moonshine distillery explodes today

[Bushman]

Wow this is really sad news, my sentiments as well to the injured and their families. In all the info did they give the brand and size of the still(s)?

[ranger_ric]

Their facebook page post on Feb 12th shows a new 500 gal square pot made by Rocky Point Stills.

[Jimbo]

Their story is a nice read. http://lblmoonshine.com/home/our-story-introduction/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[cranky]

I once had my pump separate from the hose, the pump kept running and I could feel the vibration and I guess I had everything just right when it happened because the water continued to circulate. I keep the outlet raised so I her the water falling back into the reservoir. Eventually I noticed that the distillate exiting was hot and the liebig was getting hotter than normal but the reservoir was still cold at the bottom and I realized something was wrong. If it were left unattended that could have gone terribly bad even though I don't use open flame. I have seen light switches spark when you flip them and that could be enough to trigger a flash in the right circumstances.

[Kegg_jam]

Their story is a nice read. http://lblmoonshine.com/home/our-story-introduction/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Interesting story. Almost too well crafted.

[S-Cackalacky]

Cranky, I recently had a pond pump fail, but it wasn't obvious. It was still running, but it wasn't pushing the water high enough to enter the liebig. I noticed the problem because I do exactly what you do - position the return hose several inches above the water reservoir so I can hear the splash.

Another theory about the explosion - They were using gas heat. If the cooling water to the condenser stopped flowing and they were dumping vapor into the room, it is possible that they were also filling the room with CO from the flame and the flame was also robbing the room of O2 at the same time. The combination of all this would be that the gas flame died out and they were also filling the room with propane gas. In that case, a sudden injection of air from the workers opening the door would probably be enough to set off the combination of the propane/ethanol in the room's atmosphere (boom). Besides leaving it unattended, I think the key to the whole thing might have been that propane burner.

I think one thing to keep in mind about that Mythbuster's episode is that they had to work hard to forcibly cause the explosion. As I remember it wasn't even much of an explosion - more like a forceful flame up. It knocked down the flimsy walls of the little test shed they had built and burned briefly. I don't think what they did in their experiment would account for what happened at that distillery. If there was enough oxygen in that room to maintain a propane flame, there would be enough oxygen to set any loose ethanol vapor aflame long before those workers popped that door open. And, if lack of oxygen were to snuff out the propane flame, then the still would have also stopped producing ethanol vapor, but the burner would continue to pump propane into the room. Hell, it could be that there was no ethanol vapor available at all. The propane burner just being in a closed room could have caused the scenario I mentioned before - used up the oxygen, extinguished itself, filled the room with gas, and went boom when the door was opened.

Anyway, it's all speculation just speculation.

[Jim Tom]

This is bad all the way around. I used to work in a burn ward. Burns over 80% of the body is pretty much a death sentence. Can't see how they survive unless the burn % is wrong.

[rad14701]

Very sad scenario...

Those two gentlemen are lucky to be in a modern advanced burn treatment center... Less than 30 years ago burns over 25% of your body would be a death sentence a majority of the time... I know of several men with burns over 15% - 20% of their bodies trying to decline medical treatment who were dead within 3 days from renal failure in burn treatment centers... These days some folks survive 80% - 85% burn exposure but its not an everyday occurrence... It's a wait and see situation at this point for those two...

This should be seen as a learning lesson for the entire HD community... If anyone thinks we harp about safety too much, think again...!!!

[bearriver]

+1 Rad. Lucky is right.

My father was a Seattle EMT for many years. He brought people to the burn unit at Harborview at the least twice a week. I was talking to him about this just this morning, and he said anything over %30 was indeed "a death sentence" at the time. He worked there up until the late 90's.

People have survived 90 percent burns in recent times. In cases like this, serious impairments are to be expected. Nose, lips, and ears are gone... Physical disabilities and nerve damage on every inch of the skin. Life after an event like this is truly horrific. Imagine your family seeing you like that before walking away from your still...

Safety first boys and girls.

[firewater69]

+1 on safety guys, I always check for vapor leaks & go through a checklist to make sure everything is working properly. I work with a man who was burned very badly, it wasn't from stillin but it damned sure makes ya think, and all it takes is one time.

[Jim Tom]

Rad hit it on the head; When dealing with explosive items, there is NO such thing as harping too much about safety. This will definitely sharpen my focus in the future.

[Bushman]

SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY, should be a wake up call to all distilleries and hobby distillers just too bad it has come at such a high cost.

[WhiteDevil504]

It is true that their burns are awful, the bright side is that we have had 15 years of war and a lot of burn/over pressure injury treatment research. I don't know about their specific hospital but I know the bar has moved considerably and it's not the death sentence it used to be, that being said those two may wish we weren't so good at burn resuscitation as it's going to be a long and painful rehabilitation. Hopefully burns are the extent of their injuries, with the reports of them being blown out the door Id worry about over pressure injury. Again, pro or hobby level, can't take safety for granted. Hopefully this tragedy will at least serve as a reminder to all to take nothing for granted.

[DeepSouth]

The owner of the distillery was on an episode of Moonshiners. He was one of the guys showing Tim Smith his operation and talking about being legal. They also had a diver go down into the bottom of the lake looking for his father's car that was supposedly at the bottom.

[Appalachia-Shiner]

Update on the Two people injured.
Kyle Rogers passed away Today from his burns over 85 percent of his body.
The other man is still in bad shape in Vanderbilt's burn center.

I think this was a Propane gas explosion, but we need to keep in mind "We ain't Makin Cookies."

[woodshed]

That's very sad. Safety first ya'll. Never take anything for granted when running the still.
See my recent post in the mistakes thread. I let a jar overfill and then lost it simply because I was on the phone.
If I was running gas could have been worse.

[BoomTown]

We are designing our facility in middle PA, planning to use 2 propane fired, low pressure steam boilers, and have been advised to install an air exchanger that completely exchanges the air volume 5 times an hour. It's a huge expense, that may cause us to reconsider using electric heated boilers, even though the longterm operation of gas of electric shows natural gas to be a lower cost of operation.

This is a huge tragedy, and the implications to any of us using propane as a heat source for heating stills, mash units, or even space heaters need to pay particular attention to this accident - and let's hope the actual cause of the explosion becomes known. As a survivor of one propane explosion decades ago, I can relate to the pain and suffering these men experienced, and want to encourage anyone messing with open flame to study this case till they learn how to deal with the danger. It can happen to anyone of us, with just one simple mistake, or a bad light switch, or a loose connection.

My condolences to the families, the community. Let us all strive to learn something from this terrible accident. Safety first, either way, every minute of every day.

[NZChris]

Lawsuit filed after Silver Trail Distillery explosion

http://ftpcontent6.worldnow.com/wpsd/distillery.pdf

[likker liker]

A friend of mine blow up himself sounds like the same way. He used propane gas, has for 10 years. Like he always did lit the burner made sure everything was going good and went home. When he got back not knowing what was behind the door (the burner had gone out, filling the place with propane gas)he opened the door and the place blow. The fire inspector said something at the burner was still glowing red. The oxygen had been replaced by LP gas and when Tom (my friend )open the door he gave it all the air that boom needed. It blow tom 45 feet away level the building. Tom was buried (if I remember right ) about 50 percent of him 4 month's in the burn center in Seattle WA. Hes alive and well today. I met him at the hospital when the air support landed. I will not say what he looked like. But it was very bad.
so now you know why I don't like LP gas. I hope this helps you all stop using LP gas. I know it doesn't make this hoddy 100% safe but it helps a lot.

[S-Cackalacky]

Well, that lawsuit makes it sound like they were actively attending the still when it blew. So, it would appear that they didn't leave it unattended as first stated in the original article. The truth may be somewhere in the middle. Terrible tragedy in any case.

[DeepSouth]

I just read all of that lawsuit and what I took away is that they are suing Revenoor Stills claiming that the still was manufactured defectively and that was the cause of the explosion. Lawsuit never explicitly says what exactly was defective. I'm going to keep watching this saga to see what happens.

[ranger_ric]

Interesting lawsuit,,
The worker is "joined" with the distillery to sue the manufacturer of the still...

Seems like the individual worker would be suing both the manufacturer AND the distillery. Any attorneys out there know why this would be the most advantageous way for the individual worker to pursue this??

[MoonBreath]

Bad weld, bad seam ...Some detail unknown at this time.

[shadylane]

https://www.facebook.com/SilverTrailDis ... =3&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I'm assuming the picture is of the rectangular pot still.
Don't know how thick the bottom of the copper pot is, but it's not supported enough.
Is the metal frame work that's exposed to the flame iron?
It appears the flame heated still is setting on a wooden platform !!!

More facebook https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow ... 264&type=3

Edited: Dangitman the links didn't work here's were I got them from.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 264&type=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Thanks Harry

[cranky]

https://www.facebook.com/SilverTrailDis ... =3&theater

I'm assuming the picture is of the rectangular pot still.
Don't know how thick the bottom of the copper pot is, but it's not supported enough.
Is the metal frame work that's exposed to the flame iron?
It appears the flame heated still is setting on a wooden platform !!!

More facebook https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow ... 264&type=3

Edited: Dangitman the links didn't work here's were I got them from.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 264&type=3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
Thanks Harry

The rectangular pot is 500 gal. the smaller 300 gal pot is the one in question. To me it looks like a pretty basic boka style but there is only one good picture so I really cant tel, The various lines look bit small to me but is like revenoor said it is open to the atmosphere it shouldn't have exploded. Here is What they are saying now http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2015/ ... ls-worker/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow but as we know the original reports were that it had been left unattended overnight. Sounds like a bit of CYA is going on to me.

[cranky]

And here is the other side of the story
http://whiskycast.com/still-maker-respo ... l-warning/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[shadylane]

Thanks cranky, I stand corrected, thought it was the rectangular still.

[DuckofDeath]

So what size is the output on that still? Looks super small to me.

Also it says they had to repair that still in the past

https://www.facebook.com/SilverTrailDis ... =3&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[shadylane]

I've seen a bigger outlet and cooling lines on keg stills.
Also where does the burned gasses exhaust to ?

[cranky]

I've seen a bigger outlet and cooling lines on keg stills.
Also where does the burned gasses exhaust to ?

If you look real close at the picture DuckofDeath linked you can see a flexible metal dryer type exhaust vent under it, I would assume, perhaps incorrectly, that it is connected to an exhaust fan.