I have made "Lemon beer" using white granulated sugar, lemons and dry bread yeast. I had it in first fermentation for about 8 days then switched the container to second fermentation for a further 8 days. today i took it out to boil and cool to distill it but the fumes are really strong just a few whiffs and i feel drunk in the head already. Is this batch still safe to consume or should i toss it and start again?
2 Answers
First of all, welcome to HB SE. Questions about distillation are usually not anwsered here, since it is not legal in many countries.
I would say that if you do not have the right equipment or knowledge, it can be very dangerous, do not take any chances. Brewing beer is relatively safe, distillation not so much.
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1^ This. Distilling is both an art and a science. I would suggest reading up on some of the science, temperature control (and control of heads and tails) is necessary for a safe and drinkable product.– andyCommented May 25, 2020 at 9:24
You said you boiled and cooled it to distill it. Unless you are leaving out a lot of steps, you didn't distill your drink, you just boiled it. Boiling a drink like this will reduce the alcohol content and change the flavour, as well as producing more alcohol fumes, which may be why it smells stronger now. It shouldn't be any less safe to drink than it was when you finished the fermentation.