If beer bottles are brown, why is my glass carboy clear?

[Stove]

I just racked by second brew into a clear glass carboy and it made me wonder: Do I need to cover the carboy to keep out light?

My understanding is that beer bottles are brown to block out UV light which would turn the beer skunky. Shouldn`t the carboy be coloured too or is that not something I need to be concerned with?

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[StuckBrauer]

You got it. Cover it with a towel or stick it somewhere that's always dark. The light will make it "skunky."

 

[funnycreature]

You should keep your fermenter out of light, yes. It's made of clear class because I don't think they were originally intended for fermentation but for water storage (or maybe wine fermentation which might not be stored in dark). The best about the clear carboys or better bottles is you can watch fermentation in real time! Even in plastic buckets you don't have that privilege.

 

[DSorenson]

I have had the same thought. I dress my carboys in old shirts to keep light out. I am almost sure It can't be good.

 

[CUrchin]

Light + Hops = skunky beer. Cover it up or put it somewhere dark.

 

[TallDan]

I had the same thought before as well, but then considered that I'd never be able to tell if the carboy was clean if it wasn't clear. Otherwise, we'd probably all paint the outside of them so that light wouldn't be a concern.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Why are they clear? So you can waste hours staring at the fermentation go, of course!

Do more than cover it with a piece of clothing, if it's in a room that gets any significant light. That won't do enough. Thick, black plastic garbage bags work just fine. Anything 1mil or better ought to be just fine.

 

[hehawbrew]

Maybe someone should make one out of car glass? Dosnt car glass have uv blocking properties in it?


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[BamaPhil]

New guy question here- is it all light or just UV rays/direct sunlight that skunks beer? I ask because my "brewery" is a spare bedroom on the north side of the house, it never gets any direct sunlight but it's not totally dark either.


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[GuldTuborg]

UV and blue light are responsible, according to this.

 

[CaptainArgo]

I've heard that the "skunking" range for light goes up to about 550nm, which is about in the middle of the green-yellow transition (hence why green bottles don't work well). Of course green bottles probably aren't going to transmit very much blue or UV, which helps skunking but doesn't eliminate it.

 

[Stove]

Ok, it will stay covered then. Thanks for the help

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[krackin]

So, where are the old Clorox bottles?

iF YOU FIND THEM WRITE

box 13
Slacksville, ME
twilightzone.hell

 

[passedpawn]

This is interesting for anyone who cares. I drop it here to stimulate conversation. Stimulated?

 

[GuldTuborg]

Stimulated?

Already pitching a tent.

 

[Wynne-R]

Stimulated. As you can see in the graph, it’s not an ‘all or nothing’ proposition. Light sources are mixes of different colors in different proportions.

Light is bad, some worse than others. Don’t depend on the bottle to save you.
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem00/chem00539.htm

 

[bajaedition]

funny how you can see that chart follow the light spectrum

 

[Desvio]

I have covers for my Carboy's and cases for aging beer, and the only light my beer bottles see is the refrigerator light, so it doesn't matter if they are clear.