Newbie again: why clarity?

[berriesandmead]

Is clarity important for taste?
Or is it just an aesthetic issue?

 

[Miraculix]

Yeast can ruin the taste and turbidity is usually caused by yeast so yes, clarity is also good for the taste.

 

[Velnerj]

We drink with our eyes first. Though there are a number of causes for cloudiness in a beer, some of them don't seem to impact flavor as much. However our eyes can trick us into thinking that this muddied beer will taste less superior than a clear one.

Though I've had my share of bad clear beers too.

Another thing to think about is sharing your beer. To the uninitiated your cloudy hooch beer may be a big turn off as they've only ever had clear beer before.

 

[CKuhns]

I prefer a crystal clear Mead - Its just prettier. in the glass.

But that aside I agree a cloudy mead does taste different than a clear one. I personally prefer the clear, my adult children prefer a cloudy. You will get some sediment in the bottle even after clarifying and it appears very clear (unless you filter) the "kids" just shake it a little before pouring it up where I just decant it.

I would suggest you try both and see what suits you.

 

[jdauria]

Because appreciating beer is more than just how it tastes. Would you rather drink a muddy looking, in this case, California Common, or a beautiful looking one like this?

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi berriesnd mead - and welcome.
Part of the drinking experience is the way the wine FEELS in your mouth. How viscous is it? How smooth is it? And cloudiness CAN mean that the particulates that are causing light to be absorbed by the wine and not allowed to travel through the wine are large enough to feel on your tongue. Those particles can be proteins, tannin, pieces of fruit or yeast. Can those particles spoil your enjoyment of the wine? I guess if all you want is to feel a buzz from an overly high ABV wine then they might not, but if what you are looking for is a mouthful of wine that is so pleasurable in and of itself that it compels you to take another mouthful then , in my opinion, you want to avoid cloudiness. In any event, I would argue that a wine that is not bright and clear is a sign of poor wine making and I say that as someone who has one gallon of dandelion wine ready to bottle and a second gallon made at the same time from the same harvest of flowers that is still not bright and clear enough to consider bottling...