Thermometer broke in wort

petep1980 · Jul 20, 2009

So my floating thermometer broke in my wort last night. Just the tip. I am unsure how. The mercury bulb did NOT break. I strained the wort twice. SWMBO says if I ditch the batch I can have another brew day.

Should I just tell her I ditched the batch and brew the other? Should I really throw it out? Seriously, how much damage can tiny glass particles do in my intestines?

albannach · Jul 20, 2009

Glass particles will sink to the bottom, rack carefully. I wouldn't risk it though, what if a small drop of mercury made it into the wort and you got cancer? Are you sure it's not an alcohol thermometer though? Most glass lab thermometers are filled with alcohol not mercury.

carbon111 · Jul 20, 2009

What color was the liquid? If it was red, it was alcohol, if reflective (silver) then it was mercury.

petep1980 · Jul 20, 2009

It was red now that I think of it.

WorryWort · Jul 20, 2009

I would call this beer either:

"Heavy Metal" or "Freddie's Mercury. The Queen of Beers"

Double check that therm. If it is mercury I would be concerned. The glass won't be an issue it will settle out unless your OG was like 2.800.

Buffman · Jul 20, 2009

Personally, I wouldn't take a chance with mercury. Glass, maybe, because it'll settle out (I'd leave behind a little more wort than usual when racking). Mercury, though, is so toxic that the potential health issues outweigh the cost/time of a batch of beer. The risk of breakage is just one reason I've stopped using a floating thermometer in favor of a digital unit with a steel probe.

Yooper · Jul 20, 2009

Mercury thermometers are rare, I doubt there is anything harmful in the thermometer, except for the GLASS!

I would throw it out. Do you really want to risk having glass served to your family and friends? It's not worth it. It might settle out. It might be not.

petep1980 · Jul 20, 2009

Yeah, it's gonna get tossed.

WorryWort · Jul 20, 2009

YooperBrew said:
I would throw it out. Do you really want to risk having glass served to your family and friends? It's not worth it. It might settle out. It might be not.

You guys actually share your beer?

KillerKellers · Jul 20, 2009

petep1980 said:
So my floating thermometer broke in my wort last night. Just the tip.....

Just the tip! Classic!

Thermometer broke in wort

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