3rd degree burns on my foot! Not brewing smart!

I used a turkey fryer for the first time to do a 5 gallon brew on Wednesday and did not pay attention to all that I was doing. As a result, I have a 3rd degree burn on my foot. WOW, does that ever suck. This is not my first attempt at All Grain, but is the first outside brew day I had attempted.

I had my brew pot all set up and a nice rolling boil going. I placed my wort chiller into the pot as I always do, but I did not ensure that there was no water remainig in the tubing. After several minutes in rolling boil contact, water began to spit from the piping. I knew it was hot and I knew it would continue spitting for a few minutes, but I had a brain freeze and stood next to the brew pot to stir the wort a bit and suddenly, it spit a heavy strem of boiling hot water out and it hit the top of my foot. I had socks on, but was also wearing shorts. It soaked my sock and I did a dance I do not ever think I could repeat. I removed my sock as quickly as possible, but the damage was already done. I now have 2 very large blisters to deal with.

So what did I learn from this experience? I will add 2, 90 degree bends in the tubing, so the hook ups are pointed down instead of out. I will always make darned sure there is no water left in the coil when I put it into boiling wort and I will never stand directly in front of the wort chiller again.

In all, I ended up with a nice brew day (albeit, painful at times) in which I brewed a Fat Tire Clone, and used a paint strainer bag with a rack to hold my hops. This made it way better when I transferred to the primary.

Alway use extreme caution when working around your brew pot and hot equipment.

Salute!

I am glad to hear you are not horribly hurt and your brew turned out well. I would like to add a decent shoe is not a bad idea when brewing either vs. socks.

It does appear that num-chucks and cooking will both teach the user instantaneously, in a way they will soon not forget, that they made a mistake!

Also, grats on your 1st outside brew day. I am in the process of getting outside myself!

Sorry to hear about the burns. I've learned not to brew in shorts or bare feet for a similar reason; just too much hot stuff (and heavy things to drop on your feet.)

BTW if you have blisters you don't have third degree burns. Third degree burns means you have killed all the skin in that area. They don't hurt because all the nerves in the skin are dead. You generally need grafts to deal with third degree burns.

So is this clone going to be named "Fat Blister"

Ugh! I feel your pain. Those wort chillers must be silent killers: seemingly harmless but actually efficient portals for flesh searing water and steam.

I had an unsecured tube slide off mine when it got hot. Dirty steaming chiller water began spewing into my wort. How did I stop it? I don't know why but I thought grabbing it with my bare hand would help. Guess what? It didn't.

Look on the bright side, if you're a flip-flop man you have and excuse to wear them for the next few weeks straight.

3rd degree that's skin coming off. That's Gotta hurt. I've never been able to drain my wort chiller completely. I'll pay attention from now when it's sterilizing.

Kazi

mlyday said:

So is this clone going to be named "Fat Blister"

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Nice..... I like your idea. And I may just use it.

Salute!

billvon said:

Sorry to hear about the burns. I've learned not to brew in shorts or bare feet for a similar reason; just too much hot stuff (and heavy things to drop on your feet.)

BTW if you have blisters you don't have third degree burns. Third degree burns means you have killed all the skin in that area. They don't hurt because all the nerves in the skin are dead. You generally need grafts to deal with third degree burns.

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Actually, the blisters are on the outer portion of the burned area. I went to the doctors for a regular visit yesterday (not associated with the burn) and he confirmed that the burn was indeed 3rd degree in the center area. I now have a prescription for silvadyne (I think that is the correct spelling) creme and some antibiotics.

I also am wearing the flip-flops, but I work in a Hospital and must wear boots during my shift (OUCH!). I am smarter today than I was on Wednesday.

Salute!