bottling in clear bottles

[banana13]

Talk to me about this.

Good/bad? Why?

We want to bottle in 1/2 gallong growers, but our local home brew shop only has clear growlers period.
It can easily be stored somewhere dark until drinking, and will likely be fully consumed within 24 hours of opening (for a wedding). Would we be good to put it in the clear bottles, or should I buy something else in amber instead?

 

[ChugachBrewing]

If it's out of the sunlight, it really shouldn't matter.

 

[JimRausch]

UV light reacts with hop-derived chemicals to create skunky flavored compounds. Can happen within minutes. Brown glass blocks the UV light. Clear and green glass does not.
Keep everything in the dark and no skunk.
At least until you pour in the bright sunlight......
Just as an aside, I've read posts stating that growlers are not designed to handle the pressures that build up during carbonation. I have not tried, so have no opinion.

 

[Snicklefritz]

If it's out of the sunlight, it really shouldn't matter.

Agreed.

 

[banana13]

UV light reacts with hop-derived chemicals to create skunky flavored compounds. Can happen within minutes. Brown glass blocks the UV light. Clear and green glass does not.
Keep everything in the dark and no skunk.
At least until you pour in the bright sunlight......
Just as an aside, I've read posts stating that growlers are not designed to handle the pressures that build up during carbonation. I have not tried, so have no opinion.

We've bottled several batches in amber growlers and haven't had any problems here. The first batch we ever growlered I bumped the lid off the fridge shelf as I was putting it in to chill and heard a nice loud "pfsssssssss" and prepared for a mess, but nothing came of it. I've heard the same, but so far so good over here.

As for the clear growlers, does "can happen in minutes" mean that's the typical situation? They would likely end up sitting out of the fridge on the ktichen table for a decent amount of time, which is typically well lit by the sun most of the day. I presume the light in the fridge doesn't cause any reaction in the beer?

 

[WayFrae]

I feel like it is a bad idea to use growlers just because of how much yeast will get tossed back into suspension for any pour except the first one.

 

[JimRausch]

No personal experience with skunking(other than drinking Heinekin back in the day), but I have read posts where people claim their beer has skunked in the glass sitting out in the sun for a couple minutes. A NB brewtv episode last year also claimed the same thing.
If it's true, should all outdoor pours on sunny days be in opaque containers????

 

[rekoob]

I haven't used them before but have used a few clear bottles. I cover everything from sun light and have not had any issues.
I don't see why a growler wouldn't hold the pressure, after you fill them or have them filled they will pressurize anyway, wouldn't they?

 

[boydster]

Skunking happens fast. In less than a minute of direct sunlight, you can taste it. Especially if it is a light colored beer with some late hops. This has happened to me on many a brew day.

 

[billl]

Well, there really is no question the the chemical reactions responsible for skunking start to happen the second the beer is exposed to sunlight. The exact amount of time before they reach your flavor threshold is going to vary a ton.

As others have noted though, growlers are not designed for bottle conditioning. That doesn't mean they will necessarily explode on you, but it certainly is a risk. If you go that route, definitely put them in a plastic bin or similar.

"I don't see why a growler wouldn't hold the pressure, after you fill them or have them filled they will pressurize anyway, wouldn't they?"

If you just talking about CO2 in solution equalizing, then sure, the pressures would be the same. The yeast aren't expelling CO2 in solution though. They are farting up little bubbles. You have gas that isn't dissolved in the liquid yet, so you have the potential for pressure to build up way beyond what the equilibrium will be.

 

[JimRausch]

I was interested enough in the skunking issue that I went back to the NB forum and did a search on skunking.
skunking results from isohumulone reacting with riboflavin in the presence of UV light to produce methyl mercaptin- same chemical as in skunk spray. So how does Miller and Corona get away with clear glass? They use hop extracts /oils that don't include isohumulone. One poster says that he can get skunking in 5-7 minutes with exposure to sunlight. Exposure to fluorescent and CFL bulb lights can do it too, although slower. Another poster had something relevant to your situation. He teaches a beginner brew class at a LHBS and brings to class a clear glass carboy. Purposely puts them out in the sunlight for an hour to show the newbies what skunking tastes like.
So, when you take them out of the fridge, throw a towel or tshirt or something like that over them. Get the kids to decorate tshirts in a wedding theme to use as beer cozies.