Many of us boil wort indoors on the stove-top. (Not talking about the obvious gas fumes of propane burners etc…)
Are there any dangers in breathing the vapors from the boil?
I know grain dust is bad and I’m sure breathing the dust along with the boil vapors could entrench some nasty stuff in your lungs/sinuses.
I don’t think so. That much stream might damage structures over time. Besides that it’s like making soup.
As an admitted OCD sufferer, I will tell you that the most dangerous thing in brewing is the ethanol that you’ll be producing.
Haha!
Sticking your face in the fermenting bucket isn’t a good idea either, a good wiff of co2 will knock you on your a$$, literally takes your breath away:)
I’ve considered using a snorkel when lifting carboys out of my ferm freezer.
Yeah, no joke - I remember the last Wee Heavy I did (read: a$$load of CO2) I opened the fridge door to check and got hit with a blast of CO2. Definitely took a second to get my breath.
Edit for lack of proofreading. 
I learned that the hard way when I thought I’d smell the dry hop residue in my Speidel after kegging. Ooof!
Yup, 2nd batch I ever made, blanked out momentarily and hit the floor! Never did that again!
I almost fell off the catwalk into a huge fermenter when on tour at Jack Daniels after leaning over and taking a big whiff. I guess there could be worse ways to die.
A vat of Evan Williams?
Early Times ?
Not really the same thing here… BUT
I made a Zinfandel of beef in a dutch oven, in my oven, at pretty low temps. A bottle of Zinfandel in with the beef in the dutch oven. I opened the oven door and had my face right there, ready to snuff a GREAT BIG snootfull of what smelled absolutely AWESOME…
Then there was the backdraft moment… Really, just like in the movie. The wave of flame singed my hair, beard, eyebrows, nose hairs…
Priceless.
Hrm…
Are wort boil vapors bad for you?
1.) I don’t know but I stuck my head in a bunch of C02 and nearly died
2.) I don’t know but ethanol is bad for you
3.) I don’t know but I almost fell into a vat of whiskey
4.) I don’t know but I cooked beef in cheap wine and almost seared my face off
Wow.
I would read the responses as more like
No, but here are some things you can worry about if you are looking for something to worry about.
Why would you think the steam would be bad?
grain dust, as dust, is an irretent. In an enclosed area it is also an explosion hazard.
steam is a burn risk and a moisture risk to your youse but is in no way related to grain dust.
Grain silos are also dangerous places. Never walk on grain, you can get sucked under and killed.
Having worked around grain my entire life I always use a safety harness when shoveling out a gravity bin or silo. Thanks for the tip though!
Your summary made me laugh. More so than the original posts themselves, and I do think that falling into a vat of Early Times would be worse than JD. If you have to die in a vat of whiskey, can’t it be something top shelf?
Good! At least someone saw the humor in it!
I’d rather perish in a vat of Glendronach 12yr…
I’m casting a personal preference to go out in a vat of Pappy (any of them) or Lagavulin 16. Though I suppose I could be talked into buying it in a vat of Rochefort 10.