What the heck does light have to do with beer? Well, the relationship between light and beer is a hostile one apparently. More specifically, UV radiation and beer. What happens to beer after long exposure to UV radiation? It gets skunked.
You Don’t Want Skunked Beer Do You?
The cause of beer tasting “skunky” is usually a process of hop-derived molecules in the beer called isohumulones being ripped apart and binding with sulfur atoms. UV radiation causes this ripping apart of molecules and the result is a skunky, cardboard flavored beverage that used to be a beer. It’s really not a good taste.
How to Avoid Skunked Beer
Don’t drink it! Just kidding. The best way to avoid your beer getting skunked, is keeping it away from UV radiation. This doesn’t go for all beers though, only bottled beer. Cans are exempt. However, certain colored bottles may in fact help protect your beer against the skunking process; namely dark brown bottles as opposed to clear bottles. There’s a myth that green bottles actually make beer skunk faster, but scientifically speaking it doesn’t matter. Long exposure to sunlight and artificial lighting in coolers will cause a beer to turn in a matter of days. Your best bet is to keep your beer boxed, or stored in dark refrigerators to avoid skunking.
Displaying Your Beer Proudly!
If your operating a store that prides itself on displaying it’s bottled beer selection, and don’t want the stuff skunked, there is a solution for you. Filter the light in your cooler displays. Plastic light filters are designed to diffuse the harsh light emitted by fluorescent lighting and eliminate most of the UV radiation from the light source. We have custom light diffusers to cover your fluorescent bulbs in any size or quantity. Contact us today if your in this predicament and we’d be glad to help!
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http://beeradvocate.com/articles/527
