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Comment by King-Aaron | Hacker News Reader

Oh look I'd wager more fires would be caused by people angle grinding in the summer (*there was a massive fire several years ago caused by this here in Perth), but I was just spitballing ideas. TBH I used to still my own liquor and think that if you're interested enough in the process to actually do it you're also probably aware of the safety aspects to it.

But also I do appreciate how many numbskulls there are out there.

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I grew up in moonshine country (or at least what was once moonshine country before they moved on to pot and then meth), and I never heard of a still causing a forest fire.

They’d occasionally go blind from methanol in the shine or slowly give themselves lead poisoning from the solder in the still, but no fires. So, they were at least safety-aware enough not to want to lose all their product and get the authorities on their case by burning down the area around their still.

Thank you. I know you have a point. I never did old fashioned distilling -- mostly because I am not sure I am anal enough to keep it clean and whatnot, but I can't say that the idea doesn't have charm.

> mostly because I am not sure I am anal enough to keep it clean and whatnot

Do you perhaps mean fermentation? Distillation is exceptionally easy and not particularly difficult to clean up after. It remains perfectly safe provided you have a cheap digital thermometer, understand the importance of good ventilation, and use off the shelf parts. (The latter only because a custom setup built by a particularly incompetent individual could inadvertently result in the creation of a dangerous pressure vessel.)

The same numbskulls that can purchase power tools at the local hardware store? Or drive a car? Distilling liquor is far safer than a great many common day to day activities.

I'm not really sure why you're trying to argue this to me, however there are some very serious risks to running a home still which shouldn't really be dismissed.

Because I'm responding to your comment in the context of a subtree where it was suggested that home distilling presented sufficient danger to give pause when considering the implications of repealing the ban on it. You yourself expressed such a sentiment. I'm merely pointing out the inconsistency of such a position with regard to the status quo. While it certainly carries risks, home distilling is far safer than a great many common day to day activities.

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