beer clean glassware

how do you get a beer clean glass at home?

I don't exactly want to buy equipment just to clean my glasses. i know not to put anything but beer in a beer glass. if it does happen i will promptly kill the offender and hold services for the poor ravaged glass.

I use the dishwasher with cheapo powdered detergent that contains NO rinse aid. I never have problems with head, lacing or flavour. The important part is no rinse aid in the dishwasher EVER. The detergent seems to rinse clean and cause no problems. I know it's taboo, but if it ain't broke, why change it?

Wash it normally in the dishwasher without using any sort of rinse agent (like Jet Dry). Then, before serving, give the inside of the glass a quick rinse out with cold water to ensure that there's nothing clinging to the sides of the glass.

The good glassware hand washed with a bottle brush and some dish soap. Dry them and wipe them down with a microfiber cloth if company is coming over.

The everyday glasses go in the dishwasher and it has jet dry. I generally just quick rinse them before my first beer.

Call me a newb but I just use a std. pint glass cleaned in the D/W with Jetdry since my washer doesn't have a heat dry cycle (energy star). Never had a bad beer out of the glasses though I'm sure the head and lacing could be better.

zanemoseley said:

Call me a newb but I just use a std. pint glass cleaned in the D/W with Jetdry since my washer doesn't have a heat dry cycle (energy star). Never had a bad beer out of the glasses though I'm sure the head and lacing could be better.

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That's because of the Jetdry. My point is to have perfect head retention and lacing.

+1 hand wash. drip dry. water spots lets you know its clean.

TipsyDragon said:

That's because of the Jetdry. My point is to have perfect head retention and lacing.

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I use "no heat dry" and tolerate the water spots, just store upside-down in the cupboard and then no dust gets to them. If a cold beer (or even cellar temp) hits them, there's a little condensation on the outside before any guest gets to it, and they'll never know I have spotty glass.

Cart said:

I use "no heat dry" and tolerate the water spots, just store upside-down in the cupboard and then no dust gets to them. If a cold beer (or even cellar temp) hits them, there's a little condensation on the outside before any guest gets to it, and they'll never know I have spotty glass.

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if your getting water spots then the glass isn't "beer clean". beer clean is an actual term used in the bar tending indestry. if a glass is beer clean then there will be no water spots and optimum head retention and lacing.

Check this thread out.

dishwasher-really-your-enemy

the problem i have with allot of the posts in that thread is they say "i never noticed any problems" or something to that affect. many saying they have dish-washed their glasses for years with all kinds of rinse agents. if you have never drank out of a beer clean glass how would you notice the difference. how can you remember what the head and lacing was like "years" ago, and thats assuming you had a beer clean glass to start with.

still on the hunt.

I use the 7th generation "Free and Clear Automatic Dishwasher Powder". They disclose their full ingredient list here: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/ingredients#ingredients-for-nid-166

Technically it's got "cleaning and water spot prevention agents (coconut-based surfactant, non-toxic polymers)". I'm not really savvy on whether this theoretically affects head retention or not, but I seem to have decent head retention on my beers. Maybe the experts can chime in.

TipsyDragon said:

the problem i have with allot of the posts in that thread is they say "i never noticed any problems" or something to that affect. many saying they have dish-washed their glasses for years with all kinds of rinse agents. if you have never drank out of a beer clean glass how would you notice the difference. how can you remember what the head and lacing was like "years" ago, and thats assuming you had a beer clean glass to start with.

still on the hunt.

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...you're assuming that the only place we drink beer is at home. I only brew beer at home, but I drink it wherever I can get it, and this includes good pubs and brewpubs who have the manpower to take proper care of their high quality glassware. While I understand the principle that underlies the quest for perfectly clean glass, I would challenge almost anyone to spot the difference between their method and mine in terms of head, lacing, and flavour.

If you have the time and energy to commit to a 'perfectly' clean glass, then go ahead, I'm not saying I'm more right. What I am saying is that for me, it's not worth the effort for my everyday beer glasses when I get perfectly fine results in the dishwasher. If I had some really sweet crystal that only came out for special occasions or special brews, it may be different. I do feel a bit guilty, as the original poster was looking for cleaning methods, and my post has turned it into a dishwasher debate, so anyone care to redirect?

I typically use a little baking soda to clean my glasses. It rinses clear with no residue. I let them drip-dry, and they don't tend to get water spots.

jpc said:

I typically use a little baking soda to clean my glasses. It rinses clear with no residue. I let them drip-dry, and they don't tend to get water spots.

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how much baking soda to water do you use?

Hand wash with mild dish soap, rinse well - shake. Rinse again with water from RO tap. Drain upside down in rack. Clean as can be, no spotting from minerals in water because the RO is clean almost distilled. Not so tough takes all of 1-2 minutes to do a few glasses.

TipsyDragon said:

how do you get a beer clean glass at home?

I don't exactly want to buy equipment just to clean my glasses. i know not to put anything but beer in a beer glass. if it does happen i will promptly kill the offender and hold services for the poor ravaged glass.

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Fill it, then drink to empty it. Done. Your glass is now beer cleaned.

whats this about only beer in a pint or otherwise glass? its glass! non-porous. can be cleaned. i routinely use my glassware for all sorts of chemicals.

mordantly said:

whats this about only beer in a pint or otherwise glass? its glass! non-porous. can be cleaned. i routinely use my glassware for all sorts of chemicals.

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many liquids, like milk for instance, leave an invisable coating on the glass that will kill head retention, laceing, and can affect taste. I am hoping you are not mixing potentaly hazardus chemicals in your drink glass. Just because it looks clean doesn't mean there isn't an invisable layer of whatever clinging to the surface of the glass.

I found this interesting, and applicable, thread a few days ago: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/dishwasher-really-your-enemy-147012/

frolickingmonkey said:

I found this interesting, and applicable, thread a few days ago: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/dishwasher-really-your-enemy-147012/

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I don't know how "clean" clean is, but my glassware (usually just handwashed & rinsed with our super-hard well water, then dried) passed the "salt test" in the video. I'm content with the head retention that I get- but I'm probably not very critical in that regard.

Not sure if I buy into this or not yet.... I've never noticed failed head retention or lack of lacing.

I've been washing my glasses for years in the dishwasher. Varying detergents over the years (coupons/freebies) and Jet Dry. Although the jet dry dispenser recently was fixed under recall/repair after 13 years.

On 2 of my older pint/mixing glasses, the salt test indicated my glasses for the most part were fine except the bottom 2 inches. That is where the salt didn't stick well. After scrubing with the salt as far as I could in the glass I had a little better coverage of salt on the re-test.

Curious I tried the test on the outside of the glass. Wow, almost half the first glass shed the salt and it wouldn't stick. Two salt scrubs later and salt stick uniformly to the outside.

I think I'll continue using my dishwasher...

i have seen some people say "dishwasher good" and some people say "dishwasher bad". i guess I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and do a few test washes and salt tests and see.

I used the 2 glasses that were 'beer clean' tonight. I noticed no difference on head retention, and one had near zero lacing... I'm sticking to my dishwasher...