VT Mike Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Great work! And a very interesting topic. I've heard that most of the health problems associated with modern moonshine are related to lead poisoning rather than high levels of methanol. This comes from home made distilling equipment - lead solder, old automotive radiators used as chillers, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fussychicken Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Thanks for doing this Mike. Just to keep this going, do we have a conclusion yet?According to previous threads:Lead Crystal Decanters are bad: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1694534/Wild Turkey Ceramic Decanters are bad: http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?16193Mike's Results: Most ceramic and porcelain decanters are ok, with the occasional wild card?So in other words, we have mixed results? Kinda? Mike I take it that you are now happily imbibing all the decanters you get? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer&Bourbon Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I don't think you would call this mixed results exactly. The first study is looking at leaded crystal decanters - so if you're talking about the 23 year PvW then yes - you're probably at risk of lead leaching. The second study was only the one decanter without proper controls so I'd throw that out. If you want you could also lump that into Mike's results (assuming you believe the result). Mike's results demonstrate that a few of the decanters do have higher lead levels, but why?Is there a problem with lead leaching into the bourbon from the decanter? Possibly. Mike's leaching studies show that some lead leaks into the liquid, but all 8 of the results were below the EPA's limit for a current pitcher. Also consider that that first study showed differing levels of leaching into different liquids over the course of their study. The suggest, but don't show, that the pH is the major determinant for the amount of lead leached. If that's true Mike was using acetic acid in his leaching studies (pH ~2.5) while bourbon (according to my brief internet search) has a lower pH (4-5). That suggests that less lead might leach into bourbon.Also consider the role of the water used in bourbon production. The EPA's Lead and Copper rule to limit lead (and copper) in drinking water wasn't enacted until 1991. This means that the water itself could be a significant contributing factor to the lead level in old bourbon (regardless of the potential leaching from the decanter). In fact, Mike demonstrated levels of 69 and 15 ppb, respectively, in a 1960s Old Fitz glass bottle and a HH glass bottle from 1982. This suggests another source of lead - either the water itself or possibly the pipes/equipment used in production.All in all in looks like the decanters themselves sometimes pose since there were a few very high reads, but most pose no increased danger over other glut era bourbon. That's all to say that you shouldn't drink any of it - send it my way.Cheers,Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelturtle1 Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 I do from time to time drink bourbon from the decanters. The only conclusion you can draw from my results is that testing before you consume is the most prudent approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts