If a cold beer goes warm is it OK to "recool" it?

**Cliff Huckable** · 10-02-2007, 10:15 PM

If a cold beer goes warm is it OK to "recool" it?

EDIT: It's unopened.

**brice618** · 10-02-2007, 10:17 PM

has this beer been opened?

**concretejungle** · 10-02-2007, 10:19 PM

It's "ok." It's just not going to taste right.

**Jack** · 10-02-2007, 10:30 PM

I think it will taste just fine. Make it really cold and drink it really fast . Repeat until you don't give a shit where it came from or what temperature it came to be at.

**iceman** · 10-02-2007, 10:33 PM

That's how beer gets skunky. Skunky is not good.

**ICEHOCEY77** · 10-02-2007, 10:36 PM

It'll get you drunk.

**smmokan** · 10-02-2007, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by iceman

That's how beer gets skunky. Skunky is not good.

NOT TRUE AT ALL.

A good friend works at Coors (and has for a long, long time) and says this is the number one myth with beer. It doesn't matter if you cool a beer and then it gets warmer- no problem to cool again.

**SkiCop** · 10-02-2007, 11:18 PM

What is the generally accepted lifespan of a beer, assuming the cool/heat cycle is not applicable?

**The AD** · 10-02-2007, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by smmokan

NOT TRUE AT ALL.

A good friend works at Coors (and has for a long, long time) and says this is the number one myth with beer. It doesn't matter if you cool a beer and then it gets warmer- no problem to cool again.

I agree with smmokan. The skunky taste comes from "light struck" beer, i.e. it's caused by some kind of chemical reaction due to UV light. Beer in clear or green bottles are susceptible to being light struck.

**The AD** · 10-02-2007, 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by smmokan

NOT TRUE AT ALL.

A good friend works at Coors (and has for a long, long time) and says this is the number one myth with beer. It doesn't matter if you cool a beer and then it gets warmer- no problem to cool again.

I agree with smmokan. The skunky taste comes from "light struck" beer, i.e. it's caused by some kind of chemical reaction due to UV light. Beer in clear or green bottles are susceptible to being light struck.

edit: here's a link that explains it http://beeradvocate.com/articles/527

edit: damn double post.

**dipstik** · 10-02-2007, 11:31 PM

Just took a tour of the Budweiser factory in Merrimack NH this past Friday for one of my classes.....

According to our tour guide, it depends.

Beer that is pasteurized can be heated and cooled as much as you want, and it will be fine. They heat the beer up to 150 degrees after it is bottled to kill germs and shit, so it doesn't really matter what temperature swings it goes through before you drink it.

Unpasteurized beer (kegs, for example), on the other hand, can NOT be warmed up after they are cooled. They are not pasteurized, and are kept cool during shipment, so therefore they can not be warmed up.

**ak_powder_monkey** · 10-03-2007, 02:58 AM

If its natural ice its gonna taste like shit anyway...

**philippeR** · 10-03-2007, 03:36 AM

Originally Posted by smmokan

NOT TRUE AT ALL.

A good friend works at Coors (and has for a long, long time) and says this is the number one myth with beer. It doesn't matter if you cool a beer and then it gets warmer- no problem to cool again.

Yes, but he works for Coors. What does he really know about beer ?

**Sluff** · 10-03-2007, 05:23 AM

It's all good...drink it.

**schindlerpiste** · 10-03-2007, 07:36 AM

Originally Posted by concretejungle

It's "ok." It's just not going to taste right.

Generally, when you buy a case of beer, it is warm. Of course, prior to your purchase, it was sitting in a non-temperature controlled trailer. This could happen 3-5X before you ever see it.
Beer that is imported, flys to the USA in a cold cargo hold. It then sits on a dock until it is placed in a trailer. Then, it is driven wherever, where it sits in a wharehouse (warm). Then, it goes to a store, and finally, to your refrig.

**Tye 1on** · 10-03-2007, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by dipstik

Just took a tour of the Budweiser factory in Merrimack NH this past Friday for one of my classes.....

According to our tour guide, it depends.

Beer that is pasteurized can be heated and cooled as much as you want, and it will be fine. They heat the beer up to 150 degrees after it is bottled to kill germs and shit, so it doesn't really matter what temperature swings it goes through before you drink it.

Unpasteurized beer (kegs, for example), on the other hand, can NOT be warmed up after they are cooled. They are not pasteurized, and are kept cool during shipment, so therefore they can not be warmed up.

Still chuckling about that first line...
Reminds me of one of the impacts of the 'born on date'. Old Faithful Snowlodge is only accessible by oversnow vehicles in the winter. Back in the day, they would bring in the whole winters supply of beer really late in the fall, and store it in the walk in coolers, which were turned off, and acted as insulated rooms to keep the beer cold but not frozen.
Then came the 'born on date'. People would look at the can and go, wait, this is old beer! [although it tasted just fine....]. So they had to add weekly snowcoach trips just to bring in beer with a newer date.

So yeah, your beer should be fine, as the above have said.......................

**Adolf Allerbush** · 10-03-2007, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by smmokan

NOT TRUE AT ALL.

A good friend works at Coors (and has for a long, long time) and says this is the number one myth with beer. It doesn't matter if you cool a beer and then it gets warmer- no problem to cool again.

It's actually dead on. From working at a bar if you let the kegs get warm and then try to re-cool them the beer will taste skunky. Maybe it's different for cans but I don't see how an aluminum keg shell is much different than an aluminum can.

That said, are you drinking macro beer like CLight, BL, Bud, the Banquet? Because that shit probably won't get too skunky. If it's a microbrew I'd pitch it.

**runethechamp** · 10-03-2007, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by Adolf Allerbush

It's actually dead on. From working at a bar if you let the kegs get warm and then try to re-cool them the beer will taste skunky. Maybe it's different for cans but I don't see how an aluminum keg shell is much different than an aluminum can.

Did you see sipstik's post about pasteurization and how they do that to canned beer and not the keg beer?

**Tele'ndaboat** · 10-03-2007, 08:34 AM

It totally depends on the beer, having worked for a distrubutor and also once ran Westwords "best Beer Shop in Denver", I can tell you that more than likely your beer has been warm and cold quite a few times before it gets to you. Light is the mosty detrimental thing... as too unpasturized beers, some of those styles actually were originally made to survive such conditions, ie IPA and Imperial Stouts. Both were originally made for export in ships. Now whether you would think they taste better after 3 months in the hold is a questionable, but there you have it.

Mostly , you should just drink it... None of us can tell you whether it tastes good to you or not and it ain't gonna kill you.

**From_the_NEK** · 10-03-2007, 09:08 AM

Corona is the worst "beer" I have encountered that goes extremely skunky rather quickly. It is also in a clear bottle.

**Skidog** · 10-03-2007, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by SkiCop

What is the generally accepted lifespan of a beer, assuming the cool/heat cycle is not applicable?

about 1 yr for most domestics and more for higher alcohol content beers.

Beer "skunks" because of light. Ultraviolet rays ruined the hops which in turn give off a "skunk" type smell. Notice higher end beer makers (who care about their product) will have six pack carriers that come up to AT LEAST the foil, Sam Adams, Samuel Smiths, etc. this way light cannot get to the bottles themselves. Some makers believe that even the flourecent lights in the coolers can "skunk" the beer.

M

**uglymoney** · 10-03-2007, 09:34 AM

I skunked plenty of beer by storing it in the trunk of my car back in the day. The heating, then cooling, repeat over and over did it I've always assumed, since there is no light getting into the trunk. Perhaps it was just that it became too warm. Don't know.

Based on these experiences I store my beer in a dark solid state environment, warm or cold.

**Art Shirk** · 10-03-2007, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by uglymoney

I skunked plenty of beer by storing it in the trunk of my car back in the day. The heating, then cooling, repeat over and over did it I've always assumed, since there is no light getting into the trunk. Perhaps it was just that it became too warm. Don't know.

Based on these experiences I store my beer in a dark solid state environment, warm or cold.

Yeah, I don't buy it that light is the dispositive factor either. I was in Hawaii last weekend with a trunk full of beer for about 6 hours. When I got home, I dropped it in the fridge over-night and cracked one the next morning to be greeted with skunk. No light, extreme temps, recooling = skunky, at least in my experience.

**The AD** · 10-03-2007, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by commonlaw

When I got home, I dropped it in the fridge over-night and cracked one the next morning to be greeted with skunk. No light, extreme temps, recooling = skunky, at least in my experience.

Are you sure they weren't skunked before they were in your trunk, though?

Absolutely everything I've ever read indicates skunking is caused by light and light alone.

**Skidog** · 10-03-2007, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by The AD

Are you sure they weren't skunked before they were in your trunk, though?

Absolutely everything I've ever read indicates skunking is caused by light and light alone.

Its not just that you've READ..this is FACT......Light causes the hops to react, and in turn cause the skunkiness...im no physics prof, but I am a beer judge and they MAKE you learn this....trust me...it aint warm to cold to warm to cold.

M