The curse of Green and clear bottles

God Emporer BillyBrew · Feb 25, 2006

Why do you guys think that certain beer escape the curse of the clear or green bottles? Grolsch, Heineken, Tsingtao all taste dang near exactly the same to me. But I feel like Samuel Smith's beer taste is preserved somewhat. Their Nut Brown, Oatmeal Stout, and Winter Welcome all have distinct and consistent tastes. Same for Newcastle. Do you think the importer does a better job of keeping them away from light? While typing this I realized that the first beers I mentioned are all in green bottles, while the latter are all in clear. Wonder if that makes a difference?

Alembic · Feb 25, 2006

What I would like to know is why does Heineken and Co. package their beer in green bottles when we all know that light will skunk them!?

Do any of you remember a Miller ad way back when that was saying that they were above the competion of something because they put their beer in clear bottles so you could, their argument was, see the beer? It cracks me up!

God Emporer BillyBrew · Feb 25, 2006

Alembic said:
What I would like to know is why does Heineken and Co. package their beer in green bottles when we all know that light will skunk them!?

Yeah, I've always wondered about that also. I've read somewhere, maybe on this forum, where someone asked, "do you think Heineken want's their beer to taste skunky?"

I'm thinking that apparently, they do. :tank:

These guys must be drinking skunky beer!

Chairman Cheyco · Feb 25, 2006

I have heard that corona exposes their beer to the sun before putting it in cans so it still has that authentic taste. What a bunch of ******s, I hate that sh!t.

david_42 · Feb 25, 2006

Heineken in cans has a very different flavor. There is always the possibility that someone in the mass market distribution chain really cares about beer and treats it properly.

RichBrewer · Feb 25, 2006

Cheyco said:
I have heard that corona exposes their beer to the sun before putting it in cans so it still has that authentic taste. What a bunch of ******s, I hate that sh!t.

There is no denying that skunky flavor in Corona is there?

BrewBrothaRick · Feb 26, 2006

billybrew said:
Why do you guys think that certain beer escape the curse of the clear or green bottles? Grolsch, Heineken, Tsingtao all taste dang near exactly the same to me.

Now that you mention it, yeah they do taste the same.
Grolsch bottles are cool though.

boo boo · Feb 26, 2006

The thing is they are imports and are standing around longer before being shipped here and consumed. Domestic usually don't have the shipping times that imports do.

sheephrdr · Feb 26, 2006

Ive enjoyed Grolsch in the past and have bought it for the bottles but the last bottle I had was definately skunked.

casebrew · Feb 26, 2006

My reading on skunkiness is that it is caused by VISIBLE light, in the blue/green color, so green bottles let it skunk. Corona is skunked in their clear bottles, so they always picture it being served in the bottle, so you don't smell as much skunkiness. Then, they also push lime slices, so as to cover up the skunk smell even more so. Notice that Corona boxes don't even have hand holds to lett he light in?...I've read that some brewers actually run their swill through clear lines surronded by lights to skunk it on purpose. Seems they think Americans LIKE skunk. Heineken is put into brown bottles for Eupoean sales. Also, much beer is bottled here under liscence, and may be skunked on purpose, and not imported at all.

My hypothesis is that dark beers don't let the light penetrate as much, and therefore don't skunk as much- Newcastles, Dos Equis, etc., unless the roasted grains do some other chemistry?

parasonic · Feb 26, 2006

casebrew said:
Notice that Corona boxes don't even have hand holds to lett he light in?

Yes they do. You have to punch them in, but they do.

mpetty · Feb 27, 2006

Alembic said:
What I would like to know is why does Heineken and Co. package their beer in green bottles when we all know that light will skunk them!?

Do any of you remember a Miller ad way back when that was saying that they were above the competion of something because they put their beer in clear bottles so you could, their argument was, see the beer? It cracks me up!

Well, MGD allegedly won't skunk because they use hop extracts instead of hops. Apparently, whatever is getting skunked stays in the hop cone with the creation of a hop extract.

God Emporer BillyBrew · Feb 27, 2006

mpetty said:
Well, MGD allegedly won't skunk because they use hop extracts instead of hops. Apparently, whatever is getting skunked stays in the hop cone with the creation of a hop extract.

Hmm, it's still a lame beer, but skunkiness is definitely not a flavor I association with MGD.

todd_k · Feb 27, 2006

I guess I'm part of the minority that likes Heineken. Just don't take the one in front! Reach behind it and grab a 6 pack that is shaded from the light. It really doesn't take skunky if you do this. Also, bars and restraunts tend to have skunky beer so get it on tap or in the can.

andre the giant · Feb 28, 2006

I went to a local bar one time and noticed that they had Pilsner Uruquel in the cooler. I got one and OHMYGOD was that a skunkified beer. I don't know how it coulda been any skunkier. I think they must have left it in the sun for a couple weeks, allowing it to heat and cool a lot, then they must have stuck the bottle up a skunk's anus for good measure.... I mean, this bottle of beer was the worst I've ever had.

When I went back up to the bar, they asked me if I wanted another, I replied that sweet death would be preferable to that horrid witches brew.

Since that time, I've had Pilsner Uruquell, (or PU as I like to call it) and it was not too bad. Obviously, the grocery store takes better care of the beer.

Porter fan · Feb 28, 2006

andre the giant said:
I went to a local bar one time and noticed that they had Pilsner Uruquel in the cooler. I got one and OHMYGOD was that a skunkified beer. I don't know how it coulda been any skunkier. I think they must have left it in the sun for a couple weeks, allowing it to heat and cool a lot, then they must have stuck the bottle up a skunk's anus for good measure.... I mean, this bottle of beer was the worst I've ever had.

When I went back up to the bar, they asked me if I wanted another, I replied that sweet death would be preferable to that horrid witches brew.

Since that time, I've had Pilsner Uruquell, (or PU as I like to call it) and it was not too bad. Obviously, the grocery store takes better care of the beer.

He He now that's funny!

Janx · Feb 28, 2006

I'm suprised to hear you praise the consistency of Samuel Smith's. It's good beer, as I know from the very few times I have had it when it wasn't skunked. But I so often see it sitting warm on brightly lit shelves for $10+ a six-pack. Give me a break! Almost every time I have grabbed some, it tastes awful. I'll take my own fresh beers, thanks

I have had the occasional well-handled Sam Smith's, but dang they don't make it easier with the stupid clear bottles.

Genghis77 · Mar 6, 2006

Tried some Mariner in green bottles. Been skunked again!

God Emporer BillyBrew · Mar 6, 2006

Janx said:
I'm suprised to hear you praise the consistency of Samuel Smith's. It's good beer, as I know from the very few times I have had it when it wasn't skunked. But I so often see it sitting warm on brightly lit shelves for $10+ a six-pack. Give me a break! Almost every time I have grabbed some, it tastes awful. I'll take my own fresh beers, thanks

I have had the occasional well-handled Sam Smith's, but dang they don't make it easier with the stupid clear bottles.

hmmm, I've very rarely ever had a skunked one.

Ivan Lendl · Mar 6, 2006

i just read a paper a chemist wrote about this very subject, he was saying that miller and newcastle use a modified hop that isnt susceptable to the effects light has on unmodified hops, and corona puts thier beer in boxes that dont let light in...he also says that its cheaper to use clear bottles, but its even cheaper to use plastic, and so the future is in developing plastics that dont let 'polymers' into the beer ruining the flavor.(or whatever, i just drank a big glass of vodka)..so i guess we have to look forward to a future of drinking genetically modified beer in clear plastic bottles...mmmmm

El Pistolero · Mar 6, 2006

Ivan Lendl said:
so i guess we have to look forward to a future of drinking genetically modified beer in clear plastic bottles...mmmmm

I guess that's better than drinking clear plastic beer in genetically modified bottles.

sonvolt · Apr 4, 2006

Bjorn Borg said:
so i guess we have to look forward to a future of drinking genetically modified beer in clear plastic bottles...mmmmm

Nope . . . no we don't . . . because that is why we homebrew . . . .

McCall St. Brewer · Apr 4, 2006

casebrew said:
My reading on skunkiness is that it is caused by VISIBLE light, in the blue/green color, so green bottles let it skunk. Corona is skunked in their clear bottles, so they always picture it being served in the bottle, so you don't smell as much skunkiness. Then, they also push lime slices, so as to cover up the skunk smell even more so. Notice that Corona boxes don't even have hand holds to lett he light in?

Regarding lime in the bottle, I have noticed that if I squeeze a little lime into some Miller Lite, it tastes just like Corona with lime in it-- and, at about half the price or Corona!

El Pistolero · Apr 4, 2006

casebrew said:
My reading on skunkiness is that it is caused by VISIBLE light, in the blue/green color, so green bottles let it skunk.

Actually, it's UV light that causes skunkiness...light from the sun or flourescent light fixtures. Amber bottles block UV, so they don't skunk...green, blue, or clear bottles let UV thru.

Sasquatch · Apr 4, 2006

Agree w/ El P here... UV is the culprit. Check for yourself... a six pack of Corona has exposed clear bottles, and they are always skunk city. Get a closed box of 12, and they aren't the same beer at all.

I think Cheyco's just pissed off at Corona cuz a "Corona Girl" at the bar told him to keep his hands to himself.

Chairman Cheyco · Apr 4, 2006

Sasquatch said:
I think Cheyco's just pissed off at Corona cuz a "Corona Girl" at the bar told him to keep his hands to himself.

The joke was on her, one of my hands was to myself at the time!

Sasquatch · Apr 4, 2006

Bet the joke's not the only thing you got on her.:cross:

Lost · Apr 5, 2006

Noticed yuengling started offering cans fairly recently.. I'm still trained to stay away from can's but I may try it just to see how the can's compare to the bottles. For what it's worth I do try to buy a 12 pack so that the light exposure is minimized by the box. What really pisses me off is those aholes at yuengling use brown bottles for their porter and black and tan and they put their lager in !@%$*&# green bottles! :ban:

I had a dear friend go to europe 1 yr ago and he actually visited the heineken brewery and reported that the fresh beer they serve there actually tastes good!

I'm starting to think that light beers and lagers especially are 'supposed' to have a hink of skunk funk.. maybe we should petition to revise the BJCP syle guidelines

casebrew · Apr 5, 2006

Re: UV vs visible light, here's a link to a page with a graph:

http://realbeer.com/spencer/bottle.html

Note how all the bottles tested don't do much in the UV range, but that the advantages of brown bottles show best in the blue range. SOoo, if brown bottles actual do better than green ones, it has to be because they block the visible (blue) light.

Interesting to note that even even clear glass blocks LOTS of UV light, so looking through the windshield of your care should make you go blind...
Yes, flourescents bulbs are bad for beer, but they also put out LOTS of blue light.

El Pistolero · Apr 5, 2006

casebrew said:
Note how all the bottles tested don't do much in the UV range, but that the advantages of brown bottles show best in the blue range. SOoo, if brown bottles actual do better than green ones, it has to be because they block the visible (blue) light.

Actually you've got it reversed...the verticle scale on that graph is optical density, not "light transmitted". From the graph, the amber bottles transmit almost no light in the high UV range, and very little in the blue and near visible UV range

The curse of Green and clear bottles

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