One of the cool things about beer is that the fermentation produces no pathogens. Unlike other processes that produce consumables, the byproducts of brewing won’t harm you. Sure, no one would want to eat the trub at the bottom of their fermentation bucket, but it’s nice to know that it’s not toxic. (Standard disclaimers about drinking too excess apply, of course.)

So some recent news out of South Africa rather alarmed me.

Man dies after drinking home-made beer

A Kwanobuhle man has died after drinking home-made beer and two others are in a critical condition, Eastern Cape police said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Inspector Gerda Swart said Simoki Morris January, 54, was drinking a brew known as “mqomboti” when he started feeling ill.

“His girlfriend took him to the Latetia Bam Clinic in Kwanobuhle. He was transferred to the Uitenhage provincial hospital where he died on arrival,” said Swart.

She said two other men from the same village were also taken to Uitenhage hospital after drinking “mqomboti”.

The pair, aged 37 and 73, showed the same symptoms as January.

Swart said police had confiscated the beer.

“We believe it is the beer that killed the man, and samples have been taken for forensic analysis.”

The water, maybe? Some sort of pesticide or other toxin on the malt? It appears to be a corn-based brew.

Scary.