Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

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Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby rvn » Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:15 pm

Hey All,

We (my wife :) ) managed to break the alcometer during a stripping run and about a teaspoon's worth of the little ball bearings from the tube made it into the container with the stripped wash.

I've continued with the strip as I more or less know by volume where I'm at (was aiming for 20%) but do you think I should be paranoid about contamination? (from the alcometer contents?)

There is no discolouration of the liquid. The alcometer is just the standard HBS style (<$10) and the balls that spilt out really do just look like regular (steel?) ball bearings in use for their weight.

Is there much risk? Would a second strip help?

Cheers!
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Re: Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby scythe » Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:46 pm

I wouldn't risk it, you have not lost much but the time it took to strip the wash and a couple of bucks in the ingredients.
I thought the balls were lead myself.
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Re: Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby rvn » Tue Jun 02, 2020 6:50 pm

scythe wrote:I wouldn't risk it, you have not lost much but the time it took to strip the wash and a couple of bucks in the ingredients.
I thought the balls were lead myself.


Now that you mention it....they do look like lead x_x
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Re: Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby The Stig » Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:02 pm

They are lead , no if’s or buts sorry
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Re: Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby rvn » Tue Jun 02, 2020 7:23 pm

Thanks for the confirmation :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby OzDistilling » Fri Nov 27, 2020 8:20 pm

Dispose of the batch.

The balls are LEAD and the encasing is either Petroleum Wax (paraffin) or paraffin jelly.

At $0.12/c a litre as your cost, just play it safe.
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Re: Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby mick_mack » Fri Jan 12, 2024 7:37 pm

I made a similar mistake today. I was wondering how I was able to defy the laws of physics and yield 100+% ABV.
Seems I dropped the alcometer into the parrot a little early and broke the bottom of it. Great ! Now I need to try and clean the parrot to a point where I don’t get lead poisoning.
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Re: Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby The Stig » Fri Jan 12, 2024 9:12 pm

A parrot that small won’t be hard.
Handy hint , drop a small wad of stainless or copper mesh into the bottom of the parrot , you’ll never brake another alcometer again :handgestures-thumbupleft:
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Re: Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby Wellsy » Sat Jan 13, 2024 8:11 am

Welcome to distilling guys.
I don’t think there are many on here who have not done that. It is all part of the learning curve
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Re: Broken Alcometer Contents in Stripped Run

Postby NFI » Sat Jan 13, 2024 3:20 pm

I too had this unfortunate experiance recently - sucks.
But the small balls were able to be picked up with a magnet so pretty sure they are not lead.
As for the wax - god knows, better to be safe than sorry I guess.
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