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Getting skunked isn’t fun in any situation, including when it happens to your beer. If you’ve ever indulged in a bottle of crisp beer on a sunny day, you may have been disappointed to find your beverage tasting like the smelly end of a skunk after only a few minutes outside. Skunked beer, also known as lightstruck beer, is not expired. Rather, it is the result of a chemical reaction. When hoppy beer is exposed to the sun, ultraviolet rays break down the hops’ alpha acids, creating 3-methylbut-2-butene-1-thiol (MBT) — the culprit of the terrible odor.
Since this reaction is dependent on sunlight, skunked beer happens more frequently to drinks packaged in clear or sometimes green glass bottles. This is part of the reason why we started canning beer in the first place. Buying canned brands is a good way to avoid skunked alcohol, as is keeping your drinks out of the sunlight, chilling them, and placing them inside ice bags if you don’t have a fridge or cooler available. Don’t worry if you take a sip or two of your beer after realizing it’s turned — the taste and smell of skunked beer may be reminiscent of mildew and must, but it’s still completely safe to consume. However, you might want to save your palate and use the alcohol for some more creative applications instead. As it turns out, skunked beer has many uses outside of the culinary sphere.
Revitalize your hair
Pouring beer over your head may sound like a bad end to a night out, but it actually might be a good thing in the long run. The drink contains a number of nourishing compounds, like vitamin B and proteins, that can help revitalize your hair. The next time your locks could use some extra shine, consider adding some skunked beer to your routine. In fact, there was a commercial shampoo made throughout the early ’80s made with Budweiser. Today, you could buy a craft beer shampoo like this one from Amazon, but making your own is also a good way to use up any extra skunked drink.
To add a boozy twist to your hair care, simply reduce a cup of beer over high heat until most of it has evaporated, then combine it with your normal shampoo. Or, if you’re short on time, you could also just pour a can over your hair and massage it in while you shower. Just make sure to rinse the beer out thoroughly afterward.
Pamper your skin
You can create an entire relaxing spa routine with beer, and not just by drinking it in the bath. The moisturizing properties of beer, be it fresh, stale, or skunked, can also be beneficial to your skin. How, you ask? They soften it and potentially even reduce acne thanks to the yeast content. To make an easy face mask, mix up an egg white with a cup of beer and a couple squeezes of lime. If you’re feeling especially adventurous and have a few dozen cases of skunked beer lying around, you could theoretically fill up your tub with the brews for a full-body soothing experience. As with adding anything to your skin care routine, make sure to do a few tests first to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction to the beer.
The same nutrients that make beer a nice ingredient for softening your skin also helps deal with calluses. A mix of skunked beer and warm water is perfect for dipping tired, tough hands and feet. When you’re done relaxing, give yourself a quick rinse with clean water before drying off.
Tackle rust and stains
It’s usually not a good idea to combine home maintenance and alcohol, but if you’re facing a stubborn corroded screw, washer, or bolt, beer can help. That’s because, just like in social situations, it shakes off the rust and loosens things up. After the tarnish is exposed to beer’s carbonation for two or three minutes, it breaks down so it can be easily removed.
If you ever wake up to find a stain on the rug or carpet that’s an unfortunate result of one too many beers the night before, turn the tables by using the powers of the drink for good. Skunked beer makes for a very capable carpet cleaner — all you have to do is splash a bit of your old brew over the offending stain. Let it sit for a moment and you should be able to lift up the stain as you mop up the beer using a mixture of dish soap, vinegar, and warm water. This hack is best saved for moments where you want to clean up a stain quickly and nothing else is working, and it’s a simple way to keep too much skunked beer from going to waste.
Polish wood, copper, and cast-iron surfaces
Picture it: You’ve spent weeks preparing to host a party, and right before people start showing up, you notice that all of your wooden furniture is covered with scuffs and fingerprints. You’re fresh out of furniture cleaner, but luckily, you have a pack of booze that sat in the sun too long during party preparations. The alcohol may be skunked, but it still makes for excellent furniture polish so long as you flatten it beforehand (otherwise the bubbles may leave tiny rings on whatever you’re cleaning). To quickly flatten the beer, throw it in a decanter for 20 minutes to get rid of the carbonation. Then, simply dip a cloth into the alcohol and polish away.
Beer also works for polishing copper and cast iron. Let your stained pots and pans sit in skunked beer for up to 10 minutes, then wipe away the residue with a clean cloth. The beer doesn’t have to be flat when cleaning metal surfaces as the carbonation helps remove caked-on stains, so this is an efficient way to get rid of one bottle of skunked beer at a time. Whether you’re applying it to your face or your furniture, be sure to do a quick patch test using the beer in an innocuous place in case there are any negative effects.
Restore your outdoor space
Humans aren’t the only species that find beer delicious. Backyard pests like mosquitoes, flies, and other bugs also love knocking back a cold one after a long day buzzing around. Beer doesn’t act as an insect repellent but rather as an insect attractor. When placed strategically, you can lure those annoying bugs away from you. All you have to do is empty out a few bottles of skunked beer into a jar or two and hide the bait as far back in your yard as possible. Be warned: The sugary beer can also attract cockroaches and mice, so be prepared when checking the ale traps.
While you set your beer traps, don’t worry if a few drops land on the lawn. Beer is actually as thirst-quenching to plants as it is for humans. It not only contains a lot of water, but also vital nutrients for plant growth like potassium and calcium. Simply fill up a watering can with any leftover skunky beer and give the brown, dry patches of your lawn a boozy shower. Again, just remember the beer can attract pests, so you may want to avoid sprinkling it too close to where you hang out. If you’re looking for another eco-friendly way to use food waste, check out these clever ways to reuse leftover coffee grounds.