Hydrometer broke...in my fermenter

[Deskjockey894]

I feel like a complete ******* even posting this, but in my clear, level-headed thinking I believed it to be a good idea to fish out my hop bag using my hydrometer. The upper part broke off and the base sunk like an anchor straight to the bottom. I was kind of freaked out and thought the hardened green base and black balls of the hydrometer could seep out, so I decided to rack to the secondary (it had been 15 days in the primary) to get it away from the sunken hydrometer. Of course, the innards were completely hardened. So I'm not sure how sanitary the inside of a hydrometer is, but do you think this batch has any hopes of being half-way decent?

 

[Skaggz]

Little known fact. Hydrometers contain inside them, a vaporous form of strychnine. When the hydrometer is broken open, this vapor condenses into liquid form. You must take this batch to your nearest homebrew disposal center. Since I'm on the west coast, I don't know of any near the Boston area. But I'm sure that some folks will be happy to direct you to one.






















j/k You'll be fine. RDWHAHB

 

[Stratotankard]

Like the desk jockey says, you'll probably be fine. The only concern I might have is if any glass from the broken hydrometer got into the beer. If you were careful with your racking it shouldn't be an issue at all.

I'm probably jinxing myself here, but I've had extraordinary luck when it comes to hydrometers. My cat once knocked mine off the counter and played with it all night long, before batting it under my refrigerator. I've also dropped my gear box with it off a high shelf. No idea how the thing hasn't broken yet. it'll probably shatter the next time I look at it.

Terje

 

[frazier]

Welcome to the club. Your beer will be fine.

 

[lumpher]

Little known fact. Hydrometers contain inside them, a vaporous form of strychnine. When the hydrometer is broken open, this vapor condenses into liquid form. You must take this batch to your nearest homebrew disposal center. Since I'm on the west coast, I don't know of any near the Boston area. But I'm sure that some folks will be happy to direct you to one.

j/k You'll be fine. RDWHAHB

besides, they have mercury in them, and since mercury kills fish, and fish swim in water, and homebrew has water in it, it's probably bad. i'll dispose of it; let me get you my address it should be good if you strained it VERY good. just be careful with that; as thin as hydrometers are, those glass slivers can slip through just about any filter

 

[Dogphish]

FAIL ALE'd

 

[Skaggz]

besides, they have mercury in them, and since mercury kills fish, and fish swim in water, and homebrew has water in it, it's probably bad. i'll dispose of it; let me get you my address it should be good if you strained it VERY good. just be careful with that; as thin as hydrometers are, those glass slivers can slip through just about any filter

I know you're just joking. But, 99% of all thermometers out there no longer use mercury. As a general rule, if the liquid inside a thermometer is red, it is not mercury. But it is not joke about the glass slivers. Imagine getting one of those in your throat...

 

[HItransplant]

all kidding aside.. I probably WOULD dump it. No batch of beer is worth drinking glass. Unless you can be absolutely sure there is no glass.. which seems impossible.

I feel your pain though.. I once had to throw away over $50 in fresh halibut because of a f-ing glass baking dish that exploded in my oven (stay away from anchor glassware)... wasnt worth the risk of eating glass slivers.

 

[bovineblitz]

Little known fact. Hydrometers contain inside them, a vaporous form of strychnine. When the hydrometer is broken open, this vapor condenses into liquid form. You must take this batch to your nearest homebrew disposal center. Since I'm on the west coast, I don't know of any near the Boston area. But I'm sure that some folks will be happy to direct you to one.

I suggest Inman Square, PM me for the address.

 

[TheGeek]

Might be a good time to look into Refractometers for your measurements. They are easy to use imo and no chance you'll try to fish anything out of your beer with one.

Theyre also a thousand times more durable.

 

[MikeG]

If it were my batch I would dump it. I would not risk drinking the glass shards or whatever is contained in a hydrometer.

I've lost a batch, I know it sucks but IMO not worth the risk.

 

[the_bird]

What *is* inside of a hydrometer, anyway? It's lead shot, right? Me PERSONALLY, I don't think I'd drink it.

 

[Deskjockey894]

Ok, a few glass shards never hurt anyone, some could argue a character builder. Since there was actually no liquid inside the hydrometer, I'll take my chances on this one.

 

[JadeMonkeyStang]

What *is* inside of a hydrometer, anyway? It's lead shot, right? Me PERSONALLY, I don't think I'd drink it.

Older hydrometers could be weighted with mercury or lead. Most of the new ones I've seen state that they use steel shot in the bottom covered with wax.

 

[the_bird]

OK, I had done a quick Google and just saw mercury and lead as the two options. If I could confirm that, I'd probably keep the batch - but I'd be damn careful when I racked to let everything settle, and to not pick up anything in the trub.

 

[bwomp313]

Or maybe siphon it all through a coffee filter just to make sure

 

[HItransplant]

Ok, a few glass shards never hurt anyone,

you might find a few emergency room physicians who would heartily dissagree with you on that one.

 

[scottieo2]

If it were my batch I would dump it. I would not risk drinking the glass shards or whatever is contained in a hydrometer.

I've lost a batch, I know it sucks but IMO not worth the risk.

Agree 100%....I'd dump the batch.

 

[crazyseany]

all kidding aside.. I probably WOULD dump it. No batch of beer is worth drinking glass. Unless you can be absolutely sure there is no glass.. which seems impossible.

I feel your pain though.. I once had to throw away over $50 in fresh halibut because of a f-ing glass baking dish that exploded in my oven (stay away from anchor glassware)... wasnt worth the risk of eating glass slivers.

I feel something is fishy with this post....

glass inyour food could really "sink" a meal... Or at least weigh it down....


ok I thinkim done now...

my first thought was to match up the 2 sides & see if you can see any missing pieces...

 

[Deskjockey894]

My only concern was really was the possibility for contamination, which is probably low. The inside at the bottom of the hydrometer was the steel-wax mixture (that's what i think). The hydrometer itself didn't shatter into pieces, i was holding the top and remained holding the top as the bottom part broke off and sunk. I like my odds on not getting any glass.

 

[MikeG]

My only concern was really was the possibility for contamination, which is probably low. The inside at the bottom of the hydrometer was the steel-wax mixture (that's what i think). The hydrometer itself didn't shatter into pieces, i was holding the top and remained holding the top as the bottom part broke off and sunk. I like my odds on not getting any glass.

At a minimum run it through a filter (hop sack over your siphon for example) and don't disturb the trub which means at most 1/2 gal waste as to not siphon any possible glass.

Best of luck.

 

[thecraft]

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread but instead of making a new thread i figured i'd post in here.

Man so bummed. This is my first time brewing. Had the same brilliant idea as you. At the time using a sanitized thermometer seemed like a "Easy fast way" of fishing out the hop bags. I thought i grabbed my nice heavy duty thermometer instead it was my hydrometer.

So the top breaks. I have grip of it but as soon as i move i see a piece of glass fall in my pot. So bummed i spent so much time and $ on this to throw it out. I know safety comes first . Just curious how your batch ended up.

What I did was i have a super tight strainer sanitized it and poured it thru the strainer into my fermenting bucket. It seemed to catch all pieces of glass and the bigger shiver were still in my pot. I'm hoping it caught all the glass. I'm still planning on siphoning into a 2nd fermenter which should also help.

You think i should dump or i should be fine ?

 

[thecraft]

again sorry if i broke any rules for posting in such an old thread. Just really curious if i seemed to get all the glass out should my "beer" still be ok. The filter type strainer i used had the tiniest openings so anything that was big enough to be visible would of been caught before going into my fermenter. I'm wondering if the inside of the glass of the hydrometer that broke could of infected it however.

 

[jsweet]

You didn't break any rules, but you are probably not going to get an answer from the OP as to how that batch came out.

It's ultimately a judgment call you're going to have to make. If you run it through a strainer I imagine it would be okay....

No harm in bumping this thread in any case; it doesn't hurt to remind people DON'T PUT YOUR HYDROMETER DIRECTLY IN YOUR FERMENTER.

 

[jsweet]

I'm wondering if the inside of the glass of the hydrometer that broke could of infected it however.

Extraordinarily unlikely. A dry sealed glass container that has been that way for months if not years is not a friendly place for the baddies to live. Actually, just in general, clean glass is not a friendly place for the baddies to live. The odds of clean-but-not-sanitized glass of any kind infecting your beer are pretty close to zero.

 

[63belair]

I wouldn't worry about infections if you properly sanitized the hydrometer, but I would worry about glass shards in your beer. Personally I would dump it.

 

[thecraft]

You didn't break any rules, but you are probably not going to get an answer from the OP as to how that batch came out.

It's ultimately a judgment call you're going to have to make. If you run it through a strainer I imagine it would be okay....

No harm in bumping this thread in any case; it doesn't hurt to remind people DON'T PUT YOUR HYDROMETER DIRECTLY IN YOUR FERMENTER.

ok thank you!

I am hesitant to drink it still. My buddy insists we caught all the glass. it was pretty much one piece and the strainer type device we used would of kept anything to the size of being visible with the naked eye out. Luckily we had it handy. He says continue im iffy on it.

 

[thecraft]

Extraordinarily unlikely. A dry sealed glass container that has been that way for months if not years is not a friendly place for the baddies to live. Actually, just in general, clean glass is not a friendly place for the baddies to live. The odds of clean-but-not-sanitized glass of any kind infecting your beer are pretty close to zero.

cool good to know. now its trusting that we did get all the glass. Like i said the large piece was at the bottom of the pot still. the smaller pieces were picked up by the strainer we used. the holes on this strainer are smaller then a flea. or so it seems.

 

[thecraft]

I wouldn't worry about infections if you properly sanitized the hydrometer, but I would worry about glass shards in your beer. Personally I would dump it.

I was worried about infection a bit more then the glass (does not sound reasonable i know) . The only reason i felt a little ok about the glass is the device we used to strain it. These holes the glass would have to travel thru are miniature. The main glass piece was still in the kettle. a few smaller pieces were caught in the strainer. If anything got thru the strainer idk how much damage it could really cause someone. Then again i also see the point of view of why would you even risk it. i appreciate all your input.

the biggest sinking your boat feeling. 1st time brewer everything was going great then towards the end of day one boom you make an idiotic mistake and have to dump your batch. made me feel like a dumb ***

 

[jsweet]

If anything got thru the strainer idk how much damage it could really cause someone.

TBH this is kinda how I feel... but I've never been one for the "better safe than sorry" approach. It's ultimately a judgment call.