I want to raise a conversation about unfined beers.
I understand the reasoning behind not fining beers, gentler, more rounded flavours, fuller mouthfeel, fruitier notes, I get that.
BUT
So many Breweries, Pubs and particularly Beer Festival are hiding behind the cloudy beer look to deliver basically rubbish to the unwary customer. I find this most often in Charity Beer Festivals, but many a pub too where if you now make a comment you get the ‘It’s supposed to be like that, unfined’ answer.
I am beginning to dream of crystal clear, sharp, dry beers, where if there was any opaqueness you could return the beer with a ‘This is not quite right’ comment.
I believe we are getting ripped off with this current fad. Don’t get me wrong, there are some fantastic unfined beers, but there are also too many pints of crap hiding under the same banner at twice the price and it’s getting to me.
I agree, not fining is like saying “I prefer the sound of vinyl” before taking a brillo pad to the platter. I wish brewers would stop unsolving solved problems.
The crazy thing is that you don’t even need to fine in order for a beer to drop almost bright. “The brewer told us to shake the keg a few times each day” is about the worst thing I can hear from a barman.
Don’t get me wrong, I generally prefer kellerbiers and zwickels with at least a hint of mist, but those beers’ recipes have evolved to be just right that way, not forced by a recent fashion to be that way.
