The Sound of Cracking Glass -OOPS!

[HarkJohnny]

I have been leaving my equipment in a plastic brew bucket in a solution of PBW and water. I decided to brew last night and when i retreived the thermometer I noticed it had a little water actually inside of the tube. Strange I thought but carried about my business. Was steeping my grain while I ate dinner, and that's when it happened. I heard something break. I thought the wife had broken a drinking glass but we couldn't find anything anywhere... until i went to check the temp of my wort. The bottom had shattered due to the pressure inside the tube. I don't think any mercury leaked out, but the fact that there were glass shards, melted rubber substance and tiny metal balls were enought to cancel my brew night. Dumped it all and will have to replace my grains. So...

Word to the Wise: Don't leave your thermometer in water for any extended period of time of non-use! Bad things can happen.

I've attached a pic just cause I still can't believe it happened... weird!

[stronk]

Poor guy! But I would have risked not dumping it, myself. That thermometer is an alcohol thermometer, not a mercury one; so you wouldn't have been poisoned!

[kgaugler]

Don't worry, that wasn't a mercury thermometer anyway... :D the red stuff isn't mercury, probably alcohol. I don't think I would have been too happy though if this happened to me. Do you think it cracked from soaking or did it happen last time you brewed??

[toneyc]

Yeah, that happened to me once, too! I strained the wort to find the little balls to check if they were lead or not. They were. Dumped that batch. So I started using the long metal thermometer that came with my brew kit. It sucked. Then I was wandering through the grocery store a few steps behind Wifey one day and they had instant read digital thermometers for $12. I picked one up and have been pretty happy with it. It is only 4-5 inches long, though. I've been thinking about making a little styrofoam donut to float it on the wort with because it gets a little warm when you're waiting to hit a particular temperature with your tender little fingers half an inch above steaming wort/water.

:D
Toney.

[brewmonkey]

I used to use one of those as well and have broken it in the mash. I spent the extra dough and bought myself one like this.

http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=611&categoryCode=MT

I can just put in and leave it through the mash cycle.

[danno]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
I used to use one of those as well and have broken it in the mash. I spent the extra dough and bought myself one like this.

http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=611&categoryCode=MT

I can just put in and leave it through the mash cycle. can you get the braided cord wet on that one? I've bought similar ones from Target for $15, but you can't get the cord wet or it throws off (waaaay off) your readings. Toss it in the oven and dry it out, and it works fine, but I don't use it for brewing. Works fabulously on the grill though...

[YamahaXS]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
I used to use one of those as well and have broken it in the mash. I spent the extra dough and bought myself one like this.

http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=611&categoryCode=MT

I can just put in and leave it through the mash cycle.

now they just need ot modify that that to read Ph and Gravity.