Tell us about your mistakes.

[NZChris]

Letting someone weed a garden that had my Roman Wormwood growing in it. When I checked, there was only one tiny piece growing in a pot to the side of the garden, probably a seedling. It's putting out leaves now and I've planted it, but there is no sign of any coming up in any of the places where it used to grow like a weed.

I have been drying some of my excess every season so I'm not short of it, but I do prefer to use it fresh.

Sampling a 2020 now

[Kareltje]

Letting someone weed a garden that had my Roman Wormwood growing in it. When I checked, there was only one tiny piece growing in a pot to the side of the garden, probably a seedling. It's putting out leaves now and I've planted it, but there is no sign of any coming up in any of the places where it used to grow like a weed.

I have been drying some of my excess every season so I'm not short of it, but I do prefer to use it fresh.

Sampling a 2020 now

That was a genuine mistake!

[NZChris]

Letting someone weed a garden that had my Roman Wormwood growing in it. When I checked, there was only one tiny piece growing in a pot to the side of the garden, probably a seedling. It's putting out leaves now and I've planted it, but there is no sign of any coming up in any of the places where it used to grow like a weed.

I found an escapee today, so happy days, I have at least two plants.

[SW_Shiner]

Mashed in a single malt on saturday afternoon. Transferred off the grain and into fermenter to let it cool. Sunday morning pitched yeast. Sunday afternoon noticed a strange hissing noise coming from the laundry where i keep my ferments. Had a look to only to find that it had foamed up something crazy and some stray grains had gotten themselves stuck in the airlock. Carried it outside before it made too much of a mess. There was about 500ml or so on he wall and floor. After about 10 min, I went back outside to check, and the fermenter had started to swell and was forming a rounded bottom. Decided that the best move was to pull the airlock out, as i did, it shot a jet of foam and wash about 5 meters into the air. Thank everything that i caught it when i did. Lost about 10-15L, thankfully not inside the house.

[Steve Broady]

This one isn’t safety related, just me being dumb. I found a pretty good deal on a 5.5kW element on aliexpress, so I jumped on it. Took ages to arrive, and even longer to get around to having anything to put it into. When I finally got a chance to test it, some quick math (thanks, Bolverk!) said I’m getting about 1/3 the power I should be.

I just assumed that the fine folks in China sent me the wrong element. They all look pretty similar, after all. But I went back to the original listing and..nope, I got what I ordered. A 5.5kW element, for running on 380VAC. Well crap. To be fair, the original listing does not make that fact clear (it mentions “120V/240V/380V” in one place), whereas the tag on the order very clear states 380V element.

Buyer beware. So now I have a rather low power element which I will likely turn into a mash heater in some form. And I ordered the right element for the new stripping still. Hopefully…

[NZChris]

This one isn’t safety related, just me being dumb. I found a pretty good deal on a 5.5kW element on aliexpress, so I jumped on it. Took ages to arrive, and even longer to get around to having anything to put it into. When I finally got a chance to test it, some quick math (thanks, Bolverk!) said I’m getting about 1/3 the power I should be.

I just assumed that the fine folks in China sent me the wrong element. They all look pretty similar, after all. But I went back to the original listing and..nope, I got what I ordered. A 5.5kW element, for running on 380VAC. Well crap. To be fair, the original listing does not make that fact clear (it mentions “120V/240V/380V” in one place), whereas the tag on the order very clear states 380V element.

Buyer beware. So now I have a rather low power element which I will likely turn into a mash heater in some form. And I ordered the right element for the new stripping still. Hopefully…

Low Watt density is good for distilling. Cut more holes and add more elements.

[shadylane]

Low Watt density is good for distilling. Cut more holes and add more elements.

[juana_b]

My first broken alcometer.
Found it busted on the ground after the last storms.
I left it on my work bench (outside), I knew the storm was coming but "almost remembered" (forgot) to put it away.
Pissed me off, I'm the laziest perfectionist I know.

[Yummyrum]

The gods will be pleased with your sacrifice

[Yummyrum]

Doing a dual thumper Rum run . Basically doesn’t need many jars .
Look at my jars and realise they are all left out from last run and full if flies and shit .

Go inside and grab some glasses from the kitchen . Take a glass of Fores shots , take another 1/2 glass of heads .

I also have a glass of drinking water and a teaspoon for on the fly tasting . Have had a few tastes .Tweaked power and happy with proceedings .
Come check again and dip the spoon in the water and dribble from the spout and I gag and think” fuck thats rough “. Grab the glass of water and have a swig to wash my mouth out and almost spontaneously combust with mouth pain .

Then realise I had just dipped my spoon into the same glass I just swigged out of . ……. The jar of Foreshots . ……. Not the glass of water at all .

Never use your favourite drinking glass to collect Foreshots in . When you are not thinking , bad shit can happen .

[MooseMan]

Oh man, I doubt very much you'll make that mistake again!

[Rusty Ole Bucket]

Doing a dual thumper Rum run . Basically doesn’t need many jars .
Look at my jars and realise they are all left out from last run and full if flies and shit .

Go inside and grab some glasses from the kitchen . Take a glass of Fores shots , take another 1/2 glass of heads .

I also have a glass of drinking water and a teaspoon for on the fly tasting . Have had a few tastes .Tweaked power and happy with proceedings .
Come check again and dip the spoon in the water and dribble from the spout and I gag and think” fuck thats rough “. Grab the glass of water and have a swig to wash my mouth out and almost spontaneously combust with mouth pain .

Then realise I had just dipped my spoon into the same glass I just swigged out of . ……. The jar of Foreshots . ……. Not the glass of water at all .

Never use your favourite drinking glass to collect Foreshots in . When you are not thinking , bad shit can happen .

D'OH!


Rusty

[Bolverk]

Recently started a batch of mead fermenting in a new to me blichmann cornical and forgot to check the gaskets. Well needless to say as I started to fill it with water and honey the bad gasket started to leak. I had about a half gal of honey water leak out before I was about to drain it off back into buckets and reseat the gasket... dumbass move on my part.