Does clear glass bottle affect the taste of brewed beer?

[altpferd]

Just wondering if brown glass bottles are better ..

 

[fletcher]

i don't know that the colour affects the flavour unless you can't keep your clear bottles out of direct light; this can affect the flavour. not sure what it's called but someone more knowledgeable here will be able to chime in. light strike or something i think it's called.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Dark bottle help stop lightstrike. You get a sulpher sort of smell. Some beers suffer more than others. Coopers generally doesnt but xxxx/new/vb does.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Yerp, light striking will effect the hop compounds and "skunk" the beer. So use clear bottles if that is all you have access to by all means, but keep them out of all light (in boxes, in a dark cupboard or in the fridge etc).

If you can obtain brown bottles over time though, this just adds that extra protection from light if you say want to put the bottles in a tub of ice at a party outside. I still keep my brown bottles in a box inside a dark cupboard to be on the safe side.

 

[altpferd]

Thanks folks. I was putting most in brown bottles, but some is in clear bottles and son commented that it didn't taste the same.

 

[altpferd]

The funny thing is the beer in the glass bottles was fine till they were in the fridge a couple of days .. Im guessing it might have been the light from the fridge.

 

[Yob]

you have a UV light in the fridge?

 

[MaltyHops]

Yes, need to ask that leprechaun in the fridge to turn the light off when you close the door.

 

[manticle]

you have a UV light in the fridge?

Is it fluoro? Contains a lot of light from that part of the spectrum. Lightstrike doesn't require a long time.

All light is damaging to an extent - just that the blue light end of the spectrum seems to create the most.

 

[Yob]

Never seen a fidge with a fluoro light Manticle, not saying they dont exist just rare as rockin horse **** (and problematic at best)

 

[NewtownClown]

Green bottles are less effective against lightstrike, too.
I have read fluros are okay at a distance >1 metre (makes you wonder about the clear bottled beers cozying up to the fluros in bottle shop fridges).
As Fletcher pointed out, bottle in glass but keep it out of the (day)light

 

[Lincoln2]

Dear altpferd, firstly, welcome to homebrewing and the site. I did mean to respond to your intro post but it's funny how time slips away. Sounds like you may be on the slippery slope to serious long term brewing. As such, if you require more bottles I have plenty to spare. I'm just over the hill in Kyogle so if ever you're down this way, feel free to drop in and pick them up. Further details here: http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/72808-100-dozen-free-bottles-northern-nsw/

 

[Yob]

is this why Corona always tastes like **** coming out of the fridge?



(sorry... Corona would taste like **** in a diamond encrusted bottle made from dark matter and has never been in my fridge....ever)

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

It tastes ok on a hot day if its handed to you by a bird with massive jugs....

 

[Not For Horses]

Corona always tastes like ****

True.

It tastes ok

False.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

You're not a **** man then?

 

[manticle]

Never seen a fidge with a fluoro light Manticle, not saying they dont exist just rare as rockin horse **** (and problematic at best)

I don't know much about fridges admittedly (otherwise mine would be working) but my point is that it is not necessarily UV light that is exclusively the cause of damaging chemical reactions and also that various light sources emit some level of UV, even if they are not blacklights.

Thus it could be the light in the fridge or even the ambient light in the kitchen leading to hop degradation/skunking.

 

[user 31093]

I've had a go at staff at a few bottle shops because their glass fridges either have sunlight hitting them directly or by reflection... Most decent beers are in brown bottles these days, but when the light's direct some is still gonna get through.

If it's on display, walk away.

 

[user 31093]

Ultraviolet emission (wikipedia)
Fluorescent lamps emit a small amount of ultraviolet (UV) light. A 1993 study in the US found that ultraviolet exposure from sitting under fluorescent lights for eight hours is equivalent to only one minute of sun exposure.[48] Very sensitive individuals may experience a variety of health problems relating to light sensitivity that is aggravated by artificial lighting.
The ultraviolet light from a fluorescent lamp can degrade the pigments in paintings (especially watercolor pigments) and bleach the dyes used in textiles and some printing. Valuable art work must be protected from ultraviolet light by placing additional glass or transparent acrylic sheets between the lamp and the art work

 

[manticle]

The first part is relevant if talking about skin cancer etc - my take on it comes from an understanding of the latter.

I'm postulating only but if there is exposure to light and the beer is in clear bottles then there is a risk. If there are bad flavours in said bottles that might be reasonably associated with light strike and the light exposure is in the fridge or kitchen, theoretically it might be possible. A hop differs from a human in its vulnerability to UV.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

You are what you drink though, right? Gotta love those IIPA drinking vampires :lol:

ed: speil

 

[user 31093]

The first part is relevant if talking about skin cancer etc - my take on it comes from an understanding of the latter.

I'm postulating only but if there is exposure to light and the beer is in clear bottles then there is a risk. If there are bad flavours in said bottles that might be reasonably associated with light strike and the light exposure is in the fridge or kitchen, theoretically it might be possible. A hop differs from a human in its vulnerability to UV.

Of course - the second part also goes on to say that acrylic sheets are used to protect paintings. If this is the case surely glass (or even the colour of the beer?) would be enough to deflect any light.

Considering the light in your fridge would only be on for a few minutes a day, the light exposure would comparatively be less than drinking a beer on the veranda.

 

[NewtownClown]

Most of the "clear" and "Ice" etc beers are "Tetra"-hopped which isn't affected by lightstrike.
I think Corona is traditionally hopped and I have definitely had a few skunked ones. Maybe that is the real reason for the lemon/lime in the neck of the bottle...

 

[altpferd]

Very interesting info. Thank you all.

 

[MartinOC]

The first part is relevant if talking about skin cancer etc - my take on it comes from an understanding of the latter.

I'm postulating only but if there is exposure to light and the beer is in clear bottles then there is a risk. If there are bad flavours in said bottles that might be reasonably associated with light strike and the light exposure is in the fridge or kitchen, theoretically it might be possible. A hop differs from a human in its vulnerability to UV.

Then, theoretically, it would be OK to bottle your beers in clear glass, as long as you did the "Slip-Slop-Slap" with each one with an SPF 30+ goop & tell it to drink plenty of fluids & get into shade between 11am-3pm??

 

[user 31093]

I'm surprised nobody has referred to a rubbish podcast yet,

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Of course - the second part also goes on to say that acrylic sheets are used to protect paintings. If this is the case surely glass (or even the colour of the beer?) would be enough to deflect any light.

Considering the light in your fridge would only be on for a few minutes a day, the light exposure would comparatively be less than drinking a beer on the veranda.

Taken from material supplier site (http://www.pmma.dk/Acryl_kontra_glas.aspx?Lang=en-GB). I'd say these protective acrylic sheets are specially made with a UV filter. Not standard acrylic. Both glass and acrylics don't "deflect light", they let most of it through as per the below.

• Light transmittance
  Glass has 90% light transmission, for acrylic it is 92%.
• UV light
  Standard acrylic allow as opposed to glass UV light to pass. Acrylic sheets can also be delivered with a UV filter.

 

[MaltyHops]

To cover all your bases (upcoming pun intended), you could wrap your bottles in paper bags. I bottle in champagne bottles (dark green at best) and wrap them in paper bags if I'm giving bottles away. I got them from a master butcher's supply place (~$20 for about 100 - or maybe you can buy some from a friendly bottl'o)

 

[CamM]

If anyone is interested in the science behind light strike, there's this: https://byo.com/stout/item/2263-lightstrike-advanced-brewing

 

[manticle]

Of course - the second part also goes on to say that acrylic sheets are used to protect paintings. If this is the case surely glass (or even the colour of the beer?) would be enough to deflect any light.

Considering the light in your fridge would only be on for a few minutes a day, the light exposure would comparatively be less than drinking a beer on the veranda.

The acrylic used to protect art is UV resistant, not just any acrylic.

And yes - hopped beer in the sun in clear glass is much worse than a fridge light.