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Beer is a remarkably complex drink. On the surface, it is simply a fermented drink consumed throughout history. However, variations on flavour notes add significantly to the enjoyment of your beer. Additionally, the cleanliness of your beer glass can have an amazing impact on your ability to extract and enjoy subtle flavour notes. If you have been struggling with beer that tastes terrible, it might not be the brank or variety of beer that is the problem, but how well your beer glass is cleaned.
5 Ways to Clean a glass
People often miscalculate exactly how clean their beer glass is. Generally, it is thought that as long as the glass is clear and without visible residue, it is clean. However, this is not always the case. Often, high levels of bacteria and left behind odours can be invisible to the naked eye. Your glass might look clean, but be hiding some very disturbing residue virtually ruining the flavour of beer placed within. If you want to be sure your beer glass is truly clean, follow these 5 steps.
Make a Cleaning Paste
2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 4 teaspoons of water make an incredibly effective glass cleaning paste. You want to have a consistency of thin toothpaste, so feel free to add more baking soda to thicken it up or more water to thin it down. The consistency will largely be based on the overall humidity of the air around you, so do not get discouraged if measurements are not exactly correct for every cleaning.
Coat the Glass
Coat the interior of the glass with the paste. For narrow glassware, use a spatula to place paste in hard to reach areas.
Scrub the Inside
A standard wash cloth is not practical to clean the depths of the interior of your beer glass, so be sure to employ a sturdy scrub brush to handle the job. The bristles combined with salt in the mixture is the most effective scrubbing solution.
Rinse with Cool Water
When rinsing your glass only use cool and filtered water. Using water that maintains deposits such as hard water can leave behind an ugly and potentially flavour threatening film.
Place on Drying Rack
The final step in the process of cleaning your beer glass is knowing how to dry it. Glasses should be placed upside down on a dedicated drying rack. Drying racks keep the glass off the counter and drying them upside down is the fastest and best way to dry. A room with quality air circulation will dry glasses faster. Never use a cloth to dry glassware as it may leave fuzz or additional flavour compromising compounds inside your glass.
Following these essential steps will ensure you are tasting the full bodied nature of every beer you drink and not common flavour inhibiting substances hidden on your glassware. Here are a few more things you might want to know about cleaning beer glasses.
How Do You Clean Glassware in a Bar?
In a professional bar setting, a three sink system is generally in place. The first sink rinses larger debris out of the glass with a hose. The second sink utilizes a detergent. This is where the glass is scrubbed by hand. In the third sink, clean water is used to effectively rinse glassware clear of any remaining detergent or debris. A sanitizer may also be employed at this stage. Finally, glassware is placed on a drying rack or hand dried to ensure it is cleaned for the next guest.
How Do You Clear Cloudy Glass?
Clearing cloudy glass is easy. It requires a mixture of lemon juice and water. Place 3 tablespoons of water for every 1 cup of water in a bowl. Allow the glass to soak, completely submerged in the glass for 10 minutes. Acid in the lemon juice generally removes a cloudy appearance and allows glassware to sparkle once again. Rinse the glass with clean, cool water and allow it to air dry on a drying rack.
How Do You Clean IPA Glass?
IPA glass is designed to enhance the flavour of beer by specific etching on the glassware. Cleaning this can be difficult, but generally, it is easiest to use the 5 step process above to enhance the cleanliness of IPA glass. The cleaning solution is able to reach into recesses within the glass and remove unwanted sediment.
How Do You Refresh Beer Glasses?
To restore a beer glass to its original luster requires regular cleaning with a solution of baking soda and vinegar. Soaking the glass in this solution and then rinsing it in clear, hot water will enhance its luster and restore shine.
