Methanol

[warren57]

I’ve seen various posts where people were asking about methanol being produced in wine fermentation, asking was it safe.
Can anyone explain to me what that is all about?
Seems to me mankind has been fermenting in wine production for thousands of years, now someone has decided it’s an issue?
Thanks

 

[NorCal]

I’ve not heard of methonal being produced in any appreciable amounts during fermentation, only as a byproduct when converting wine to grappa.

 

[salcoco]

I think they are confusing wine fermentation with distillation which can produce harmful chemicals.

 

[sour_grapes]

I’ve seen various posts where people were asking about methanol being produced in wine fermentation, asking was it safe.
Can anyone explain to me what that is all about?
Seems to me mankind has been fermenting in wine production for thousands of years, now someone has decided it’s an issue?
Thanks

Perhaps you could provide links to the posts that concern you so that we could make an informed reply.

 

[warren57]

Perhaps you could provide links to the posts that concern you so that we could make an informed reply.

Let me see if I can figure out how to copy and attach them.
Thanks

 

[warren57]

Had to copy as pictures, can’t find a way to get the article. This is one of many...
Thanks

 

[warren57]

 

[sour_grapes]

You see, those are all referring to distilled liquor (aka spirits).

 

[warren57]

Yes but read the beginning... beer, wine and spirits.
Many other posts reference wine only.
Google methanol in wine, there are dozens of posts.
I, like you think they are thinking of distilled, but not really what they are saying...

 

[salcoco]

the last article says " there are small amounts in wine and beer made at home but not enough to cause problems"

 

[GreginND]

The small amount of methanol in fermented beverages is concentrated during distillation at the head - the first alcohol that comes off. That is when it becomes dangerous. I can't imagine how anyone could drink enough wine in one sitting to ingest enough methanol to cause a problem. It is only present in 0.004-0.02%.

 

[WellingtonToad]

I’ve seen various posts where people were asking about methanol being produced in wine fermentation, asking was it safe.
Can anyone explain to me what that is all about?

Whenever yeast is used, there is a chance of methanol being created. Acetone and other chemicals as well.
In the basic ferment, the balance of chemicals is safe (?) to drink.
You may have heard rumours that alcohol is dangerous, can cause hangovers,etc. A lot of that is the extra chemicals created by fermentation. There are some real nastiest there, but drinking in moderation is OK for most of us.
The problem starts with distillation. Distillation separates the nastiest. If an inexperienced distiller starts drinking the wrong fractions from their still, they can kill themselves or do serious organ damage.
The nasties are no longer in balance, and have concentrated enough to cause damage.
Distilling is not discussed on this forum for that reason.
That is also the reason that distilling is generally illegal.
I hope I haven't crossed any boundaries.

 

[warren57]

Thanks for your thoughts, I kind of figured after thousands of years of wine making, it couldn’t be to big a deal.
And let’s face it, there is a danger warning on everything we eat, touch and breath. Ha ha

 

[GreginND]

FYI - ethanol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. This is the same category as arsenic, benzene, etc. And you all are worried about a little methanol?

 

[bstnh1]

I’ve seen various posts where people were asking about methanol being produced in wine fermentation, asking was it safe.
Can anyone explain to me what that is all about?
Seems to me mankind has been fermenting in wine production for thousands of years, now someone has decided it’s an issue?
Thanks

OSHA regulations for hazardous substances in wineries does not mention methanol. It seems their biggest concern is avoiding a build-up of carbon dioxide in confined spaces which displaces oxygen.

 

[GreginND]

OSHA regulations for hazardous substances in wineries does not mention methanol. It seems their biggest concern is avoiding a build-up of carbon dioxide in confined spaces which displaces oxygen.

To be fair, OSHA is concerned about employee safety, not directly consumer safety. That would be the FDA.

 

[bstnh1]

To be fair, OSHA is concerned about employee safety, not directly consumer safety. That would be the FDA.

 

[ThreeSheetsToTheWind]

You are most likely going to die from ethanol poisoning before you ingest enough wine or beer to get yourself into the methanol danger zone.

Like posted above, the concern comes from distillation. Let's say you put 10 gallons of wine in a still, the first couple of ounces of distillate will contain all (or most) of the methanol, along with other nasties, from the entire batch. Drinking that might be cause for concern.

 

[Slappy]

You will be killed by ethanol poisoning multiple times before you’d get enough methanol from wine, cider or beer to cause you major harm.

 

[1d10t]

The original article may be misleading. The fear maybe more about adulteration of beverages that have been spiked for potency to be sold to tourists and less about a product a local might make for their own consumption.