Skunking your homebrew

[gtpro]

So whats the real deal with skunked beer? I've been raised to believe that as long as beer stays warm, it will keep "indefinitely" within reason of course, but as soon as you chill it to drinking temperature, you must keep it cool. If you let it warm up again, it starts to spoil. Is this the truth?

The reason I ask is because I'm about to cold crash my second batch, and once its racked and bottled, it will warm back up to room temp, thus violating this principle of skunked beer. Do I have anything to worry about?

 

[Yooper]

No. Skunky doesn't have a thing to do with warming and cooling beer. It has to do with sunlight and clear bottles. The hops oils react with sunlight to make a "skunk" like aroma and flavor.

You can chill your beer, warm it again, chill it again, etc without a worry. The damage comes from extremes- like in the sunlight on a car dashboard, or +90 degree temperatures, not from taking it out of the fridge and going back into the fridge.

 

[maida7]

False: skunking is a product of exposing the finished beer to a bright light

Heat accelerates the staling process.

here is a link to a great article by a guy I knew all about what makes beer go bad


So really there is no worry about cooling beer and then bringing the temp back up. However storing beer at warmer temps accelerates the staling process. I've heard that for every 10 degrees the process is speeded up 2-3 times. It's probably best to store beer at temps under 70F. However they would last 2-3 times longer under 60F. And 2-3 times that under 50F. You get the picture. Colder makes it last longer. Keep it in the dark to prevent the skunking.

 

[WenValley]

Well, I've been reading about the effects of light on beer. The Skunk taste is caused from the reaction of light protons on the hops that are in the wort (or beer). In fact, the skunk effect can occur in a matter of minutes if the beer is in a clear glass or bottle and is in bright sunlight.

Some of the large brewers change the composition of their hops so that light doesn't cause the skunk effect. I think Miller was one example. This is also why ciders won't skunk, there's no hops in ciders (usually).

Some of the misinformation that I've read is that only florescent and/or natural light can impact beer. But further reading (I'm not positive about this) would indicate that any light within a broad range of wavelengths can cause skunking.

The use of brown or green bottles is supposed to filter out certain wavelengths of light and protect the beer. Also, you can make clear beer bottles that have added chemicals that also filter out harmful rays.

I don't know if this is true, but I read that Corona beer passes their product through a lightbox to impart a hint of skunkiness (?).

So, hopefully some of the members with a scientific background can provide further information and clarify if any light is detrimental to wort and/or beer.

 

[gtpro]

well thanks for clearing that up guys, I'll hafta set some people straight.

 

[mrtrav]

Heat/warmth can definitely cause your beer to go stale real quick, even if there is no light source. Just leave a keg in the backyard for a day or two and then try the beer out of it. I would recommend enjoying most of the beer before doing this test though.

 

[Trevor57]

Heat/warmth can definitely cause your beer to go stale real quick, even if there is no light source. Just leave a keg in the backyard for a day or two and then try the beer out of it. I would recommend enjoying most of the beer before doing this test though.

This is a joke, right?

 

[mrtrav]

This is a joke, right?

Nope. We've made beer and had a keg get left out of the kegorator for 2 days and it was absolutely horrible compared to the same exact beer that was left chilled. Both kegs had been purged of O2.

 

[ChshreCat]

Stale and skunked are two different things. Beer conditions when it's warm. Go to far, and it'll get stale. Not the same as skunking.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Nope. We've made beer and had a keg get left out of the kegorator for 2 days and it was absolutely horrible compared to the same exact beer that was left chilled. Both kegs had been purged of O2.

You are an alcohol abuser. That is utter neglect on your part. You should be ashamed of yourself.

 

[mrtrav]

Ah snap, ChshreCat you're right. I got mixed up there. Either way, the beer's gone bad

 

[mrtrav]

You are an alcohol abuser. That is utter neglect on your part. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Yes, I must live with these skeletons in my closet

 

[Schlenkerla]

I wonder if you did a late addition with this if would be more prone to skunking?

or this.

 

[ChshreCat]

I've got a few bottles of Mirror Pond that spent the last 2 years in a nice dark place with no temperature control. If anyone wants to know what bad, but not skunked beer tastes like they can come on over.

 

[mr_clean]

I use clear bottles and leave them out in the open.No skunk.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I use clear bottles and leave them out in the open.No skunk.

The skunk was not thirsty or it did not have a bottle opener handy.

Maybe no skunks in the neighborhood...

 

[mordantly]

I've got a few bottles of Mirror Pond that spent the last 2 years in a nice dark place with no temperature control. If anyone wants to know what bad, but not skunked beer tastes like they can come on over.

i dont think i can go direct from my two teeny weeny airports. gotta go to frisco or lax first. save a bottle foir me?

 

[Arneba28]

I did a corona clone for my brother and bottled it in corona bottles. After I aged it in the basement it still didnt taste right. So I left it in my kitchen for a day. Skunked right up real bad. He loved it.

 

[mordantly]

ive heard corona uses hop extract that is allegedly immune to skunk.

 

[Zen_Brew]

I have heard Carona brews with hop extract which helps combat the skunking. Funny how most of their commercials show a nice clear glass of Carona sitting out in the sun in some exotic location. Of course the other thing they do is to market drinking the beer out of the bottle, with a fragrant piece of citrus fruit shoved into the narrow neck which would mask a good portion of any skunk smell.

 

[DavidSteel]

UV rays react with the hops and produce a skunk aroma/taste. That's what I always thought.

 

[mordantly]

i forgot about "off the tongue, outta the mouth". but in the bahamas or somewhere in meheco is where its supposed to shine as beer.;

 

[gtpro]

Funny how most of their commercials show a nice clear glass of Carona sitting out in the sun in some exotic location.

I heard an interesting piece of info about Corona marketing, that while in the US they market it as a beer to be enjoyed in a tropical location, white sand and palm trees, in Mexico, their marketing scheme is Mexican pride.