For this I went to college...

After several degrees and years of experience building complex systems, I now find myself dramatically unprepared for the life of a distiller. Don't get me wrong! I wouldn't trade it - It's just funny sometimes. The other night I was preparing to charge the still from a tank filled with 250 gallons of wort (beer).  Squatting at the tank bottom, I was having difficulty releasing a fitting so I could connect the pump. One final shove and the fitting gave way.  That's when I realized I had failed to turn the main valve off and the pressure of 250 gallons of wort blasted my chest. It's impressive! You should try it sometime...with your own beer. That's also when I realized I have darn good reflexes because, within half a second, I had 1) realized I was a fool, and 2) hit the valve. Fortunately, not much was lost, and hey, I probably needed a freshen-up about that time anyway. Maybe I'll start a new trend...beer baths...