so… what causes the unpleasant taste in some imports (namely Kokanee :: from Canada to our own NW:: and Corona ::the largest mexican import in this area:
Eleusis
February 9, 2004, 10:54am
2
“Hops help flavor beer, inhibit bacterial growth and are largely responsible for the stability of the foam in the head,” Forbes said. “Hops, however, are light-sensitive, and the three main compounds in them identified as being light-sensitive are called isohumulones. When attacked by either visible or ultraviolet light, these break down to make reactive intermediates known as free radicals that lead to the offensive taste and skunky odor.”
Using isohumulones supplied by brewing companies and a sophisticated technique called time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, the UNC scientists and colleagues determined what happens chemically during photo degradation. Lasers served as the light source for producing the chemical reactions they studied.
“This light problem is a phenomenon that was reported in the literature as early as 1875, but until now the detailed mechanism has not been unraveled,” Forbes said. “The final product of the reaction turns out to be what we call “skunky thiol,” an analog of a compound found in skunk glands that produces a very bad taste and smell. This molecule has an extremely low taste and smell threshold in humans, just a few parts per trillion.”
UNC chemists figure out what causes ‘skunky beer’
of a skunk’s musk quality to the taste of the beer in question? I’ve noticed a tendency of about one in three groups (6 packs or twelve packs of bottles) paid for, taken home and consumed to have this phenomenon. Whats the cause?