Are plastic mash paddles safe for stirring boiling wort?

I bought this plastic mash paddle for stirring my boiling wort, but now that I'm actually about to use it...I'm wondering if these types of paddles are only safe for things like steeping temperatures.

My bort maintains a rolling boil north of 212F...can I use this paddle to stir it?

Topic food-safety plastic boil mash homebrew

Category Mac


Probably - but I wouldn't

Material Type: Plastic

This is not very informative, and i couldn't find any details. If there is a food safe symbol on it, it shouldn't introduce any toxins to your food in realistically expected use cases. Including common accidents like unintentional boil of your mash. And there is no real difference between accidental or planned boil, is it?

At the same time, it is mash paddle, so it may get less stiff and strong over mash temperatures, say, 180°F. If parts of it will tear off? No one will blame manufacturer. Still, your wort shouldn't be in any danger of contamination.

You may try to boil pure water, and see how it acts. Or leave this one for mash, and buy big wooden spoon for boil. These are pretty cheap, and safe.


If there isn't a food safe symbol, consider throwing it away.

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