The Importance of a Clean Glass

What is “Beer Clean”?

A “beer clean” glass is a glass that is clean enough not to diminish the beer drinking experience. It does not take much residue to cause head retention and aroma problems in a beer. A small amount of sanitizer, detergent, or oil can make a significant difference in the perception of the beer being poured in it.

The main issues you will encounter with a glass that is not beer-clean is residue inside the glass. Typically, residual oils and sugars, such as from milk or soda, can cause head retention problems while residual detergents or dust can create unwanted nucleation sites and similarly cause head retention problems.

This is a common problem in bars. You can tell if the bar you are visiting takes their beer seriously by the way they treat their glassware. A good beer bar will always ensure the beer glasses are clean by doing each of the following.

• Have Dedicated Glasses for Beer

They dedicate the beer glasses for beer and stick to it. If the bar you’re at uses the same glass to make a white Russian or serve a soda and then to serve a beer, they are making a mistake. The oils and sugars from other beverages will remain behind even after the glass appears clean.

• They use a good glassware detergent

At home, you can use baking soda or salt if you have a lot on hand. Commercially, a good cleaner uses oxalic acid. It’s abrasive, but doesn’t harm the glass and is very effective. It cleans stainless steel very well, too.

• They rinse very thoroughly

They have to do this to make sure they get all of the detergent off of the glass. In a commercial setting, bartenders should change their rinse water often, if it is not constantly flowing.

• They choose the right sanitizer

In many states and cities, commercial enterprises are required to also sanitize their dishes wither with heat or with a chemical sanitizer. If they have the option, a great beer bar will always go with heat. If it is not an option or if it is not practical, a good bar will try several sanitizers until they find one that doesn’t leave a residue and that does not affect the aroma or flavor of the beer.

• They are careful with sanitizers

Most of the laws involving sanitizers require no-rinse sanitizing, which means that there will always be a small amount of sanitizer left on the glassware. In addition, when a bar is sanitizing glassware, they should always use the correct amount. Too little will not sanitize properly. Too much is no more effective, but leaves unwanted residue.

• They rinse before pouring

If possible, a good beer bar should always rinse the glass with clean, cold water and drain right before pouring. This will help rinse out any residual detergent, but it will also eliminate any dust which may have landed in the glass since it was last washed. In some jurisdictions, rinsing after sanitizing is a no-no, so this depends on the health code in which a commercial venture is located, but there is no reason you should not do this at home.

3 Simple Steps to Cleaner Beer Glasses

The best way to make sure your glassware is always “beer clean” is to follow three simple steps:

• Always reserve your beer glasses for beer. Never serve any other beverage in them.

• Always rinse and clean your beer glasses immediately after use. Don’t let beer concrete set in the bottom.

• Always rinse your glass with cold clean water immediately before use. This will make sure any dust that has settled has been rinsed out.

That’s it. It’s a very simple way to make sure you show your beer the proper respect. Respecting your beer will ensure that you get the best experience you can every time, and that’s especially important when the beer is your homebrew.