HELP!!! My thermometer broke!!!!

[impulserush]

I was brewing my nut brown ale and all was good. I was cooling in a ice bath before I was ready to transfer and pitch, When I noticed my floating thermometer tip was broken. It was fine before this point. So I know the pellets from the thermometer were not boiled. I do not know what happened.

I quickly racked into fermenter and continued on. Is my beer ruined and contaminated with toxic crap. What are those pellets made of? The mercury part was not broken.

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lordbeermestrength]

I remember reading a very similar situation on beeradvocate.com and I think the consensus was to throw it out. I've never been one for following consensus but then again I am not an expert on the subject.

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[Shonuff]

Just keep in mind that broken glass could make its way into a bottle. That's not good!

 

[zac]

I broke my thermo a few weeks ago pre boil. There was very little discussion on weather or not I threw out the batch. It went straight to the compost pile.

Mercury? Lead BB's? GLASS SHARDS???!!!!

easy decision, chuck it.

 

[SleepySamSlim]

Yep - Ya gotta chuck it ... unless you're feeling lucky Punk !

Did my second batch today
- broke the thermometer in the disinfectant bath
- broke the SG meter after I took the reading and was washing the meter off

At least no beer was harmed in the process

Yeah - I'm hard on equipment ... both were cheapies that came with my kit.

I used my wifes digital cooking thermometer --- cleaned the probe with some vodka and took a reading just fine. Will have to get a better SG meter

 

[yeoldebrewer]

Bummer. The hobby should really chuck those floating buggars. I stopped using mine when I noticed the cheap wax holding the pellets melted with every use. Chalk it up to experience and getcha' a decent dial thermometer.

 

[impulserush]

Well after reading these post and researching, I am going to have to chuck it. The pellets are not LEAD, they are some type of steel, they are magnetic. The wax would fall out into the bottom as it ferments. The only thing that is stopping me is the possibility of GLASS. I am most curtain no glass went into the primary. I founf one piece in the pot. Is there type of filter I could use when racking to the bottling bucket?

Later

 

[IrregularPulse]

I would imagine cheese cloth would catch any glass shards when racking if you wanted to still save the batch

 

[Zymurgrafi]

I broke my thermo a few weeks ago pre boil. There was very little discussion on weather or not I threw out the batch. It went straight to the compost pile.

Mercury? Lead BB's? GLASS SHARDS???!!!!

easy decision, chuck it.

Not mercury. It is alcohol filled. However, one of my lab thermometers that is alcohol filled has a warning label that states it MAY contain toluene, benzene, and some other nasty chemicals. Made in China. :cross:

Shot, well the OP said it was magnetic so, not lead.

Glass, yeah, not something you want to drink

 

[s3n8]

I'm asking this as purely hypothetical at this point since the consensus seems to be toss it. But...

If glass shards were the only concern, would it be safe to rack from 1" or so above the bottom, losing more than normal due to racking? Glass would sink correct? Or, since fermentation has not begun yet (presumably) how about racking through a paper coffee filter? Aeration would be a concern after fermentation, but prior should be ok right?

Digital thermos only for me.

 

[impulserush]

I'm asking this as purely hypothetical at this point since the consensus seems to be toss it. But...

If glass shards were the only concern, would it be safe to rack from 1" or so above the bottom, losing more than normal due to racking? Glass would sink correct? Or, since fermentation has not begun yet (presumably) how about racking through a paper coffee filter? Aeration would be a concern after fermentation, but prior should be ok right?

Digital thermos only for me.

Well I was thinking the same thing as you. Fermentation has begun. My thoughts were serilizing a plastic zip tie and then attaching either the coffee filter, or possibly one of those paper body shop painting filters. This would eliminate aeration and catch any thing that should not be there if I rack like you said. a inch or 2 from the bottom.

 

[TurboBrew]

I NEVER trash beer, and I would chunk a batch that I broke a thermometer in immediatly. Just not worth it.

 

[springer]

Any floating thermo that is food safe and I would assume that the one you had was, does not contain lead ,mercury or other bio hazard materials. Any glass shards would fall to the bottom first after fermentation is over any way as they are heavier than the yeast, just rack high and enjoy. If you are really concerned you could just put a filter on the racking cane . Just a sanitized 1 gallon paint strainer bag attached with a zip tie at the bottom and rack as usual

 

[quickerNu]

I soooo would not chuck it, if it was a food safe thermometer. Glass is not going to stay in suspension. 2 ml of red dyed alcohol in 4 plus gallons won't do didley.

 

[DrunkTrucker]

If it was just the part with the pellets I wouldn't worry about it. They will settle to the bottom. I broke one when i first started and freaked out and tossed it. The next time I went ahead and fermented it. Turned out to be a pretty good beer. I was still pissed about breaking my thermometer though.

 

[impulserush]

I am going to stay the course. The thermometer itself did not break. It was just the very tip of the glass tube. I am going to filter it when I rack to bottling bucket. Its sitting there happy and bubbling away.

Thanks for all your inputs.

It was a food grade thermometer also.

 

[s3n8]

Be sure to update this thread after you bottle and drink a few... If you disappear we will have no choice but to assume the worst.

 

[impulserush]

Be sure to update this thread after you bottle and drink a few... If you disappear we will have no choice but to assume the worst.

Will do!:rockin:

 

[zac]

I still stand behind chucking the brew, of course all I had invested at the time was the grain. Had this been the end of the boil for a IIIPA, i might have thought about it.

Food safe or not, the decision was easy for me.

 

[Christian]

I hate those floating thermometers, the stupid wax at the bottom never melts the right way for me and it ends up floating on it's side.

 

[burns629]

Thats why you can't go wrong with the digital remote probe style thermometers! Just loop the cord around a handle and have it dangling in the wort so the whole probe doesn't get submerged.

The trick i learned the hard way (read: $60 in new unneccessary thermometers) was if water/wort does get past the clear plastic and into the probe and the meter reads the temp as 340deg+ even though its out in the air at room temp, you can fix it. Set your oven to 350 and place the probe in there for 15 mins to cook out whatever moisture is still in the probe. I didn't think that after a month of getting moisture in the probe it would still be causing problems but it was and after 15mins in the oven i saved myself a trip to BBandBeyond and another 20 dollar digital thermometer.

 

[acdavis]

I had this happen to me. I didn't realize it until I had the batch in the fermenter and was cleaning up. I let the batch ferment out and was super careful when I racked.

The beer turned out fine.

 

[Ernie3]

My initial thought was to say toss it out...but if it is just the glass and no harmful chemicals or anything like that, then a filter at the end of the racking cane should be fine.

 

[Pi Kapp Beer Guy]

Treat it like goldshlauger. The little bits of glass should only cause miner incision and just help the alcohol enter the blood stream quicker! but serioulsy i'm torn, you were there and i guess you have the oppinion as to whether or not to pitch it.