Question:
Why does my beer sometimes taste "skunky," and how can I prevent this from happening?
Avoiding that Skunky Taste
Want to avoid that awful "skunky" taste that beer sometimes gets? You can do so by remembering two things:
1. If not refrigerating right away, you should store beer in a dark closet or cabinet. Exposure to light is the main factor causing skunky taste.
2. Make sure that once beer is refrigerated, it stays refrigerated and cool. If beer is cooled, then shifts back to room temperature, and then cooled again, a skunky taste can result.
The hops in beer is very sensitive to light and temperature. This is why most beer bottles are dark in color -- to shield out light. The chemical structure within the beer can actually change, causing the offensive skunky smell and taste.
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