Home Distiller

Hi,
I have been fermenting mostly fruits,especially grapes..No matter how accurately the fermantation and how many times I distilled it,the result is much or less the same..it ends with itching,nothing bisible on the skin,something like an insect bites under the skin periodically..sleepless nights..I tried to seperate heads and tails so carefully...tried to slow down the distillation speed but it is so frustrating..
Any advice is wellcome..
Thanks..

You need to see a doctor.

I went to the doc. and inspecyed from toes to head(if thats the right expression!)everyrhing is normal..

Does the same thing happen when you drink commecial spirits ? .
Thoughts
You are allergic to ethanol.... try some good vodka .with water

You are allergic to the mixers you are using . .... hence try water .

You are allergic to something in the grapes ... try comercial grappa or brandy .

You are allergic to something in your still . Did you clean it properly ?

Try distilling a sugar wash in your cleaned still and see if you still react .

What you are experiencing is extremely uncommon . You may just be a sad case of being ellergic to alcohol but you probably need to do some experimenting to pin point what really is your problem.

You either need a better doctor, or better distilling advice. Your problem is probably caused by something you haven't told us yet so, if you want a useful answer, you will have to tell us the relevant information about what it is that you are are doing.

The doctors act according to the blood test results as you know..espeacially for the situations like mine..and the test results were normal..I am not allergic to alcohol..industrial spirits do not cause such effects..I also tried distilling mash from sugar..much or less the same result..I have been suspicious from three factors..I use copper wire and Input it into the column..my distiller is steel one..Many men use it here..I t proved itself..Could it be copper?As a second,I used Lalvin yeast..someone said it has high acidity and may cause a chemical reaction when meeting with copper..and as a third I used to put the mash into the barrel after filtering it..Could the high degree of heat cause the mash produce some methanol or fusels and if these were not seperated with a hammer cut which is normal for home distillers?Excuse my English..

What materials are you using for seals?

The seals are plastic:(

If they are not PTFE, that could be your problem.

Thankk you for your comments..NZChris maybe..there are so many distillers usung the same distiller..Why me?
:-(

I built my own using compatibility data from the manufacturers of the materials I thought I could use. Nearly all of the materials I thought would be ok were not.

What did you do?

I bought it as a whole..the seals came together mounted in it.They are rubbers and the largest one is in the top of the barrel which is black..in fact I use a milk barrel with a modified top for the column.

Dorlioner26 wrote:Thankk you for your comments..NZChris maybe..there are so many distillers usung the same distiller..Why me?
:-(

How do you know that none of the other users of this still are not having problems?

I am a member of the many distillers groups and in contact with its builder..I haven't encountered with someone having the same problems similar to mine nor heard it from the builder..

Your problem is probably caused by something you haven't thought important enough to tell us. Possibly synthetics, but you haven't said what you use. Possibly an ingredient, but you haven't said what you use. Possibly an allergy, but a doctor is a better bet for an answer than an internet forum.

I follow the usual steps what an ordinary distiller does..Nothing different..I only put yeast and yeast food if they are assumed as synthetics..I try to not to keep long the fermantation time and distill the wash at 1lt/hr as top speed..I told you I went to the dovlc.several times..What am I gonna say it?Will I say it happems everytime I drink homemade alcohol?Off course I will write in here or similar groups..I might meet someone having the same problem like me..I tellnyou what the docs would say:Stop drinking home made alcohol!but I love the taste of it and as a hobby I like ot very much,too..For exampke you mentioned about the seals and I contacted with a friend..There had been a debate about it onec and he suggested silicon seals..Not a doc.on earth would tell this:-)

are you using chemical to sterilise your fermenter, boiler and bottles?

There shouldn't be any need to debate whether, or not, the likes of silicone is ok to use for a seal for the hot solvents expected in an alcohol still. Look up the manufacturer's chemical compatibility data instead of asking opinions from friends and forums.

If you don't have problems drinking commercial liquor, but have problems drinking your own, then someone is giving you bad advice and you have to quickly figure out who it is and stop listening to them, or stop wrecking your health by drinking your own product.

NZ Chris I am sure you are trying to be helpful to me but still insisting not to write for asking opinions of other people..What are these forums for then?I am sure there are many posts aaking or talking about more silly things..Do you know how much I suffered from this and made many research about it..I am writing with the hope of finding something or meeting someone..

Dorlioner26: If you want help, you will have to give a lot more information about your still and your process. Pictures, lists of components. Process you are using, in detail. And every little thing you put in your wash and your boiler. Without that, you'll have to ask the people who know what you are using and see if they have some of the same problems.

Whether or not the rubber seals are the cause of your allergy or not is irrelavent . You are not to use plastic or rubber in a still .... it’s n our rules .... its there for a good reason .
Get rid of them first .

Does drinking the homemade liquor that others have made cause the same reaction? Or, is it only the liquor you made that causes it?

The skin is the largest organ of the human body and the reaction you’re experiencing is an allergic response to something. Without isolating the cause, you can kill yourself. So DON’T DO IT.

You must do a scientific search for the cause of your reaction...not an internet search for a club of likewise afflicted individuals.

A man goes to the doctor with a sore elbow.

He tells the doctor, “doc, it hurts when I do this...”, bending his arm repeatedly several times.

The doctor replies, “stop doing THAT!”

Worth considering, huh?
ss

NZ Chris and still_ stirring thank you for your comments.I really feel frustrated about it.I din't think I will continue distilling because I have had enough..Funny though,I tried two different products made by different people and stills and lived the same symtomps and people whom I gave from my products do not suffer from such complaints..

Build a still with ONLY copper, stainless steel, and teflon. Stop trying to convince yourself anything else is ok.

If you still have issues, good bless you. But I gaurentee your issue is an allergy from a seal or synthetic material in the still.

If you really want help, you'll post pictures and recipe. If you don't, you'll just stop the hobby. It ain't for everyone. But it is amazing.

process of elimination.

go to a cheap jewelery store and get a copper ring and a stainless steel ring wear each one for a few days to see if they cause reaction.

SS has nickel in it, it's a common allergy.

if neither of those do it, make a poultice of each raw ingredient, yeast, then whatever grain or sugar and rub it on a tender part of your skin...the itchy part. see what happens. then try the finished product.

tie one of the rubber gaskets to string and wear it over your neck for a day like a necklace pendant.

if you get no physical reaction from any of those things that are possible, the only answer left is psychological....you are stressed that you are poisoning yourself because of lack of experience or knowledge, or fear the illegal aspects of your hobby. The mind is a powerful thing....it can easily "create" physical symptoms on your body, from an idea in your head.

What I have not done?I drank a glass of yeast to see if U am allergic to the yeast I used..I distilled the same product 5 times to make it purer.I used to filter the mash from grapes or appricot before,then I put them intp the barrel without filtering..I am suspicious about it..Could the heat make the fruit produce side products?Everyone says try this and try that and they are right but I have had enough..I spent lots of money either on still or grapes,water,electricity etc..for nothing..sorry of I sound frustrated..let alone the money..the hours I spent while distilling..

Dorlioner26 wrote:...Could the heat make the fruit produce side products?...

Of course. High temperature ferments can produce congeners or other constituents which will affect the “purity” of the product (ethanol). These congeners can add flavors as well as toxicity. So, fractionating them in the still is adviseable. And the distillation processes will be specific for the respective element.

Dorlioner26 wrote:...Everyone says try this and try that and they are right but I have had enough...

Peace. Distilling may not be the best “hobby” for you.

But certainly...if it makes you sick...then you should definitely refrain from it. Jeopardizing your health simply because your peers are “pulling into the sport” is not prudent. You can decide for yourself...and should...whether it is “right for you”.

Be safe, responsible, discrete....and HEALTHY.
ss

Find a still mate that makes product that doesn’t give you a reaction. Then trade product or stills?!?

This is without a doubt some sort of allergy. If you have taken the time to go to a doc and you still want to make your own product, order a pre-made still from a reputable manufacturer.
It sounds like this all leads back to your equipment, still, storage containers, etc…

Change everything out!

That’s my two cents.

Good luck!

Cheers,
- Irish

Is this a communal still?
My father in law is from Macedonia and his village has a still that the locals sign up to use on different days, it’s a large all copper still with an agitator.
Just want to make sure that I’m (we’re) not missing anything here.

Dorlioner26 wrote:NZ Chris I am sure you are trying to be helpful to me but still insisting not to write for asking opinions of other people..

That's not what I'm saying at all. What I am saying is that forums shouldn't be used as a substitute for doing actual research and that opinions expressed on them are only as good as the quality of the research, education and experience of the contributors, many of whom are relative newbies. I would never accept the opinion of a forum member over the safety advice from the manufacturer of a material in question.

And what is this filter you are using? Who said that was a good idea? What material is it made from? What are the seals made out of? What filter media are you using? Do you have health problems if you don't run your product through the filter?