Like most items we consume, bottled beer has a shelf life and will only last so long. But certain factors such as warm temperatures and exposure to air can greatly diminish the length of time a bottle of beer will last before it spoils. And although there may be a lot of ways to ruin a good beer, most of the time nothing will do it faster than sunlight.
What Causes Skunky Beer?
Most beer drinkers have had the unpleasant experience of opening a cold beer and discovering a foul “skunky” smell. Whether it’s been sitting in the backyard too long or has spent too much time in the display case, even brief exposure to light can cause beer to spoil, which is why the phenomenon is also sometimes called being “light struck”.
Most beers contain one or more variety of hops as a key ingredient. Hops are generally used to add bitterness and flavor to beer during the brewing process, but they also act as a natural preservative. Hops contain molecules called isohumulones that are especially susceptible to sunlight, be it direct or indirect. When these molecules are exposed to light they rapidly begin to break down, resulting in a chemical reaction that produces an unwanted sour taste and odor.
Colored Glass May Provide Bottled Beer Some Protection
Any well versed beer drinker has surely noticed that different beers come in different colored bottles. This can have an effect on how much light a beer can withstand before going skunky. While no color of glass can make beer completely immune, some are better than others. Brown glass is probably the best choice and provides the most protection since the light waves (particularly UV rays) have a harder time penetrating it. There is some debate on how much (if any) protection green colored glass offers, but most agree that clear bottles leave beer the most vulnerable to light exposure.
Now before anyone panics, this doesn’t mean it’s time to abandon that favorite brand of beer or beer cocktail simply because of the color of the bottle it comes in. It just means that every beer drinker should be a little more cautious on how and where they store their favorite suds, especially after they remove it from the packaging that helps protect it from the light in its voyage from the brewery. When buying beer, it’s also a good idea to try and pick a case that hasn’t been sitting out in the open for too long.
Beer is a perishable item, just like any other food or beverage. For some reason a lot of people tend to forget this and as a result they don’t pay a lot of attention to how their beer has been stored or how long it’s been sitting on the shelf. Beer is a sensitive product and external factors can influence its taste and freshness. Next time anyone goes out to pick up a case of beer, they would be wise to keep this in mind.
Dylan Flanagan - Dylan Flanagan is a freelance writer based in Toronto, Canada. With a diverse range of work and life experience, he now writes on a ...
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