# Thermometer Brew! The Thing Broke During The Boil!



## bullsneck (16/12/11)

Did a brew tonight. All went smooth. Until the stick thermometer broke during the boil!!

I guessing the brews a throw out. Opinions?


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## geoffd (16/12/11)

bullsneck said:


> Did a brew tonight. All went smooth. Until the stick thermometer broke during the boil!!
> 
> I guessing the brews a throw out. Opinions?




you guessed right, mercury poisoning doesnt sound good.
Commiserations


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## bum (16/12/11)

Gotta keep an eye on those boiling temps... :blink:


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## bullsneck (16/12/11)

bum said:


> Gotta keep an eye on those boiling temps... :blink:



I was stirring in the BrewBrite.


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## bignath (16/12/11)

Depends on the type,of stick thermometer. I was under the impression that some "blue" fluid ones are supposed to be "safe" if they break and therefore lose the contents into food or beverages. I have one of them i got from my LHBS. Its a total immersion safety series thingo with the blue fluid.

Ifits a regular mercury thermo, then id chuck it unfortunately.


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## kelbygreen (16/12/11)

what thermometer? some dont use mercury, not sure if there better??? but glass in a beer prob wouldnt be good


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## geoffd (16/12/11)

bullsneck said:


> I was stirring in the BrewBrite.




lol...why?

why stir in brew brite, time will do the same job & why stir witha thermometer, surely you'd get less RSI using a spoon, I am picturing you stirring really really fast with the thermometer & its making me laugh as well as dizzy watching.


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## bignath (16/12/11)

Father Jack said:


> ....why stir witha thermometer, surely you'd get less RSI using a spoon, I am picturing you stirring really really fast with the thermometer & its making me laugh as well as dizzy watching.



How about a whirlpool then?


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## bullsneck (16/12/11)

There was a little BrewBrite ball. I wasn't stirring like crazy either. The last 15mins of the brew day too!!! (Not including cleaning of course). Will give the kettle an almighty clean now and try again after Christmas.


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## geoffd (16/12/11)

Big Nath said:


> How about a whirlpool then?




go you good thing, stir like your whipping up a tornado, you might land in Kansas wearing ruby slippers, or worse Alabama where they'll confiscate the brewing equipment & lock you up.


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## bignath (16/12/11)

Father Jack said:


> go you good thing, stir like your whipping up a tornado, you might land in Kansas wearing ruby slippers, or worse Alabama where they'll confiscate the brewing equipment & lock you up.



  Thats pretty funny mate..

Now that weve had a chuckle, how would you go about cleaning up a vessel thats had mercury in it? Any 'special' cleaners or processes the OP needs to be aware of?


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## MaltyHops (17/12/11)

Have we established it's a mercury thermometer? _This page_ (looks like a US gov
site) indicates thermos where the bulb is not silver coloured is not a mercury type.

If it is really a mercury thermometer, _this page_ states:

_"Liquid mercury evaporates at room temperature and these vapors are invisible,
odorless, and, at high levels, are very toxic."_

So in a hot kettle, might be good to put a lid on it and get it outside the house.

T.


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## bum (17/12/11)

My layman's understanding suggests that mercury is not highly likely in a modern (Western purchased) thermometer but the (red) liquid used is still toxic. Totally not worth the risk.


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## bullsneck (17/12/11)

It has a red bulb and liquid inside


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## sp0rk (17/12/11)

It's alcohol
if anything, it'll make the brew stronger!


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## kymba (17/12/11)

looking forward to hearing of you guys in the latest mercury weekly

can't remember what was in the last issue


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## Amber Fluid (17/12/11)

Slightly OT sorry.... I bought a Spirit Thermometer instead of the Mercury one simply because if it broke around my kids (3 & 1.5yo), and even though glass isn't good, at least there is no chance of Mercury poisoning.

Spirit works as good as Mercury. The only difference I can tell is that one freezes at a lower temp and the other boils at a higher temp but both suitable for the temp range we use them for... can't remember which though.


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## manticle (17/12/11)

Whether it's mercury or alcohol, the small fragments of glass would also be a concern.

I first joined this forum after breaking my hydrometer in a brew, concerned that the little balls might be lead. It was suggested that the glass might make that question unnecessary. I had considered straining each bottle through a fine strainer and people laughed at me. They were probably right to do so.

I threw it away.

It's rare I'd suggest not trying to salvage a batch that doesn't taste horrible but in this case I'd chuck it.


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## peaky (17/12/11)

Yeah, the glass shards make attempting to bottle/drink this beer risky at best. I'd tip it and take the lesson learned, better than getting thermometer glass in your drinking glass. The pain of tipping it will surely ingrain the lesson learned. Myself, I'd just give the kettle a good scrub out with plenty of rinsing to clean it up. Getting the hose in there on full blast should remove any unwanted nasties.


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## RobH (17/12/11)

I don't know what sort of alcohol it is that they use in the thermometers ... but not all types of alcohol are safe to drink.
So if you decided to keep it and it is in the fermenter, just weigh up the possibilities.... a few hours of your time and a few dollars wasted, verses, an unknown reaction to the red spirit ... ranging from no reaction at all through to hospitalisation & death. ... I am not saying that this is what will happen at all because _I don't know_, just that if you don't know, can't find out, and with the type of substance involved there is a chance of danger, I know that I would be tipping it out.


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## Spork (17/12/11)

Ferment and sell on the Indian black market as Sister f#cking pishab!


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## yasmani (17/12/11)

yaar, poisen the sisterfuckers. it was god giving good punishings to the red dots. that was some lucky news reportings that makes for happy days for sure ok. 

today i was making another amrican indian beer and i has dropped my glasses spectiles into the coolbox. no breaking of the windows so not much problem only some burned of my fingers. i am thinking that all home beer makings will be with accidents for you guys and also for my future cooking programs.


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## staggalee (17/12/11)

Yasmani, you haven`t been poking that greasy black trouser snake of yours into decent Aussie girls, I hope?


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## yasmani (17/12/11)

do you mean sexings? becuse i have, first aussie girlfiend have the pokings on thursday, one of the girls i meet and having drinks in the north sydney park some weeks before. crazy crazy things she was doing with my kire bozorg. this might make trouble for speaking on these this under this email so tell me where we can make a new emails t tell you more. you can start one and i will follow tonight when i am drinking my home beers from the syrips.


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## staggalee (17/12/11)

Yeah, but you could just be some rascal attempting to extract the urine.
To prove yourself, explain how the Indian Rope Trick is done.


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## staggalee (17/12/11)

and don`t make it up......I`ll be checking it with the blokes that run the 7/11 down the road!


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## manticle (17/12/11)

Your kir bozorg is playing havoc with my hope. You have been playing havoc with my sister with your *******. Hopeless sisterfucking pishab!


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## staggalee (17/12/11)




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## yasmani (17/12/11)

ach madachod i am not indian ! i am from karachi and a christian not one of those bad smelling muselman bomb guys. you are taking a pishab with me i hope to god.

to the other guy i am so sorry i speak of my new girlfriend she is your sister. talk to her tomorrow but do not tell her about my words and sory on thouands time. she is asking me to have the family lunch of chrstmas maybe i can meet you and we will enjoy some torpedo together and talk about brewings


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## manticle (17/12/11)

My sister will eat you and my pork on christ family lunch if your kir bozorg is not unkind.

My family will welcome all who do not pishab on my sisters and my dog. I have hope for brewing.


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## yasmani (17/12/11)

this is great news for my first christmas in australia, last two years was living in malaysia but not very big christmas parties and in karachi almost nothing. we will meet in one week then we can speak for a long time about our brewings . i will bring a full box of torpedos for you and me to enjoy. i will be going to some jungle park with megen tomorrow and tell her this surprise news.


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## manticle (17/12/11)

Not too much big surprise please. We need her ready for pork crackling during the lunch and surpsies are in the slit funny.

Your toperedos will be welcome. Australia is for the welcome. Megen will arrange the hor douevres and relax mints for us.


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