Make IPA Clear Again

Yakima 728
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NeoBrew said:
Just for the record, Hazy is not an IPA or an American Pale Ale. :p
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That's odd, my copy of the BJCP 2021 guidelines has an entry "21C Hazy IPA".
I don't really care one way or another, it's just fun looking-up stuff and finding it.
I consider Hazy to be the "fault" of the brewer. :yes:

(let'r rip...)
 
I don't, never gave, and never will, get the factionalism over hazy IPA. I don't like hazies completely devoid of bitterness, because they're unbalanced and lacking good structure, but I enjoy a well made one and don't see the haze as fault any more than I would in a wheat beer. I brew both styles but I'd say I'm better at WC and English IPAs than I am hazies.

Live, let live, and let people like the things they like.
 
day_trippr said:
Zzzzzzzz....
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Alright, dude, come on, knock it off with that. Go over to the "Sippy Cup, beer for kids" thread and hang out. NEIPAs have drifted so far away from their creator that's gotten to the point where it's not even trying to taste like beer much less look like it. If they still all looked and tasted like Heady Topper, I might still be into them.
 
beersk said:
Alright, dude, come on, knock it off with that. Go over to the "Sippy Cup, beer for kids" thread and hang out. NEIPAs have drifted so far away from their creator that's gotten to the point where it's not even trying to taste like beer much less look like it. If they still all looked and tasted like Heady Topper, I might still be into them.
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It's funny. Heady Topper really is far removed from NEIPA by today's standards. To me its more of an unfiltered DIPA at this point. Bitter and Dank.

Still delicious.
 
JoeSpartaNJ said:
It's funny. Heady Topper really is far removed from NEIPA by today's standards. To me its more of an unfiltered DIPA at this point. Bitter and Dank.

Still delicious.
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But the point is, that's where it all started. Until some dip (Treehouse? Trillium?) got the idea in his head that making a beer look and taste like orange juice was a good idea. It's beer for people who don't want their beer to taste like beer but instead fruit juice. I liked it in the beginning but it's gotten ridiculous. I'm just so glad that the fad is fading and there's far fewer NEIPAs on tap lists now than there used to be.

But, one cannot ignore that, with the trend to making beers hazier and hoppier, that brewing practices did improve surrounding oxygen mitigation on the cold side and maybe even the hot side.

Edit: Actually, you know what? I didn't like it in the beginning. I remember back in 2010 or so, being from Iowa, we got Toppling Goliath on tap in our local bars (you know, before they got super inflated heads and became *********), and Golden Nugget was my favorite beer. Guess what, it was CLEAR. Pseudo Sue, however, was not clear and I always thought there was something wrong with the brewing water, like their water chemistry was off creating a cloudy beer. Never liked the flavor, thought it tasted funky, never liked the haziness of it. Then years later, had some Trillium, really liked it, then the nationwide haze craze happened years later, and I just said, What. Is. Happening... After that children took over.
 
I am not a huge fan of hazies. I don't brew them or seek them out, but I don't entirely avoid them either. I've had more than a few over the years and can honestly say never one that tasted like orange juice. There are plenty produced by the craft brewers in my area and again, while not exactly my favorites they also do not offend me.

Some of the hate in this thread is ridiculously over the top. Maybe people having temper tantrums shouldn't be calling other people children.

Drink what you like. Let other people drink what they like. It's not hard.
 
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day_trippr said:
Still feels the need to attack others though :rolleyes:
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Yep. When you persistently say clear IPA is tiresome and boring, I do. And I'll argue it like I did when the Pacific Northwest tried to claim black IPA as a style they invented and called it "Cascadian Dark Ale" or CDA or as I always called it "Crossdressing Amateurs". No, it's an IPA that's black. Get over it. There's oxymorons everywhere, but everyone decided black IPA was the battle they wanted to fight.
 
DevilsCups said:
Holy hell dawgs, let's remember that beer is supposed to be fun.
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No, let's argue and fight over it! 😂

My best guess is that NEIPA is generally considered a wannabe-cool trend. Recently forums have been flooded with homebrewers telling everyone things like this: you must drink your beer within a week, only kegging is acceptable, hops are only for dry hopping, Voss Kveik is a neutral yeast, polyphenols and esters are bad, and all kind of tips, that in fact only belongs to NEIPA's territory. It makes me a little uncomfortable, and maybe made others too.
Surprise! There are other styles of beer.

You know, it's something like that, if my point isn't too hazy. 😂
 
mac_1103 said:
Pretty sure he's saying that the endless arguments about NEIPAs not being real beer are what is tiresome and boring.
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Ah, well, that could be. And if that's the case, I'm sorry. But dang it! Let's bicker and argue! 😅
 
My problem with the haze craze is not doing them well. I’ve never had Heady, Treehouse, or the like. TG is probably as good as it gets here. I did have Heretic’s Maja Haze and loved it. I’ve ordered cases of OH and they all are relatively the same. I do like those, but a good WC is fantastic. What I like about WC is they are different. Hazy kind of runs together here. Clear not clear doesn’t bother me. I like all IPA, I just happen to like WC best. I’ve tried so many bad hazy beers. My guess is I’d love Heady and Treehouse.
 
Treehouse has changed, but anyone could say that about any brewery that has grown tremendously. Heady has changed, too.

Effort is my main issue with West Coast IPA's from hyped breweries here on the East Coast. Most of them are half-assed attempts, as it's typically a brewery that specializes in NEIPA and does one to be trendy (which in itself is humorous to me). Most of the time they're just splitting hot-side NEIPA wort and pitching Chico and changing the hops up. They are usually under-bittered and just...half-assed.

For my taste, if you're looking for a good representation of NEIPA, you have to go New England local. I'm a big fan of what Freak Folk is doing up in Vermont. For West Coasts, like I said, most examples around here are mediocre. Pliny and Blind Pig are still my class examples of the style. By memory I was a huge fan of old Alpine and old Green Flash.
 
DevilsCups said:
Treehouse has changed, but anyone could say that about any brewery that has grown tremendously. Heady has changed, too.

Effort is my main issue with West Coast IPA's from hyped breweries here on the East Coast. Most of them are half-assed attempts, as it's typically a brewery that specializes in NEIPA and does one to be trendy (which in itself is humorous to me). Most of the time they're just splitting hot-side NEIPA wort and pitching Chico and changing the hops up. They are usually under-bittered and just...half-assed.

For my taste, if you're looking for a good representation of NEIPA, you have to go New England local. I'm a big fan of what Freak Folk is doing up in Vermont. For West Coasts, like I said, most examples around here are mediocre. Pliny and Blind Pig are still my class examples of the style. By memory I was a huge fan of old Alpine and old Green Flash.
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100% concur. It's like breweries got so focused on making beers "juicy" that they forgot how to brew West Coast IPAs and many are essentially more-clear NEIPAs. You can't just use the same hops in a clearer beer and call it a WCIPA and not hear from me about it! 😅 Don't brew a wheat beer with chico and call it a hefeweizen! If you catch my drift... This isn't Nam, there are rules!

And also, Pliny and Blind Pig rule!
 
beersk said:
Ah, well, that could be. And if that's the case, I'm sorry. But dang it! Let's bicker and argue! 😅
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That was exactly what I meant, and I see no point in trying to argue a highly popular beer style out of existence, or berate those who enjoy it. Life's too short for that.

Also, before hazies became a thing, all my IPAs were bright, including hundreds of gallons using my prolific home grown Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops. Still keep at least one bright IPA on tap at all times, but I usually keep three hazies going, as that's where the interest still is around here...

Cheers!
 
day_trippr said:
That was exactly what I meant, and I see no point in trying to argue a highly popular beer style out of existence, or berate those who enjoy it. Life's too short for that.

Also, before hazies became a thing, all my IPAs were bright, including hundreds of gallons using my prolific home grown Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops. Still keep at least one bright IPA on tap at all times, but I usually keep three hazies going, as that's where the interest still is around here...

Cheers!
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Own it, dude. Sorry for being a d*ck. Have you seen my avatar? 😅 That's no excuse...
 
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Hazy beer... the first beer!
 
DevilsCups said:
Treehouse has changed, but anyone could say that about any brewery that has grown tremendously. Heady has changed, too.

Effort is my main issue with West Coast IPA's from hyped breweries here on the East Coast. Most of them are half-assed attempts, as it's typically a brewery that specializes in NEIPA and does one to be trendy (which in itself is humorous to me). Most of the time they're just splitting hot-side NEIPA wort and pitching Chico and changing the hops up. They are usually under-bittered and just...half-assed.

For my taste, if you're looking for a good representation of NEIPA, you have to go New England local. I'm a big fan of what Freak Folk is doing up in Vermont. For West Coasts, like I said, most examples around here are mediocre. Pliny and Blind Pig are still my class examples of the style. By memory I was a huge fan of old Alpine and old Green Flash.
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The old Green Flash. Ahhh. The tooth enamel stripping hops that just eased into a long beautiful bitterness. Loved that beer.
 
Tomahawk47 said:
View attachment 842401
Hazy beer... the first beer!
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CroMagnon Kool Aid!
With that thought, the 1st NEIPA I tried, the aroma reminded me of Kool-Aid, but with the many fruit flavors MIXED UP!

I dub the general category KIPA!

Maybe this fruit hops obsession appeals to the inner child? Make it like MILK has been put in it?

IDK, I'm old, I'm tired of fruit loops. This "style" doesn't interest me. Maybe they are trying to appeal to the younger generation.
 
My biggest issue with the Haze Craze is how it almost seems like WCIPA and the even more rare APA breweries have on tap are almost always hazy too. Like, NEIPA can be hazy and that's fine, but beer can be clear and that's ok.

Just unfortunate that those styles wouldn't move in the current market without that little bit of haze in there. I've been out of the game for a little while (went pro for a bit but am out of the industry now) and that is honestly one of the factors pulling me back in.
 

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