how bad are the fumes!

[brodywx]

Ok, i just distilled the foreshots, but I ended up with an unnoticed vapor leak. How bad are the fumes for a person and what kind of percautions should I take?!?

There was a very noticable sweet smell in the air

[rubber duck]

There really bad if they catch fire. As far as inhaling them I don't really know but I'm not dead yet. As for precautions don't run a leaky still and always keep a fire extinguisher handy.

[brodywx]

well I'm still concerned. I know methanol poisioning is slow, but I don't know about vapor methanol poisoning. I'm worried the small concentrations in the air could have a serious effect.

Should I take a shot of liqour, or is that only if it is consumed as a liquid?

[rubber duck]

Do what now? I'm not sure I understand.

[brodywx]

Ha, maybe the fumes are affecting my ability to explain things.

Let's just say I had vapour leaking from the top of my column and I'm distilling indoors. Could the levels in the air rise to a toxic point? And if so, do I need to turn myself into a hospital?

I can't believe I ended up with a vapor leak, but I did. I didn't detect any leaks during my vinegar cleaning runs so I figured things were all right. Then I ran a wash through today and I collected about 70mls before realizing the subtle sweet smell in the air wasn't just evaporation from my collection jar.

[castleclr]

Think he's read that a treatment for metho poison is etho consumption.

Don't know if you got troubles or not, but a shot of your finest can't hurt.

I have run vapors out a few times and doing ok.

[Izzy_Britton]

a vapor leak is not going to hurt you none with respects to you inhaling it. there isnt enough fores in your run to make the atmospheric ppm harmful (unless your distilling in a TINY TINY box). if the concentration was high enough you could risk explosion should the fumes come in contact with an open flame. fix the leak and chug on.

the treatment for methanol poisoning is in deed ethanol, however the treatment is massive massive amounts of etho over the coarse of 7-10 days. if you did have methanol poisoning you wouldnt be able to sit at your computer and peck out a note to the forums.

A shot of your finest aint gonna help you none if you did have methanol poisoning, however as its been said, your finest is why your here, have a shot now and again and enjoy your self.

IzzyB

[Dnderhead]

" do I need to turn myself into a hospital"
sounds like a deal to me,, ya see doc I was running this illegal still,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I thank not,Id just take my chances.be more careful next time.if you got much
you'd be intoxicated.

[brodywx]

That defiantly helps to know others have run vapours out also. Were you indoors?

Would a sweet smell be mainly due to methanol or other liquids in the foreshots? The smell really had me concerned since they say you're not supposed to smell methanol until 2000 ppm. And it only takes 300ppm before it's dangerous.

In response to Izzy, I hope you're right. You say though that I wouldn't be able to sit at my computer, but it does take 10-30 hours for the harmful effects to kick in, so who knows what might happen to me by morning. I just wish I could stick a thermometer in my mouth and it'd tell me how much I have in me. Hopefully I'm just going through virgin still'in paranoia.

[rubber duck]

What where you distilling? If it was a sugar based wash you didn't produce any methanol anyway. If it was a grain wash or a fruit wash you won't produce enough methanol to hurt yourself, and the vaporization temps are so close to ethanol that it gets pretty well mixed in with the everything else. The stuff is pretty hard to effectively separate.

You have nothing to worry about, the way folks go blind is by distilling denatured alcohol.

[Izzy_Britton]

uhhh, where you distilling denatured alcohol? or other mix and match chemicals? denatured alcohol, lacquer thinner, nail polish or acetone? if so, check your self into a hospital...

if your distilling something that you made via some of the recommendations on this or other noteworthy sites you really shouldn't have anything to worry about.

if your doing a sugar wash such as rubber duck mentioned, the sweet smell could have been un fermented sugars in the wash.

most likely your virgin distilling paranoia.

JustBecauseYourParanoidDontMeanTheyAintAfterYaIzzy

[brodywx]

it was about 4-5 liters of birdwatchers wash. I shutdown after I discovered the leak and only collected the first 70ml, and the foreshots were cloudy, which could be from running too quickly and hot. I was probably there for about and hour and a half while vapour was in the air.

At any rate I'm going to be paying close attention to myself for the next 30 hours.

[blanikdog]

Actually, if you're distilling indoors with a leaking still I wouldn't worry all that much... The worst scenario would be explosion, fire, loss of life or maybe sight, in an apartment it could mean loss of many lives, Police and Fire investigations followed by court and perhaps life in prison as chief hooch maker. If I were you I'd hope for death rather than prison. A leaky still is boardering on dangerous.

Apart from that I can't think of any real problems.

May I suggest that you play SAFE!!!

[brodywx]

May I suggest that you play SAFE!!!

Yes for sure. It's very frustrating to have put so much work into making sure everything is safe and reading about all the hazards and then to have an incident the first run, although that's the most likely time for something to happen I suppose. I can read till I go blind , but it's hard to prepare yourself for the real deal. I've never smelled or been around the vapours we're working with. I don't know what 300ppm methanol is like, or how it effects a person. Also, in terms of hazards, it's the least talked discussed. As you guys mention, only the fire/explosion hazard is linked to methanol, or actual oral ingestion. I've seen very little on the topic of toxic fumes, aside from in diesel fuel distillation.

At any rate, I'll probably shut things down for the time being until I feel I can work under conditions that give me piece of mind: more ventilation and maybe even air monitors if they exist for methanol.

[rubber duck]

Methanol is the last thing you need to worry about in home distilling. New guys get all hung up on it, don't drink the fors they taste like crap. The leak in the still is the dangerous part, you caught it and shut it down.

Methanol poisoning is a non issue, if it was a problem half of us would be dead.

[blanikdog]

May I suggest that you play SAFE!!!

Yes for sure. It's very frustrating to have put so much work into making sure everything is safe and reading about all the hazards and then to have an incident the first run, although that's the most likely time for something to happen I suppose. I can read till I go blind , but it's hard to prepare yourself for the real deal. I've never smelled or been around the vapours we're working with. I don't know what 300ppm methanol is like, or how it effects a person. Also, in terms of hazards, it's the least talked discussed. As you guys mention, only the fire/explosion hazard is linked to methanol, or actual oral ingestion. I've seen very little on the topic of toxic fumes, aside from in diesel fuel distillation.

At any rate, I'll probably shut things down for the time being until I feel I can work under conditions that give me piece of mind: more ventilation and maybe even air monitors if they exist for methanol.

I reckon that's a bloody good idea, Brody. And spend your time finding the leak. Then, away we go!!

[Austin Nichols]

Should I take a shot of liqour?

Yes! take two just to be sure, actually take two every hour for 4 hours just to be safe....... you know? safety first

[brodywx]

Should I take a shot of liqour?

Yes! take two just to be sure, actually take two every hour for 4 hours just to be safe....... you know? safety first

Well I'm not blind yet, but there's no question I was exposed to trace amounts, but nothing of any serious issue. It might have been bad though if I was running a different kind of wash or a wash larger than 4 gallons... or if I didn't shut things down and air the place out. I think taking a few shots was the smartest idea to be had, I think I'll practice that for every illness whether it be toxic fumes or a stubbed toe.

[blanikdog]

You'll find that a stubbed toe may require more than a couple. I find that six is just about right.

[Fastill]

The vapors are NO PROBLEM to breathe.
The leak is a fire hazzard.
The old timers here never seperated heads from fores from hearts and are mostly still alive, natural causes excluded
Only do the shots of your finest AFTER your run is complete!! Never distill drunk!!
Fix your leak, run your wash and make your cuts...
Then you can live a long and luxurious life drinking your finest!!!