Last night while enjoying after finishing some leftover bottles at a friends place, I came across a bottle of Newcastle ale. While I don't think Newcastle is bad, this bottle might have been on its way out. The normally nutty, mild beer smelled a little bit off. I think think it was on its way to being skunked. After saying as much, i realized I don't actually know that much about what skunked is. Time to do some research, both for myself and to educate my friends who argued that the beer wasn't.
What I knew about skunked beer before:
Light affects flavor molecules
Beer has a shelf life that is frequently exceeded by smarter-than-smart college students
What I know now (and i wasn't even totally wrong!):
Light does affect beer! Ultraviolet light can over time degrade the flavor molecules derived from hops. These broken down molecules can bind with sulfur compounds to form that wonderful skunky aroma. While i did not think there were any hops in Newcastle (that's a joke because its so mild) this may have been the problem. Especially since Newcastle comes in its striking looking while useless clear bottle. Also, my friend was storing the beers on top of her fridge. Boo.
Good news however, it was only slightly skunked. We drank it anyways.
Now for the shelf life of beer. I was under the impression that beer lasts about 6 weeks. WRONG. Beer according to various sources on the ever accurate Internets beer can last 8-12 months if properly stored (away from heat and light) in cold environments (the fridge). Beer that has a higher APV can last even longer. Oh, alcohol, you are a wonderful preservative. Beer companies also take care to protect their product by employing filtration which can remove most of the microbes that help make the wondrous result, and by pasteurizing the beer.
Well now I know a little bit more. There is no way, however, that beer will last 8-12 months in my fridge.
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