Answers.Body: <p>Skunking is a stage in a beer's life in which it goes rancid. It may smell funny, almost like a skunk, and taste bad. As John pointed out, it is generally caused by excess exposure to light. Beers packaged in clear (Corona and Land Shark for instance) or green bottles are particularly susceptible to this. It is best to avoid these kinds of beers to avoid the risk of skunked beer; choose beer bottled in brown bottles or cans, which are less susceptible to light exposure. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-01-21T21:48:12.377Z
Answers.Text: How long does it take? Days? Weeks? Months?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Tom Medley
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-01-23T16:05:10.357Z
Answers.Text: In some studies, it can happen as quick as 30 seconds. But it's really dependent on a number of factors such as bottle and brew type.
Answers.UserDisplayName: audiFanatic
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-01-21T21:47:11.200Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-01-21T21:47:11.200Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: audiFanatic
Answers.Body: <p>Some of the mocelues in the beer are broken down by ultraviolet  light and bind to sulfur atoms. This causes Skunking. This is why some bottle six packs have a tall sleeve and beer keeps longer in a darker colored bottle. A common misperception is warming and cooling over and over again causes Skunking.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-01-21T21:38:18.577Z
Answers.Text: What *is it* though?
Answers.UserDisplayName: wax eagle
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Answers.CreationDate: 2014-01-21T21:38:00.027Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2014-01-21T21:43:56.647Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2014-01-21T21:43:56.647Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: John Hiott
Body: <p>In some of the questions on this site, I've seen the word 'skunking' thrown around. What does it mean? I'm assuming it's a process that causes beer to go bad, and if so, what causes this process?</p>
  
Tags: <terminology><skunking>
Title: What is 'skunking'?
UserDisplayName: Tom Medley
ThreadText: # What is 'skunking'?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-21)
  
  In some of the questions on this site, I've seen the word 'skunking' thrown around. What does it mean? I'm assuming it's a process that causes beer to go bad, and if so, what causes this process?
  
  **Tags:** terminology, skunking
  
  
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  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2014-01-21. Score: 11 | Accepted answer
  
  Skunking is a stage in a beer's life in which it goes rancid. It may smell funny, almost like a skunk, and taste bad. As John pointed out, it is generally caused by excess exposure to light. Beers packaged in clear (Corona and Land Shark for instance) or green bottles are particularly susceptible to this. It is best to avoid these kinds of beers to avoid the risk of skunked beer; choose beer bottled in brown bottles or cans, which are less susceptible to light exposure.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: How long does it take? Days? Weeks? Months?  
  > **username_1**: In some studies, it can happen as quick as 30 seconds. But it's really dependent on a number of factors such as bottle and brew type.  
  
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  ### Answer by username_2 on 2014-01-21. Score: 4
  
  Some of the mocelues in the beer are broken down by ultraviolet light and bind to sulfur atoms. This causes Skunking. This is why some bottle six packs have a tall sleeve and beer keeps longer in a darker colored bottle. A common misperception is warming and cooling over and over again causes Skunking.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: What *is it* though?  
  
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