broke thermometer during cold break

greatschmaltez · 01-24-2011, 12:03 AM

I was cooling down my wort after a partial mash. I had my pot in an ice bath and simultaneously stirring the wort and the ice bath (while patting my head and rubbing my tummy). I pulled the thermometer (I have one of those floating thermometers) out and saw the class tip on the end had broke. I found immediately tried to see if the bulb had broke by breaking the glass more and pulling the beads out. I found the bulb in my sink (not sure if I broke it off or it came out stuck to my spoon). I found the glass pieces at the bottom of the pot as I transferred to my primary fermenter (nothing to lose attitude) and a couple of the beads. I had a strainer that catches most of the hot/cold break and the hops... I would expect it to catch any deadly pieces of glass... I'm just concerned about toxic levels of mercury at this point.

What would you do at this point (abort or not abort)? Will the yeast tell me if the mercury levels are toxic? Do these thermometers still use mercury or is it something else? I hate to abort my first partial mash... but then again, I also hate to die of mercury poisoning.

**samc** · 01-24-2011, 12:22 AM

I'd be surprised if you had a Mercury thermo, can you check with manufacturer.

shortyjacobs · 01-24-2011, 12:33 AM

As long as your thermometer was made in the last 15 or 20 years, it's an alcohol thermometer with steel BBs, so no worries about lead or mercury.

If it's REALLY old, it could be mercury, but it's probably not. Did it have a red line inside of it, or a silver one? Red = alcohol, silver = mercury.

(edit, I've seen blue alcohol thermometers too, so red/blue = alcohol, silver = mercury).

greatschmaltez · 01-24-2011, 12:47 AM

It's definitely red... I bought it literally a month ago from my local brew shop in Houston.

When I was a kid, I remember my mom broke a thermometer and all the silver liquid mercury... doesn't look that way. I need another affirmation though before I can this or keep it.

shortyjacobs · 01-24-2011, 02:11 AM

Yeah, red and new means nontoxic...you're fine.

**itsme6582** · 01-24-2011, 02:39 AM

Dump the batch. No way is one batch of beer worth the risk of even the smallest bit of glass remaining. It's not just the visible shards that are a problem. Tiny shards and even powdered glass could still be in there. Any bit of glass could cause major damage to your body.

lumpher · 01-24-2011, 02:45 AM

don't worry about it. i broke a thermometer in a 12 gallon batch a while back. like shorty says, it's ok. i'm drinking out of the second keg of that batch now, and i'm not dead yet. i'm still ok mentally, so the mercury never got me.

greatschmaltez · 01-24-2011, 03:04 AM

Hey guys, feedback much appreciated. I went ahead and dumped it though (I got no more tears left). Too paranoid about missing one of the glass shards or whatever. Sorry to let you down shorty and lumpher... hey, just like the Bears, we'll get 'em next time right?

abracadabra · 01-24-2011, 06:06 PM

Dude
You could have used a filter if you were worried about glass that would have easily removed any shards of glass that could have caused any problems. Even a paper coffee filter would have done the trick.

That being said now you know why people use digital thermometers. Calibrate the digital thermometer with a $5 lab / calibration thermometer and you eliminate the POS floating thermometers.