Should i cover my buckets

[jplowe]

I've been brewing beer for a year now and have been covering my ale pale buckets with towels to prevent light from affecting my beer. Does the plastic cover it or do i need a t-shirt or towels in my case. Should i skip the towels when brewing with a plastic bucket?

 

[castillo556]

You should be fine without the towels. I've never had a problem.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

It depends. My first thought is "well, no. You don't need to cover them. Why would you?" That comes from where I put my buckets. Where the ambient light is relatively low. If your buckets are in a well sunlit area then I would err on the side of caution and go ahead and cover those guys up. When I ferment in a carboy I always cover them in that bar giveaway Budweiser T-shirt... Finally good for something.

 

[RM-MN]

It takes fairly strong UV light to skunk beer so as long as you keep them out of the sunlight you probably don't have to worry. If you have them set where the sunlight can impact the buckets I'd worry more about the solar heating messing with the fermentation than with skunking.

 

[unionrdr]

In my case, the man cave/brewery is in the front, facing south. The front door sidelights cast some light in the direction of the fermenter stand. So the Cooper's Micro Brew FV needs a cover, being translucent. But the shorty pail can get away with it when I need to keep it that couple degrees cooler. I prefer to cover them with a tee shirt do to possible long-term light effects during primary.

 

[joshesmusica]

It takes fairly strong UV light to skunk beer so as long as you keep them out of the sunlight you probably don't have to worry. If you have them set where the sunlight can impact the buckets I'd worry more about the solar heating messing with the fermentation than with skunking.

Yes exactly.

I will add on top of that, that you're also allowing the exothermic activity to be a little more trapped in when using the towels. Check out this thread to see what a little bit of insulation will do to the rise of temperature. I'm also about to update it with picks of a bucket sitting out in the open air, and the difference between ferment temps at peak activity and actual room temp.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=553916

 

[unionrdr]

True. It makes for a couple degree difference with tee shirts. Moreso with something like a CPO. The thicker the cover, the higher the temp difference with it compared to without. So it can also depend on what temp you need to stay at or closest to as to what, if anything, you cover it with.

 

[jplowe]

My problem is that the only place i can keep the fermentors are in the kitchen and the dog decided to take down the blinds so we have light coming in all day. I do use ice packs with the towels to attempt to cool them as well. Since my kezzer is so small, i can't keep a bucket and kegs in at the same time.

I wish i had a basement to place them in. Maybe something to consider when i purchase a home.

 

[nygel74]

I do the same t shirt trick with all my brews since they have to be out in the open. I did find that when I use a carboy to ferment, I can loosen the straps of the brew hauler and stuff in icepacks and then tighten it back down. works like a charm to take the edge of the ambient heat of about 70