Mercury problem

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nexy_sm

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Hi all guys,

while brewing my last batch I broke my thermometer. During boiling I took sample of the wort and put it in a graduate cylinder and waited to cool. Since I broke my thermometer, I took mercurial body temperature meter. The wort didn't cool enough so when I put temperature meter in the wort, it broke. Now, few days after, the problem is I don't remember 100% if I drop that sample or put it back into boiling pot. So if the mercurial was boiled with the wort and now is maybe in the fermenter, is my beer poisoned or not?
 
At the end I will do so, but it's hard for me to do that cause I invested my time in that batch of stout.
 
Are you sure it was a mercury thermometer? I had the same thing happen to me once, but was able to look up the manufacturer and found out there was no mercury and nothing toxic in the thermometer.
 
LieutenantDan said:
Are you sure it was a mercury thermometer? I had the same thing happen to me once, but was able to look up the manufacturer and found out there was no mercury and nothing toxic in the thermometer.
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+1 to double-checking. At the very least it could spare you dumping the batch.

If the thermometer does contain mercury, or you can't determine for sure, dump the beer. Drinking mercury is no bueno. It's not worth taking a chance.
 
If it's a really important batch, or special in some way, you could have it tested to be sure. Test kits will cost about the same as a batch of beer.
Elemental mercury is not the freak out toxin that most people think, but intentionally ingesting it isn't smart. Its primary route of entry is vapor, so falling into boiling wort could increase exposure if you breathe the steam. But being well ventilated outside, your risk of exposure is negligible. Whatever you tasted already, is unlikely to harm you more than a can of tuna.
If it were my batch, I would chock it up to experience, and dump it. Mercury thermometers have no place in food prep.
 
Why in the world would you even add a knowingly polluted sample back to your boil kettle (or fermentor)?

And as said before, are you sure that thermometer contained mercury? Most modern day ones don't, but then again you're outside the U.S. (Europe?) so those things may not have caught on as fast.
 
I would dump it regardless. But, now its got me thinking if mercury is even water or alcohol soluble or not. Now I have to go google it too see if it is or not. Naa f#@% that I am going to go pour another HB instead.
 
I am 100% sure it was mercury thermometer. As i wrote, I broke my 30 cm nice thermometer for brewing. After that I took a sample of boiling wort and waited like half an hour or so. I put my finger inside it wasn't hot, so i took my body thermometer and put inside, but the top of the thermometer just broke inside. When the batch was finished, I just tried to remember the moment I said to myself ok, dump this sample, and unfortunately I couldn't. I was also filtering wort after cooling in order to remove hop, and I didn't see any glass inside. Since I am not sure what has ahppened, I am thinking of moving in a few days to th secondary and try to find mercury in the yeast cake. If I boiled mercury for a while, does this helped dissolving mercury or not?
 
Mercury is imiscible in water so you should be able to see if there was any in there. But if I were you I would want to be more sure than that. I'm not sure what the tests are for mercury though.

IslandLizard said:
And as said before, are you sure that thermometer contained mercury? Most modern day ones don't, but then again you're outside the U.S. (Europe?) so those things may not have caught on as fast.
Click to expand...

U.S. doesn't have a monopoly on H&S legislation you know :D

Mercury has been banned in thermometers etc. in the EU since 2007, and wasn't used all that much for a long time before then. There's also strict limits on how much can be used in other applications.
 
This batch should be dumped. The OP is weighing a few hours time and $30-50 vs. the risk of directly injesting elemental mercury, which to me just seems silly.
 
If you don't dump it, DO NOT give it to anybody! If you want to take the chance, that's on you. If you gave that to me without telling me, you could ask them to test you for mercury since you'd be at the hospital anyway.
 
Dude... dump it. Brew again and buy a new thermometer. This isn't rocket science -- this is safety. If cost is the issue, imagine the hospital bill that will come from this if you did ingest mercury... I'm young and dumb, but even I know.better than that. Sorry to be terse, but it seems that you need it at this point. Just looking out for a fellow brewer.

:mug:
 
@whitehause: of course I will maybe risk only my life.
I just wanted somebody to tell me from chemical point of view, what could have happened with the mercury after boiling, and how possible is that I will find it inside the yeast cake. And what might have happened with the beer if mercuru was boiled inside. As far as i know only mercury gasses are dangerous but not pure mercury.
 
drainbamage said:
You are correct that the vapors are dangerous, but it can still be absorbed through the skin.
Click to expand...

At the hospitals we work in, we no longer have mercury thermometers but we still have an entire "kit" for cleaning up mercury. It's highly toxic.

With a thermometer breaking in wort, not only is it possible to ingest poisonous mercury (if the thermometer contained mercury) but also minute glass shards.

We have mercury in our environment, due to coal burning and other things, but it's always best to avoid it if possible.

It's your health, but I wouldn't even consider drinking that batch of beer.
 
If it was me, I would dump it. If I used a plastic bucket to ferment it, I would throw it out. If I used other plastic stuff, tubing, etc. that was hard to clean, I would throw it out. Overkill? Maybe. But, the "risk/reward" on your two options (dump/drink) is just beyond ridiculous as to which way to lean.

You made a mistake - not the end of the world. If you keep brewing, it won't be your last mistake that costs you a batch of beer. Everyone dumps beer at some point. If you don't, you have not brewed enough or you have very low standards as to what you drink. I know for a fact I have dumped DOZENS of batches over the years........ and I NEVER had a reason as good as "there might be mercury in it."

Get a metal thermometer/probe..... don't use glass in your beer. Dump the beer, get on down the road and brew something new.
 
nexy_sm said:
@whitehause: of course I will maybe risk only my life.
I just wanted somebody to tell me from chemical point of view, what could have happened with the mercury after boiling, and how possible is that I will find it inside the yeast cake. And what might have happened with the beer if mercuru was boiled inside. As far as i know only mercury gasses are dangerous but not pure mercury.
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Don't be dumb. Dump it. I would hate to have wasted the time and money too (I get so little of it with two young ones) but it's definitely not worth it.

If you do drink it I vote for a Darwin award.
 
If you can't remember, you gotta dump it. I doubt your ridiculously poor and you can't afford to make another batch.

Your looking for answers to questions that don't matter. Mercury is terrible for your health along with tiny glass shards. Spend the $45 bucks and buy the recipe again. I've messed up with ingredients and dumped a batch quicker then you considering to keep a batch with mercury in it.
 
I will dump ir 99.99 %, but I will also search insede for the glass shard, it is at least 2 cm long.
 
If you want you can double up on a cheese cloth and siphon the liquid through the cloth as it goes down the drain. If the shards are small enough to fit through that then it's especially good you don't drink it..imagine tiny glass shards cutting up throat, stomach, intestines, and *******!!??
 
nexy_sm said:
I will dump ir 99.99 %, but I will also search insede for the glass shard, it is at least 2 cm long.
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You are not getting the point. DUMP IT 100%. I don't understand your hesitation at this point. It seem foolish that you have not dumped it already, and made an updated post saying,

"Hey guys and gals! I dumped that batch and made an awesome beer today. Thanks for sending me in the right direction. Cheers to new beers!"....

I think I am not the only one here... Please dump this batch.
 
I'm wondering if it was actually a mercury thermometer. Was the liquid in it any color other than silver? If so, it was alcohol, not mercury.

I'd me more worried about glass shards.
 
The source of my hesistation is I can't believe that I don't have in my memory moment: Hey I am dumping this in the toilet, and then walkinf there and flushing that :)
 
nexy_sm said:
The source of my hesistation is I can't believe that I don't have in my memory moment: Hey I am dumping this in the toilet, and then walkinf there and flushing that :)
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Then why hesitate? You don't remember it do maybe you dumped it back in. If you remembered it, then it would be different.

Also, no one laughed at my rectal thermometer comment, so I am hurt.
 
So I didn't dump the batch yet, cause there is still time to visit some hipnotiser and find out th truth.
 
nexy_sm said:
So I didn't dump the batch yet, cause there is still time to visit some hipnotiser and find out th truth.
Click to expand...
One of my biggest pet peeves is people that ask for advice, and then argue against or refuse to take the advice they are given.

You asked a question here. Many voices, with many, many, MANY years and batches of experience have all told you the same thing. DUMP IT. But that's obviously not the answer you wanted people to give, because you're fighting it. A hypnotist? REALLY?

At this point, in my book, you have two choices:

1) Take the advice you have been given. Dump the batch like you should have done already, call it a loss, and re-brew.

2) Ignore the advice, continue to fight the voices of experience, and try to "save" the batch, insulting everyone that has offered assistance.

Never ask a question if you're not ready to accept the answer.
 
A 30cm thermometer like you described could easily have upwards of 3 grams of mercury - maybe even double that.

Had you spilled it into 800 gallons of beer, it would still be above the legal limit for mercury in drinking water, at least in the USA (didnt check Europe). Depending on where you reside, you might even have to dispose of the batch as hazardous waste rather than down the toilet. Of course if you dumped the broken thermometer right in the toilet you may have already violated the law, not to mention good sense.

Don't compound this by being such a fool as to drink it!!

Absence of evidence is not proof of absence- whether you find the thermometer or not, dump it!!
 
This is a wind up, right? Like the guy who used lead fishing weights to weigh down his hop bag?

Don't be a wuss, kid. Drink it!

Remember, some people exist merely to serve as a warning to others, embrace your destiny, drink it!
 
Rhumbline said:
This is a wind up, right? Like the guy who used lead fishing weights to weigh down his hop bag?

Don't be a wuss, kid. Drink it!

Remember, some people exist merely to serve as a warning to others, embrace your destiny, drink it!
Click to expand...

One other question, I accidentally sparged with kerosene instead of water. I think it's okay, but what do you guys think.

Troll, obviously. Like this thread.
 
highgravitybacon said:
One other question, I accidentally sparged with kerosene instead of water. I think it's okay, but what do you guys think.

Troll, obviously. Like this thread.
Click to expand...

That's fine as long as you first get rid of any fumes with a match.
 
Sometimes, the high level of trolling on HBT really makes this place suck. Mods really should ban the IP addresses of posters like this. And even if he's not trolling he should be banned for such dangerously bad judgment .
 
SpeedYellow said:
Sometimes, the high level of trolling on HBT really makes this place suck. Mods really should ban the IP addresses of posters like this. And even if he's not trolling he should be banned for such dangerously bad judgment .
Click to expand...

I can remember only a few recently. This one, the "Can I use a car radiator as a wort chiller?" and the aforementioned fishing weights in the hops bag guy.

My standard response from now on to these will be "drink it! And share it with everyone in your family!"
 

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