Cheaton

Recipes 

So today is my b-day, and last night myself and SWMBO went to the in-laws house for a steak dinner. Father-in-law had bought a Czech lager (Czechvar). Though I drank it (because when f-in-law buys you special beer you drink it!), and I could tell it was quality when it was done aging, it had a skunky characteristic. I think it had been sitting on the store shelf for a while and was in green bottles. Is it possible that this beer just tastes like that? Or is it more likely that there was some actual skunking going on? I have to say, it did somewhat remind me of Moosehead lager.

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Primary - Plain Pub Bitter

Bottled - Brewer's Best English Brown Ale (Suprisingly good!), EdWort's Apfelwein, Cleveland Winter Pale Ale

Tap-A-Drafted - Sweet Baby Stout

On Deck -

GilaMinumBeer

Recipes 

I have had Czechvar a number of time and have never noted any skunking in the profile.

Old Speckled Hen however, everytime.

Cheaton

Recipes 

Interesting. I think it was truely skunked. I see some people review it and say it had a skunky characteristic and some don't. I suspect that it all depends on how long its been sitting on the shelf you buy it from. Its been a long time since I had old speckled hen, and I have always had from the tap (at pubs in UK). Can't really remember that beer. Either way, I'm not a big lager drinker so I didn't know if this was normal for some lagers or not.

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Primary - Plain Pub Bitter

Bottled - Brewer's Best English Brown Ale (Suprisingly good!), EdWort's Apfelwein, Cleveland Winter Pale Ale

Tap-A-Drafted - Sweet Baby Stout

On Deck -

flyangler18

Recipes 

The aroma and flavor of skunkiness is unmistakeable. UV wavelengths + free isomerized alpha acids = awful.

SpanishCastleAle

Recipes 

If it's in a green bottle and they didn't use tetrahops (or some similar hop extract that is chemically altered such that it doesn't skunk...like Miller uses) then it's just a matter of chance whether it actually gets skunked before you drink it. Some will...some won't.

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Early brewers were primarily women, mostly because it was deemed a woman's job. Mesopotamian men, of some 3,800 years ago, were obviously complete assclowns and had yet to realize the pleasure of brewing beer.- Beer Advocate

cmcnair1

Recipes 

I used to drink "Budvar" when living in Germany. I would sometimes pick up a "skunky" flavor or aroma, but I think the hop profile somehow confuses the pallet with this type of beer. Just a theory. After all, Germany is CLOSE to the source for this beer, there shouldn't be time for the green bottles to have effect (especially considering the other packaging such as crates). Either way, for one hell of a great beer, there does seem to be a "skunky" aspect to it at times. But by Budvar #2, it's all wonderful....

Scimmia

Recipes 

Time isn't as much of a factor as you'd think. With reasonably high levels of UV in direct sunlight, a beer can skunk in a matter of seconds. Under fluorescent lighting, it's a matter of hours.

Homercidal

Recipes 

I took a gravity reading from the fermenter once, and had the sample on the counter for a few minutes. After reading I took a drink and the skunk was very noticeable. in full sun, it's that fast. In strong sunlight, or in florescent lights over time, it will go that route.

flyangler18

Recipes 

However, it really does seem to be related to SRM. There's an article in the Sept/October 2009 issue of Zymurgy by Ray Daniels that goes into this. Pale beers are the most susceptible to skunking.

Scimmia

Recipes 

I guess I always just assumed that. Makes sense, light penetrating deeper into the beer means more beer exposed to light, which should mean easier skunking, right? Or did he have a more detailed/scientific explaination?