Can beer skunk in the kettle?

[DVCNick]

I never thought about this before, but I brew at the edge of my open garage door, and depending on the time of day and cloud cover, I can have direct sunlight on the surface of the boil. Is this bad? I've always heard about skunking in the fermenter or bottle (can't say I could actually pick out this flavor anyway) Is direct sunlight into the kettle just as bad?

 

[RobInOre]

Yes, I think so. It's a reaction with UV light and hops or some such. Hopefully someone with science will chime in. As for the off flavor, try this experiment. Pour a hoppy beer in a clear mug and set it in direct sunlight. Now pour another and drink it. After drinking go back and sample the first beer. it will hit your nose first and be very much like fresh road kill. This is how I learned it.

 

[Day-Day]

I don't know... I've left my carboys in my swamp cooler that sits right next to a window in my basement uncovered ( no towel or anything) and they get exposed to sunlight during the day... never had an issue... I now always cover them with a towel, but I've done many batches that were exposed to light with no issues...

 

[IslandLizard]

Maybe any skunky products that may form are evaporated during the boil?

 

[Vale71]

Maybe any skunky products that may form are evaporated during the boil?

Bingo. Anything that has a strong aroma is also highly volatile and will evaporate quickly at high temperature in an open vessel.