Does a clear glass wine fermenter need to be covered or kept in the dark?

[Silver_Is_Money]

I'm a beer brewer who is making my first wine. It is a red Malbec, and I have it in a clear glass carboy. I just pitched the yeast. Does the carboy need to be stored in a cool/dark place (or covered well) to keep it from getting any sunlight or lamplight exposure as for beer? Or can I leave it in the open?

 

[doomy86]

Avoid direct sunlight, it can hurt the yeast and creates unnecessary heat swings. Lamp light should be fine..

 

[Yooper]

You definitely want to keep it covered! A blanket or towel or something over it, and away from direct light.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I have it covered and away from direct sunlight. Thank you both for your assistance here.

It's now about 24 hours post my Lallemand ICV-D254 yeast pitch, and I'm beginning to see bubbling in the airlock.

 

[jonereb]

I do my initial fermentation and yeast pitch in a big stainless pot with a towel over it. This allows me to stir every 12 hours according to the recipe. Then I siphon into a carboy with an airlock slightly before the sugar is depleted and while the gasses are still creating a barrier with air. Am I doing this correctly?

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

I do my initial fermentation and yeast pitch in a big stainless pot with a towel over it. This allows me to stir every 12 hours according to the recipe. Then I siphon into a carboy with an airlock slightly before the sugar is depleted and while the gasses are still creating a barrier with air. Am I doing this correctly?

My only past experience is with making beer, so I'm fermenting my first wine via my beer fermentation method. I would not advise that you use my beer fermentation methods as a guideline for your wine making, as wine making may likely have a quite different set of guidelines and rules.

 

[jgmillr1]

I do my initial fermentation and yeast pitch in a big stainless pot with a towel over it. This allows me to stir every 12 hours according to the recipe. Then I siphon into a carboy with an airlock slightly before the sugar is depleted and while the gasses are still creating a barrier with air. Am I doing this correctly?

Doesn't sound like you are fermenting crushed fruit since you don't mention pressing it, so I don't see there is any benefit to having it in an open container for stirring. This just increases the risk of spoilage (acetobacter).

When working with crushed grapes or other fruit, I will ferment in a covered container and punch down the cap twice a day. I then press it about half way through the fermentation and let it finish in a closed air-locked container to minimize oxidation risk.

When working with pressed juice though, I ferment it in the closed air-locked container the entire time. There is no need to stir juice. The yeast do not need oxygen after they have completed their lag phase and there is enough dissolved oxygen in the juice to suffice.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Does it need to be dark, no.
Does it help or hurt to be in the dark, no.
Do I cover my wines, yes...Don't really know why.

 

[Yooper]

Does it need to be dark, no.
Does it help or hurt to be in the dark, no.
Do I cover my wines, yes...Don't really know why.

It really does need to be out of the light! While wines can't skunk the way beers can (no hop oils), they can definitely get light struck and ruined from direct light.

Red wines especially are vulnerable, but whites can be lightstruck as well and degrade in flavor.

 

[DoctorCAD]

I made countless wines for years before ever covering them. I only started covering because I had to move carboy near a window.

I still say its winemakers choice...

 

[Mismost]

I primary in buckets because they are easier to clean....and they don't let light in.

I secondary in very shy clear glass carboys that insist on not going topless, so I put a tee shirt on each one.