Broken alcoholmeter - toxic?

[2deadly.308]

So I broke my alcoholmeter in my parrot the other day right at the end of a run. I didn't have time to clean it out properly and just left it. Checked tonight and there are a bunch of small balls in there and they have left a bit of black staining in the drain off valve at the bottom of the parrot.
I did a stripping run yesterday with them in there and totally forgot.

Will the stripping run be safe or should I toss it?

I have had a bit of a go at cleaning out the bottom of the parrot with steel wire brushes and steel wool.

Should I just chuck the parrot entirely or should it be fine?

My limited searching has led me to believe that the ball bearings in alcometere are now are no longer lead and there shouldn't be any mercury. It is(was) a kegland alcometer.

I feel bloody stupid. My old man was right about me.

Cheers for any opinions.

[The Stig]

The balls in the 5 Star Alcometers are lead , I know , I’ve broken plenty

[bluc]

Try soaking in citric acid see if it removes visable staining... Bit of stainless/copper scrubber in bottom stops them breaking when dropped in. Personally would not drink the strip run keep it for cleaning...

[2deadly.308]

Thanks guys. Yeah might give citric acid a try before I use it next, cheers.

I got some pliers and tried to squeeze the little balls, they definitely didn't feel soft like lead. I am a piss weak bloke so it could just have been my pathetically weak hands and forearms, but I couldn't crush the little balls at all. Thinking they must be steel. Dunno

Thanks again and yeah a bit of copper mesh will be going in there stat.

[Garfield]

You could strip it again. Metals wouldn't vaporise under 100 surely

[2deadly.308]

Yeah any metals that are in there would surely stay in the boiler on the spirit run, but was more worried about any other nasties that may come from the metal and be more soluble. Dunno