How have you injured yourself brewing?

[brewguyver]

Was splashing flame-out wort in my brew pot trying to get DME off the chiller and splashed some out on my sneaker. Hopped around for 30 seconds before pulling the shoe and sock off. I think I burned myself 4 times that weekend while brewing.

Also - was making a starter on the kitchen stove in April. I put a teaspoon of yeast nutrient into an already boiling 2L starter flask - boiling wort shot about 3' into the air. I managed to get out of the way, but the SWMBO heard the eruption and the sizzle ... talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire.

 

[Travestian]

Right before I started brewing one day I went across the street to help a neighbor with a pickax. I ended up smashing my right ring finger between the handle and a stone in the ground. That brew day was painful and bloody.

 

[Zamial]

Homebrewing I can say I have gotten minor cuts and burns, I have learned. I brew in waterproof boots and have leather welders gloves in my brew day supplies and use them whenever I am going to lift anything.

On a side note I have been sprayed from the top of my shins all the way up my frontside with 160F caustic (sodium hydroxide aka lye with extra stuff to make it work better) in the brewery due to mechanical failure. Fast reflexes and knowing exactly what to do saved my eyes and my skin from nasty burns/chemical burns.

I have also gashed the areas that would be where my kidneys are and my upper legs on zwikles. Those little bastards are nasty and vicious.

 

[Cyclman]

Considerable liver damage, numerous minor burns, and cut myself on a burr on a turkey fryer. Considering how potentially dangerous dealing with very hot steel, heavy hot liquid, and glass can be, I guess my safety consciousness has been of significant benefit.

 

[SiriusStarr]

Once, I put my immersion chiller into the boiling wort and had water stuck in the chiller boil out and shoot me in the arm. Luckily this wasn't a major injury.

THAT I've done; I didn't even think about the potential for that to happen the second time I used my wort chiller.

 

[ajdelange]

I always wear a face shield when working with caustic. The one time I didn't was the time a hose clamp worked loose and I got hit in the face with a stream of, fortunately, cold caustic solution (cleaning beer lines with a pump). You know how the MSDS says that one of the biggest dangers of lye is that it is anaesthetic to the corneas? That's a damn lie. Hurt like hell.

I doubt anyone will ever top Gordon Strong's experience in lowering a lighted sulfur candle into a whiskey barrel he was planning to use to age barley wine. There was still quite a bit of whiskey, or more to the point, alcohol vapor in it and the community almost lost one of our best.

 

[hogwash]

Backed into my turkey fryer right after flame out & moving the kettle. Wearing shorts of course, nice scar on my leg from the outer ring on the fryer.

This, only it was strike or sparge water for me. Got a nice trapezoidal scar on my leg from the burner. It has since faded and I have gotten a kettle with a ball valve and no longer have to pick it up to transfer water.

 

[daksin]

Just minor burns and knuckle scrapes. I'm usually bleeding at the end of a brew day.

 

[Pipefighter]

Rubber bung of the wrong size almost went right into carboy, digging it back out with hooked screw driver let go and sliced right up my hand .

 

[IvanTheTerribrew]

Brewed during a snowstorm and while I was trying to fix something near the propane burner I pressed up against the ring and burned my forearm. Nothing bad, but so far only injury.

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

Pics or it didn't happen....hehehe

#4902. Never Forget.

 

[HoppyT]

While cleaning/ sanitizing... dropped my 8 gallon SS potlid off the counter and onto my bare foot (edge first).... cracked nail in half and wouldn't stop bleeding 12 hours later... 4 stitches and a removed toenail later... (I just removed a band-aid before taking this pic... haha sorry it looks nasty)

I finished the Black IPA and still waiting for results... Better be a good one!:cross:

 

[SiriusStarr]

While cleaning/ sanitizing... dropped my 8 gallon SS potlid off the counter and onto my bare foot (edge first).... cracked nail in half and wouldn't stop bleeding 12 hours later... 4 stitches and a removed toenail later... (I just removed a band-aid before taking this pic... haha sorry it looks nasty)

I finished the Black IPA and still waiting for results... Better be a good one!:cross:

What are you naming it, Toesmasher?

 

[fuzzy2133]

While cleaning/ sanitizing... dropped my 8 gallon SS potlid off the counter and onto my bare foot (edge first).... cracked nail in half and wouldn't stop bleeding 12 hours later... 4 stitches and a removed toenail later... (I just removed a band-aid before taking this pic... haha sorry it looks nasty)

I finished the Black IPA and still waiting for results... Better be a good one!:cross:

Ouch I bet that got your attention. Now just to name the beer like what Sierra Nevada is doing with their DevESTATEtion ale.

 

[kh54s10]

I use a 2 step stool to stir my mash. I stepped too far back and missed the lower step once. Momentary twinge in my lower back.

And got a sore wrist once while browsing HBT during the mash.

 

[mattd2]

I made DIY candi sugar once and after getting it up to about 300°F as the recipe said I decided that to make adding it to the fermenter later easier I would add some water back to make a syrup instead of rocks. Well I added the water way to fast and it instantly boiled and erupted 300°F syrup out of the pot and a large glob landed right on my bare foot. Had a huge boil on that and couldn't walk properly with shoes on for a couple of weeks!

 

[bluidshay]

Not exactly brewing, but I was delivering some homebrews to people who participated in a workshop at my house, and the cooler fell off the back of my truck into the street when I exited my driveway. I didn't want to leave broken glass in the road so I hopped out to pick up what I could. Traffic stopped one way to let me enter the road and there was no traffic the other way. I bent down, scooped the big chunks into the cooler, and grabbed the one intact bottle. When I stood up, a mac truck was bearing down on me from the direction where they had no traffic! I rushed to get out of the way and tripped in front of the stopped line of cars. The intact bottle smashed into my right hand and broke, severing a tendon, and artery, and a bunch of nerves. The first car in the stopped line was full of disabled adults and their caretakers and they were able to turniquet me and call 911. I have never seen so much blood in my life. I was rushed to the hospital where they did emergency repairs. I was out of work for EIGHT WEEKS!! This was back in May. I still have not too much feeling or strength in my thumb although I have pretty decent mobility back. It was a life threatening experience that I still wake up shivering in the dark from and I am hoping my husband gets me a kegging system for my birthday at the end of the month so I never have to deal with glass bottles again!!

 

[sieglere]

Bottle bomb in my hand. You know that scene from the beginning of saving private Ryan? The bomb shell loud noise, a fading in whine/ringing, then back to 'normal'. That's a real thing. Luckily just a few stitches in my hand. Could've been much worse.

Be safe and stay thirsty my friends

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Bottle bomb in my hand. You know that scene from the beginning of saving private Ryan? The bomb shell loud noise, a fading in whine/ringing, then back to 'normal'. That's a real thing. Luckily just a few stitches in my hand. Could've been much worse.

Be safe and stay thirsty my friends

Its called "shell shock"...VERY scary story!
Glass could have punctured your chest!

 

[pulfson]

Dislocate my knee brewing a stout last night. It better be good. It's about the 25:th time I have dislocated one of my knees so I am fairly used to it. From know on I will clean up all of my wort spills immediately, lesson learned.

In honor of the tragic accident I will name my beer "The Dislocator". Now I just need to come up with a gruesome bottle label.

 

[mattd2]

Its called "shell shock"...VERY scary story!
Glass could have punctured your chest!

Yes, my fathers freind had bottles explode in his kitchen when he was out of the room, aparently there were shards of glass stuck in the back of the door we he went to check out what that load bang was...

 

[monkeeroot]

A couple of weeks ago I was lifting my kettle into an ice bath and my had slipped off the handle. The kettle dropped down, hit the burner, and directed 200 degree wort onto my feet. I mostly had second degree burns on both feet and a strong desire to purchase rubber boots.

 

[brick]

Good lord. What were you wearing on your feet?

 

[monkeeroot]

Good lord. What were you wearing on your feet?

I was wearing a pair of running shoes.

 

[drainbamage]

Wow, I've gotten a couple of burns while brewing, but nothing near that bad.

Hoping you have a fast recovery!

 

[Zepth]

monkeeroot that is horrific. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

I'm seeing a couple trends here. The first is that heat will do things you didn't expect it to - wort chillers appear to be one of the major culprits. Should I expand to have one I think I'm going to put the water flowing step ahead of the immersion. The other is that feet are always in danger. Combat boots or good old farmer rubbers. I'd feel a little strange walking around my condo in either but it looks like safety shall reign supreme.

Personally I haven't been doing this long enough to end up injuring myself in any way worth mentioning. I think stubbing my toe on the table leg when placing my bucket on top is just about it aside from the standard bumping into things and perils of washing dishes.

In honor of the tragic accident I will name my beer "The Dislocator". Now I just need to come up with a gruesome bottle label.

Might I suggest a background image?

source

 

[Hello]

A couple of weeks ago I was lifting my kettle into an ice bath and my had slipped off the handle. The kettle dropped down, hit the burner, and directed 200 degree wort onto my feet. I mostly had second degree burns on both feet and a strong desire to purchase rubber boots.

Oh god. This is horrible. I hope you recover fast.

 

[DrunkleJon]

A couple of weeks ago I was lifting my kettle into an ice bath and my had slipped off the handle. The kettle dropped down, hit the burner, and directed 200 degree wort onto my feet. I mostly had second degree burns on both feet and a strong desire to purchase rubber boots.

I saw this and ET just said "Oucccch"

 

[Barley_Bob]

One time, I got a nasty papercut. It was brutal.

 

[raouliii]

Burned my hand grabbing the bottom skirt of my keggle. I had used my CFC to recirculate wort down to 80degF for 10 minutes. Even 15 minutes after flame out, that skirt was still VERY hot.