Strange symptoms

[terrybond]

Hello this is ny first post. I did some searching before starting this but the closest thing i could find was gluten intollerance.

I have brewed and drank 30 gallons of mead so far with no issues save one infected batch.

My ingredients were half sugar half costco honey. On the last 10 gallons made i used blueberries from my back yard. Typically 4 cups blended. I use fermaid o and boiled blended rasins as well for yeast nutrient.

I brew at 20-22 c for one month from 5 gallon glass carboys then rack to 1 gallon ones. Some a drink right away some sit for a month.

I just bought 5 6 gallon brewing pales from amazon and did one just honey and sugar. Then i did 2 with the blueberries and two with candied ginger slices chopped up.

The temperature this time unfortunatly was more like 27-33 c.

When i drank the honey only one no problems though the very first jug taisted slightly plasticy.

However when i drank the blueberry one on my second day of drinking i devloped a tight throat. I also noticed all my scars and injuries started feeling tingly and numb. I got hot flashes of fever like feelings and temperatures. When i stopped drinking symptoms stayed for a couple days. I didnt think the drinking was related but sure enough the next jug symptoms came back. So i stopped and they went away after 3 days and on the fourth my next was slightly tight. Keep in mind some scarring is on my neck.

I havnt tested the chopped ginger ones yet.

My mother who i gave some to also noticed a bit of a tight throat and we drank at different times.

Pharmacy and poison control were stumped. Is there any way i can test this stuff? Could it be too acidic? They said its not methanol poisoning or botulism. Could it be diabetes? Could it be counterfit non food grade plastic jugs? Could it be from fermenting at too high temp? Is there gluten in mead like ive brewed? Could aging for a year fix this issue? Should i ditch the platic buckets?

Thanks in advance, i have shelved the brew under lock and key as i have a duty of care to myself and others. I wish it were safe to have someone else drink some but this isnt a taiste issue. I was condsidering going to the hoapital at its worst.

 

[JohnSand]

I don't know. I wouldn't taste it or try the same recipe until you solve it. Possibly allergies?

 

[DBhomebrew]

I don't have anything to add about your strange symptoms, but a note on the raisins. Unless you're adding them at a rate of pounds per gallon, they're not adding significant nutrients. Better to stick with a proper nutrient protocol using the Fermaid. There are quality TOSNA calculators online for free.

 

[mac_1103]

FWIW don't believe there are any sources of gluten in your ingredients.

 

[terrybond]

Its shelved and ive schedualled a doctors visit. My best guess is acidity and i just over did it. How can i test my brew? I found an online place but it was like $300 for an analasis. Are there paper strips that change color to indicate problems. Is there a trouble shoot i can do to check?

 

[terrybond]

I don't have anything to add about your strange symptoms, but a note on the raisins. Unless you're adding them at a rate of pounds per gallon, they're not adding significant nutrients. Better to stick with a proper nutrient protocol using the Fermaid. There are quality TOSNA calculators online for free.

I was short on nutrient so i devided the fermaid up and added rasins and dead bakers yeast to bulk it out as much as i could. Thanks for the calculator btw

 

[terrybond]

FWIW don't believe there are any sources of gluten in your ingredients.

Ok thanks thats what i thought

 

[DBhomebrew]

I can't see it being acidic enough to cause a major physical response without first making your mouth pucker. Does it taste more acidic than a lemon?

 

[terrybond]

No not like if i bit into a lemon. It was acidy though like lemon aid. Not enough to taiste offensive. it did give me acid reflux. Also i got lower back pain and heat in the kidney area that seemed to get better after every time i peed. Maybe my mind is fishing for patterns but thats what it seemed.

 

[DBhomebrew]

How much did you drink?

 

[terrybond]

1 gallon honey only day 1. Blueberry brew 3/4 a gallon day 2 my mom had the surplus. Blueberry brew 3/4 a gallon day three mom had surplus. Day 3 1/2 gallon blueberry mom had none. Symptoms started day two and peaked day three. My moms symptoms were off set by half a day. After a full day of nothing i tried a half gallon of the blueberry and symptoms returned not has bad but noticable. Im day 4 of no drinking and my throat is still 1/10 as tight as before. Maybe i was doing something else that made this happen but i cant think of what that might be.

 

[terrybond]

It felt like the opposite of a painkiller for my scars. Not pain wise but tingly and numbness wise. I even quit my vape pen as a process of elimination. Silver lining i subconsiously am too afraid of touching it havnt smoked since.

 

[mac_1103]

1 gallon honey only day 1. Blueberry brew 3/4 a gallon day 2 my mom had the surplus. Blueberry brew 3/4 a gallon day three mom had surplus. Day 3 1/2 gallon blueberry mom had none.

What?! You drank 2 1/2 gallons of mead in 3 days? Or maybe more, since you have day 3 in there twice. I think I'd have some pretty serious symptoms too.

Anyway, it sounds like there's something squirrely about your backyard blueberries. Any issues just eating them?

 

[terrybond]

Sorry the second day three was supposed to be day four. Ive drank that quantity before with no adverse effects. I usually have a few days of drinking every brew and shelf the rest and dont drink at all until the next month. 5 of us pick and eat the blueberries noone has complained.

 

[terrybond]

Haha i should add my mead isnt master craft 22% its closer to 12-15. Thats still heavy but its close to store wine potency. Sometimes its less than that. Ive brewed more with whats avalable to me as opposed to whats optimal.

 

[terrybond]

Perhaps i caught some kind of cold and it lined up with my indulging. Ill get an alergy test to be safe. The feedback is apreciated from everyone, thanks everyone. I just want to know how can i analize what i have left and isolate a problem?

 

[40yr@HB]

Lips puckering + warm ferm. Check acidity. Have a pH meter? What was the OG, FG?

 

[MightyMosin]

Tight throat sounds like allergy reaction, which IMO is something to be extremely careful about.

Many of us use plastic buckets without any issues. What are your sanitation processes like?

 

[z-bob]

Are you sure they were blueberries?

 

[fluketamer]

more likely an allergy than anything poison control would have anything to do with.

acid wouldnt cause any of these symptoms.

 

[lumpher]

I'm with the majority here about allergies. I'm wondering if you've developed an allergy to honey... strange, but possible. An easy test would be just to rub a little on your gums and see if you have any reaction. I'm not any kind of medic, so take that suggestion with a grain of salt.