Light Affect flavor?

petrostar · 05-10-2011, 04:33 AM

Quick question for my brewing brethren. I started using my new 6.5 gallon glass carboy for primaries lately and was wondering about light and how it "really" effects beer.

This is a serious question, I'm not being sarcastic. I have been brewing for a couple years now but have used a bucket in the past. I am now using glass for my primary and my secondary fermentation. I have never covered my beer with blankets nor have I left it to sit in direct sunlight. I haven't noticed off flavors in my beer from what I can tell.

I have noticed that looking at youtube vids and others fermentation fridge projects that they always explain how light effects their beer. I could understand how sunlight could do this but does standard flourescent lighting or just regular light bulbs have an effect on your beer? Thanks for the tips ahead of time.

Peter

ryandlf · 05-10-2011, 04:35 AM

Yes over time light bulbs and fluorescent lighting will affect your beer. It is always best to store it in a cool, dark place. If you have no choice but to store in say a lit closet that gets used a lot then cover it with something. Why don't they just make carboys brown like bottles so this isn't an issue? We like to watch our beer too much

**emjay** · 05-10-2011, 05:11 AM

It's UV light specifically. Reacts with compounds in the hops which is responsible for "skunking" a beer. Fluorescent lightbulbs are the absolute worst, though incandescent will give off some UV-band light as well. I imagine SOME LED bulbs are (in theory) fine though as I believe they display fairly narrow bands.

ryandlf · 05-10-2011, 12:28 PM

Have a Heineken at about any bar that stores them in those fridges where the light stays permanently on so you can see the product. Sometimes I wonder if Heineken likes the fact that their beer tastes like sucking on the scent gland of a skunk.

badhabit · 05-10-2011, 01:21 PM

I've only had skunky beer once and believe me I will do anything it takes to avoid brewing a batch of that stuff. Take an old kids medium or small black or navy blue T-shirt and fit it over the top of the carboy....problem solved....and it is easy to peek at your beer if you want.

malkore · 05-10-2011, 10:37 PM

Sunlight, power compact fluorescents, fluorescents, halogens, incandescents, and then certain LED's...

most UV to lowest UV output.

huffman · 11-28-2011, 03:57 PM

Does anyone know the translucent white plastic brewing buckets provide any UV protection?