Apsynthion Bathyprikon

[the last yatto]

Artemisia absinthium

Next to Rue, Wormwood is the bitterest herb. Dioscorides recommended it as a stomachic, a vermifuge, a remedy for jaundice, and a flavoring for absinthe. According to Dioscorides, absinthe was a popular summertime drink in Propontis and Thracia, where they believed it maintained good health. Dioscorides also recommended the use of Wormwood in clothes drawers to repel moths and mice.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It's a very pretty drawing. Artemisia Absinthium is a lovely plant, and easy to grow; we're growing some for absinthe next year.

[the last yatto]

Dioscorides is greek btw

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Thank you for spelling that out, as it was not completely obvious.

[the last yatto]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedanius_Dioscorides

[Bu🤠ns]

It's a very pretty drawing. Artemisia Absinthium is a lovely plant, and easy to grow; we're growing some for absinthe next year.

Is it true that there are instances of homemade absinthe that causes one to go blind?  or is that another urban legend like grandma used to tell me before i went potty?

[fomenter]

any home distillation that goes wrong can cause (methanol ) blindness, its not absinthe specific it has to do with temperatures (boiling point) of different types of alcohol (i think)

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Yes, exactly. Same problem with bathtub gin.

It's also bad if they use too much wormwood.

I don't know what I'm doing, but fortunately I live with a chemist.

[Bruno]

Almost all cases of dangerous levels of methanol in moonshine were caused by people adulterating with wood spirits. Also some was contaminated with antifreeze (ethylene glycol) from people using an old radiator as a condenser. Methanol is a natural by-product of fermentation, and all fermented beverages contain some quantity of it, especially if the fermented juice is high in pectin (i.e. apple juice).

Distillation will cause some amount of separation of the different constituents of whatever you are distilling. Methanol has a lower boiling point than ethanol, and so it is in a higher concentration in the heads of a distillation (the first stuff to come off the condenser) the tails (the last stuff to come off) are higher in fusel oils, which are also bad for you.

Distillation does not create dangerous chemicals, it only separates and concentrates the constituents of whatever fermented liquid you are distilling. Most distillers collect the heads and tails of each batch and pour them back into the next batch for several runs, occasionally tossing them out to prevent buildup. I think they also always toss out the first trickle since this contains most of the methanol.

I've made some pretty kickass absinthe, btw. I lived out in the country at the time. I live in an apartment right now, or I would probably have a batch going right now.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

There was absinthe distillation going on last night at my best friend's house.

I didn't drink any.

[Bruno]

Does he/she use small wormwood (Artemisia pontica) in the secondary soak (after distillation)? In my first two batches, I used regular wormwood in the second soak, and it came out way too bitter, so I re-distilled it, resulting in a white (Blanche) absinthe.

Also, does he/she use calamus root? My research suggests that it is an essential ingredient to get a proper absinthe buzz.

[Suu]

My experience with absinthe is that you end up getting too drunk before noticing the effects of the thujone. However, all commercially produced brands, even in Europe, are highly regulated unlike what they used to kick out in the 1800s, and I have never had home-distilled before.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Does he/she use small wormwood (Artemisia pontica) in the secondary soak (after distillation)? In my first two batches, I used regular wormwood in the second soak, and it came out way too bitter, so I re-distilled it, resulting in a white (Blanche) absinthe.

Also, does he/she use calamus root? My research suggests that it is an essential ingredient to get a proper absinthe buzz.

He does use calamus root, and no, he does not do a soak after distillation.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

You get a very different sort of buzz with good absinthe; it's best to not drink so much that you get drunk, though, or you don't really notice anything but being drunk. Stick to just a couple of shots and you get a nice feeling of heightened sensuality.

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

The couple of times I tried it I noticed that the buzz I got was different than say beer or regular liquor.

I felt drunk, but I was very alert and able to speak very clearly without stumbling.

It's like all the drunkiness of alcohol without all the embarrassing stupid sloppy.