Accidentally dumped my stir bar down the drain

I brewed a Bohemian Pilsener this weekend. I poured my yeast from the starter flask into the carboy, and saw the stir bar at the bottom of the flask. I had forgotten to use a keeper magnet, but I got lucky and the stir bar stayed in the flask.

I then put the flask in the sink and filled it with hot water (to keep the gunk from drying and hardening) until I had time to clean it properly.

At cleanup time, I picked up the flask filled with murky water and dumped it. Then filled it with PBW and shook it while holding my hand over the mouth. Then a couple rinses, then set it on my workbench to dry. Then I noticed the little container I keep my stir bar in, and it occurred to me that I had just dumped my stir bar down the drain.

Tell me I'm not alone. Tell me you've all gone through 2 or 3 stir bars in your brewing tenures. I need to feel like it was an easy and honest mistake.

your not alone. Got a long metal rod? Might be able to retrieve it if its stuck in the Trap under the drain?

Been there. I transferred the stir bar from the flask into the primary, forgot about it, and a week later while cleaning the primary down the bathtub drain. Oh well.

I've managed that - twice. Fortunately, each time it stayed in the trap and I've been able to retrieve it. I've since gotten wise and picked up a strainer like this one for the drain in my utility sink, that goes in place before I ever clean or handle small parts. Poppets, stir bars, etc...

Just take the p-trap apart. It's probably still in there!

Poobah58 said:

Just take the p-trap apart. It's probably still in there!

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It's pretty easy, and if it's that cheapo white plastic like a lot of them are these days, you can likely take it apart and reassemble it by hand. Just have a disposable towel nearby, and some febreeze for the foul demon odor you may release. Of course, if you lost it down the bathtub drain, just buy a new stir bar.

I took a good look down the drain with a flashlight, I'm pretty sure it's gone. I've already ordered a replacement, I'm just a little mad at myself for making such a silly mistake.

kombat said:

I took a good look down the drain with a flashlight, I'm pretty sure it's gone. I've already ordered a replacement, I'm just a little mad at myself for making such a silly mistake.

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Is it a sink or a bathtub drain? Either way, there is a p-trap on it and I would be surprised if it made it through the trap. If its a sink, you should be able to check very easily.

welcome to the club

AndrewD said:

Is it a sink or a bathtub drain? Either way, there is a p-trap on it and I would be surprised if it made it through the trap.

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It's a laundry sink with a P-trap. I didn't see anything when I looked with a flashlight, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stick a coat hanger down there and see if it sticks to it. I dumped a lot of water down that drain afterwards (before I'd realized I'd dumped the stir bar) while cleaning my mash tun and boil kettle, so I'd be surprised if it didn't get washed along past the P-trap (didn't they used be called U-traps? Did they change the name or are they different things?)