ELI5: What happens that makes beer taste terrible after warming up and then re-chilling? What makes beer ‘skunky’?

KosmicTom: Warming and re-chilling beer does not make it “skunky.” Light interacting with the hop compounds causes the skunkiness. That’s why it’s prevalent in beers that use clear glass. And that is the reason Corona pushes the whole lime business.

As far as glass goes, clear is worst. Green offers some protection. Brown offers the most protection. Cans, however, are king.

GetHighAndTinker: Skunking occurs when beer is exposed to certain wavelengths of light. This is why beer is typically bottled in brown bottles. Clear and green bottles protect the beer less, which is why popular brands in those color bottles often have the distinctive flavor.

The chemical responsible for the distinctive flavor is called MBT, and is produced when the energy in light causes the riboflavin (produced by yeast during fermentation) in beer to chemically react with the alpha acids from the hops.

idontknowausername: Thanks! I knew the container had an effect on taste but not to that degree. It’s actually very neat information.

ChewbaccaExMachina: I worked for a brewery for years. It was very frustrating when people would get upset that all our beer was cold. I explained the science to them (along with our cans and dark bottles) and they still didn’t seem to believe me. They wouldn’t even want to drive 20 minutes home with it in their cars.

And …

Polymer Water Balls

Source

Marapuana: Imagine jumping into a pool and finding it filled with these.

Moose1194:
I really want to take a bite out of one of those like an apple.

thirdeye18: Filled a kiddie pool with these last Summer for the kids. Pretty sure they are the same as in the picture, just smaller and they start out completely desiccated (look like little plastic beads). Wife picked them up from Amazon.

paisley53: WHAT IS THIS WITCHCRAFT. WOW

allen_bracket: I love those little things

El3ctr0G33k: That’s cool. What are they for?

BrandEnlightened: What would happen if you swallowed one?

MetaMemeAboutAMeme: Invisi-Balls!

Zbox01: Make them smaller and lace them with cyanide. Perfect for assasinations.