Skunking Experiment

There's really no need to.

For all the complaints about retailers on these forums, this is one item that the overwhelming number of retailers do automatically, and at no extra charge.

("PLEASE DO NOT EXPOSE TO LIGHT" requests on packaging be damned.)

 

10 minutes direct sunlight... no problem... probably could do it in less.

 

I find the most apparent example of beer "skunking" is if you go to a brewpub that serves fresh, casked/kegged beer. Sit out on the patio in the sunshine and give it 15-20 minutes of direct UV (sunlight) exposure. I've had IPAs go from world-class to undrinkable in that time frame.

 

I've done it for example purposes to educate drinkers on the character. Best method is direct sunlight in green or clear glass for about half-an-hour.

 

it is amazing how fast it can happen. We had some Odell, I believe beer in glasses outside at a picnic (we were at altitude, if that factors into this), and pretty quickly the beer that started out fine, got skunked. (not in the brown bottles, mind you, but the glasses we were drinking out of .

 

Different beers will skunk at different rates. I've had beers that seem to get skunky just walking across the yard/deck in direct sun and some take much longer. If you are really curious, set up a few different beers at the same time to see how/if they change - I would suggest a pils with noble hops, ipa with american hops, a black ipa, and maybe a german hefeweizen.

Sometimes when I'm drinking Eurolagers outside, I purposely sit them in the sun to capture that "hoppy" flavor I fondly remember from drinking Beck's in my younger days, everything else I always make an attempt to sheild it from the sun.

 

Want to enjoy skunky beer? No problema! Get yourself a bottle of Heinekin. Wait one second. Enjoy!!

 

Never had a Corona?

 

Yes, I've done it too. To be sure I understood both the process and the result (lots of BAs do not and misuse the term). Two green bottles from the same previously unopened case. One bottle allowed to sit in the direct sunlight for an hour and then refrigerated the other bottle just refrigerated. When both were opened at the same time later, it was clear which was the skunked bottle and the aroma of skunk was plainly and unabiguously detectable. (And since I once owned a dog that got tangled up with a skunk I immediately understood the reason "skunked" was applied to the smell.)

The only thing that will skunk a beer is light. Sunking is primarily caused by UV but also some of the nearby wavelengths will do it too, so storing a beer in a well lit room can lead to skunking. The brown bottle slows but does not prevent the process. Under the right circumstances skunking can happen within a minute or so.

Whether your lamp will do it depends on the wavelenghts it puts out but most likely it does has some of them outside of the UV range that will do it for you.

But most quick and efficient is direct sunlight when the sun is pretty much overhead.

 

To be honest most of the time I prefer a skunked beer to the regular version. I see the light! Hallelujah!! I see the light!

 

Huh? The poll asks a simple "yes" or "no" question, and "no" isn't even one of the options?

 

This is true. And I have actually done it on purpose during a class before, its suprising how quick it can happen.

 

Every time when I read one of your threads, I just shake my head in amazement.

 

Brown, green, blue, or clear bottles will skunk at different rates due to the color of the glass filtering some wavelengths of light from the spectrum and allowing others to pass. Also, if you were to keep the glass color and the duration/intensity of light exposure constant you would get different levels of "skunkiness" from different styles of beer.

One way to prevent skunkiness is for zero light exposure - think aluminum cans or ceramic bottles.


Another way is to make beer that tastes sofa king awful, skunkiness could only improve the abomination of a shitstain held within the pink bottle.

 

I think that some beers are mean to be "skunked", Heineken in cans are tasteless while the bottles are often a little better.

 

From what I've read here, 9 out of 10 beers are infected anyway.

 

I clicked on this thread to see if it was you.... I was not shocked.