I was probably 13 years old at the time,
and I was interested in making wines after finding a book with recipes for various "country" wines. I gathered a number of wild sunflowers to make a sunflower wine, pulled the petals and steeped them in boiling hot water, added the sugar, yeast, and, I think, a tablespoon of very strong tea.

Of course I had little idea of what I was doing, and not having a fermentation lock, I screwed the top of the half filled gallon jug tight to keep the "bad bacteria" from infecting the newly made must.

I came home to a very angry Mother, the section of my solid oak desk I had put the fermenting liquid in "to keep it in the dark" blown wide open, the dog shaking in another part of the house, and thick sugary liquid all over the floor. There were shards of glass embedded in the wood of the file drawer of that desk that I never got out.
( CapnChkn I would rather be flying elephants., Sun 7 Dec 2014, 13:48, 3 replies)

I like this.

( drimble he'd been white, he'd been black, Sun 7 Dec 2014, 15:18, closed)

13 years old?
Frightened dog in the corner?
Thick sugary liquid all over the floor?

Yes, I'd go with the "I was making homebrew" excuse as well.
( Ghoti Fingers, Sun 7 Dec 2014, 18:45, closed)

Judging by the
appaling swill my neighbour used to make in his shed from elderberries and dandelions, and inflict on 'special' friends and neighbours once a year or so, that was probably the very best outcome for everybody concerned.

Even losing an eye would have made it about 50/50.
(username failed moderation, Mon 8 Dec 2014, 12:35, closed)