Noob question...

So, I was reading just now about how most folks generally recommend tinted bottles (brown) for their beer so that it doesn't spoil from light/sunlight. This all makes perfect sense to me in how the beer gets skunked.

I'm currently working on my first batch of beer, and my question is this.

*Disclaimer, I'm a noob, this is my first batch, I've been reading Papazians "New complete guide to the joy of homebrewing," and have tried to search the forums to answer my question, but didn't find anything.*

I'm in the fermentation process with my wort happily bubbling away in the airlock, but the carboy has just been sitting on my kitchen floor for the last couple of days. Since beer will spoil if left in light, I would assume that fermenting beer will also spoil if left in the light?

What's the likelihood that it's skunked already? Does it NEED to be in a dark place?

I'm planning on putting it somewhere dark tonight when I get home from work and letting it sit there for the next couple weeks. And of course, I'll wait and see how bad things are, but I would like some general advice as to whether or not (or how badly) I've screwed this up.

Thanks in advance for your help guys.

Also, if it's any help, I'm making a honey lager, used Cascade hops for boiling and finishing hops, lots of honey and DME.

you can just put a black t-shirt over it. or a towel.

is it in direct light sunlight?? or just in your kitchen in light?

Your are dead on with the idea that it should be fermented in the dark as well. More than likely though if it has not been more than a couple of days in the light your beer is still fine. If it tastes ruin (which I doubt), then u can just call it a hard lesson learned.

Just FYI I ferment in my closet and I used a bucket which is white plastic and I doubt light can get in but I don't risk it.

I'm sure some people on here will tell you you committed a hate crime by doing this...but I think you really only have to be concerned if there was a significant temperature difference in the location. I keep my carboys in the closet, but I'm sure it was ok sitting in the open for a few days...I would only be worried if it was really hot. Leaving a carboy outside on the porch is a completely different story!

It's not an issue of temperature, but of a chemical transformation that happens to hop oils when struck by light (particularly UV). It really depends on how much/what kind of light the carboy was getting on your kitchen floor. In direct, bright sunlight, a bottle of beer will skunk in as little as an hour. Under a dim incandescent light bulb, it will take much, much longer. Get a towel over it, as others have said. How's it taste?

@MalFet: I haven't tasted it yet as I only pitched the yeast 3 days ago. It wasn't under direct sunlight, instead under an incandescent bulb. I smelled the gas coming out of the airlock and it doesn't smell "skunky," and overall it shouldn't have had (hardly) any direct sunlight. I used my lunch break at work to rush home and throw some trash bags over it to prevent further light from getting in. Regular temperatures have been around 70F (using a higher temp lager yeast [wyeast 2112]).

@lbaker and ntaylor0, I put mine in the closet for all of a day before I realized that the smell was probably going to get on my clothes, lol. After that it was back to the kitchen floor.

Haha I thought the same thing and moved it to an empty closet in our spare bedroom

Put a black short over your fermenter, & most importantly...don't worry, have a homebrew!

First off cactussam, welcome to the forum and the obsession!

superbob404 said:

& most importantly...don't worry, have a homebrew!

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Unless he's got a friend that brews, he can't. He said this is the first batch. So cactussam, cover her up and go get yourself a nice commercially produced local brew. Being in Boulder you've got to have a couple to choose from, no? Then relax, don't worry, have a brew! Before you know it you'll be well versed in the saying, RDWHAHB!

Luckily I have a downstairs storage closet under my stairs so I don't have to worry about clothes. 

Whutever said:

First off cactussam, welcome to the forum and the obsession!

...

Unless he's got a friend that brews, he can't. He said this is the first batch. So cactussam, cover her up and go get yourself a nice commercially produced local brew. Being in Boulder you've got to have a couple to choose from, no? Then relax, don't worry, have a brew! Before you know it you'll be well versed in the saying, RDWHAHB!

Click to expand...

Thank you much, I'm really very excited to be here. Homebrewing is something that I've been REALLY interested in for probably about 4 years or so, and up until now, just couldn't put it together. Sadly, I had several friends that were really into it, so every once in a while I'd get to sample some of their warez (which were generally delicious), and had to just hope and dream of the "someday" that has finally come.

I can easily see how this will become an obsession, I'm already fantasizing about building a kegerator and assembling some sort of soda keg system for my future brews

Whutever said:

First off cactussam, welcome to the forum and the obsession!

Unless he's got a friend that brews, he can't. He said this is the first batch. So cactussam, cover her up and go get yourself a nice commercially produced local brew. Being in Boulder you've got to have a couple to choose from, no? Then relax, don't worry, have a brew! Before you know it you'll be well versed in the saying, RDWHAHB!

Click to expand...

I know he said it was his first batch, but you gotta get the 'dont worry' thing drilled into their heads, ya gotta try to raise them right...

All of my fermenting carboys are wearing t-shirts. It looks funny, but it works.