Outdoor brewing and sunlight

[H-ost]

Cool. This thread learned me good.

 

[dantheman13]

I know when we're doing something new we tend to overthink and worry. But something to realize, in brewing or anything new, is not to lose sight of our own common sense. In this case if you read and see and hear that folks are brewing outside, then you kinda have to think, that what you're concerned about (in your case skunking) must not be a problem, or folks wouldn't be doing it, would we?

Makes sense to me. But if direct sunlight effects isomerized alpha acids, how come it doesn't skunk wort with isomerized alpha acids, say 30+ minutes into a standard boil? Is it because not enough sunlight can get through the dense wort + kettle perhaps? People have said in this thread that skunking can only occur in fermented beer... how come? This is just a curiosity thing for me at this point. Perhaps I am not understanding something that was already pointed out in this thread. Cheers and thanks!

 

[Paramecium]

It probably depends a lot on the beer style as well. A yeasty hefe with very low ibu's probably wouldn't show it much however Corona, Hieneken etc while not being heavily hopped don't have much yeast or malt flavor to cover up any skunking. And like in that video, an IPA or pale will be noticeably skunked very quickly due to the abundance of hops in the beer.

 

[Revvy]

It probably depends a lot on the beer style as well. A yeasty hefe with very low ibu's probably wouldn't show it much however Corona, Hieneken etc while not being heavily hopped don't have much yeast or malt flavor to cover up any skunking. And like in that video, an IPA or pale will be noticeably skunked very quickly due to the abundance of hops in the beer.

It doesn't matter in terms of brewing outside.....skunking only happens in FERMENTED beer, not during brewing of beer.

 

[Paramecium]

Ya I realize that. I should have been specific in that I was referring to people comments that they sit outside drinking beer with no perceived skunking.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Ya I realize that. I should have been specific in that I was referring to people comments that they sit outside drinking beer with no perceived skunking.

That totally happens. I drink a ton of pils in the summer. If the sun hits the glass at all, I can begin to get skunk. More than a few mins in the sun and it tastes like Corona.

 

[Revvy]

Ya I realize that. I should have been specific in that I was referring to people comments that they sit outside drinking beer with no perceived skunking.

I know, I just wanted to make sure for all the nervous noobs that hover over "worst case scenario" threads like flies on poop WHAT exactly you were referring to. Since for one thing, you bumped a thread that was dormant for 8 months to make that comment. Once threads like these surface again, every scared new brewer will jump on them. It's human nature to look for things that will confirm to someone's worst fears. An threads like this are the most popular, because it's human nature to look for things to worry about, when we're dealing with something new.

 

[Stauffbier]

That totally happens. I drink a ton of pils in the summer. If the sun hits the glass at all, I can begin to get skunk. More than a few mins in the sun and it tastes like Corona.

I've never actually experienced this. Being in El Paso, TX we pretty much never drink in direct sunlight. You'll melt long before your beer skunks up! :cross:

 

[raysmithtx]

Or burst into flames.

 

[Paramecium]

Ya I zombie'd this one pretty bad. I was doing a search to answer my own questions and having read the earlier comments about the skunking only occurring in fermented beer I was happy. Then I for some reason forgot that it was an old thread from a search and replied like an idiot lol. Now it lives again!

 

[Carpenterharry]

Sun light absolutely makes beer skunky green an clear bottles are enemies of beer I put a pitcher of home brew in a snow bank out side my front door half hour later it was skunky

 

[Broken Crow]

Aw heck... You just shone sunlight on this thread we were aging in the dark..
Welcome to HBT.