LED light and beer

Phideaoux44 · 02-26-2009, 04:04 AM

I have recently been the fortunate recipient of one of those monster commercial fridges, the ones with two sliding glass doors. It looks really snazzy with it all lit up and whatnot but I was bothered when I remembered how I always read to "never let your beer get in the sunlight or fluorescent light". I know there's a debate there for some people, but I personally believe it affects it. I lager as well as store my hops, yeast, and beer in it.

Then I found out that you can get these fluorescent tube shaped led lights that just snap in like a normal fluorescent (no ballast mods or anything) and then rock and roll with led light. So my question is can I switch out the fluorescents in the fridge's interior and use these LED's without trouble or will the same problem occur. I'm imagining that they give off far less UV but I'm hoping that this panel of experts before me might have a definitive answer.

Thank you in advance.

MA_Brewer · 02-26-2009, 04:09 AM

Good questions - and I don't have an answer - but keep in mind you said it has glass doors - so any natural light will get in there too, no?

Perhaps you could blackout the doors and switch the inside lights off? Is that an option?

M@! · 02-26-2009, 04:11 AM

I know they use LED's for salt water aquarium lighting, my guess is the are putting of plenty of UV.

Phideaoux44 · 02-26-2009, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MA_Brewer

Good questions - and I don't have an answer - but keep in mind you said it has glass doors - so any natural light will get in there too, no?

Perhaps you could blackout the doors and switch the inside lights off? Is that an option?

Oh it has a switch inside where you can turn it off. I just like the idea of having a light in there when I'm searching through my hop containers and whatnot. Also, it's in the garage and whenever the door is open, I throw a shirt over the carboy to make sure it gets no sunlight. It spends most of its time in the dark though.

Basically I'm just seeing if there's a way to have A light on there without it messing everything up.

**samc** · 02-26-2009, 04:44 AM

I usually take a paper shopping bag and put a carboy neck sized hole at the top and cover it. If I really need to take a peak just lift it up. Don't know about the light, but why take the chance.

Phideaoux44 · 02-26-2009, 01:33 PM

So nobody out there knows whether or not LED's emit appreciable amounts of UV?

missing link · 02-26-2009, 01:38 PM

If your only turning the light on to search for hops or something, I wouldn't worry about it. If you want to leave the light on to display your fermenting wort, that might be another issue altogether.

Linc

k1v1116 · 02-26-2009, 01:43 PM

LEDs produce light in very specific wavelengths this is one of the reasons they are so efficient. as I understand it only UV light really skunks beer, UV light is 400nm and lower. so any LEDs rated above 400nm the only problem is that LEDs are usually specific colors which may not give you the color light you want.
From what Ive found online white LEDs are really a mix of red green and blue LEDs they produce little to no UV light.

Phideaoux44 · 02-26-2009, 01:46 PM

Yeah, right now I only turn it on intermittently. But I'm trying to have it to where I can see the fermentation (years later and I STILL can stare at it all day). Furthermore (but of less concern) is the fact that the marquis light on the top of the fridge is wired to the inside light and it would be nice to not have to rewire it so that it would come on without the interior. I am imagining that LED's emit very very little UV and that this idea would work, but I'm hoping one of our resident geniuses here will pipe up and hit me with a dose of certainty.

**conpewter** · 02-26-2009, 01:46 PM

Not sure about the LED, but I have a fluorescent light right over my fermintifreezer. The fluorescent light only hits the carboy for a few minutes anytime I need to check on it (not often) so I'm not worried about it. I think I read that it takes a couple minutes to skunk a glass of beer in sunlight, takes a couple hours to skunk one under fluorescent.

Edit: UV and near UV can skunk beer, keep it above 500 nm