Help!! Thermometer just broke in my Wort!

Well after spending an entire afternoon making my first batch of beer ever, I just had my thermometer break in my wort while it was chilling!!


Its a "True Brew Thermometer" and some glass did get in. I think it's a goner but am unsure, the thermometer is housed inside another piece of glass with some black beeds and red stuff in the bottom. Is any of that toxic?? The actual internal thermometer did not break...

What do you guys say, did I just kill $40 and my afternoon for nothing?

Well I don't think thermometers contain mercury anymore, do they?

I would say just pour your wort through a strainer once it is chilled. That'll get the glass and beads out and it'll aerate the hell out of your wort.

Well I poured it through a strainer into a second carboy and left the black steel shots and bits of glass in the trub of the first carboy. Hopefully I will be good, I'll be careful when I rack it as well but I should have everything out of it...

BTW, What kind of beer is it?

Sounds like your okay.

The same damn thing happened to me on my last brew day. I also strained the wort coming out of the keggle.

The actual liquid part of the thermometer did not break, right? The red stuff in the bottom is probably some sort of wax, and the beads are some sort of weight, maybe lead. I don't know.

You will be fine as long as you filter the glass out. nothing in that thermometer is toxic.. The first beer I made I broke that damn thing before it even touched the beer. I have never used one since.....

The beads are lead, as long as you got them out right away you should be fine, unless you live in California (Lead is more toxic there) the liquid, is not mercury but is not food safe or edible either.

When you go to replace it you might want to look at the "Green Line" thermometer and or hydrometer/thermometer. The hydrometer/thermometer has steel beand and food safe edible riser fluid. I think ther is a floating thermometer available as well.

The hydrometer/thermometer combo retails for about $16-$17



Would I drink it? Yup