Bottles and breweries

[alfajerry]

If light is the enemy, how do some breweries get away with clear bottles?

Eg. Newcastle, Badger Beers, etc.

 

[MickDundee]

Something to do with those breweries using some kind of treated hop extract instead of whole/pellet hops, I believe, and it stops the chemical reaction that causes skunking.

I might be wrong, I’m typing that from memory from something I read ages ago!

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Brewing myth?

 

[Leon103]

Could be a myth but are those beers mentioned above any good?

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I would imagine that bottled commercial beers see very little natural light.

 

[Hanglow]

Mick is correct, some extracts are made so the beers don't "skunk"

If the beers use hops though, the decision to use clear glass is almost certainly a marketing decision

 

[NotSure]

Pre-isomerised reduced hop extracts are used to add bitterness in low-bitterness beers after fermentation if they are to be packaged in clear or green bottles. If there is bitterness in the beer not from pre-isomerised reduced hops, the UV light component in sunlight reacts with the iso-α-acid to produce skunkiness.

 

[alfajerry]

So it's sunlight rather than *any* light that causes the problem?

 

[NotSure]

So it's sunlight rather than *any* light that causes the problem?

Any Ultraviolet light from any source.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

its UV light that needs to be avoided. Eg, outside in the shade it will still be subjected to UV light. On a supermarket shelf under normal store lighting it won’t be.

 

[alfajerry]

No problem in a cupboard in a house, or in a windowless garage, then?

 

[NotSure]

No problem in a cupboard in a house, or in a windowless garage, then?

Unless you have some really funky lighting in your garage, you should be fine.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It's actually blue visible light 350-500nm that's worst (but UV has enough energy to be a problem generally) - which is exactly the light that's blocked by brown glass but not green.

See this thread from yesterday : Infra red light

 

[alfajerry]

Thanks for all the information and advice, everyone.

 

[clyne]

Interesting thread. I had some Elderflower beer I made last year (definitely going to be brewing it again this summer!), and found a few bottles (brown, but PET not glass). The colour had definitely changed - but perhaps that was something to do with PET rather than the light? Either way I've got some brown glass bottles on order for beer that's likely to stick around that long (which isn't much)

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Colour change is more likely to be oxidation rather than light.

 

[alfajerry]

Does the 'milky' plastic in pressure barrels mean they have no problem with UV?

 

[NotSure]

Does the 'milky' plastic in pressure barrels mean they have no problem with UV?

My first (and hopefully last) experience making skunky beer was letting my 'milky' plastic Fermenter be exposed to sunlight. So, yes there'd be a problem with a pressure barrel and UV.

 

[Dogbyte]

In the context of Home Brewed Beer....is it likely to be a problem if I used Clear Bottles?

The reason why I ask is that many years ago when I brewed I made a few strong ales that all went in clear glass....mainly because I had a good supply of Lab bottles from my workplace, and a large number of `Groblch` swing tops. ( Grolsh..as it was pronounced... was an imported beer that was wildly popular for a while and soon lost the `b` for the UK market).

The clear glass made it very easy to see when a beer had settled out and was at it`s best, especially with practice and experience .You could also get every last drop out as, when pouring, any sediment being disturbed could be avoided. Some of the best beer I ever made was superb months later despite syphoning malfunctions and an inch deep sediment layer!

 

[NotSure]

In the context of Home Brewed Beer....is it likely to be a problem if I used Clear Bottles?

I don't see any issue provided it's kept in a dark place.