The basic premise: A group of chemists in Belgium had been trying to figure out why the taste of beer deteriorates over time. To help solve this problem, they sought the help of Professor Forbes, whose research and specialty was "Polymer Photodegradation and Dynamics." With his help, they discovered that the culprit behind the bad taste of beer was the degradation of hops caused by exposure to light. It is for this reason that beer bottles are no longer clear, but instead are made of specific colors which help maintain the quality of beer and control the aging process.
A documentary exists about this research endeavor, but I couldn't find it. Instead, I've located a copy of the published research paper, which can be found here: Mechanism for the Formation of the Lightstruck Flavor of Beer
**Correction**
I'm not sure why the above link redirects to a different article. I think it may be because a subscription is required to view the articles. Regardless, here's a link to the abstract for the correct paper.
Mechanism for the Formation of the Lighstruck Flavor of Beer
Wow, that is very interesting. I have always wondered why some beers come in brown or green bottles while other cheap beers like corona... which is not a true mexican beer comes in a clear bottle.
ReplyDeleteWow, interesting post. I always thought colored beer bottles were simply for aesthetic reasons. I wonder if different shades (light brown, green (Heineken), blue (Bud Light Platinum), etc.) have a significant effect on the flavor over time. Which color keeps the beer tasting the best the longest??
ReplyDeleteIt was a really interesting lecture to take as a freshman. Nobody in the class knew about his work until we were randomly watching a documentary on him and beer during one of our lectures. It was equally surprising because from his external appearance you would never have guessed he was a beer connoisseur.
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