Chunky Beer, Why???

[rodwha]

The beer/wine manager at my grocery store raved about this local strawberry milkshake IPA. I was a bit hesitant and found a single to try.

The beer is ok. To me, nothing to rave about, but the aesthetics are horrible. I don’t understand the desire to have a yeast chunky beer.

This is the beer after 27 mins:



As an aside I also don’t understand the desire to have a hazy IPA such as the Juicy/Hazy/NEIPA style. What does that look add? Now were you to speak of the lack of bitterness the style has I’d wholeheartedly agree. And to be fair that look isn’t offputting as a chunky beer is. I just don’t get the why.

 

[RPh_Guy]

They added too much parmesan cheese. It's a common mistake.

 

[day_trippr]

That pour looks nothing like a milkshake IPA. What it looks like is an utterly unappealing mess.
How old was it?

Cheers!

 

[rodwha]

That pour looks nothing like a milkshake IPA. What it looks like is an utterly unappealing mess.
How old was it?

Cheers!

Dunno, but it hasn’t been available long. Was it supposed to be a hazy style?

 

[rodwha]

That pour looks nothing like a milkshake IPA. What it looks like is an utterly unappealing mess.
How old was it?

Cheers!

According to the bottom of their can:



Doesn’t seem to me to be good from the day it was canned if this is what you get...

*EDIT*

Glad I only spent $1.99 for the one!

 

[Blazinlow86]

The beer/wine manager at my grocery store raved about this local strawberry milkshake IPA. I was a bit hesitant and found a single to try.

The beer is ok. To me, nothing to rave about, but the aesthetics are horrible. I don’t understand the desire to have a yeast chunky beer.

This is the beer after 27 mins:



As an aside I also don’t understand the desire to have a hazy IPA such as the Juicy/Hazy/NEIPA style. What does that look add? Now were you to speak of the lack of bitterness the style has I’d wholeheartedly agree. And to be fair that look isn’t offputting as a chunky beer is. I just don’t get the why.

Yea something is wrong with that beer or its poorly made. The reason juicy/hazy/neipas are so incredibly popular is because they taste great. The haze is just a side effect. I will always choose a beer that tastes better than looks better but also understand some people can't get out of there comfort range. Same with food. Some people go there whole life eating the same old thing's over and over and others try all kinds of new stuff regardless what it looks like. Cheers

 

[rodwha]

Yea something is wrong with that beer or its poorly made. The reason juicy/hazy/neipas are so incredibly popular is because they taste great. The haze is just a side effect. I will always choose a beer that tastes better than looks better but also understand some people can't get out of there comfort range. Same with food. Some people go there whole life eating the same old thing's over and over and others try all kinds of new stuff regardless what it looks like. Cheers

Well, except it’s not a side effect, it’s chosen. Sometimes it’s a lot of wheat, sometimes it the yeast, and I’m told a brewery uses flour (what kind???). If it were a side effect it wouldn’t in the very beer.

And I’m not averse to cloudy. I just don’t understand why it’s considered aesthetic when there are many people who taste with their eyes too and won’t think well of it.

I assume it’s to give the idea of orange/pineapple juice and with not just the taste, which I just don’t get the need for. I find it peculiar at the least, but with some examples it’s muddied, though thankfully I haven’t come across so many now that I’ve tried a score or so.

 

[Blazinlow86]

Currently at least in my city probably 95% **prefer** cloudy "hazy, juicy,neipas. Clear overly bitter IPAs arent popular at all here anymore. Do you have any specific examples of brewery's using flour to make there beers hazy? I wouldn't expect a 1.99 milkshake ipa from the grocery store to be a solid example. The ones I like the best are usually 4-5 a can and have to be bought from the brewery and sell out very fast. Cheers

 

[grampamark]

Currently at least in my city probably 95% **prefer** cloudy "hazy, juicy,neipas. Clear overly bitter IPAs arent popular at all here anymore. Do you have any specific examples of brewery's using flour to make there beers hazy? I wouldn't expect a 1.99 milkshake ipa from the grocery store to be a solid example. The ones I like the best are usually 4-5 a can and have to be bought from the brewery and sell out very fast. Cheers

Ninety-five percent of whom? The general beer drinking population or the I’ve-got-a-man-bun-and-stole-my-little-sister’s-jeans crew?

If it’s the former it means that the entire Bud Light drinking crowd has gotten religion and started drinking craft beer; if it’s the latter, well, that group could hold it’s annual mutual admiration society meeting in a vintage VW bus and have a couple of empty seats.

Didn't your mother tell you a million times not to exaggerate?

 

[rodwha]

What I was told was that the example of the NEIPA using flour (what kind?) to make it hazy was Sam Adams. True? I don’t know.

The $1.99 single at the grocery store was from a well known brewery an hour or so away from me, though I’ve had a few of their beers I felt were less then stellar, and a couple I thought were great.

As to overly bitter IPAs I’ve only had a handful out of quite a bit, as it’s my main go-to style, that could be called that, but then I suppose tastes differ.

As an example of my taste I generally use 1/2 oz of a high AA hop for bittering, which tends be be somewhere in the 20-something IBU range. Not really all that much.

Thinking of a commercial IPA how does Fresh Squeezed come across to as far as bitterness?

 

[rodwha]

Currently at least in my city probably 95% **prefer** cloudy "hazy, juicy,neipas. Clear overly bitter IPAs arent popular at all here anymore. Do you have any specific examples of brewery's using flour to make there beers hazy? I wouldn't expect a 1.99 milkshake ipa from the grocery store to be a solid example. The ones I like the best are usually 4-5 a can and have to be bought from the brewery and sell out very fast. Cheers

I actually just brewed 4 quasi IPAs testing what you get by late addition hops. Each had just 1/4 oz of Centennial for bittering and used 1 3/4 oz at either 21, 14, 7, or a whirlpool. I must admit, to my surprise, that the 21 min had no more hoppy flavor than the 14 min version, but had a bit more noticeable bitterness. Many years back I tried a no bittering addition IPA using hops at 20, 15, 10, and 5 and felt it peculiar which I associated with the lack of a proper bittering addition.

 

[fizgig]

A long time ago I brewed a cherry wheat that had that effect in some of the bottles. Basically the fruit that remained in suspension and the yeast from bottle conditioning formed a layer at the bottom, but a rough layer instead of a smooth one, as soon as pressure was release, the chunks broke up and came off the bottom. I've had old oberon in the fridge do this as well. I don't think this was a desired effect, you might have gotten cans near the start/end of the run with too much sediment in them.

 

[Vale71]

Looks like someone wanted to make a hazy beer but for some reason picked a highly flocculent yeast. Not really the best choice as the resulting compact yeast sediment has a tendency to swim around in big ugly chunks once the beer is poured...

 

[Blazinlow86]

No exaggeration required. I assumed it would be obvious I was speaking about the people buying craft beer from craft breweries not people buying Budweiser at the ball game. Cheers

 

[grampamark]

No exaggeration required. I assumed it would be obvious I was speaking about the people buying craft beer from craft breweries not people buying Budweiser at the ball game. Cheers

The ninety-five percent you’re referring to are, most likely, the people who like the kind of beer you like. They might actually be half a per cent of the population of your city.

Where I live, I’ve never been in a bar/taproom/brewpub that had more than two taps dedicated to hazy beers. Most of them feature more traditional styles (hefes, porters, stouts, brown/red/Irish/Scottish ales, clear IPAs/APAs, etc.). Is my experience more typical than yours? Who knows.

Of course, I live in Montana, where the signs at the state line read “Welcome to Montana! Set your clocks back 25 years”. We’re, admittedly, a little slow to pick up on trends.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Well, except it’s not a side effect, it’s chosen. Sometimes it’s a lot of wheat, sometimes it the yeast, and I’m told a brewery uses flour (what kind???). If it were a side effect it wouldn’t in the very beer.

And I’m not averse to cloudy. I just don’t understand why it’s considered aesthetic when there are many people who taste with their eyes too and won’t think well of it.

I assume it’s to give the idea of orange/pineapple juice and with not just the taste, which I just don’t get the need for. I find it peculiar at the least, but with some examples it’s muddied, though thankfully I haven’t come across so many now that I’ve tried a score or so.

The original hazy IPAs were not intentionally hazy. In fact, they tried hard to get the same flavor but in a clear beer and eventually realized you can't. They encouraged consumers to drink from the can. As the style got popular, I'm sure there are brewers (pro and home) that focus on the haze. The good ones know you don't have to work to get the haze and that you wouldn't want to.

Just because there are crappy brewers out there abusing the style doesn't mean the style isn't good. Are there people turned off by the visual? Sure. But, in the subset of craft beer drinkers, I'd bet far more are now drawn to it than repelled by it. There's a reason some of the brewers are trying to get that look, right? Do you think they're trying to turn off the majority of craft beer drinkers?

 

[Blazinlow86]

The ninety-five percent you’re referring to are, most likely, the people who like the kind of beer you like. They might actually be half a per cent of the population of your city.

Where I live, I’ve never been in a bar/taproom/brewpub that had more than two taps dedicated to hazy beers. Most of them feature more traditional styles (hefes, porters, stouts, brown/red/Irish/Scottish ales, clear IPAs/APAs, etc.). Is my experience more typical than yours? Who knows.

Of course, I live in Montana, where the signs at the state line read “Welcome to Montana! Set your clocks back 25 years”. We’re, admittedly, a little slow to pick up on trends.

The popular craft brewers here generally have 3-4 hazy IPAs that sell out immediately, 1 lager, 1stout, 1wheat,1-2 sours and maybe a Saison. West coast IPAs just aren't popular here anymore.im not saying nobody's drinks them but there buying them at the cold beer and wine store from the macros. I still brew them and like to have them occasion but I do currently prefer the east coast style. I can see how casual beer drinkers with no hands on knowledge about making beer can be turned off by a not clear product but how anyone that actually makes there own beer and understands what's in a hazy beer gets all hung up on it is a mystery too me lol. Cheers

 

[Blazinlow86]

The original hazy IPAs were not intentionally hazy. In fact, they tried hard to get the same flavor but in a clear beer and eventually realized you can't. They encouraged consumers to drink from the can. As the style got popular, I'm sure there are brewers (pro and home) that focus on the haze. The good ones know you don't have to work to get the haze and that you wouldn't want to.

Just because there are crappy brewers out there abusing the style doesn't mean the style isn't good. Are there people turned off by the visual? Sure. But, in the subset of craft beer drinkers, I'd bet far more are now drawn to it than repelled by it. There's a reason some of the brewers are trying to get that look, right? Do you think they're trying to turn off the majority of craft beer drinkers?

Well said. Cheers

 

[DatsyukianDeke]

Reminds me of SHock Tops Strawbanero Wheat. Lord that was disgusting "beer".

 

[ApolloSimcoe]

Of course, I live in Montana, where the signs at the state line read “Welcome to Montana! Set your clocks back 25 years”. We’re, admittedly, a little slow to pick up on trends.

On my way!

 

[rodwha]

The original hazy IPAs were not intentionally hazy. In fact, they tried hard to get the same flavor but in a clear beer and eventually realized you can't. They encouraged consumers to drink from the can. As the style got popular, I'm sure there are brewers (pro and home) that focus on the haze. The good ones know you don't have to work to get the haze and that you wouldn't want to.

Just because there are crappy brewers out there abusing the style doesn't mean the style isn't good. Are there people turned off by the visual? Sure. But, in the subset of craft beer drinkers, I'd bet far more are now drawn to it than repelled by it. There's a reason some of the brewers are trying to get that look, right? Do you think they're trying to turn off the majority of craft beer drinkers?

I never said the style wasn’t good. I said I completely understand the desire to have a minimal bitterness. And the typical citrusy/fruity hop flavors are great. I just don’t understand the desire to make it a cloudy beer. I’m not sure how this isn’t intentional. It’s not hard to reduce the bittering charge and use those types of hops. It would become the same thing without the cloudiness. It’s how I’ve been brewing my IPAs for years now. My comment as to turning people off is in conjunction to the chunky stuff floating in the example I had. And they aren’t a crappy brewery per se. They have some excellent beers, though they also have a few that seem to miss the mark miserably in my opinion.

 

[rodwha]

I can see how casual beer drinkers with no hands on knowledge about making beer can be turned off by a not clear product but how anyone that actually makes there own beer and understands what's in a hazy beer gets all hung up on it is a mystery too me lol. Cheers

I’m not hung up on the style being cloudy. The fact that it’s like that isn’t a turn off as I know it’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are many styles of beer that are just that way, some of which I brew myself. But not everyone is knowledgeable and the sight of a murky beer has no doubt turned some people away. And because of that I don’t see why one would make it that way intentionally when it doesn’t have to be that way, which why I wondered if the idea was to make it look something like a citrusy/fruity drink like orange or pineapple juice.

Now chunky beers I am hung up on.

 

[Blazinlow86]

I’m not hung up on the style being cloudy. The fact that it’s like that isn’t a turn off as I know it’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are many styles of beer that are just that way, some of which I brew myself. But not everyone is knowledgeable and the sight of a murky beer has no doubt turned some people away. And because of that I don’t see why one would make it that way intentionally when it doesn’t have to be that way, which why I wondered if the idea was to make it look something like a citrusy/fruity drink like orange or pineapple juice.

Now chunky beers I am hung up on.

I agree the beer you posted the pic of looked nasty and I wouldnt drink it. It also looks nothing like a milkshake ipa. While the less knowledgeable drinkers might be turned off by hazy why would the breweries care. There customers are the ones that prefer hazy beers and they have lineups down the block because of the hazy beers. If they stopped making hazy beers there customers will go elsewhere in search of hazy beers and the uniformed will keep drinking generic anyway. I don't understand your point. It's like your saying you don't understand why a really successful sushi restaurant doesn't switch to making tacos in order to please the people that don't like the look of sushi and prefer tacos? Cheers

 

[rodwha]

To each their own I suppose, though I have to disagree with your analogy. Aesthetics and sushi vs tacos seems to be a right turn.

So are you thinking that were these popular hazy IPAs identical in every way except clearer that they wouldn’t sell, that people would go elsewhere because it not only needs to taste great, but also needs to be cloudy?

I drank that beer right up to about the last 2 oz or so which was just a pool of yeast and possibly puréed strawberries. Just couldn’t stomach it.

I’m still curious what you think of Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, assuming you can get it where you are.

 

[Blazinlow86]

To each their own I suppose, though I have to disagree with your analogy. Aesthetics and sushi vs tacos seems to be a right turn.

So are you thinking that were these popular hazy IPAs identical in every way except clearer that they wouldn’t sell, that people would go elsewhere because it not only needs to taste great, but also needs to be cloudy?

I drank that beer right up to about the last 2 oz or so which was just a pool of yeast and possibly puréed strawberries. Just couldn’t stomach it.

I’m still curious what you think of Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, assuming you can get it where you are.

All I'm saying is why fix what currently is not broken. Hazy beers are currently the top selling so beer so leave it be. Theres plenty of clear beers to choose from if you don't like them. Ive had fresh squeezed before and as far as I remeber it was ok for a beer I bought at Target for considerably less than what I usually pay. I don't want debate the hazy thing anymore so I'm out of this one. Cheers

 

[InspectorJon]

Maybe I can restate the question. Is it possible to make a beer that has the flavor and mouth feel of the hazy craze beers without the haze? Personally I like the hazy juicy style. Can we get the flavors and feel without the haze or is it a side effect of what it takes to get there?

 

[Blazinlow86]

Maybe I can restate the question. Is it possible to make a beer that has the flavor and mouth feel of the hazy craze beers without the haze? Personally I like the hazy juicy style. Can we get the flavors and feel without the haze or is it a side effect of what it takes to get there?

Anything's possible I guess and only the future will tell. When I make neipas literally the only difference from my regular ipas is I use flaked oats/wheat and add alot of pricey nz hops at different times. I do nothing to purposely make a hazy beer. Cheers

 

[day_trippr]

Maybe I can restate the question. Is it possible to make a beer that has the flavor and mouth feel of the hazy craze beers without the haze? Personally I like the hazy juicy style. Can we get the flavors and feel without the haze or is it a side effect of what it takes to get there?

The Alchemist did it for years - the original style is around 20 years old now and I assure you it never looked murky...

Cheers!

 

[Iseneye]

Why do people like hazy IPAs thread number 169.

 

[day_trippr]

True, it's been done to death...

 

[Blazinlow86]

True, it's been done to death...

Awwws no fair I was gonna use that next time on my final final last post lol. Cheers

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I never said the style wasn’t good. I said I completely understand the desire to have a minimal bitterness. And the typical citrusy/fruity hop flavors are great. I just don’t understand the desire to make it a cloudy beer. I’m not sure how this isn’t intentional. It’s not hard to reduce the bittering charge and use those types of hops. It would become the same thing without the cloudiness. It’s how I’ve been brewing my IPAs for years now. My comment as to turning people off is in conjunction to the chunky stuff floating in the example I had. And they aren’t a crappy brewery per se. They have some excellent beers, though they also have a few that seem to miss the mark miserably in my opinion.

If you can brew a clear beer with the same intense flavor, mouthfeel and juiciness as a top tier NEIPA you've found the holy grail and surpassed some truly great and innovative brewers. It's not just lower bitterness.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

To each their own I suppose, though I have to disagree with your analogy. Aesthetics and sushi vs tacos seems to be a right turn.

So are you thinking that were these popular hazy IPAs identical in every way except clearer that they wouldn’t sell, that people would go elsewhere because it not only needs to taste great, but also needs to be cloudy?

I drank that beer right up to about the last 2 oz or so which was just a pool of yeast and possibly puréed strawberries. Just couldn’t stomach it.

I’m still curious what you think of Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA, assuming you can get it where you are.

While fresh squeezed is a good IPA, it's not even remotely close to the good NEIPAs out there. If you think it's the same only clear, either you haven't had a good NEIPA or your palate is dead.

 

[rodwha]

While fresh squeezed is a good IPA, it's not even remotely close to the good NEIPAs out there. If you think it's the same only clear, either you haven't had a good NEIPA or your palate is dead.

Nope. Never implied it was the same yet clear.

 

[rodwha]

If you can brew a clear beer with the same intense flavor, mouthfeel and juiciness as a top tier NEIPA you've found the holy grail and surpassed some truly great and innovative brewers. It's not just lower bitterness.

Not sure exactly what style Heady Topper is but it was stated to be all that but clear.

And, yes, I know it’s more than just lowered bitterness.

 

[day_trippr]

Not sure exactly what style Heady Topper is but it was stated to be all that but clear.

And, yes, I know it’s more than just lowered bitterness.

Not "clear", but not murky, or opaque a la milkshake style. It has a modest hop haze...

Cheers!

 

[Saunassa]

If you can brew a clear beer with the same intense flavor, mouthfeel and juiciness as a top tier NEIPA you've found the holy grail and surpassed some truly great and innovative brewers. It's not just lower bitterness.

A brewery up here in northern Minnesota put a Juicy IPA maybe had neipa in the name, dont recall. Oh my, nice and flavorful, actually could taste the fruity hops and all with low bitterness and none of the milkshake look. Just what looked like chill haze and people near me were commenting on how nice it was NOT to have it all murky looking.

 

[jimmypop13]

If you can brew a clear beer with the same intense flavor, mouthfeel and juiciness as a top tier NEIPA you've found the holy grail and surpassed some truly great and innovative brewers. It's not just lower bitterness.

There is a brewery here in Texas called Lone Pint that I feel has achieved something like this. They use one malt and one hop but it has low to no bitterness and a ton of malt and hop flavor. Mouth feel is dead on too. They just call it a smash beer but it tastes like what I think a NEIPA should and blows the doors off all the ones I've had. I'd love to have someone like a bjcp judge compare to a neipa

 

[jimmypop13]

The beer/wine manager at my grocery store raved about this local strawberry milkshake IPA. I was a bit hesitant and found a single to try.

The beer is ok. To me, nothing to rave about, but the aesthetics are horrible. I don’t understand the desire to have a yeast chunky beer.

This is the beer after 27 mins:



As an aside I also don’t understand the desire to have a hazy IPA such as the Juicy/Hazy/NEIPA style. What does that look add? Now were you to speak of the lack of bitterness the style has I’d wholeheartedly agree. And to be fair that look isn’t offputting as a chunky beer is. I just don’t get the why.

Honestly this beer just looks like it's sat too long and got oxidized. I've bought several beers that unfortunately say on shelves too long that werent NEIPA's and they developed these chunky floaters

 

[InspectorJon]

There is a brewery here in Texas called Lone Pint that I feel has achieved something like this. They use one malt and one hop but it has low to no bitterness and a ton of malt and hop flavor. Mouth feel is dead on too. They just call it a smash beer but it tastes like what I think a NEIPA should and blows the doors off all the ones I've had. I'd love to have someone like a bjcp judge compare to a neipa

If you are talking about Yellow Rose, it is an awesome, delicious beer with some haze to it. It is not what I would consider a NEIPA. It is an unfiltered, dry hopped mosaic/pilsner SMaSH. I'm not sure where the haze comes from, dry hopping I guess but definitely not a NEIPA.