What does it mean when a beer has been "skunked"?!
What does it mean when a beer has been "skunked"?
Answers:
skunking"
When beer has been exposed to strong light, either natural or
artificial, certain components in hops alter and produce acrid
flavors, AKA being "lightstruck". This is why beer should be
bottled in brown bottles. Clear bottles offer no light
protection and green is only slightly better. Technically, light
of wavelengths from 550 nm and below can cause photochemical
reactions in hop resins, resulting in a sulfury mercaptan which
has a pronounced skunky character. 550 nm is roughly blue-green.
Bottled beer can become lightstruck in less than one minute in
bright sun, after a few hours in diffuse daylight, and in a few
days under normal flourescent lighting.
some beer, sometimes, in green bottles, when exposed to sunlight, it gets a bitter taste from it
thing of Grolsh, often it has that flavor, I don't really mind it, some folks actually enjoy the skunky flavor
Basically it means that the beer has gone bad. If it's really old or has gotten too hot at some point it will taste and smell "skunky".
a) Got too hot and now smells
b) Got too old and now tastes like crap and/or smells
it means that an unopened can or bottle of beer that was cold when purchased was left out to reach room temp then put back in the fridge to get cold again skunked describes the flavor of the beer after this happens YUCK!
Man, some of these answers! ......Beer gets "skunked" when it is first chilled and then allowed to get warm again. It gets a "skunkie" taste and smell. Why? I don't know. I've just been alive for 50 years and been pay'n attention.
It flows from taps, is poured from bottles and it's can's can be found in many a fridge. But when you crack a cold one and a funky smell hits you like a ton of bricks, the taste isn't going to be any better. You've been skunked! "A skunked beer is a bad beer. It's a beer that has been sitting around too long, it's been exposed to say oxygen or light and it's turned bad, it tastes bad.
<>Warming and cooling can do this. The smell when you open the bottle is very similar to the defense mechanism of the skunk. Not too pleasant to the nose or the mouth. It won't kill you though.