The Truth About Beer Skunking
In this week’s show, Shawn and I talked about proper beer storage temperatures during our “Tasting Tip” segment. During the conversation I incorrectly blamed a breakdown in the taste of the beer – often referred to as “skunkiness” – on temperature changes. I had thought that if a beer had been cooled, warmed, and re-cooled that this would cause a “skunking” of the beer. While it is true that extreme temperatures can damage your beer by causing oxidation, there shouldn’t be much concern in a shift between room temperature and that of the refrigerator.
Exposure to light is the true cause of a “skunky” smell and flavor in beer. According to ScienceDaily, the “skunking” transformation occurs because the hops in beer are sensitive to ultraviolet light, and an interaction causes the main compounds of hops to break down. The smell of the beer becomes overly bitter and sour. The term “skunking” is named such because the chemical reaction the beer goes through is similar to that found in skunks.
Beers shipped in clear and green bottles are the most susceptible to “skunking” because the glass of the bottles allow the offending UV light through. Brown bottles are typically better at blocking UV light, but can still “skunk” after several hours if in contact with sunlight. As such, beer in kegs and cans are not susceptible to “skunking”. Styles such as the American Lager are also less vulnerable to “skunking” because of a low concentration of hops in the beer, according to evansale.com. There is some good discussion on the web right now regarding the marketing of certain popular beer companies and their use of chemically modified hops to avoid “skunking” at the expense of reducing flavor. Another company supposedly encourages the use of limes while drinking their beer to mask the possible “skunking” caused by clear bottles.
How does one truly avoid skunking of beer then? The best answer is to find a store with a high turn-over rate, to ensure a fresh beer with minimal sunlight contact. Second, store your beer in a dark area. When you finally get a chance to drink your beer, try to keep the glass out of direct sunlight. Following these steps will provide the best results. Cheers!
