Homebrewing can be dangerous!

Sunday, 7/26

It was to be my 14th batch since I started homebrewing in December of 08. It was an IPA with 8 lbs of DME and 4 oz of hops.

I had been doing my boil on the back porch, then carrying the kettle (I usually do a 3 gallon boil) through the porch into the garage and then into my boiler/utility room in the back of the garage, where I have a laundry sink that I use for cooling the wort.

It was a busy day and I had just finished brewing a batch of American Pilsner. With the pilsner in the fermentation cabinet, I focused on getting the IPA boil done, as it was getting late and I had to work the next morning. After the boil, I made the trip to the boiler room carrying the kettle of boiling hot wort. I made it to boiler room door, when I stubbed my toe on the threshold, loosing my balance. I kind of tossed the kettle forward as I fell.. I hit my face and head on the boiler door and latch as the boiling wort splashed back on my arm. I quickly got up to get out of the hot liquid. As I did, I noticed the blood flowing from my head and face. After quick trip to the house and help from my wife, we got the bleeding to stop enough so we could make the journey to the ER.

5 hours later at 2:30 am, I was home with 13 stitches and 1st and 2nd degree burns on my arm. I also had 2 CT scans to check for a head injury and a suspected fractured jaw. Luckily I was wearing leather gloves that saved my hands. There also was a big sticky mess to clean up in the boiler room.

5 am came around quickly when the alarm rang to get ready for work. I did go to work and worked my entire 24 hr shift. Why not, it was only a few stitches and a couple blisters?

Now here it is almost 2 weeks later, the burns are healing, the stitches are out and I’m ready to resume brewing. Although I’ve made some changes in my brewing process. Who says homebrewing can’t be educational? I’ve moved the burner and brew kettle to the boiler room. Now I only have to lift the kettle from the burner to the sink for cooling.

When I finally get this IPA done, I think I’ll name it Burnt Arm IPA. This is my noob experience, but learning as I go.

Good to hear it wasn't worse. Homebrewing accidents don't seem to run to permanent disabilities, but there have been some nasty ones reported.

A boiler room should have good enough ventilation to brew safely, but I'd get a carbon-monoxide detector anyway. I use one and I brew with the window and both doors open.

Hope everything will heal okay - I hate to hear these sort of things happening to my fellow brewers.

I have to admit that it was difficult to hold back my chuckles at the visual your story created in my head. I am glad to hear that you are ok and on the mend.

I gotta believe you can come up with myriad naming possibilities within that debacle...

Like:

"13 IPA" in reference to the 13 stitches and the $1,300 that the ER bill probably came to. lol!

or

911 IPA
ERIPA
etc...

Wow...

Jody...sorry to hear about that. Sounds like more life insurance might be warranted before future brew sessions.

I've done a couple of things...dumb on my part...that "left a mark"

This one time I had fired up the gas burner and put a keg with water on it to heat up for sparge. The propane ran out...while I was running around doing other things. I came back...there was no flame...so my unattentive brain deducted that there was no heat. I grabbed the kettle off the burner...and the hand that grabbed the lower rim of the kettle got a severe burn on it. DUH. I spent the rest of that day going to the fridge to grab a cold aluminum can...I did this about every 3 minutes for the rest of the day...it's the only way I could deal with the pain.

The other time I put my brain on idle...I had my immersion coil in the wort during the last 15 min of boil. When I knocked off the boil...and started up the spigot to get the cooling water flowing...the loose end of the immersion coil swung past me spraying boiling hot water accross my chest and belly. That left a RED STRIPE that took a couple of years to finally fade away. Hmmm...wonder if RED STRIPE beer gets it's name from something like that.

It IS very dangerous work. I can only imagine how many stitches people have gotten over the years from glass carboys dropping...Luckily ( knock on wood) it hasn't been me YET? Close a few times...but lucky. Gosh I hope it never happens.

Wish you a speedy recovery...sorry to hear about all the pain you went though to make Burnt Arm - Noggin Buster - IPA...

I guess...like swimming...you should never brew alone! It's nice to have someone there to drive you to the hospital

I'd recomend an outdoor wort chiller for your next batch. That way you won't have to carry three gallons of boiling-hot wort around, you can pour directly into your fermenter.

I'm glad to hear you seem to be in good spirits about the whole thing, and good to see you getting back on the horse so quickly. Too bad about all that spilled beer though... :cross:

24 hour shift? What are you, a firefighter?

Wow, glad to hear you're okay. It might be time to invest in a wort chiller so you don't have to move your hot kettle around. Not sure if I'd try a beer called burnt arm IPA!

Ouch!

Cut down on the lifting one more step and get a wort chiller with a really long hose on it.

No sense in lifting anything you don't have too.

Thanks guys for all the support,

Yes, I am a firefighter/EMT that’s why I didn’t call 911. It’s not that I was afraid of my co-workers showing up, because I live in a different community than I work. Besides that I am 911 and my wife is used to stuff like this at home between my son and I. But, with that said, you’d think I’d do things safer, having seen just about everything while on the job. I have tons of stories, from icky to funny.

I have a wort chiller that works well in my utility sink with my 50 deg year round tap water. A longer hose just might do the trick. Especially being really close to the sink now. And I already have several CO detectors around the house and garage. I’m just wondering why I didn’t think of doing my boil in the boiler room before this. You know, “work smart, not hard”.

As far as names for my IPA, thanks for the ideas. #13 is a good one for the stitches. As far as the ER bill goes, I already met my deductable back in May, so everything is 100% covered for the rest of the year now. The cut on my cheek went clear through so I could stick my tongue through the hole. So, I can imagine some names about that too. I even heard a comment about the "Falling Down Brewery".

3bals said:

Sunday, 7/26

il, I made the trip to the boiler room carrying the kettle of boiling hot wort. I made it to boiler room door, when I stubbed my toe on the threshold, loosing my balance.

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please don't tell me you barefoot. Sorry for the injury

Wow that's crazy.

I actually changed my process back to kitchen stove-top for most of my process because I figured it was only a matter of time before I did something like that carrying around a pot full of hot liquid.

I bet an immersion chiller is cheaper than the ER bill

Eric

3bals said:

The cut on my cheek went clear through so I could stick my tongue through the hole. So, I can imagine some names about that too. I even heard a comment about the "Falling Down Brewery".

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How about "Tongue In Cheek IPA?"

now that is what i call dedication!

Glad you are ok and getting back on the beer horse.

I frequently move hot wort / sparge water around. I'm usually pretty careful and not drunk when I'm doing that part. But it makes you aware of the hazards that are there.

Glad you weren't hurt too bad!!!

Seriously, get a chiller!!!

Update: On 8/31, I was finally able to get back on that homebrewing horse. I brewed three 5 gallon batches, that dreaded #13 IPA first, a pilsner and a lager, all on the same day.

The new location for the burner and kettle works fine. I lengthened the hose to the immersion chiller so that I can put the chiller in the kettle without even moving it off the burner. And with my 50 F well water temp, it doesnt take very long to cool.

Jody

This is why I have concentrated all of my equipment in one spot..... to prevent accidents due to too much movement.

3bals said:

...that dreaded #13 IPA first...

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I feel honored!

Way to get back on the horse my friend.

[I gotta believe you can come up with myriad naming possibilities within that debacle...

Like:

"13 IPA" in reference to the 13 stitches and the $1,300 that the ER bill probably came to. lol!

or

911 IPA
ERIPA
etc...[/QUOTE]


I got the ER bill yesterday, it was $4332.71. But, as I figured it was 100% covered by my insurance. (this time)

3bals said:

I’m just wondering why I didn’t think of doing my boil in the boiler room before this.

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Hmmm.....Boiler room....boil....I can see how you didn't put that together!

3bals said:

As far as names for my IPA, thanks for the ideas. #13 is a good one for the stitches. As far as the ER bill goes, I already met my deductable back in May, so everything is 100% covered for the rest of the year now. The cut on my cheek went clear through so I could stick my tongue through the hole. So, I can imagine some names about that too. I even heard a comment about the "Falling Down Brewery".

Click to expand...

I'm thinking "Tongue In Cheek IPA"

You'd think, but some times we have to learn the hard way before we see things the right or better way. Sometimes when I'm looking for something that I can't find, my wife will go find it for me. Then asks if I was looking for it with my "man eyes"?