Broke Hydrometer

[busta98]

So as I was taking an OG reading after making a Dunkel, my hydrometer busted off to into the bucket. Is the batch screwed now?

 

[Blender]

There may be small shards of glass in your wort . I don't think I would take the chance. I would be thinking about it all the time when it came to drinking the beer.

 

[Stickshaker]

Glass has a minimum SG of 2.4 . When you rack your beer later, leave the bottom inch. All the glass should stay in the trub.

 

[busta98]

Good point. Thanks for the info.

 

[busta98]

What's SG?

 

[Stickshaker]

Specific gravity.

 

[sea2summit3]

So as I was taking an OG reading after making a Dunkel, my hydrometer busted off to into the bucket. Is the batch screwed now?

Glass has a minimum SG of 2.4 . When you rack your beer later, leave the bottom inch. All the glass should stay in the trub.

What about the metal that is in the hydrometer? From what I've read, its either lead or mercury (when I busted mine, it looked like lead). If there's any chance those little balls got into your wort, I'd suggest looking into exactly what your hydrometer is made of.

• https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/broken-hydrometer-blues-66368/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrometer

 

[Stickshaker]

Lead is 11.34 . Mercury is 13.56 . Your beer will be in the low 1's. I'm sticking to the fact that it would all be stuck in the trub.

 

[KillerKellers]

Lead is 11.34 . Mercury is 13.56 . Your beer will be in the low 1's. I'm sticking to the fact that it would all be stuck in the trub.

Both are also poisonious... however, I doubt the hydrometer is made from either material. My bet is that it is steal shot.

 

[busta98]

Nothing leaked out of it.

 

[springer]

Nothing leaked out of it.

your fine there is no lead and there would never be mercury in a hydrometer.Any equipment that is intended for use around food has to be non toxic. The little balls are steal shot and in a food safe thermometer the fluid is alcohol.And as to any glass it will settle out and be in the trub . You can filter the beer but if all the trub falls out which is much lighter the glass will also.