What are your thoughts on beer clarity?

[TheRedDarren]

I was just wondering what your thoughts were on how clear your pint is?
I recently discovered I'm not all that bothered... I was in the Hop Bunker in Cardiff, a small craft beer bar, and was making my way through the AIPA's when the lovely chap behind the bar pulled me one from the local brewery HopCraft. Cloudy as you like, with bits floating in it. It's was because they had dry hopped the cask. I realised that I'm not massively bothered if my pint isn't crystal clear.
My grandad on the other hand said the mark of a good pint is how clear it is.

If you were to be served a cloudy pint in a bar, maybe a craft beer bar, would you be happy with it?

 

[cheapbrew]

It depends on the style of beer, but as long as there are no floaty bits I would accept a cloudy pint if it tastes good, my mate has a different guest beer when we go for a drink and he always gives me a little taster, I haven't tasted any that were bad, just some I like more than others.

 

[HisDudeness]

I think its a bit of a hazy subject.... Sorry couldn't help myself!

Seriously though, my personal opinion is it depends on the context. Cask Ales which are kept well should (and normally taste better for it) be clear. For AIPAs, APAs and the like its not as clear cut lots of them will be a bit cloudy because of ingredients and production methods used, however you still get the occasional pea souper thats just wrong. So I guess for cask ales I would be more inclined to send it back if its served cloudy whereas 'craft' beers I'm more inclined to reserve judgement until I give it a taste.

 

[pms67]

I actually like a cloudy pint but im quite strange anyway.
The clarity doesn't bother me.

 

[MyQul]

I'm like most people here, a cloudy pint doesn't bother me. But having said that I do find I get a sense of satisfaction if my beer comes out crystal clear. I generally try to leave it to condion for six weeks, so 'everything' drops out anyway to leave my beer clear

 

[TheRedDarren]

I'm really battling with chill haze! It's doing my swede in.
I'm not bothered if it's cloudy with hops etc but for some reason chill haze makes me sad!
I'm wondering whether to add gelatin after a cold crash, but worried about stripping out flavour.

@MyQul do you find six weeks is a pivotal moment in conditioning?

 

[MyQul]

I'm really battling with chill haze! It's doing my swede in.
I'm not bothered if it's cloudy with hops etc but for some reason chill haze makes me sad!
I'm wondering whether to add gelatin after a cold crash, but worried about stripping out flavour.

@MyQul do you find six weeks is a pivotal moment in conditioning?

Tbh I've not noticed the pivotal period when it's clear even if you chill it. The six weeks comes from when I find my ales are at there best flavour wise (or staring to get there best,in particular the dark ones). I'ts just that after six weeks I also notice that I no longer get chill haze if I put my beer in the fridge

 

[GHW]

Depends if it's meant to be cloudy. If I get a pint in a pub that I would expect to be clear I'll still taste it before assuming it's going to be 'off' (whatever that means).

Most of my own clear pretty well but I'm really not that bothered if they don't.

The wylam cascade I was raving about recently was like cloudy apple juice in appearance but tasted divine

 

[geetee]

Depends if it's meant to be cloudy. If I get a pint in a pub that I would expect to be clear I'll still taste it before assuming it's going to be 'off' (whatever that means).

Most of my own clear pretty well but I'm really not that bothered if they don't.

The wylam cascade I was raving about recently was like cloudy apple juice in appearance but tasted divine

I personally prefer beer very clear just because that's the way I make it and if it is not clear there must be a reason for that. In some pubs they do have unfined beer and I can accept there is no difference in taste however without it being labeled as unfined it puts doubt in my mind.

I had a pint in a bar from a local brewery that does not fine and it was like soup, next day the same beer was clear as could be so my assumption is it is badly handled. Beer will also go cloudy with age so the problem then becomes it is fresh and mishandled, deliberately unfined and cloudy or well past its best. That's the only reason that I prefer nice clear beer just like I make.

 

[LarryF]

Not bothered to drink it although if I'm out and a pint's cloudy it does raise questions. As of late though I seem to be going through a cloudy phase and had a couple on the bounce that didn't clear, but thems the breaks, hot or cold (sorry, couldn't resist it). With all that said it is nice to hold one your own beers up to the light and see it's crystal clear with the carbonation bubbles rising up through the beer, or I could just stick to brewing stouts and it's all a moot point.

 

[ManseMasher]

Pewter tankard solves all ills....