I am new to this newsgroup, so I have not seen mentioned anything about protection of the must and the wine from light. I always keep my primary fermenter in the dark or drape it with a heavy cloth. Before I rack to a glass carboy, I first wrap it in aluminum foil. Another technique is to put the carboy down into the box in which it came and close the lid around the airlock.

Anybody else do this? How do you keep light away?



John Price

I keep fermenters and carboys covered with black plastic garbage bags.
Cut a small hole for the airlock.

That's easier than taping aluminum foil around the carboy. Thanks.



John Price

I do all of my fermenting and storage in a room with only one window and I keep a shade one it. Other than that I have never done anything special.

Ray

"John Price" > wrote in message ...
I am new to this newsgroup, so I have not seen mentioned anything about protection of the must and the wine from light. I always keep my primary fermenter in the dark or drape it with a heavy cloth. Before I rack to a glass carboy, I first wrap it in aluminum foil. Another technique is to put the carboy down into the box in which it came and close the lid around the airlock.

Anybody else do this? How do you keep light away?



John Price

Is light exposure an issue just with sunlight or light bulbs as well?

I just clothespin a big old towel around the carboy, with the top of
the airlock sticking out. I think it might protect it against
temperature changes, too.

It also helps that I only get sunlight in my kitchen for 6 months a
year.

I think it includes light bulbs, but I'm not sure. Just to be safe...

-- John

"Stride Knight" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Is light exposure an issue just with sunlight or light bulbs as well?
>

I do protect my carboys from light. After the initial fermentation, the carboys are covered in a dark cloth and put in a closet. From there, they soon go down in my basement where it is dark. I do most of my aging in the basement. After bottling, they are bottled and kept down in my wine racks in the basement(where they are all covered).
Darlene

"John Price" > wrote in message ...
I am new to this newsgroup, so I have not seen mentioned anything about protection of the must and the wine from light. I always keep my primary fermenter in the dark or drape it with a heavy cloth. Before I rack to a glass carboy, I first wrap it in aluminum foil. Another technique is to put the carboy down into the box in which it came and close the lid around the airlock.

Anybody else do this? How do you keep light away?



John Price

I wrap my carboys with black plastic.

Bart

"Dar V" > wrote in message ...
I do protect my carboys from light. After the initial fermentation, the carboys are covered in a dark cloth and put in a closet. From there, they soon go down in my basement where it is dark. I do most of my aging in the basement. After bottling, they are bottled and kept down in my wine racks in the basement(where they are all covered).
Darlene

"John Price" > wrote in message ...
I am new to this newsgroup, so I have not seen mentioned anything about protection of the must and the wine from light. I always keep my primary fermenter in the dark or drape it with a heavy cloth. Before I rack to a glass carboy, I first wrap it in aluminum foil. Another technique is to put the carboy down into the box in which it came and close the lid around the airlock.

Anybody else do this? How do you keep light away?



John Price

Hi guys,
Could some of our groups chemist please explain the light thing. In beer
there is a problem with UV light that courses skunky beer. It is due to hop
components. These components do not exist in wine! Some colour components in
fruit wine may exhibits a similar behaviour (phenol base). In grape wine
there is no report of flavour changes due to natural light exposure that i
have found. Is there a need to control light exposure in grape wines? Is
there a need to control light exposure to fruit and other wines? Or is this
just an other case of mixed up information with the beer makers?

"John Price" > wrote in message
...
I am new to this newsgroup, so I have not seen mentioned anything about
protection of the must and the wine from light. I always keep my primary
fermenter in the dark or drape it with a heavy cloth. Before I rack to a
glass carboy, I first wrap it in aluminum foil. Another technique is to put
the carboy down into the box in which it came and close the lid around the
airlock.

Anybody else do this? How do you keep light away?



John Price

Sabia Vanderzeeuw wrote:
> Hi guys,
> Could some of our groups chemist please explain the light thing. In beer
> there is a problem with UV light that courses skunky beer. It is due to hop
> components. These components do not exist in wine! Some colour components in
> fruit wine may exhibits a similar behaviour (phenol base). In grape wine
> there is no report of flavour changes due to natural light exposure that i
> have found. Is there a need to control light exposure in grape wines? Is
> there a need to control light exposure to fruit and other wines? Or is this
> just an other case of mixed up information with the beer makers?
>
> "John Price" > wrote in message
> ...
> I am new to this newsgroup, so I have not seen mentioned anything about
> protection of the must and the wine from light. I always keep my primary
> fermenter in the dark or drape it with a heavy cloth. Before I rack to a
> glass carboy, I first wrap it in aluminum foil. Another technique is to put
> the carboy down into the box in which it came and close the lid around the
> airlock.
>
> Anybody else do this? How do you keep light away?
>
>
>
> John Price
>
>
my understanding is that control of light exposure has mostly to do with
color retention in the red wines (i.e. bleaching like
fabric/paints/inks exposed to the sun). I us incandescent lights to
control temperature in my primary fermenter closet; That light is
filtered through the translucent white plastic fermenter pail. I
perceive no ill effect in my wine.
Many fine pinot noir wines are fermented in open top primary fermenters;
only for secondary fermentation/aging are the wines kept in dim/dark
enclosures.

Am I missing something?

Gene

Just turn out the light in the room where you have the wine stored.