Tell us about your mistakes.

This hobby is fun & enjoyable, but it is not tiddlywinks. Be safe!

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Deplorable
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Deplorable »

Barnstorm wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 4:32 pm
Deplorable wrote: Sat Jul 31, 2021 11:02 am Today I miscalculated the total volume of 50 pounds of corn in 25 gallons of water and came up short on head space in my 30 gallon barrel. Not the worst thing I've ever done.
In a total noob move, I grounded the 3rd pin on a potentiometer, and cooked the pot and a SSVR. Live and learn...
Just got 50# cornmeal thinking I could do the same in my 30 gal barrel. Good thing I saw this!
You'll be good to go. I actually ended up fine it didn't get as big of a cap as I anticipated.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by opus345 »

Wow, did the first cook of SCD's CROW Bourbon with the Anvil Foundry 10.5 today. The Foundry performed fantastic, but the human made a ton of mistakes.

5 gal batch
7 lbs Cracked Corn
1/2 lbs Quaker Old Fashioned Oat (no hulls).
1 lb Rye Malt
1 lb Red Wheat Malt
1 lb White Wheat Malt
6.5 gal strike water
Target OG = 1.06

Used Anvil Foundry small batch adapter (heard it would increase efficiency)
Used Anvil Foundry malt pipe
Used Wilser bag in malt pipe (great bag)

Cooked corn and oats for 2 hours at 185
Added remaining grains immediately at 2 hour mark instead of waiting for the temp to drop to 150
Tried to recirculate. You can guess what happened. I was watching and shutdown the pump when I started to see malt pipe and bag fill up.

Fortunately, was cooking outside where I used to do BIAG brewing with propane. I still had the eye bolt in the deck rafter and found my old pully setup so I was able to lift malt pipe and try to get wort drained. That was not totally successful. Ended up getting to try out my new mop wringer, but with the corn, oats, and no hulls, it was panful. I managed to get 5.25 gal out.

Waiting for it to cool to 95 to pitch yeast.

Lessons learned:

1) Grind corn a 3rd time or use Corn Meal.
2) Skip malt pipe, brew bag, and small batch adapter.
3) Use either rolled oats (Tractor Supply) or add Rice Hulls.
4) Cook corn and oat longer and at a high temp.
5) Wait till the temp is appropriate to add malt grains.
6) Plan on using mop wringer instead of trying to get away from it.
7) Don't recirculate/sparge with Anvil pump. Good for transferring wort to fermenter.
8) Get back on the horse and plan another CROW cook next weekend.

opus
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Deplorable »

opus345 wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 9:38 pm Wow, did the first cook of SCD's CROW Bourbon with the Anvil Foundry 10.5 today. The Foundry performed fantastic, but the human made a ton of mistakes.

5 gal batch
7 lbs Cracked Corn
1/2 lbs Quaker Old Fashioned Oat (no hulls).
1 lb Rye Malt
1 lb Red Wheat Malt
1 lb White Wheat Malt
6.5 gal strike water
Target OG = 1.06

Used Anvil Foundry small batch adapter (heard it would increase efficiency)
Used Anvil Foundry malt pipe
Used Wilser bag in malt pipe (great bag)

Cooked corn and oats for 2 hours at 185
Added remaining grains immediately at 2 hour mark instead of waiting for the temp to drop to 150
Tried to recirculate. You can guess what happened. I was watching and shutdown the pump when I started to see malt pipe and bag fill up.

Fortunately, was cooking outside where I used to do BIAG brewing with propane. I still had the eye bolt in the deck rafter and found my old pully setup so I was able to lift malt pipe and try to get wort drained. That was not totally successful. Ended up getting to try out my new mop wringer, but with the corn, oats, and no hulls, it was panful. I managed to get 5.25 gal out.

Waiting for it to cool to 95 to pitch yeast.

Lessons learned:

1) Grind corn a 3rd time or use Corn Meal.
2) Skip malt pipe, brew bag, and small batch adapter.
3) Use either rolled oats (Tractor Supply) or add Rice Hulls.
4) Cook corn and oat longer and at a high temp.
5) Wait till the temp is appropriate to add malt grains.
6) Plan on using mop wringer instead of trying to get away from it.
7) Don't recirculate/sparge with Anvil pump. Good for transferring wort to fermenter.
8) Get back on the horse and plan another CROW cook next weekend.

opus
My next run of CROW will be aged on cherry wood. My first experience wasn't as bad as yours, but it was definitely a learning experience.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by The Baker »

You said, Add rice hulls. OR OATMEAL.

Food for thought.
I am making UJSSM and would like something to 'break up' the grain mass a bit.
I'll check on rice hulls but the last time I got some (for the garden) the package was about a cubic metre.
So maybe if I can get a small lot but a bit of rolled oats would do no harm...
Thanks.

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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by VLAGAVULVIN »

Well, laughing at my newest epic fail: rye is so rye... never do like that, folks :lolno:
Even if it fermented off the grain.

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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by LWTCS »

VLAGAVULVIN wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:37 am Well, laughing at my newest epic fail: rye is so rye... never do like that, folks :lolno:
Even if it fermented off the grain.
So what will you do?
Stay away from rye? Or put together an outfit that let's you prevent this?
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by opus345 »

The Baker wrote: Sat Sep 11, 2021 10:16 pm I'll check on rice hulls but the last time I got some (for the garden) the package was about a cubic metre.
I know that LD Carlson sells 1 lb packages of Rice Hulls.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by VLAGAVULVIN »

LWTCS wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 7:56 am Stay away from rye? Or put together an outfit that let's you prevent this?
The problem was not outfit. The problem was me (old idiot). The ferment was as light as beer. So, I decided to additionally use that crappy heater. Cool experiment, the best acceleration of heating ever, nuff said...

Talking of my future rye. Definitely, f**k this off-the-grain torture. Even if everything went well today, I would hardly clarify the mash in the future, pasteurise it and cool down through a heat exchanger. There's a rare beer that I'd bother so much with. And there was no beer so far (knock-knock-knock) that I put down the sink.

Very likely, I will make the 100% malted rye dough treated by Angels yellow label. Angies make lotta fusels. But those mashes never burnt in my pot on induction. So, the cotton sack and the false bottom shall not lemme feel pissed off by myself again. Maybe, 3 runs instead of 2. Steam distillation equipment? Who knows... maybe, not in this life.

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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by HiroP »

My second try at an all grain using a cloth boil in a bag ----- oops
First try trial run -10 liters wash- lots of work went ok, so scale up to ----160 liters and got out the wifes sewing machine and made a giant cord reinforced 'boil bag' about 1.5 x 2 metrers. The ferment went ok but lifting out a bag of rye/barly/corn mush - about 100 kg (220 lbs) not possible. ! Tried pulleys, levers resulting in broken pulleys, bent levers, a mess.. Ended up scooping out by hand.
After all that, stripped wash on full power and badly scorched first strip run, slighly scorched second strip run, slowly - gently managed to not scorch the final strip run.
I'll wait a month or two before trying again. :)
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by opus345 »

HiroP wrote: Sun Sep 12, 2021 1:39 pm I'll wait a month or two before trying again. :)
Actually I would cook and mash in as soon as possible and then use the time to allow fermented mash to clear. Maybe rack once to get the solids out.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by HiroP »

Thanks opus345, You are right. I think I need to get some special enzymes that help with clearing rye as well. I have all the grain, just need to get over the trauma of a messed up batch and try - try again.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by opus345 »

HiroP wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 4:22 pm just need to get over the trauma of a messed up batch and try - try again.
Totally agree. While I'm waiting for my Ferm Pro enzymes to arrive, I've got an All Bran started and fermenting.

opus
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by MichiganCornhusker »

I waited until I was 59 to get my first colonoscopy.
Now I need to go in for surgery to have half my colon removed, along with a bunch of other stuff attached to it.

If I had gone in sooner they probably could have dealt with this as a normal part of the colonoscopy, but now I’m looking at 3-5 days in hospital, assuming the place isn’t full of covid patients, and weeks of recovery. Good news is that, good Lord willin’, this should put me safely back on the road for another 100,000 miles.

So, go get yer butts checked ya geezers! If I can save just one person’s old ass this will all be worth it.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Yummyrum »

Thanks MCH for taking one for the team :|

Had my poo sample envelope sitting in the shitter for over a month now .( Mrs Yummy slipped it in there )
Ignored the other three the Government health sent me over the years . :oops:

After reading this , I might open it tomorrow . :?
Can't say they aren't trying to help .

Thanks again for the nudge :thumbup:

And hope it all works out for you man .
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by MichiganCornhusker »

Yummyrum wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 4:31 amAfter reading this , I might open it tomorrow . :?
Heck yeah, if you don’t want to for yourself, do it for the missus!

The colonoscopy was quick, easy, and painless. I actually scheduled mine for last summer, 2020, but covid clogged up the hospitals here and my appointment was repeatedly rescheduled. If I had waited another year my prognosis could be much more bleak.

Don’t put it off :thumbup:
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by OtisT »

Best of luck to ya MCH. Otis
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Saltbush Bill »

Bowl cancer is common in my family, killed both grandfathers and my father had it too....For that reason I"m considered '"High Risk" ..........I go every few years for one, due again right now.
Hope all goes well for you MHC.
Do the damned test Yummy.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by juana_b »

The first time I took the Boka for a drive I planned everything out(or so I thought). Went over it and over it.
Due to the small size of the condenser water reservoir, would be adding ice during the run.
Used propane and electric for heat up, then shut off propane.
Shortly into hearts with needle wide open, heard a few spurts and sizzles that sounded like something may be wrong.
Not 5 seconds later there is a shit-load of high abv spewing out the top.
It was probably only 30 seconds (but felt longer) before I killed power and found the label of the cut-off plastic juice jug I was using as an ice scoop had plugged the pump inlet.
5 min of clean up and was up and running again. But, damn, what an eye-opener. So glad the jobsite safety plan for included shutting off gas.

The devil is in the details. Even the details you didn't consider or found too small to consider.

I always keep a fire extinguisher handy, but now consider the placement of it more. 'Cause if shit can go that wrong in 30sec..."Don't ever leave a still unattended!"
Since then, I've also acquired a small water chiller to strip heat from the returning condenser water.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by juana_b »

20220304_151748.jpg
Going to make "tree" with these so I can connect to a garden hose.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by EricTheRed »

After a very successful reflux run yesterday, as i had everything setup, figured i would do a feints run

Got all the feints together, poured them into the boiler, diluted down to 36%, (25L) closed it up, setup the columns and fired it up.

1st issue, a very important customer who was irate called, and i should have shut off the gas, but didn't.
So, even though i was standing right there, i got distracted and didn't notice that it had started running and i had missed my "cut gas down to small flame" step.
350 ml high proof liquid spilt - but my backup plan was in place
image.png
so no real problem except i didn't get a proper heads compression

shut everything off, cleaned up, and fire it up again. Was getting the head temp up nicely and holding.
2nd Issue - then all hell broke loose. I was getting spurts and splutters, it would stop, then belch out 150ml of liquid, head temp would drop to 65°C, then back to 70-72°C, Proof wandered around between 91 and 94, distillate temp would vary from 23.4 to 38°C, occasionally would puff out a bit of vapour at the spout, was driving me nuts, cooling outlet went from around 30 to 45°C
The temp at the boiler head (steam) would wander up and down between 78 & 84°C

Nothing wanted to settle. I adjusted dephleg water flow, i adjusted gas, nothing helped.
I set water flow and gas back to the way i had it yesterday, didn't help

This went on for about an hour.
Then i saw the open kitchen door, hmmmm - closed it.
It sorted itself out in a matter of minutes. Boiler head steam temp went back to 82 (and slowly climbed through the run like it should), head temp went to 74°C and stayed there until the tails started, proof settled at 94% until tails started, then slowly fell to 87% where i cut it off.
(end up with 9.3 L at 93.5% average - still have to do cuts)

Lessons learn't
1 - Don't get distracted - even if you are in the same room!
2 - Don't get distracted - even if you are in the same room!!
3 - Don't get distracted - even if you are in the same room!!!
4 - My Fok Fannie (a South Africanism) - close the d@mn door. The slight breeze was playing hell with the boiler, and probably the columns too! That was the root cause of the problem!
5 - Also discovered that my shotgun doesn't really like being on an angle - so need to get a few bits that will let it be vertical and run an angled output to my tray when i run reflux as it has to stand on the ground. I have a 2.74m ceiling and the top of the column is only 80mm from that!!!
Normally, i am on the counter and the shotgun is vertical

ta
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Skál »

Maybe classic mistake maybe not....why its better to have flow valve on the input to a Boka coil rather than output when you have a flexible pipe. We all love a hot shower but there's a time and place.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Skál »

Also using a 5kg plus 2.5kg weight to anchor one end of an elevated plank on a shelf,a pivot point in between, with a large jar on the other end to catch distillate. Not as dumb as it sounds (it was) . I guess I must have missed a cm or two regarding leverage, no idea but THAT PLANK AND 5L of 96% JAR DIPPED A CM OR 2 ! I saw it, jumped up and caught it before EVEN NEAR falling, no naked flame but jeez for a split second my hoop could have cut copper pipe neater than you can imagine! (It'll be fine,no it won't,make it right) perfect example.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Skál »

Another one. Not a mistake but more a test which I wanted to confirm. If you have a puke (mine was a boka) .Never think of adding high abv spirit back to a fully heated boiler through column or by removing column and adding to boiler. Expect an ejection of high abv 96% vapour like air from a tomb in an 80s horror film. Even at 50/50 similar effect. (Just to reiterate, I had a puke and kinda 'knew' what would happen so tested it with a small amounts of distillate). Not really a mistake as much as a warning.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

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Skál wrote: Fri May 06, 2022 9:45 pm Another one. Not a mistake but more a test which I wanted to confirm. If you have a puke (mine was a boka) .Never think of adding high abv spirit back to a fully heated boiler through column or by removing column and adding to boiler. Expect an ejection of high abv 96% vapour like air from a tomb in an 80s horror film. Even at 50/50 similar effect. (Just to reiterate, I had a puke and kinda 'knew' what would happen so tested it with a small amounts of distillate). Not really a mistake as much as a warning.
Hmmm. Interesting. :shock: good warning! Could result in a steam burn while bursting into flames.

Did you pour it through the reflux condenser and a packed column? Or did it get poured down an unpacked column and land directly in the boiling pot?

I’m assuming you were doing a stripping run with no packing.

On my dual LM/VM combination still There is a port directly above the reflux condenser to allow me to pour heads back in to reflux and clean the packed column. Never had a problem but he boiler is shut down when I do this and it is passing through a cold reflux condenser and 48” inches of packed column. Removes any tails pretty efficiently from pacing and the VM product condenser.

The reason for doing this is this still is stored in the house beside the television and I don’t like the smell of tails. :D
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by HDNB »

i did that making coffee liqueur once. didn't let the coffee cool enough and the hi proof lowered the boiling point enough to make a boiling mad mess. sure glad i have the (gas) stove top off by then.
I finally quit drinking for good.

now i drink for evil.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Salt Must Flow »

I was in the middle of a long spirit run in the garage while listing to my daily YouTube channels and poking around on the internet. I was getting really hungry. The phone rang, I answered it and figured this is a good time to shut the still down. I closed the VM gate valve, gathered some belongings and turned off the water. I went into the kitchen, started making food, finished up the phone call, let the dogs out and there was a screaming in the back of my mind check the still NOW. I ran back into the garage and was immediately hit in the face with alcohol vapor. I saw that the controller was still on (I neglected to switch it off)! While in a very brief state of shock, the furnace in the garage turned on! I ran, switched off the controller and proceeded directly to the furnace. The off switch is over 8' high on the furnace. After a few panicked attempts I managed to jump up and switch it off before the furnace actually ignited.

Just imagine this scenario and learn from this STUPID mistake. Make damn sure the still is properly shut down before you leave it and never leave it running unattended.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by NormandieStill »

Salt Must Flow wrote: Sat May 07, 2022 9:49 am I was in the middle of a long spirit run in the garage while listing to my daily YouTube channels and poking around on the internet. I was getting really hungry. The phone rang, I answered it and figured this is a good time to shut the still down. I closed the VM gate valve, gathered some belongings and turned off the water. I went into the kitchen, started making food, finished up the phone call, let the dogs out and there was a screaming in the back of my mind check the still NOW. I ran back into the garage and was immediately hit in the face with alcohol vapor. I saw that the controller was still on (I neglected to switch it off)! While in a very brief state of shock, the furnace in the garage turned on! I ran, switched off the controller and proceeded directly to the furnace. The off switch is over 8' high on the furnace. After a few panicked attempts I managed to jump up and switch it off before the furnace actually ignited.

Just imagine this scenario and learn from this STUPID mistake. Make damn sure the still is properly shut down before you leave it and never leave it running unattended.
My routine for shutting down always ends with unplugging the controller. Switches are good but a 10cm air gap is really reassuring!
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Skál »

Dancing4dan wrote: Sat May 07, 2022 6:05 am
Skál wrote: Fri May 06, 2022 9:45 pm Another one. Not a mistake but more a test which I wanted to confirm. If you have a puke (mine was a boka) .Never think of adding high abv spirit back to a fully heated boiler through column or by removing column and adding to boiler. Expect an ejection of high abv 96% vapour like air from a tomb in an 80s horror film. Even at 50/50 similar effect. (Just to reiterate, I had a puke and kinda 'knew' what would happen so tested it with a small amounts of distillate). Not really a mistake as much as a warning.
Hmmm. Interesting. :shock: good warning! Could result in a steam burn while bursting into flames.

Did you pour it through the reflux condenser and a packed column? Or did it get poured down an unpacked column and land directly in the boiling pot?

I’m assuming you were doing a stripping run with no packing.

On my dual LM/VM combination still There is a port directly above the reflux condenser to allow me to pour heads back in to reflux and clean the packed column. Never had a problem but he boiler is shut down when I do this and it is passing through a cold reflux condenser and 48” inches of packed column. Removes any tails pretty efficiently from pacing and the VM product condenser.

The reason for doing this is this still is stored in the house beside the television and I don’t like the smell of tails. :D

Fully packed Boka column. This was around when I first started stilling and miscalculated (didn't know lol) the head space needed from a large messy wheat I think (from various breakfast cereals) mash/wash. By the sound of the column I guessed I had some kind of puke, also I forget now but maybe saw something in the distillate nothing obvious but there was something. Anyhow, thought 'yeah ok I can just add it back' but even being a noob something told me bad idea so I tried only a tiny amount and "psssshhhh whoosh" ,then I thought I'd try the boiler minus column and the same.The heat retention of the SPP I guess is the real factor. Hadn't really thought about it again until now. I suppose I could have stuck the coolant water outflow through the top hole of the cloumn, cranked up the coolant flow, shut off power all OBVIOUS things after experience but when I was new I just thought NOPE LEAVE IT as the SPP needed cleaning anyhow. Really my post was just to make the point DONT ADD AEZO TO A HOT BOILER. Forgetting the danger it will vaporize almost instantly. Angels will be happy and you'll be sad :)

*p.s. Electric boiler so I wasn't worried about that but yeah...for someone with open flame jeeez!
Last edited by Skál on Sat May 07, 2022 8:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by Skál »

Salt Must Flow wrote: Sat May 07, 2022 9:49 am I was in the middle of a long spirit run in the garage while listing to my daily YouTube channels and poking around on the internet. I was getting really hungry. The phone rang, I answered it and figured this is a good time to shut the still down. I closed the VM gate valve, gathered some belongings and turned off the water. I went into the kitchen, started making food, finished up the phone call, let the dogs out and there was a screaming in the back of my mind check the still NOW. I ran back into the garage and was immediately hit in the face with alcohol vapor. I saw that the controller was still on (I neglected to switch it off)! While in a very brief state of shock, the furnace in the garage turned on! I ran, switched off the controller and proceeded directly to the furnace. The off switch is over 8' high on the furnace. After a few panicked attempts I managed to jump up and switch it off before the furnace actually ignited.

Just imagine this scenario and learn from this STUPID mistake. Make damn sure the still is properly shut down before you leave it and never leave it running unattended.
Kudos for posting that mate. I laugh at many posts here, many are funny, often especially dangerous ones that end well as is human nature! Like driving off a mountain and being caught by a tree for example, it's a funny story but not so funny minus the tree. Ive always thought this is an underrated thread. We can all feck up and retelling stories can give hard evidence many of the safety rules on this forum plus inspire new ones perfectly. Keep messing up guys but stay safe if that makes sense !?

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Re: Tell us about your mistakes.

Post by The Baker »

Get a lower emergency stop button on that furnace.

Geoff
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