Having said that, threw a party/bbq
on saturday 60 odd people most joined
the C.R.A.F.T. club,nuff said