Sourdough Beer/Spirits?

Question

I have a sourdough starter I've been using once a week for a few years. If I leave the starter too long without re-feeding, then a liquid forms on the top of it. I've read this is the ethanol that is a by-product of the yeast eating the sugars in the flour.I've read that "you shouldn't drink it, because it can make you blind" (and haven't particularly wanted to test out that theory).Recently I found this old school web site with a recipe for Sourdough Beer, using the "hooch" as a fermenting agent: https://sites.google.com/site/windintheroses/sourdoughbeerBut I haven't found any other information like this around... is it more/less dangerous than an alcoholic ginger beer? Are there any other methods for distilling or using this by-product?

ohiovr · Accepted Answer

When grain is fermented to make spirits you get mostly ethanol but in many cases there is enough methanol produced that can cause blindness or death. The trick for distilling is to throw away the first part that comes out because of the high methanol concentration.