[Shoe]

While bottling my beer (pale ale) the last bottle was only half full.  I went ahead and capped it and figured I could use that as a tester/taster.  I just opened it and the beer looks light pink...maybe light brown...not the color it was when it went in the bottle!  I'm guessing this was caused by oxidation from the air in the extra head space?  It also tastes a bit like a beer might taste like after sitting around a while.  So, can anyone confirm the color is likely due to oxidation?

[Stevie]

Oxidation is a fair guess.

[ethinson]

Not sure about pink, but brown could be from trub/yeast from the bottom of your bottling bucket.

The "tastes like it's been sitting out for a while" is certainly from a combo of oxidation and no/low carbonation, one of the hallmarks of too much head space.

[brewinhard]

Yep. Oxidation.

[Visor]

  The solution of course is to simply drink the partial bottle, rather than capping it. I consider partial bottles to be the "Angel's share", with me being the bottling angel - I guess.

[scrap iron]

I  didn't see anyone mention not capping bottles that come up short of beer. When I first started brewing I capped one that had a half bottle of beer and later when opening it after 2-3 weeks it blow up in my hand as soon as I popped the cap. It cut my hand with the flying glass, never again. Hope this keeps others from injury.