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Broken Thermometer in Wort Help !!

F

Freshie

OK, I feel like an idiot to even admit to something like this, but here goes.  Everything was going great, just finished brewing a batch, it reached pitching temp, I pitched the yeast, and then I figured I would stir it a couple times with the thermometer i had floating in my wort. (Not a good idea!).  Well it broke and all the little black BB looking things and a couple pieces of glass went for a swim. 

So, after thinkin a little bit I transferred it through a funnel into another bucket I had (yes I sanitized it) and got all the foreign matter out of the wort.

My question is : should I just dump it out or keep going with it?  I am not sure if any of that crap in the thermometer is toxic or not??  (It was one of those floating ones from True Brew) Or if I had contaminated my wort in any way??  I need some input one way or another so I can sleep tonight !!

Thanks !!
 
If it were mine, I would dump it.  I can't believe all of the glass and other randomness could be filtered off the beer.  Also, who knows what chemical nasties were inside the thermometer.  I am truly sorry for your loss and feel your pain. 
 
I have successfully made beer after a mishap like yours. I say go for it! The BB's/Glass stayed in the kettle for me. I transferred to primary and moved on.

Cheers
Preston
 
I would package it and see how it tasted.  Glass and bbs should fall pretty hard, and you moved it away once and you'd move it again to package it.  Maybe rubberband a nylon mesh bag around racking cane to be anal?

 
Great !!  Thanks for your input !!  I am going to proceed forward as planned.  I'm glad to see i'm not the only one to have this happen to !!  I like your idea Maltlicker; i am going to do that at racking time.  Thanks again guys, i love this site !!
 
it was alcohol and dye.  That's it.
Unless you like me have a penchant for older lab grade equipment. In my case I have a Mercury thermometer.  But I keep it out of my wort.

So the alcohol won't hurt you and the glass will settle out with the yeast.

Even if they used denatured alcohol it's too little to matter at all.

you can rename your beer Red Nose or some such.
 
I did it too-i dropped mine in too hard and it hit the pickup tube of my HLT.  The actual inner glass didn't break so I just proceeded and the glass and BBs stayed behind after I had the water I needed.
 
If I'm reading this right you have one of those hydrometer/thermometer combo units and those are in fact "metal" BB's.  Question is what type of metal.  I have a similar unit and the quantity of BB's is small yet heavy and dense, so I'm guessing they are lead.  Since you transferred it you're probably OK.  If you've had kids already don't worry about.  Otherwise your boys will be swimming in circles....lol.
 
I want one that is weighted with Depleted Uranium.

 
The "regular" true brew thermometer, with a blue cap, has a combination of lead and steel pellets in the base, so it is toxic and I wouldn't drink wort that it was broken in. If you contact BSG Handcraft, who makes true brew equipment, at 800-999-2440 you can verify this.
 
If you are sure that you racked it off the glass and bbs, then I'd say go for it. If it were me I'd dump the batch it's just not worth the chance of an ER visit.  I've never eaten glass or lead but I'm sure it wouldn't be fun health wise.
 
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