Cover Carboy?

[mgortel]

I just bought a Better Bottle 5 gallon Carboy to rack one of my beers to for secondary (really only because I wanted to brew this weekend so I needed to empty my primary) :rockin:

Anyway, I ferment my beer in my basement...it is dark down there......BUT...should I cover the carboy with a dark towel to keep any potential light off of the beer?

 

[Hammy71]

Can't hurt. I use old flannel and sweat shirts when ever my carboy is out of my fermentation chamber.

 

[Buffman]

Is it DARK, dark - like, no windows at all? I'd cover if you have any light coming in. I took an old towel (one my wife won't miss) and cut a 3" hole in the middle. It fits over the neck of my carboy, covering completely.

 

[Saprobic]

Yeah I do mine in the basement too and it only gets light if the basement light gets turned on. But I still cover it just because it cannot hurt.

 

[Pilgarlic]

I cut a hole in the bottom of the box my better bottle came in. Put it upside down over my Better Bottle; the hole is for the airlock.

 

[seanybubbles]

I put a garbage bag over mine. Does the trick.

 

[homebrewer_99]

My wife sews up the sleeves and neck of my older (smaller) t-shirts...it's like carboy fashion...

 

[Hopheader]

Always cover. Why take chances?
Just don't go and then bottle in clear bottles, hahahaha.

 

[mgortel]

Thanks for responses everyone......I really like the idea of sewing the sleeves in an old T-Shirt.....I will have to see if my wife even owns a sewing kit...hahah

 

[IrregularPulse]

I just put a t-shirt over and and fold the sleeves up and tuck into the neck to cover it all.

 

[rico567]

My basement (where the fermentation takes place) is dark as the pit, unless there's a light on, which there isn't most of the time. But anything in a carboy (glass or BB) gets a heavy duty trash bag that's had a hole put in the bottom so the airlock and neck stick out. It's easy, cheap reusable, and makes it a non-issue.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I just put a t-shirt over and and fold the sleeves up and tuck into the neck to cover it all.

I did too, but they kept getting in the way so I just had her sew the shoulder/underarm seams shut and cut them off...

 

[ben2010]

So why do we cover the beer? What is it that light will do to the beer?

 

[vhampyre]

Light reacts with hops... I believe it interacts with the alpha acids and "skunks" the beer with off flavors.

Hence brown bottles as the norm, btw- to protect from light- especially sunlight or flourescent light.

There's something odd about Miller's brewing process. I can't remember what was different that allows them to use clear bottles without an issue. My personal opinion is that since it already tastes bad, it doesn't matter.