Clear bottles

[bcfzx2]

O.K., so people say not to use clear bottles but if the bottles are in a box and that box is in a dark closet does it matter?

 

[MalFet]

No. That's fine.

 

[kcold0403]

If they are in a box and in a dark closet then you are fine. No light = No problem, no matter what bottle color

 

[JoeBronco]

UV light does a NUMBER on beer. The brown bottles protect them the best, then green then clear. If you have a way to not let light touch the beer untill your ready to drink you'll be fine.

 

[storunner13]

Probably not. However, if you put them in a fridge which gets opened and closed a lot with a light...it might pose a problem in the future.

That said, I would still say: drink more beer from brown bottles.

 

[NorthRiverS]

I think clear bottles would be okay if you knew the beer would be consumed relatively soon. Miller Brewing doesn't seem to be too concerned.

NRS

 

[MalFet]

I think clear bottles would be okay if you knew the beer would be consumed relatively soon. Miller Brewing doesn't seem to be too concerned.

NRS

FWIW, most of the beers distributed in clear bottles use hop extracts that have been photo desensitized. What works for Miller does not work for us here.

Put some beer in a clear bottle sometime, then leave that bottle in the sun for 24 hours. It goes skunky very fast.

 

[jiggs_casey]

If they are in a box and in a dark closet then you are fine. No light = No problem, no matter what bottle color

This!

 

[Elshupacabra]

I kept my carboy covered while it was fermenting, then I kept my bottles in beer boxes, inside a clear plastic tote that I covered while they warm conditioned.

and I keep them in a beer-dedicated, mini-fridge that doesn't even have a light in it and all my beer tastes great.

If you can keep them away from the light, clear bottles work just fine.

 

[BaddogBrewing]

I save my green and clear bottles for Apfelwein and Skeeter Pee!

 

[Kaz]

I think I read in a recent BYO Magazine that the lighting skunking in full sunlight can produce off flavors in a matter of minutes...

 

[dancness]

Wait a sec, I thought this applied ONLY to sunlight.

If you have a flourescent bulb on in the room with your carboy and no outside light coming in, is this a problem?

 

[MalFet]

Wait a sec, I thought this applied ONLY to sunlight.

If you have a flourescent bulb on in the room with your carboy and no outside light coming in, is this a problem?

I'm pretty sure it's any light, though obviously sunlight is dramatically brighter than most domestic electric lighting. Vitamin B2 plus isohumulones equals stinkbeer, and light catalyzes the reaction. If anyone has other info, though, I'd be interested in hearing it.

No light > brown bottles > green bottles > clear bottles

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

What skunks the beer is UV light. UV light causes isohumulones and vitamin B2 to react, producing thiols.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_bottle#Lightstruck_beer

 

[MalFet]

What skunks the beer is UV light. UV light causes isohumulones and vitamin B2 to react, producing thiols.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_bottle#Lightstruck_beer

I've been curious about this point, but the reference you just linked says "UV and visible light", not just UV.

 

[dancness]

Well I Wiki'd Fluorescent bulbs. They do indeed produce some UV light, although not nearly as much as sunlight. It says that a typical fluorescent bulb will produce as much UV rays in 8 hours that you would get from the sun in 1 minute. But still, I would rather be safe than sorry.

So I have been exposing my beer to some unnecessary light. I will make a little room for my carboy in the closet when I get home.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

I've been curious about this point, but the reference you just linked says "UV and visible light", not just UV.

Well, from a physics standpoint, UV light is light, and its only difference with visible light is its frequency (and therefore, its wavelength). I'd think probably all light, especially in the blue side of the spectrum, would have an effect on the beer, to some extent.

 

[MalFet]

Well, from a physics standpoint, UV light is light, and its only difference with visible light is its frequency (and therefore, its wavelength). I'd think probably all light, especially in the blue side of the spectrum, would have an effect on the beer, to some extent.

Right, I don't think I suggested that UV light isn't itself "light". I was only taking issue with your statement that it is uv light that skunks beer, implying that ONLY uv light skunks beer.

I'd still love to see some science folk chime in on this; I hear both things frequently. My hunch from trying to figure it out is that UV might skunk faster but that all light does to a varying degree.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

Right, I don't think I suggested that UV light isn't itself "light". I was only taking issue with your statement that it is uv light that skunks beer, implying that ONLY uv light skunks beer.

I'd still love to see some science folk chime in on this; I hear both things frequently. My hunch from trying to figure it out is that UV might skunk faster but that all light does to a varying degree.

Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant is that UV light seems to have a bigger effect than other wavelengths.

It could be a neat experiment, providing one could find an affordable and accurate way of measuring thiols production. Not only to expose beer to different wavelengths, taking samples regularly, but also to do it with different styles of beer, to see if there's a difference between them. Maybe even to infuse different hop varieties in plain water. There's a lot that could be learned from something like that.

 

[dancness]

Quote from John Palmer's book How to Brew p. 115

"Exposure to sunlight or flourescent light will cause beer to develop a skunky character, which is the result of a photochemical reaction with hop compounds and sulfur compounds. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a character that Heineken, Grolsch, and Molson strive for in their beer. It is simply a result of poor handling by retailers, and storing them under flourescent lighting."

I think we have an answer on this one. Flourescent lighting can also cause your beer to skunk, although likely to a much smaller degree than sunlight.

 

[petey_c]

I'm not sure I agree with this statement, "Exposure to sunlight or fluorescent light will cause beer to develop a skunky character...". With what little independent research I've done (most of my brews don't stay around too long either), I haven't noticed any difference between beers that are in clear or dark brown bottles. I don't store my bottles in direct sunlight and have fluorescent lighting where I keep my bottles. I do have to agree with this, "It is simply a result of poor handling by retailers," I imagine that prolonged (not just minutes) exposure will skunk a beer (see Corona or Landshark).

 

[asterix404]

So I was told by my LBHS and 2 books and a bunch of web pages to only use brown bottles. The only reason that clear and green bottles exist is because companies will use preservatives and other chemicals which we do not want to use. I have only used brown and have had no problem, but take it for what it's worth. The question becomes, do you want your purchase and time to get fouled up because of cheap bottles? You can also reuse bottles making them even more affordable or get them from friends who don't drink only your beer yet. Brown pop top bottles are very common.

Get used bottles. Then use 1c of ammonia to 5g of water, let the bottles sit a few hours and most labels will come right off, let it sit 6h and almost every label will come off except for mettle ones.

 

[petey_c]

For your first experiment, you could take a 20 oz. clear soda bottle and put a beer in it. This way if I'm wrong, you're only out 1 bottle. I haven't noticed the difference so far Clear bottles for part of 45 gals.

 

[PolishStout]

just wrap the clear bottles in duct tape! lol

 

[petey_c]

polishstout, I forgot to mention that I dipped them in paint prior to filling. Just kidding.

 

[EO74]

I brougt two clear flip top ikea bottles to my dads house to watch football and share my beer, i brought one in and left one on the porch it was cold and overcast i thought it would be fine.After about 30-35 minuets i went to get the one on the porch and after pouring three glasses my dad and uncle both asked me why this one was a little skunky i couldnt belive it so i tasted mine sure enough after 30-35 minets on a cold overcast day it skunked my beer!WTF i love the bottles,flip top i can see what the beer looks like but now im supper careful not to expose them to light even for short periods of time!!!

 

[IceFisherChris]

It's prettty rare that my beer is ever exposed to light. Most likely you will be keeping your beer in a box in a closet somewhere (I use apple boxes from the super market.) Then it will go into a pitch black fridge. I'm also assuming that most people drink beer from a CLEAR glass too.
Seriously it does not matter one bit unless you plan on storing your beer in a location with light (mostly sunlight but fluorescent light slowly does the same.)

 

[OldAtHeart]

FYI on Miller High Life's clear bottles-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunked_beer#Lightstruck_beer

Turns out it's the hop extract they use that makes HL immune to the light issues. At least... so says Wiki.

 

[dfc]

O.K., so people say not to use clear bottles but if the bottles are in a box and that box is in a dark closet does it matter?

Nope. You're OK as long as sunlight does not get to the beer.