In applications where perishables are being stored have their own unique lighting requirements. When it comes to brewery lighting, there are so many factors that need to be taken into consideration, due to the delicate nature of brewing blends of sensitive hops and barley for beers and ales. If you're looking at starting your own small brewery, or your in charge of a large operation, there are several aspects you need to consider when it comes to appropriate lighting. Below are a few suggestions we have came up with to master the element of your craft.
One of the most important factors when it comes to choosing the type of brewery lighting is the avoidance of UV rays. In other locations its ok to utilize natural light to cut down on the costs of operating artificial lights all the time. However, this is not the case for a brewery. In fact, its the complete opposite. You want to eliminate as much natural light as possible, which helps to reduce as many UV rays as possible to ensure a better brew. Most lighting types ranging from compact fluorescent to LED produce some UV rays during operation. Even though these fixtures produce UV rays, the amount generated is small enough to be deemed safe when compared to the sun's UV rays, which makes artificial light the preferred solution to natural light.
You also need to consider how much heat your light fixture will produce when it comes to brewery lighting. Some fixture types, like incandescent and halogen, can produce high levels of heat which could detrimentally affect the outcome of your batch. It is extremely important to choose a fixture with lower heat emissions such as compact fluorescents or LED to eliminate unwanted variables when searching for the perfect brew.
During the brewing process, you need to be able to track the progress of the batch by identifying its change in color. Having the incorrect color of lighting installed could drastically affect the outcome. So, to prevent this from happening, the color temperature of any lighting solution being implemented needs to be checked before installation. For example, having a warm temperature could make the brew look too dark, whereas a light that has a bluish white tint will make it look lighter than it is, with both causing the brewing process to be messed up. The best way to eliminate this problem is to go with more neutral color temperature options that lean more towards the white spectrum and not towards the yellow spectrum. For example, a color temperature around 4000K would be perfect.
Waterproof fixtures would provide you with years of reliable use. So, try and go with a fixture that is UL listed for wet locations. These fixtures are capable of handling excessive moisture that is generated during the brewing process.
