What is the big deal with.....

[redrocker652002]

Clear beer? I have made ale's and Ipa's (not hazy) and have had them when they still had a bit of a haze to them. They did not seem to taste any different to me and seemed like good beer. I see a lot of folks here saying how clear their beers are and I really don't understand it. I am not trying to be a wise guy here, just trying to understand what the big deal is. Any input, and again, not trying to be a wise ass or start an argument, is welcomed to help educate me on this topic.

Mods feel free to move this if I posted it in the wrong place. I was not really sure where it should go.

 

[Broken Crow]

It's probably one of those 'You do you' things, but my perspective is that until the hazy fad came along and brewers actually produced palatable hazy beer, "Hazy" was usually used to describe "Lazy" or at least 'impatient'.
While I occasionally enjoy a hazy, I don't enjoy them enough to brew one myself or keep in my fridge. Most of the pursuit has to do with non-hazy styles and keeping the protiens down and giving it enough time to clear because with most traditional styles, laziness or impatience can have you drinking a beer that is 'less than it could be' if you'd just taken the time.

 

[doug293cz]

I think it's mostly about aesthetics. They just look prettier.

Brew on

 

[Willy]

Clear beer? I have made ale's and Ipa's (not hazy) and have had them when they still had a bit of a haze to them. They did not seem to taste any different to me and seemed like good beer. I see a lot of folks here saying how clear their beers are and I really don't understand it. I am not trying to be a wise guy here, just trying to understand what the big deal is. Any input, and again, not trying to be a wise ass or start an argument, is welcomed to help educate me on this topic.

Mods feel free to move this if I posted it in the wrong place. I was not really sure where it should go.

For me - the cool associated with clear beer and reasons why I am happy with clear beer.
1) the recipe calls for crystal clear
2) the look is awesome. Like a clean aquarium with fish. Good thing.
3) it looks more "pro" / commercial and less hobby beer.

But if I want a NEIPA - it should be cloudy and I can do that too. Personally I prefer I clean looking English blonde IPA and I make more of that style for a higher ABV ale.

Yes. I am shallow. We already know that but those are my reasons.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Clear beer? I have made ale's and Ipa's (not hazy) and have had them when they still had a bit of a haze to them. They did not seem to taste any different to me and seemed like good beer. I see a lot of folks here saying how clear their beers are and I really don't understand it. I am not trying to be a wise guy here, just trying to understand what the big deal is. Any input, and again, not trying to be a wise ass or start an argument, is welcomed to help educate me on this topic.

Mods feel free to move this if I posted it in the wrong place. I was not really sure where it should go.

Would you drink a cloudy Pilsner or in the UK a cloudy bitter, absolutely not. For me IPA, and Pale Ales should be clear, but certain wheat beers can be a bit cloudy like Hoegaarden.

 

[Broothru]

I think it's mostly about aesthetics. They just look prettier.

Brew on

And pretty girls get taken out more often.

 

[MograhmDeadbraid]

I think Clear versus Hazy is like a Red Ferrari 308 versus a Black Ferrari 308. Both look awesome. Just some people prefer red over black. Doesn't mean one is faster or cooler looking.

 

[Kickass]

I don’t sweat a cloudy beer but I sure get giddy when I pour a perfectly translucent beer.

Some say you eat with your eyes, I say you drink with your eyes.

 

[day_trippr]

Well, ok, but when I see one of @Dgallo's hazies I just want to dive right in the glass with my mouth wide open

Cheers!

 

[redrocker652002]

Great answers guys, thanks. I am of the idea that if the beer is good, then clear or hazy I don't much care. But, with that said, I don't refuse the idea that a clear beer looks better. I think they do. Anyway, thanks to all who replied.

 

[passedpawn]

Don't EVER end a thread title with an ellipsis.

 

[Halfakneecap]

I dont need beers to be super bright, but i dont want to drink dirty river water murky. Somewhere in between is fine for me. I need to be able to see through the glass but, thats about it. Maybe lagers i like crystal clear but they usually end up that way anyway. Ales im ok if not crystal clear.

Related, but i find the biggest effect on clarity for me is yeast strain. S189 always gives me crystal clear beers, and also WLP029.

Come to think of it, my rice lagers ( i do a few every summer ) pretty much always clear quickly.


Recently tried S23 and apart from being really good flavour wise, clarity was excellent fairly quickly. Only one batch though so maybe lucky. It was also a rice lager

 

[worlddivides]

When a beer should be crystal clear, I want it to be crystal clear. I tend to do a lot to get it that way. Whirlfloc, cooling my wort down as quick as I can with the specific methods I have available to me, cold crashing for styles where you can see through the beer (I don't tend to cold crash stouts, for example), and using gelatin in the keg. That said, I really like wheat, so beers where I use a certain percentage of wheat are going to be clear in regards to not having any yeast in suspension but they might have a bit of haze from the protein of the wheat. It just depends on the style. I'm certainly not going to dislike a beer being a bit hazy if it's supposed to be hazy (whatever the reason).

 

[redrocker652002]

Don't EVER end a thread title with an ellipsis.

I have no idea what that means and if you are serious I appologize, won't happen again. Well, I really cannot promise that.

 

[madscientist451]

Would you drink a cloudy Pilsner or in the UK a cloudy bitter, absolutely not. For me IPA, and Pale Ales should be clear, but certain wheat beers can be a bit cloudy like Hoegaarden.

Kellerbier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellerbier#/media/File:Eichbaum_Kellerbier_2007_just_beer.jpg

 

[Dgallo]

My argument would be that beer should represent the style that is being brewed a hazy Neipa should be hazy and a Pilsner should be brilliant. I used to not care and say “well it taste the same” but the longer I’m in this hobby I try to brew everything by style guidelines.

That said both hazy and clear beers look great to me. Here is my recent hazy ipa and last years picture of my cz Pilsner

 

[scrap iron]

I reason for me wanting clear beers is not only looking good but lasting longer. I don't drink as much as when I was younger so I want them to last 2-3 months in the serving keg.
The lagers I brew get the low oxygen treatment and I take care to reduce trub and break material going into the FV. The ales don't all get LO treatment but I do reduce trub and break.
This seems to extend the life of the beers in my experience.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

I don’t sweat a cloudy beer but I sure get giddy when I pour a perfectly translucent beer.

Some say you eat with your eyes, I say you drink with your eyes.

Bingo! That’s exactly where I am at. When I get a good clear beer, I serve in clear glass mugs. When I have one that is not so clear, I just serve in ceramic mugs, or a a good chilled frosty mug.

 

[Dgallo]

I reason for me wanting clear beers is not only looking good but lasting longer. I don't drink as much as when I was younger so I want them to last 2-3 months in the serving keg.
The lagers I brew get the low oxygen treatment and I take care to reduce trub and break material going into the FV. The ales don't all get LO treatment but I do reduce trub and break.
This seems to extend the life of the beers in my experience.

if you have the capability to be LO, I would suggest brewing ales with that set up and process as well. You’ll be surprised how much nuances of your beers were masked due to o2 pick up. I brew all styles with cold sides LO practices and close transfers/pouring vessels and it’s made a pretty significant difference in the final product

 

[MaxStout]

Don't EVER end a thread title with an ellipsis...

ftfy

 

[Bobby_M]

Aesthetics account for something, for some people, in all areas of life. There are people who don't ever repaint their walls in several decades and they're fine with it. People drive cars with perpetual dents and peeling clearcoat, even if they have the money to do "better". Some value aesthetics more than others do.

Some styles of beer have traditionally been brilliantly clear like most lagers. When they are hazy, they are flawed in the traditional sense.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I reason for me wanting clear beers is not only looking good but lasting longer. I don't drink as much as when I was younger so I want them to last 2-3 months in the serving keg.
The lagers I brew get the low oxygen treatment and I take care to reduce trub and break material going into the FV. The ales don't all get LO treatment but I do reduce trub and break.
This seems to extend the life of the beers in my experience.

During your boil, adding Irish Moss at the end will help settle out particulates before going to the fermenter.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I reason for me wanting clear beers is not only looking good but lasting longer. I don't drink as much as when I was younger so I want them to last 2-3 months in the serving keg.
The lagers I brew get the low oxygen treatment and I take care to reduce trub and break material going into the FV. The ales don't all get LO treatment but I do reduce trub and break.
This seems to extend the life of the beers in my experience.

Trub and break material is going to settle out during fermentation. Brewers tend to leave their beer in the fermenter longer after fermentation has slowed or stopped. Left alone it can sit several weeks.

Beer in a serving keg for 2-3 months will normally clear up a lot, keeping it cold will benefit it too.

 

[Broothru]

My argument would be that beer should represent the style that is being brewed a hazy Neipa should be hazy and a Pilsner should be brilliant. I used to not care and say “well it taste the same” but the longer I’m in this hobby I try to brew everything by style guidelines.

That said both hazy and clear beers look great to me. Here is my recent hazy ipa and last years picture of my cz Pilsner View attachment 864530View attachment 864531

That second pic is absolutely beautiful!

The first one with the orange juice is O.K. as well, but why’d you top it with whipped cream?

Clear beer rocks!

 

[day_trippr]

We really need an eye-roll emoji "Like" option

 

[Bobby_M]

One thing I didn't write earlier is that there is a very good chance that the flavor is noticeably different between a beer that is still hazy but WOULD clear given a little more cold conditioning time. If you always pound the beer in the hazy state and call it good, you won't have the benefit of knowing if the clear version of it was better or not.

 

[kevin58]

To piggyback on what Bobby said ( If you always pound the beer in the hazy state and call it good, you won't have the benefit of knowing if the clear version of it was better or not.) You sometimes will run across a comment from someone who's keg just kicked saying that the last pour was the best of the batch. That is because it spent more time conditioning in the keg. Almost any beer will benefit (both in flavor and clarity) from giving it some extra time aging/conditioning before serving.

 

[mac_1103]

You sometimes will run across a comment from someone who's keg just kicked saying that the last pour was the best of the batch. That is because it spent more time conditioning in the keg.

I've never brewed a lager, but some of my lighter ales definitely seem to benefit from lagering.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

One thing I didn't write earlier is that there is a very good chance that the flavor is noticeably different between a beer that is still hazy but WOULD clear given a little more cold conditioning time. If you always pound the beer in the hazy state and call it good, you won't have the benefit of knowing if the clear version of it was better or not.

Great point, as beer ages the flavor changes too. Sometimes not better either.

 

[Knightshade]

Great point, as beer ages the flavor changes too. Sometimes not better either.

100% this. I’ve had a beer clear and thought…hmmm, I liked it better when it was murky. Granted, it had been sitting in the keg for awhile too..

So take aways were to drink faster, or shake up the keg before serving.

Maybe not so much the second thing tho.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

100% this. I’ve had a beer clear and thought…hmmm, I liked it better when it was murky. Granted, it had been sitting in the keg for awhile too..

So take aways were to drink faster, or shake up the keg before serving.

Maybe not so much the second thing tho.

Some people go to great lengths to have clear beer, but it's not always necessary. Other than entering in competition I don't see a big need.

 

[Yesfan]

Personal preference for me. With the right glass, a clear beer can be a beautiful beer!

 

[Knightshade]

Some people go to great lengths to have clear beer, but it's not always necessary. Other than entering in competition I don't see a big need.

Sorry..I actually meant it tasted better. Taste changing and the associated clearing was largely based on it probably being old. Hence, just gotta drink it quicker.

I've made a lager a couple of times, I definitely get a kick out of watching it pour out crystal clear so I do get it!!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Yup, bottom line, just enjoy the beer!

 

[redrocker652002]

Some people go to great lengths to have clear beer, but it's not always necessary. Other than entering in competition I don't see a big need.

That is exactly how I feel about it. I see people obsessing over the fact that their beer is not crystal clear and I think, "OK, but is it good?" LOL. Of course as I have said many times, I am no pro or even a novice, so take what I say for what it is worth, not much in most cases. LOL

 

[redrocker652002]

Yup, bottom line, just enjoy the beer!

For the win!!!!!!!!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

That is exactly how I feel about it. I see people obsessing over the fact that their beer is not crystal clear and I think, "OK, but is it good?" LOL. Of course as I have said many times, I am no pro or even a novice, so take what I say for what it is worth, not much in most cases. LOL

You don't give yourself enough credit. It's all personal preference.