How quickly does a beer get skunked? Would the perfect glass solve this?

Absolutely not. They're just trying to sell you something. Moreover, that glass doesn't prevent light from entering from the top, does it?

 

It's dumb. You won't notice a "skunky" change in your beer in the hour or less you'll drink it. The issue with beer getting skunked is prolonged light exposure in the bottle, noticeable in clear or green bottles. I'm sure others can get much better facts and information on the subject, but the simple answer is no the glass won't do anything.

 

In a clear bottle, skunking starts within 30 seconds. In a brown bottle, it starts within 2 minutes.

Just an FYI

 

This piqued my curiosity, so I did some quick browsing of the literature. The couple papers I found on the topic showed riboflavin (the compound understood to contribute to the degradation of isohumulones under visible light) compounds degraded by ~75% after 50 min of light intensity equivalent to a mildly sunny day. I will say I didn't investigate enough to find how quickly that relates to the formation of MBT (the compound responsible for skunk), but it lends one to think happening in minutes on a sunny day is not unreasonable.

All that being said, I still wouldn't buy the glass. As others said, sitting outside, most of the sunlight is probably coming to the top of the glass anyways. If I'm outside, I'm probably drinking from the bottle. If I'm inside... the light intensity is much lower.

 

It can happen in less than a minute under the right circumstances. The number of times I've experienced this in more than 30 years I can count on one hand (granted, I'm usually pretty careful about where I leave my glass, but still...). In other words, I don't think there's any real need for the glass although there is some truth to what they're saying.

 

I've noticed this happening quite often within a minute or two... I also think that some recipes may be more prone to this than others. The rapidly occurring lightstruck character I've experienced primarily effects the nose, even if it is only slight. I usually cut my outdoor smoke break short, go back indoors and by the second half of the beer, all is well again....Does the glass have a lid?

 

Beer is a living things poop and vomit with hops added. This gassy slurry we drink called beer is also a living thing. It well want to change anyways when all of these alchemies and science and things get released while it awaits your attempt to shoot pictures of it to act important and seem sophisticated whilst you sniff it and quaff it. Don't try and over think your beer.

 

I mean we are talking about skunked beer right, like a bad old German brew that stinks up the room with a foul cabbage stench. Kinda makes me think that some here have never had a skunked beer, and it certainly won't skunk in the time it takes to pour and consume. Forget the silly uv glass too, sounds cool and all, but unless it's just a cool glass in and by itself I'd pass.

 

[I mean we are talking about skunked beer right, like a bad old German brew that stinks up the room with a foul cabbage stench. Kinda makes me think that some here have never had a skunked beer, and it certainly won't skunk in the time it takes to pour and consume. Forget the silly uv glass too, sounds cool and all, but unless it's just a cool glass in and by itself I'd pass]

Agreed.... "Skunked" vs "Percieving the effect slight light striking" aren't comparable... 30 years ago I had the pleasure of opening a Carlsberg Elephant that was on the back seat of a hot car on a sunny day (all day) which somebody then just threw on ice.... kinda sensitized me to the chemistry involved... nowadays that two hearted or sixty minute in a glass and one minute of sunshine on the back porch is only a gentle reminder...

 

So that day I finally got some matilda - and took it outside for a 'latest haul' photo shoot - it was only out there for a few minutes, sunny day, brown bottles - I'm good right? I was going to hang on to most of it for a few years...

 

Just use a good old fashioned top hinged German beer stein.

 

can happen in less than 5-15 minutes.

 

Keeps the thirsty bugs out , too!

 

Depends on conditions, but skunking is quick to begin, like 20 secs in the sun. Granted, the sun is kind of bright.

45 minutes will see other changes in the beer

 

A classic example of why you should think twice before posting while drinking.

 

I was at a baseball game last weekend and absolutely noticed it. This wasn't an uber hop bomb - Long Trail Pale Ale. I took a sip from each cup when I got them, to avoid spillage on the way back up to my seat; it tasted like it did every other time I've had it. Once sitting, I put one under the seat to stay out of the way and was holding the other. In just a few minutes I noticed there was a big change in the beer. Tried the one I was holding against the other? BIG difference. That said, this amber glass won't do much unless they have lids with them.

 

I've sometimes noticed skunking at the end of drinking a beer usually happens with a light American lager) but always thought that the warming up of the beer from start to finish allowed the skunking flavor and aroma that may have already been there to develop as it warmed. So, now I know.