Cleaning beer glass.

[Justin Dean]

I do then rinse twice pour beer. You can see how dregs are on the glass. Clean

 

[Agentgonzo]

Hand wash, (don't have a dishwasher) SWMBO was putting it in the washing up then rinsing i assume as has been said grease or something was coating the glass and destroying the head, last night i put very hot water in the glass and used a clean bottle brush to give it a good scrub i then dried with a clean cloth, last nights TT landlord was a totally different experience i will be brushing from now on

I think you've answered your own query here. Scrupulous cleaning.

A tiny account of contaminant can have s huge effect. I've seen (and done) demonstrations of whipped egg white - a protein foam. Dip a cocktail stick in milk or cream or something than contains fat, then dip it in the egg-foam, swirl and watch the foam vanish

Or get a fat emulsion and watch the fat glisten on the surface. Dip a cocktail stick in soap then dip it into the liquid and watch it spread over the surface, breaking the fat.

A tiny amount of fat or surfactant can have a large effect on the foam.

Personally, I don't worry about it. The head is a purely cosmetic effect of the beer and has zero effect on the taste of the beer. Personally (and I'm in the minority here) I honestly only care what a beer tastes like as normally I look at my friends and drink the beer with my mouth. If I want to look at a perfect pint, I'll just look at a photo. I've had great head () and rapidly vanishing head from beer - both commercial and home brewed - neither of which have affected the taste or my enjoyment. I'm sure the Cult of Charlie will be online soon to tell me how wrong I am, but TBH, I don't give a ****.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The head is a purely cosmetic effect of the beer and has zero effect on the taste of the beer.

The night before i posted this thread the old speckled hen i poured went fairly flat by the time i reached the bottom of the glass, the night after when i used the bottle brush it was fine so it may not effect the taste but for me it does negatively affect the enjoyment.

 

[Agentgonzo]

The night before i posted this thread the old speckled hen i poured went fairly flat by the time i reached the bottom of the glass, the night after when i used the bottle brush it was fine so it may not effect the taste but for me it does negatively affect the enjoyment.

This is the reason I don't like glasses with the etched pattern on the bottom. They promote more bubbles to "keep a head" but in the same way as what you have seen, it flattens the beer which does negatively impact the drink.

A glass with rinse-aid or grease residue will make the head collapse, but shouldn't flatten the beer. Dust/lint/limescale deposits will act as nucleation sites which will flatten the beer though.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

This is the reason I don't like glasses with the etched pattern on the bottom. They promote more bubbles to "keep a head" but in the same way as what you have seen, it flattens the beer which does negatively impact the drink.

No etching here, I seem to have cracked it with my new cleaning regime i will experiment several times again tonight

 

[Jim Brewster]

No etching here, I seem to have cracked it with my new cleaning regime i will experiment several times again tonight

Oh no! Was it the hot water?

 

[Agentgonzo]

Oh no! Was it the hot water?

I think he meant "I have cracked the method" rather than the glass itself.

 

[Kit-brewer]

Wash glass then rice with warm water and dry, as my granny did when she had a pub, with a good quality linen towel.
Keeps beer fresh in the glass as there is no lint to allow the bubbles to form thus reducing head.
The beer head should also cling to the side of the glass whilst drinking.
Thus is why I hate having to change my glass every pint in a pub. The first pint can go meh, but 2nd and 3rd ( maybe 4th) are much better. The glass is 'clean' after the first.

 

[foxy]

I have two microfibre cloths (one for cleaning and for drying) always hand wash separate from other washing up. Use fairy but then rinse and dry.
I had been getting bubbles on the side of the glass when using dishwasher and this has solved the problem

If there are glasses to wash they go in first, washing up liquid and warm water. A good rinse set to dry. If i am cleaning a bucket with Sodium Perborate they go in the bucket. Another rinse in cold water before using. If I do get some nucleation on the side of the glass a sharp tap with the glass on the table.
If it is home brew and not commercial, get the beer as clear as possible into fermenter and into the bottling bucket. Generous bittering hops will aid foam formation and get the right balance of protein from the grist. A few days at -1 or -2 C will clear the beer if the above steps are taken.
Pour into clean glass and enjoy.