i hear you. I guess if i live to tell about it I can come back on give someone a "well i survived" type story if this comes up again lol.
Just glad we had that strainer device handy. literally do not think carpet mites could fit thru it.
Hydrometer broke...in my fermenter
- Thread starter Deskjockey894
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i hear you. I guess if i live to tell about it I can come back on give someone a "well i survived" type story if this comes up again lol.
Just glad we had that strainer device handy. literally do not think carpet mites could fit thru it.
again thanks for the input guys. you dont know how much i was stressing all night haha.
i happened to google the exact thing that happened to me and this thread popped up. i Thought to myself. At least im not the only one haha. One other person on this earth had the same not so smart idea.
i happened to google the exact thing that happened to me and this thread popped up. i Thought to myself. At least im not the only one haha. One other person on this earth had the same not so smart idea.
+1! Even if a stray shard gets by your throat,( or someone else's), there's still the rest of your digestive system to worry about. The best homebrew in the world is not worth internal bleeding. It totally sucks to dump a batch, but sometimes you have to do what's prudent.
Okay, I'm sick of the fearmongering:
http://www.corecharity.org.uk/The-Hazards-of-Swallowing-Glass.html
Highlights:
"Small pieces can travel right through the bowel and be passed normally without problems."
"Sharp objects such as glass fragments might be expected to cause damage but rarely do so because of the gentle way in which the bowel handles them."
"Ground glass, despite its reputation in thrillers, has no serious effect on the bowel."
They also say if you think you might have swallowed glass that you should see a doctor, but they also say that the treatment is usually just to wait and see. They also point out that most people, you know, notice if there is glass in their mouth and don't swallow it.
I think the decision to dump it out of an abundance of caution is totally defensible, but I also think the decision NOT to dump it is at least as defensible. Let's look at the chain of events that would have to occur for this to actually cause serious injury:
thecraft would have to have missed one or more of the shards, which due to the setup, he or she thinks didn't happen.
The shard would then have to get sucked up through the siphon when racking to the bottling bucket, rather than just resting harmlessly in the trub.
You'd then have to drink the shard without noticing it when you poured the beer into the glass.
And then even after that, it would be extremely rare for it to cause even minor internal bleeding.
The odds of that whole chain of events coming to pass are TINY. Now, if you are of the mindset that even the tiniest risk is not tolerable for the modest benefit of getting to keep the batch, then that's fine. But the risk is pretty damn small.
http://www.corecharity.org.uk/The-Hazards-of-Swallowing-Glass.html
Highlights:
"Small pieces can travel right through the bowel and be passed normally without problems."
"Sharp objects such as glass fragments might be expected to cause damage but rarely do so because of the gentle way in which the bowel handles them."
"Ground glass, despite its reputation in thrillers, has no serious effect on the bowel."
They also say if you think you might have swallowed glass that you should see a doctor, but they also say that the treatment is usually just to wait and see. They also point out that most people, you know, notice if there is glass in their mouth and don't swallow it.
I think the decision to dump it out of an abundance of caution is totally defensible, but I also think the decision NOT to dump it is at least as defensible. Let's look at the chain of events that would have to occur for this to actually cause serious injury:
thecraft would have to have missed one or more of the shards, which due to the setup, he or she thinks didn't happen.
The shard would then have to get sucked up through the siphon when racking to the bottling bucket, rather than just resting harmlessly in the trub.
You'd then have to drink the shard without noticing it when you poured the beer into the glass.
And then even after that, it would be extremely rare for it to cause even minor internal bleeding.
The odds of that whole chain of events coming to pass are TINY. Now, if you are of the mindset that even the tiniest risk is not tolerable for the modest benefit of getting to keep the batch, then that's fine. But the risk is pretty damn small.
+1! Even if a stray shard gets by your throat,( or someone else's), there's still the rest of your digestive system to worry about. The best homebrew in the world is not worth internal bleeding. It totally sucks to dump a batch, but sometimes you have to do what's prudent.
i hear you. thanks for the input. as stated before def a judgement call on my part. all the input is appreciated.
i actually just read almost same exact information on swallowing glass which kind of had me leaning to saying f it.
thanks a bunch man that put things in perspective for me.
everyone's input is appreciated . like you said man judgement call.
btw just saw my first bubbles . wow haha never thought i'd be so stoked to see bubbles in my life. thanks home brew community i see why you guys love doing this so much. i havent even finished and already feel hooked with the whole process. hopefully beer turns out drinkable lol and no glass in throat!
I'd think of it this way...
If someone handed you a beer and said, "I broke some glass in this but I'm fairly certain I got it all out" would you drink it?
If you'd say yes, then go ahead are bottle her up.
If you'd say no, then dump it.
If someone handed you a beer and said, "I broke some glass in this but I'm fairly certain I got it all out" would you drink it?
If you'd say yes, then go ahead are bottle her up.
If you'd say no, then dump it.
samc
Well-Known Member
Not intending be mean or cruel here but being that people say it's a judgment call I'd say your judgment was suspect when you decided to use a thermometer for something it was not intended to do. The fact that you grabbed a hydrometer was just compounding the first error in judgment.
It only takes one piece of glass to lacerate something inside your body. So "most of it" isn't really going to cut it.
$50 worth of homebrew supplies
vs.
$3000+ ER bill.
Its still your call but, I know what I'd do.
$50 worth of homebrew supplies
vs.
$3000+ ER bill.
Its still your call but, I know what I'd do.
You are right that was horrible judgment. By that point was already late into the night and was just thinking grab something that is sanitized to help get the bag out.
yea i guess would depend on how well i know the person and what type of person he or she is haha.
Yea very true. still on the fence. From what I could tell the portion of the hydrometer that was broken was accounted for in the bucket and the smaller piece was caught by the strainer. Now did i get it 100% out i guess i couldnt be sure but im confident I did.
maybe i will just finish the fermenting process and stop at the bottling for practice purposes. As it is my first time obviously and I made stupid mistake.
The person im brewing with wants to continue and is also confident we got the glass out so its not really my call to just dump it entirely. but i do have the choice if i want to take the chances on drinking it or not. on the fence.
cadarnell
Well-Known Member
maybe just filter it thru a coffe filter as you are serving it .. i dont think any glass could get thru there and i doubt any would be there in the first place ... i think thats what I'd do after all the work of brewing it for sure ... cheers !!
Unless you're Canadian, in that case it's a 1 hour ER wait followed by $0.
good idea! i feel like such an idiot. taking my time in future and not waiting so long in the night to brew.
i feel like dang all that time wasted. i will not serve to anyone else obviously.
haha. man ER here is ridiculous.
I understand that jsweet and you found facts saying glass isn't always going to be harmful. But, I cannot believe anyone would consider drinking this beer. Like said before, it's $50. Consider it a loss.
that sounds brilliant. thank you.
yea 50 aint bad esp to what can happen. even if i dont end up botteling and drinking i at least want to finish the fermentation process.
As long as you dont shake it around before bottling the glass should just fall into the trub. I would bet your strainer got the majority of it if not all of it anyway. When I was in my younger partying days a 1/2 gallon of liquors top got broken off and there were noticeable chunks of glass in the container. We just strained the liquor through a coffee filter and drank it. 10 years later and no ER visit Im fine and you will be too I'm sure.
A good name for your brew.
"Broken Glass insert style here"
A good name for your brew.
"Broken Glass insert style here"
Well just don't let it dissuade you from the obsession, er I mean hobby. Cheap, affordable hobby.
If you learned anything about brewing, even if you don't get to drink your results, I'd still consider that a win.
If you learned anything about brewing, even if you don't get to drink your results, I'd still consider that a win.
I understand you found facts saying overapplication of the precaution principle doesn't always suck 100% of the joy and adventure out of life. But, I cannot believe anyone would consider living their life that way.
If we thought there was glass in it, I wouldn't drink it. If we were pretty sure there weren't, but couldn't be 100% sure, then I would. To put it another way, I wouldn't deliberately consume broken glass under any circumstances, even if it were nigh certain to be harmless -- but I'm also not going to let the remote possibility that I might consume a tiny bit of it keep me up at night.
I wouldn't deliberately crash my car either, but in a few minutes I'm about to drive to work, risking a gruesome death. Should I call my boss and tell him I won't be in today, because even though I'm pretty sure I won't get in a fatal accident on the way there, I'm not 100% sure?
cadarnell
Well-Known Member
not sure why there is still a debate going on here .. the coffee filter idea solves the problem IMO ... serve it thu a coffee filter and drink it ... glass wont get thru there .. I know thats what I'd do ...
Would pouring it through the filter aerate the beer too much prior to bottling? Will this cause any issues?
well some more thoughts on this.
I recently did this at the end of a boil with a thermometer - didn't notice it until the next morning. Tossed the beer.
Reasons for tossing - initial, worried about a glass sliver in a wheat beer. Should settle out, but the co2 could stickto it and keep it in suspension and it might make it through course filters. AFTER I opened the top, I'd made the right decission.. smelled like band- aids - I figured infected by the insides of the thermometer. Don't ask, don't care how just know it smelled like bandaids.
Now some beer (and wine) is filtered. I found a filtering system at austin but it cost $90, I like couldy beer (so only 1 time use) and ingredients were $40. Decided to just remake it.
With that said, if you want to filter and are feeling good and it doesn't smell bad after a week, go right ahead, something fine like coffee filter or such should work... Just RACK theheck out of it first. Any sediment will clog your filter and slow you down, more racking=less sediment to try and filter. Although there is a medium to that, maybe primary, then secondary, then 2nd secondary then rack to bottling bucket through filtering. That's what I'd do. Oh and 1 whirlflock tab +1 cup boiled water added when secondarying to help pull stuff out, maybe the cup of boild water with wirlflock into the primary now. About 5 mins to disolve, not much longer, whirlflock breaks down over in boils over 10 mins and 1 full tab is good for 10 gallons normal, but in this case, I think an agressive fining is called for)... At least that was my plan til I decided - 'it only cost me$40'
I recently did this at the end of a boil with a thermometer - didn't notice it until the next morning. Tossed the beer.
Reasons for tossing - initial, worried about a glass sliver in a wheat beer. Should settle out, but the co2 could stickto it and keep it in suspension and it might make it through course filters. AFTER I opened the top, I'd made the right decission.. smelled like band- aids - I figured infected by the insides of the thermometer. Don't ask, don't care how just know it smelled like bandaids.
Now some beer (and wine) is filtered. I found a filtering system at austin but it cost $90, I like couldy beer (so only 1 time use) and ingredients were $40. Decided to just remake it.
With that said, if you want to filter and are feeling good and it doesn't smell bad after a week, go right ahead, something fine like coffee filter or such should work... Just RACK theheck out of it first. Any sediment will clog your filter and slow you down, more racking=less sediment to try and filter. Although there is a medium to that, maybe primary, then secondary, then 2nd secondary then rack to bottling bucket through filtering. That's what I'd do. Oh and 1 whirlflock tab +1 cup boiled water added when secondarying to help pull stuff out, maybe the cup of boild water with wirlflock into the primary now. About 5 mins to disolve, not much longer, whirlflock breaks down over in boils over 10 mins and 1 full tab is good for 10 gallons normal, but in this case, I think an agressive fining is called for)... At least that was my plan til I decided - 'it only cost me$40'
cadarnell
Well-Known Member
i was talking about pouring it thru a filter right before serving it and drinking .. after bottling .. thats what i would do after all the work of brewing it ... but you know ... if it wasnt a kickass beer i might toss it after tasting it ... maybe .. i dont know ... just my 2 cents
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