Light Sensitivity

[halvey]

How sensitive is fermenting beer to light? The cabinet where I'm keeping my fermenting beer has a band of indirect sunlight that shoots through a window in the garage door. Is that level of light going to skunk my brew?? I don't open it but for a minute or two at a time.

What about garage lights- will uv garage lighting cause skunking as well?

I'm a tripper- I know- I just want to get it right.

 

[BarleyWater]

I'm not sure how bright or direct the light is, but a beer can become skunked within a few minutes. This happens due to a reaction with the hop oils in the beer being exposed to UV rays. I would imagine that the hoppier the beer, the more you would need to worry about it.

On a video episode of Basic Brewing, they tested this theory with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. They were drinking outside in the sun, and had a few bottles. They could actually notice the skunk flavor coming through by the end of thier glasses of beers that had just been sitting in the sun while they were drinking them, only took a few minutes.

And remember, indirect UV rays can have the same affect as direct. Put a towel or dark t-shirt over the carboy to protect it from light.

 

[david_42]

Your garage lights are not a problem. If the indirect sunlight only hits the fermenter when you have the cabinet open, I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[malkore]

Depends on the garage lights. If they are a type of light that puts out a lot of UV light, they could damage teh beer over time.

It all depends on how good you want your beer. If you strive for perfection, you'll eliminate any possibility for light damage.