Incandescent Light, UV, and Beer

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BillyBock
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Joined: Sun Dec 31, 2000 11:37 am
Location: Ohio

Incandescent Light, UV, and Beer

Post by BillyBock »

Ok, winter's coming soon so I've decided to hook up a heating source in my fermenting chest freezer. I use a Ranco controller as a thermostat--it can do cooling or heating cycles. I'm considering using the appliance light bulb (incandescent) as a heat source--mainly because it's already there. The only possible concern I have is over skunking. Is there enough UV in incandescent light to skunk beer? The fermenter is a Minibrew 15 gal--it's thick-walled HDPE (5/16" thick IIRC) and fairly opaque (for me to see the liquid level I have to shine a flashlight on the lid and look for the shadow).

Worst case I'll use one of these:

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/AB160500 ... =518&DID=7

Thanks in advance.

v/r
Bill
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Mesa Maltworks
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Trash Bag Works!

Post by Mesa Maltworks »

BB;

Put a contractor grade trash bag over the vessel. Combined with the opacity you described, it should work fine. The concept to remember with light is that the visible wavelengths to our eyes differ from the ones that we need to protect beer from. This extra layer of opacity will pretty much eliminate all wave lengths that would cause sulfidic reactions in beer.

An addtional concern that results from the "lightbulb" method is spot heat transfer. Make sure to isolate the bulb from direct radiation contact with the vessel. Use a partiton to shield the bulb from the vessel. Otherwise you can create oxidization reactions let alone hop compound to sulfide conversion.
Make your next beer (or spirit) a local one!!!!

Eric Watson
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Seven Fathoms Rum
Georgetown, Grand Cayman
Cayman Islands
BillyBock
Imperial Stout
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Joined: Sun Dec 31, 2000 11:37 am
Location: Ohio

Post by BillyBock »

Thanks, Mesa. I think I'll can the bulb idea and go with the heater idea instead; then there's no doubt in my mind about UV.
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