Thermometer DISASTER!!!

[Torchiest]

Son of a mother****ing *****!@!!

I had just finished my steeping and extract addition, and was heating my wort up in preparation for the hop additions. I'd left my thermometer hanging on the side of the brewpot to keep it out of the way while adding the extract, and when I went to put it back in to check the temp, it ****ing exploded into my wort!

All kinds of glass and toxic chemicals went into it, and I can't see any way of saving this batch. *sigh* The LHBS opens up in half an hour; I guess I'll go over there and get another bucket of extract and more steeping grains. I just learned a $32 homebrewing lesson: DON'T LET YOUR GLASS THERMOMETER GET SUPERHEATED! What an idiot.

EDIT: I forgot, my LHBS is closed on Mondays!

 

[Bobby_M]

I don't use glass thermos for that very reason. In fact, the one I bought ended up being more than 5 degrees off anyway so I now use a regular kitchen meat thermometer which is spot on.

 

[Torchiest]

Yeah, I'm pretty upset about it, but as I was planning on brewing again tomorrow, I might try to just brew two batches in a row. I'll have my brother helping me then anway, which will make things easier and more fun.

 

[Evan!]

Joe, dude, that really sucks. But look at the bright side: at least it happened early on...at least you hadn't invested weeks or even months in it before you had to dump it. Consider yourself lucky, bro. And have a homebrew...it numbs the pain of a spoiled batch quite nicely. Every time I taste my nearly-uncarbonated 3-month+old wheat doppelbock, I curse the beer gods, but then I drink it anyway, and figure, this batch just wasn't meant to be carbonated very much. F' it.

I was tooling around the kitchen section at TJ Maxx yesterday (goddamnit, I hate that store, but the wifey asked me to look for a kitchen strainer, so...) and I found a Polder digital thermometer/timer with a corded probe, for a measly $16 (usually $30 or so). It says not to submerse it, but I figure I can at least submerse the little SS probe and take spot readings. I'll let you know if it works next time I brew.

Again...sorry for your loss.

 

[Torchiest]

Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself. It happened after only about an hour or two of time put into it, and most of that was just me reading messages on here while I waited for water to boil or cool off. And I still have my 1/2lb of hops ready to go! Thanks for the heads up on the thermometer; I'm going to do some research on higher quality/safer ones online.

I'm off today, so I think that I will indeed drown my sorrows. I have a bomber of Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout in the fridge; this looks like the perfect occasion to crack it open.

 

[Blender]

I like the bi metal thermometers for the side of the kettle. It is accurate and easy to adjust if neccessary. It comes with a clip to put on the side of the kettle.
I have one like this one. http://www.breworganic.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=470

 

[Glibbidy]

I was tooling around the kitchen section at TJ Maxx yesterday (goddamnit, I hate that store, but the wifey asked me to look for a kitchen strainer, so...) and I found a Polder digital thermometer/timer with a corded probe, for a measly $16 (usually $30 or so). It says not to submerse it, but I figure I can at least submerse the little SS probe and take spot readings. I'll let you know if it works next time I brew.

The probe part may be immersed in your wort, but not the braided part. If by chance the braided part does get wet your readings will be off. That may be remidied by sticking the probe (still connected to the thermometer) in a hot oven to dry the cord out.

 

[ayrton]

Hrm...I use a glass thermometer. I think I'd better get one of those fancy traceable buggers.

 

[Rook]

I use one of these. 12-14" that I clip onto the side of the pot.

 

[Ol' Grog]

I had worried about that exact same thing happening to me as well. I was never really crazy about a glass thermometer but it came with the kit. Just last week I ordered a digital thermometer from more beer for about 32 bucks. Long probe and cord. Take the plunge now and get it over with.

 

[Torchiest]

Hmm let's see... $32 worth of ingredients down the drain... $32 thermometer... Looks like a good deal to me. If it prevents one more such accident, it's paid for itself.

 

[dibby33]

Bugger. Simply bugger.

I use a glass therm also, but not for long!

 

[delboy]

yeah glass is a major pain in the butt sooner or later they're gonna break. I had what amounted to a small NBC incident in the kitchen when i managed to break an old mercury thermometer. Scared the bejasus out of me reading about mercury spills on the internet until i came across a site saying that even one broken in the mouth and swallowed would simply whizz through the human digestive system, put it into context.
I fancy a new digital one, not nessacarily becasue of the danger of breaking the glass one but more cause i want a new toy .

 

[McKBrew]

I thought about the same thing yesterday (what if this thing broke in the pan?) as I was using my glass thermomter during the boil. After seeing this happen to someone, I won't use it in anything larger than a hydrometer sample again.

Sometimes it takes an accident happening to someone else for one of us to make a change in our process.

Sorry about your brew Torchiest.

 

[BierMuncher]

Son of a mother****ing *****!@!!

I...was heating my wort up in preparation for the hop additions...(

Sounds like the superhot SS brew pot transferred to the glass. I use a dairy thermometer along with a digitial probe. But I set the thermometers aside once the mashing process is over. After all, a boil is a boil. Once the immersion chiller has done its job for a while, then its back into the pot with the dairy.

If I break my dairy thermometer, it's going to be because I stepped on the dumb thing or I did somehting else stupid like stirring my mash with it.

I am looking to replace it with a long-stem instant read. Those things are hard to find on the shelf.

Sorry for your loss. It would have given new meaning to the term "glass of beer".

 

[Rook]

I am looking to replace it with a long-stem instant read. Those things are hard to find on the shelf.

I picked mine up from a local Restaurant Supply Store, it was $16.95.

 

[Torchiest]

Thanks for the sympathy, everyone. I feel like I'm being comforted over the loss of a family member! Despite this traumatic setback, I'm going to get back on the horse tomorrow morning, and brew not one, but TWO batches, just as a show of defiance! :rockin:

 

[McKBrew]

If someone loses a brew, shouldn't Brewpastor come up with a Brewlogy?

 

[lefteye]

Yeah - glass therms. Been courting disaster as I use two of them in my tun, they almost read the same - 1 1/2 degree dif. I .presonally break more hydros.
Sorry for your loss.

 

[bgdfw]

My thermometer cracked against my wort chiller. but just the outer glass part.. it filled up with some wort but the inner thermometer was not broken.

I'm hoping the batch is OK? I would think it was ok. I ran the wort through a fine nylon screen when I put it into my primary to get out any bits.

 

[Torchiest]

To me, it's not worth it risk getting any glass in my beer. Someone else broke glass in their wort, and there was a fairly big thread about it:

Friends don't let friends brew drunk!

 

[bgdfw]

This beer is drank and we never had a single problem. Though we have been vomiting blood lately.

/I kid I kid

 

[Raffie]

I like the bi metal thermometers for the side of the kettle. It is accurate and easy to adjust if neccessary. It comes with a clip to put on the side of the kettle.
I have one like this one. http://www.breworganic.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=470

thats exactly what I use and love it.

Glass ones if I would think for AFTER you cooled your wort to see if its at the temp to pitch.