is the term used by brewers to describe any beer through which an observer can see clearly. In general terms a beer can be said to be bright if one can read large print through a glass of beer when the paper is held behind the glass. Another way of seeing if a beer is bright is by holding a glass of beer in front of a fine filament light bulb; if the filament is distinct and clear and if the beer has a sparkle it can be said to be bright. There are various degrees of brightness that are quite subjective but easily understood with experience. Beers can be “brilliant,” when no particles are visible at all and the beer sparkles with the clarity of glass; simply “bright” if the beer is very clear; “hazy” when the beer has a slight cloudiness to it but is still quite clear (this can also be called a “cast”); “cloudy” when a beer is difficult to see through due to small particles in the beer, often yeast, protein. Bright beer is often the name given to a beer when it has been filtered and all the yeast and protein removed to leave a brilliantly clear beer. A bright beer tank is the vessel a beer occupies before it is packaged into bottle, can, or a larger container such as a keg. Bright beer is not always a term used for filtered beer; some bottle conditioned beer and traditional cask beer in the UK can also be called “bright” when all the yeast and protein has settled to the bottom of the package to leave a bright beer. In the UK, cask beer that has become particularly clear is sometimes referred as having “dropped star bright,” the highest level of clarity.

See also clarity, haze.