I think its time for me to give up :(

[Boomgate]

In the early days of distilling I used to make all sorts of delicious concoctions, limoncello, Oranchino (limonella but with oranges), Lemon and orange vodka, coffee liquer and heaps more.... and my drinking was regular but not something I was really worried about...

Since about this time last year, my drinking increased, and once Covid hit,it started getting out of control... I now feel I am drinking unhealthy amounts, and because of that I have decided to pull the plug on my hobby.

I am selling my still (in the for sale section now) and will focus on repairing my liver, my waistline and my health, while trying to stay sane in an insane world.

I just wanted to give a shout out to the people who run this forum, admins past and present, for providing a great resource for this hobby. I want to thank the community for their support, advice and humour.

Cheers guys. Keep enjoying your hobby, I hope that one day, when I am in a better place mentally, I will get back into it safely.

[bluc]

Sad to hear yea its a definate occupational Hazzard..

[Wellsy]

Great to hear you have decided to take control mate.
Sad to here you are leaving.
Your not alone mate and many others have had to face demons like you are doing now. They are never the same demons but always just as challenging.
Here is not necessarily the best place to talk but if you want to talk about what weight loss give me a yell mate happy to offer what ever support I can. I can tell you it is never about how much you exercise it is always about what you swallow lol.
Does not mean you have to stop everything but sometimes none is easier than some.
Hope to see you back when you get a better handle on things.
good luck

[Yonder]

Don’t let anyone talk you out of it. When you lose control of your fate it is a crisis that only you can overcome. So sorry to hear you’re losing something you love but first comes your health and family. Be at peace with your decision.

[wynnum1]

This also happens with making your own beer and going into kegs and can pour a beer at any time of the day.

[bluc]

Or bread or pizza or salami / cured meats..cheese..

[Sam.]

Sad to see you go mate but yeah unfortunately the reality is alcohol is a drug and can be just as addictive as the rest.

Moderation can be difficult sometimes, I wish you all the best :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Doubleuj]

All the best mate :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Tesla101]

Kudos to you mate for taking action before it gets the better of you.

I've only been distilling for less than a year, but I do believe I am a "healthier" drinker than before.

My wife and I used to knock over a bottle of cheap red every night, and wake up with a headache and crook guts the next morning. Now we enjoy a couple of homemade gins and maybe a coffee liqueur each night, but no longer do either of us wake up with a hangover. We've also just about halved the dollars we used to spend at Dan's and have much more fun creating new recipes and trying new drinks.

But like anything else, moderation is the key. If you can't control it, it's time to make some changes.

[Boomgate]

Kudos to you mate for taking action before it gets the better of you.

I've only been distilling for less than a year, but I do believe I am a "healthier" drinker than before.

My wife and I used to knock over a bottle of cheap red every night, and wake up with a headache and crook guts the next morning. Now we enjoy a couple of homemade gins and maybe a coffee liqueur each night, but no longer do either of us wake up with a hangover. We've also just about halved the dollars we used to spend at Dan's and have much more fun creating new recipes and trying new drinks.

But like anything else, moderation is the key. If you can't control it, it's time to make some changes.

Yeah, I started distilling in 2012 and I found the same thing for many many years, its only recently that my behaviour changed.... Best to walk away for a while and come back if I feel it is safe to do that in the future.

[Boomgate]

Well, turns out I couldnt give up... However I learned a valuable lesson...

Firstly I want to apologise for the "Drama" of posting this post to start with, at the time I was trying to be productive, drawing a line in the sand for myself... But looking at my post now I am cringing a bit.

I no longer have a problem, I found the solution was actually simple....

When I drank wine, I never had a problem.... so... haha, I water everything down to wine ABV at the beginning of the night :) Makes how much I drink much more predictable... and If at the end of the night, I have one extra, no big deal.
:text-imwithstupid:

[Wellsy]

No need to apologise mate. Your post got you an answer and that is the main thing.

Takes a monster effort to face up to your short comings, and an even bigger effort to overcome them. Congrats mate and glad we have not lost an experienced distiller for advice