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Author Topic: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?  (Read 7686 times)

Offline el_capitan

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #30 on: January 20, 2014, 07:45:51 pm »
I used to sit around and say, "Eh, clarity and color is overrated.  As long as it tastes good I don't care what it looks like."  Those were the days of concentrated extract boils. 

Then I moved on to AG brewing, full volume boils and kegging.  If you ask me, one of the greatest benefits of kegging is that the beer gets extended cold conditioning and drops incredibly clear. 

Now I spend a heck of a lot of time holding my glass up to the light and admiring the beauty.  And then I make my wife admire it with me.  Hah!  Too bad she doesn't drink beer - I have to appreciate it even more for the both of us. 

Bright beer is a beautiful thing! 

Offline tommymorris

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #31 on: January 20, 2014, 07:56:10 pm »

And then I make my wife admire it with me.  Hah!  Too bad she doesn't drink beer - I have to appreciate it even more for the both of us.

Sounds like my house.

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #32 on: January 20, 2014, 08:04:52 pm »
I like clarity when it should be there, but I'm glad it's only one point of 50. That there tells me that in the eye of the general public, its overrated. Too highly valued might be a better term.

Offline Jeff M

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #33 on: January 20, 2014, 08:19:44 pm »
I like clarity when it should be there, but I'm glad it's only one point of 50. That there tells me that in the eye of the general public, its overrated. Too highly valued might be a better term.

So thats according to the BJCP guidelines.  I wonder how the Pro-brewer comps would react to it, they are obviously 2 different animals.
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #34 on: January 20, 2014, 09:25:45 pm »
I suppose I may be more critical of a commercial variety, expecting filtering. Bottle conditioned not so much.

Offline el_capitan

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #35 on: January 20, 2014, 09:39:27 pm »
I have a hard time relating to all the talk about points when it comes to evaluating beer.  I don't enter comps.  I brew beer for personal enjoyment and to share with a select group of friends and family. 

I realize that this is an AHA forum, and therefore many of you are big into competition, but I think there's a lot more to brewing than racking up points. 

I guess I'm just really into beer.  Not the scores, not the intoxication, just the extreme pleasure of creating and enjoying awesome beer.  Kind of ties into the "5 greatest beers" thread. 

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #36 on: January 20, 2014, 10:02:24 pm »
I have agreed with that until recently. I'm not into medals and such, so much as just trying to learn more and improve my beer. But I don't remotely think its required, nor do I think it makes you an authority figure by default.

Offline theoman

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #37 on: January 21, 2014, 07:55:39 am »
I'm trying to remember where I recently read a rant claiming that cloudy beers taste better. I can't find it, but these guys do have a few things to say about it: http://moorbeer.co.uk/unfined-beer/

They make the point (and they make damn good beer) that it's a matter modernizing our view of what makes beer good. Anybody can add fining agents, but why?

Offline BrewingRover

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #38 on: January 21, 2014, 08:13:34 am »
I'm trying to remember where I recently read a rant claiming that cloudy beers taste better. I can't find it, but these guys do have a few things to say about it: http://moorbeer.co.uk/unfined-beer/

They make the point (and they make damn good beer) that it's a matter modernizing our view of what makes beer good. Anybody can add fining agents, but why?

Interesting piece, I've been thinking about English beers while reading this thread. They're definitely swimming against the tide in England, though.
It's such a fine line between stupid and clever.

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #39 on: January 21, 2014, 08:21:20 am »
They make the point (and they make damn good beer) that it's a matter modernizing our view of what makes beer good. Anybody can add fining agents, but why?

I use gelatin to knock the yeast out of stubborn beers that won't clear.  I've found that certain strains do not like to clear when repitched, or at least they don't for me.

If modernizing my view means drinking yeasty cloudy beer, no thanks.  A little bit of haze or yeast, sure, but I like clear beer even in stouts and porters and other traditionally English styles.
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Offline beersk

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #40 on: January 21, 2014, 06:12:07 pm »
Clarity in ales? Yes. And to those suspect of hoppy beers that are clear: Pliny the Elder. Enough said.
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Offline Wheat_Brewer

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #41 on: January 22, 2014, 08:44:18 am »
I think since so many people judge the quality of my beer by looking at before they ever smell/taste my beer it's a very nice thing to have it clear if that's the style of the beer. I've always had people say they liked my beer even if it turns out a little hazy...but so many of us "taste with our eyes" so I go the extra mile for an eye appealing beer.
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Offline jeffy

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #42 on: January 22, 2014, 09:20:48 am »
One thing I have noticed is that a beer judge will tend to put the glass under his nose first, while a pro brewer or mead judge will hold the glass up and examine it with his eyes first.  It's more important to the pros that the beer has good clarity.
I don't like my homebrews to be cloudy.  It makes me think there's something wrong.  Of course as mentioned, a little haze from hops is not so bad, but the clearer the better for me.
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Offline AmandaK

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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #43 on: January 22, 2014, 10:13:31 am »
And then I make my wife admire it with me.  Hah!  Too bad she doesn't drink beer - I have to appreciate it even more for the both of us.

Sounds like my house.

My house consists more of one of us pouring a beer (in the proper glass), talking about what we like/don't like, how we would/wouldn't change anything, and if it's really pretty: taking a picture of it. So I guess clarity is important over here.  8)
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Re: Any of you feel that clarity is overrated (ales)?
« Reply #44 on: January 22, 2014, 08:52:07 pm »
I currently have a DIPA brewed exactly one month ago that has exceptional clarity and tastes damn good. It's the Heady Topper clone from October BYO except I added more late and dry hops to bring the total to a full pound of hops in 5 gallons. My conclusion: hop haze is nothing but an excuse for not caring about clarity.