BAD BEER KILLS 69 AT MOZAMBIQUE FUNERAL

I just came across this news article, and thought it was very interesting and sad.

MAPUTO – At least 69 people died over the weekend in Mozambique after drinking home-brewed beer, a local government official told state television.

She said at least 169 remained in hospital. Samples of the brew and suspicious objects found inside the drum have been sent to the National Laboratory in the capital Maputo for testing.

ewn.co.za...

a reply to: IndependentOpinion

I think i drank that beer once .

a reply to: hutch622

So many people fall sick after drinking home made beer each year. Why do people not learn the dangers, and stay away from the stuff? (not talking about you. lol)

originally posted by: IndependentOpinion
a reply to: hutch622

So many people fall sick after drinking home made beer each year. Why do people not learn the dangers, and stay away from the stuff? (not talking about you. lol)

The problem is in Africa these guys can't afford to buy beer so like most things they consume they make it themselves.

The beer they are drinking is certainly not like any of the four glasses pictured in the article.

Not a nice story to wake up to.

the funeral home in charge of the first funeral must have seen it like a golden buisness opportunity.

a reply to: IndependentOpinion

So many people fall sick after drinking home made beer each year. Why do people not learn the dangers, and stay away from the stuff? (not talking about you. lol)

Every now and then you read articles about people dying from home made alcohol . By no means are all these people in 3rd world or 2nd world countries . Blindness is also very common .

a reply to: and14263

That I do know. But they should be more careful. It is so tragic that so many people have died, and can still die, and someone that did not know how to make safe beer will probably be charged with murder.

a reply to: hutch622

My grandfather use to make beer about once a month for many many years, and no one ever got sick from it. It all goes back to knowing how to do it. Experimenting with this stuff is not a good idea.

a reply to: IndependentOpinion

They know how to make beer from what little they have. They won't have demijohns, air locks, sterilizer or hops. They'll be fermenting corn in an old 20 litre oil bottle someone discarded. These guys have been making beer and moonshine for years, it's their culture. They're not drinking the stuff we think of as beer. Sounds like this stuff was contaminated with something.

a reply to: and14263

As I understand it, if you add something too much, or to little, the alcohol changes to methanol.

a reply to: IndependentOpinion

Maybe so, that could be the issue. Take a look at this:

Seventy-nine Libyans died this week from drinking homemade spirits in the North African country, where alcohol is illegal. Libyan officials suspect that the homemade liquor contained methanol, and said many of those who survived drinking it were blinded, according to the Associated Press.

(March 2013).

Link

I read it was alligator bile .

Ive heard some stories about the Jail Alcohol that Inmates make. I think they call it pruno. Ive heard its made from what ever they can find that will ferment. Im surprised it never killed anyone. My jail bird nephew told me about it.

originally posted by: IndependentOpinion
a reply to: and14263

As I understand it, if you add something too much, or to little, the alcohol changes to methanol.

You must be confusing fermentation (beer) with distillation (liquor)

Making homebrew beer doesn't create methanol or any other dangerous chemicals (well, other than ethanol, but that's kinda the point) Unless you are using poison or otherwise toxic ingredients there is no danger in home brew, no known pathogens can survive in it either. The worst possible scenario is making a brew with too much fusel alcohols but even that just gives you a bad hangover, it's not dangerous.

The danger comes around when you start distilling things, but no, homebrew does NOT ever contain methanol. In countries that have outlawed alcohol there are more than a few instances of people cutting alcohol with methanol or purposefully poisoning batches. The article also mentions something suspicious found in the barrels. Wonder what that could be.

Lots of misinfo floating around in here!

methanol is a type of alcohol, when you brew beer there is a small amount of methanol and a larger amount of ethanol.

The only way you could increase the methanol content is through distillation or fractional freezing.

The most likely explanation is the beer was brewed in containers that were previously used for somthing toxic or less likley that poor hygene made it toxic.

Home brewing can be dangerous, A few years ago a friends brother made 24 bottles of "ELDERFLOWER champagne" for a family wedding party.

It was pure chance that he showed my friend the elderflowers he had used to make the brew which my friend recognised as hemlock.

They took it to enviromental health and they disposed of it as would have certainly killed the entire congregation.

a reply to: IndependentOpinion

originally posted by: nonspecific
Home brewing can be dangerous, A few years ago a friends brother made 24 bottles of "ELDERFLOWER champagne" for a family wedding party.

It was pure chance that he showed my friend the elderflowers he had used to make the brew which my friend recognised as hemlock.

They took it to enviromental health and they disposed of it as would have certainly killed the entire congregation.

a reply to: IndependentOpinion

Oh my f*****g lord! Brilliant!

a reply to: misskat1
Theoretically you can convert any sugar into alcohol, hence there is "vodka" made from grapes, molasses, corn, rice... which I call BLASPHEMY!

a reply to: James1982

Lots of misinfo floating around in here!

That is why I said "As I understand", meaning I am open for correction, because I may not be correct.

All it really takes for a bad batch of home brew if for the wrong bacteria to sneak in and procreate. My first thought is to wonder if anyone might not have deliberately poisoned the beer. To me this seems more possible as most bad beer will simply cause a nice case of food poisoning ( which can be fatal but usually isn't ).

I do not know if it is the case in that region or not, but historically and, still, in some parts of the world, beer is safer than drinking the available water.

a reply to: Hefficide

People drink water?