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12-12-2011, 03:52 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Readfield, ME
Posts: 66
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sunlight
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how badly does sunlight screw up a fermentation? I just realized I left a couple of carboys uncovered on the kitchen counter at home this morning.
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Primary - EdWort's Apfelwein
Secondary - Cyser, Paddy Murphy's Pumpkin Mead, Côte des Bochet, EC-1118 Bochet, MAOM, Mango Melomel, Singles Awareness Day (SAD) Strawberry Melomel
Bottled - Blueberry Melomel, Christmas Metheglin
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12-12-2011, 04:12 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Moorhead, MN
Posts: 215
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PaddyMurphy
how badly does sunlight screw up a fermentation? I just realized I left a couple of carboys uncovered on the kitchen counter at home this morning.
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It shouldnt hurt it. If it was summer I would be worried that the heat killed off the yeast(are you still fermenting?) Its beer that hates the light(Hops) |
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12-12-2011, 05:23 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Readfield, ME
Posts: 66
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Yeah, they're still fermenting. I didn't think it would be a problem. Up here in the Frozen North (Maine), I'm thinking the cold shutting down or slowing down the fermentation will be more of a problem.
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Ridding the world of the scourge of alcohol. One glass at a time
***
Primary - EdWort's Apfelwein
Secondary - Cyser, Paddy Murphy's Pumpkin Mead, Côte des Bochet, EC-1118 Bochet, MAOM, Mango Melomel, Singles Awareness Day (SAD) Strawberry Melomel
Bottled - Blueberry Melomel, Christmas Metheglin
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12-12-2011, 06:13 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Williamsburg, Va
Posts: 513
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The sunlight will not effect the fermentation or yeast. What sunlight ( and many other light sources ) does is attack a weak covalent bond in the humulone molecule from the hops. This molecule will then form a stronger bond to atmospheric sulfur and form a chemical compound similar to that in the musk gland of a skunk.
If you have ever had skunky beer, light is what caused it. It's an off note referred to as "light struck".
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12-12-2011, 07:10 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Williamsburg, Va
Posts: 513
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Brewskii
The sunlight will not effect the fermentation or yeast. What sunlight ( and many other light sources ) does is attack a weak covalent bond in the humulone molecule from the hops. This molecule will then form a stronger bond to atmospheric sulfur and form a chemical compound similar to that in the musk gland of a skunk.
If you have ever had skunky beer, light is what caused it. It's an off note referred to as "light struck".
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Unless you making mead in which case none of that applies.....
Whoops |
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12-13-2011, 01:00 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Vancouver, BC (Canada)
Posts: 219
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I would say it shouldn't hurt your mead much if it's only a few days. But I wouldn't try your luck. This reminds me though, of a drink called "Lavish Hags Love Potion." There is no actual full recipe, but from what I compiled of incomplete and nondescript recipes, basically you fill a large glass bottle to the top with blueberries (But not too large or else not enough blueberries will come in contact with sunlight), top off with water, and dissolve as much sugar as you can in there, and give it a good shaking to oxygenate it. Then you leave it to sit out in the sunlight for two weeks. The blue berries must be unwashed or else the natural blueberry yeast will not work.(traditionally made outside and with the lid closed to produce carbonation, but contamination and bottle bombs are no fun, so I would recommend doing it indoors with an airlock, by the window)
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12-13-2011, 03:08 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 6,887
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The thing about sunlight, is heat. As long as its not cooking your fermenters its not a huge deal for mead, but having said that I do all fermentation in a light-shielded room to eliminate 'variables' like that.
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Primary: English Mild
On tap: Pale Ale, Lancelot's Wheat, English Brown Ale, Steam Beer, HoovNuts IPA
Bottled: MOAM, Braggot, Raspberry Melomel, Merlot, Apfelwein, Pyment, Sweet mead, Cabernet
Gal in 2009: 27, Gal in 2010: 34, Gal in 2011: 13, Gal in 2012: 10
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12-16-2011, 03:03 PM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Readfield, ME
Posts: 66
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Well, they're both bubbling away happily, so I guess the sunlight didn't hurt.
__________________
Ridding the world of the scourge of alcohol. One glass at a time
***
Primary - EdWort's Apfelwein
Secondary - Cyser, Paddy Murphy's Pumpkin Mead, Côte des Bochet, EC-1118 Bochet, MAOM, Mango Melomel, Singles Awareness Day (SAD) Strawberry Melomel
Bottled - Blueberry Melomel, Christmas Metheglin
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12-19-2011, 05:07 AM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Posts: 13
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My winemaker friend mentioned that the light can encourage the growth/developmant of other things (sorry to be so nonspecific, it was a while ago). It won't 'hurt' the fermentation but may lead to off tastes. I don't think that a couple of days will make any difference though
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12-19-2011, 11:44 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Readfield, ME
Posts: 66
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Fongsong, is that sunlight, or all light?
__________________
Ridding the world of the scourge of alcohol. One glass at a time
***
Primary - EdWort's Apfelwein
Secondary - Cyser, Paddy Murphy's Pumpkin Mead, Côte des Bochet, EC-1118 Bochet, MAOM, Mango Melomel, Singles Awareness Day (SAD) Strawberry Melomel
Bottled - Blueberry Melomel, Christmas Metheglin
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