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I've got a good question for you beer experts - skunkiness in Yuengling Lager


Ralphie

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I switched from Yeungling Lager to Yuengling Premium because of the skunky smell of the former.  I am amazed that more people aren;t up in arms aboot this!  But my question is what could be causing it?  Yuengling Premium is a lot cheaper and does not stink!  The lager has a darker color, so maybe the smell is associated with the color somehow. 

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Bottle color.  I had to check online to confirm my suspicions but its the bottle color.  Here's why:  sunlight (Ultraviolet rays) reacts with hop compounds and causes a chemical reaction that results in the skunky aroma.  Most beers are sold in brown glass bottles which helps to block the UV rays and prevents this from happening.  Green glass bottles do not block the UV rays as well and the result is that a lot of beers packaged in green glass comes out skunky.  Brewers who insist on green glass bottles (Heineken as an example) design the six pack carriers/labels to block the sunlight from reaching the beer.  Next time that you're at the beer/packie store look at how the bottled beers are packaged to limit light exposure.  Yuengling is one of the rare brewers that use both brown and green glass bottles, most stick to one or another.  This brings up another related fact.  Miller High Life is sol in clear glass bottles, why doesn't this get skunky like the green glass.  The answer has two parts, packaging and hop oils.  Miller used to, don't know if they still do, have a cardboard packaging that surrounded the bottles (top, sides and bottom) and prevented sunlight from reaching the beer.  Miller also uses hop oil extract not whole or pelletized hops.  The hop oil extract doesn't contain the compounds which cause skunkiness in beer. 

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Bottle color.  I had to check online to confirm my suspicions but its the bottle color.  Here's why:  sunlight (Ultraviolet rays) reacts with hop compounds and causes a chemical reaction that results in the skunky aroma.  Most beers are sold in brown glass bottles which helps to block the UV rays and prevents this from happening.  Green glass bottles do not block the UV rays as well and the result is that a lot of beers packaged in green glass comes out skunky.  Brewers who insist on green glass bottles (Heineken as an example) design the six pack carriers/labels to block the sunlight from reaching the beer.  Next time that you're at the beer/packie store look at how the bottled beers are packaged to limit light exposure.  Yuengling is one of the rare brewers that use both brown and green glass bottles, most stick to one or another.  This brings up another related fact.  Miller High Life is sol in clear glass bottles, why doesn't this get skunky like the green glass.  The answer has two parts, packaging and hop oils.  Miller used to, don't know if they still do, have a cardboard packaging that surrounded the bottles (top, sides and bottom) and prevented sunlight from reaching the beer.  Miller also uses hop oil extract not whole or pelletized hops.  The hop oil extract doesn't contain the compounds which cause skunkiness in beer. 

Hmm, interesting.  However, Yuengling has always come in cardboard boxes.  This particular case was cooled and then warmed and recooled though, so maybe that was it.  But that has happened to the Premium in cans before with no skunkiness, so there must be a lot more propensity of the lager to skunkiness.

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This particular case was cooled and then warmed and recooled though, so maybe that was it

 

ding! ding! ding! ding!

 

that's exactly what does it.

 

especially Lager in bottles

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Skunky beer sucks! I had a New Castle Brown Ale recently at a restaurant in Indy, and was not happy. Too polite to send it back, though.  :(

Really?  I pictured you as more self-assertive than that. :D  Even I would do that - you paid good money for it. I always have draft beer at restaurants.  I cannot drink bottled beer if there is draft in the house.

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ding! ding! ding! ding!

 

that's exactly what does it.

 

especially Lager in bottles

FTR, Yuengling does not do well in beer reviews.  While it is fun to support the home town team in the fight against the gigantic corporate brewers, it is sometimes hard to do with a straight face. :mellow:

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a lot of folks around here burn out on Lager and drink their porter or Black and Tan

 

sort of like how you went over to premium

 

I think Lager on tap is a great everyday drinking beer, though 

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Really?  I pictured you as more self-assertive than that. :D  Even I would do that - you paid good money for it. I always have draft beer at restaurants.  I cannot drink bottled beer if there is draft in the house.

Sorry to let you down. I do have a 5 minute rule when dining out, though. If I don't get at least acknowledged by a server within 5 minutes of sitting at my table, I'm gone.

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a lot of folks around here burn out on Lager and drink their porter or Black and Tan

 

sort of like how you went over to premium

 

I think Lager on tap is a great everyday drinking beer, though 

I do like the porter too.  Heck, Lord Chesterfield Ale is pretty darn good too.  I used to like Black and Tan too, but I definitely burned out on it a while ago.

 

And yes, Lager on tap is great!  Draft is the only way to go. :)

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Hmm, interesting.  However, Yuengling has always come in cardboard boxes.  This particular case was cooled and then warmed and recooled though, so maybe that was it.  But that has happened to the Premium in cans before with no skunkiness, so there must be a lot more propensity of the lager to skunkiness.

 

That is silly, the beer would run right through the cardboard, or at least soak and destroy the box.  You see, this is why beer is usually sold in more impermeable packaging than cardboard or spongecakes or rocks.

 

I like a nice, inexpensive Yuengling from time to time, it is refreshing.

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