What It Means If Your Beer Is 'Lightstruck'

Beer tends to be relatively shelf stable, but even the most robust stouts are prone to issues. From problems with oxidation to improper fermentation techniques, there's a lot that can go wrong in the brewing process, potentially destroying the delicate flavors and aromas in your favorite pint. One of the most unsavory issues of all is ending up with a funky, lightstruck beer.

Lightstruck is the technical term for a skunked beer. Beer can become lightstruck at any point in its lifespan after hops are added, so whether freshly brewed or basking in the backlight of a fridge, no beer is safe from this phenomenon. Simply put, you can't identify lighstruck beer based on its age, but rather on its aroma. This change happens when UV rays, whether from the sun or harsh grocery store fluorescents, react with compounds found in the hops of a beer. This natural process will turn the scent of a beer from refreshingly malty to undeniably funky. Unfortunately, trying hacks like adding a few sprinkles of salt won't save your brew. Once a beer turns lightstruck, it doesn't go back.

Lightstruck beer smells sulphuric, mimicking the aroma of a skunk's defensive spray (hence its "skunked" alter-ego.) While this can happen to any beer under the sun, it's most common in especially hoppy drinks, as these beers are chock-full of compounds that light can interact with and destroy. 

Don't fear the light

Because of how advanced the beer brewing process has become, ending up with a lightstruck beer today is relatively uncommon. Even if your beer is brewed and packaged in a light-colored bottle, most commercial brewers have discovered ways to prevent skunking. Commercial beers are now often made with treated hops so they're protected from light, bottled in brown bottles, or covered in cardboard packaging to avoid light exposure. Not much can fall through those cracks.

Still, even though picking up a lightstruck beer is uncommon, it's not impossible. The two places you might still end up with a skunked beer are when trying out a new craft brewery, especially one with outdoor seating, or enjoying a beer made by a novice homebrewer. It can take as little as ten minutes for beer to turn from bubbly elixir to skunky potion out in the sun, so err on the side of caution if you find yourself in one of these positions. A good rule of thumb is to stick to small glasses and sit in the shade (or maybe smear a little sunscreen on your glass?)

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