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Author Topic: yeast and led light  (Read 1015 times)

Offline KCguy

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yeast and led light
« on: April 12, 2019, 08:50:50 am »
Quick question - conflicting info on interwebs, but Im guessing the led light I have over my brew area is harmful to the yeast starters sitting on my stirplate?  I havent had issues yet with yeast, but wondering if I should wrap a towel around the flasks when Ive got a batch of yeast starting up the day before brewing....
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Michael B
Kansas City

Offline Robert

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Re: yeast and led light
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2019, 09:01:26 am »
I've had yeast sit where there's sunlight, incandescent,  fluorescent, and LED, and never occurred to me that it might affect yeast.  Never had a problem so far as I can tell.   Wrapping it up could trap heat,  and that's a known vs. unknown or hypothetical danger, would be my thinking. 
Rob Stein
Akron, Ohio

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Offline chezteth

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Re: yeast and led light
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2019, 11:46:51 am »
I keep my starters in my kitchen and have never worried about the light affecting them. If you add hops to your starters then I would be concerned about light exposure. Just my $0.02

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Offline Bob357

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Re: yeast and led light
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2019, 12:40:20 pm »
From what I've read, ultraviolet light will cause hopped beer to get skunky. Pretty much you need to beware of florescent light and sunlight if you hop your starters. O have always fermenter mine on the kitchen counter, where they are intermittently exposed to both without a problem. You might be able to do a search and find what part of the spectrum your particular LED light emits.
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Bob357
Fallon, NV

Offline RC

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Re: yeast and led light
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2019, 02:31:44 pm »
If you're in your garage for hours on end under those lights and aren't getting sunburned, then the yeast are fine. If you're concerned, just leave a glass of IPA under the lighting for a while (~5-10 min) and taste it. If skunky, then the lights are blasting out UV rays, in which case the yeast should be the least of your concerns.