21 replies to this topic

[Breakpoint]

I've been on vacation, so I'm just getting caught up on the forum. I like the comprehensive beer glass thread and would post all the glasses I have, but many of them are still in storage waiting for me to build a bar. Anyway, as an offshoot of that thread, I thought I would see how you clean your beer glasses. I've searched high and low through the internet and scoured Micromatic's MSDS for beer glass cleaners in an attempt to concoct my own "beer glass" cleaner. I wasn't terribly inventive and just went with a mixture 4:1 of baking powder:salt. It seems to get things clean and I get decent lacing on my glasses, so for now I'm satisfied. Just curious as to what you guys use.

[Big Nake]

Hot, soapy water to clean and hot water to rinse with an air dry.

[beach]

Hot, soapy water to clean and hot water to rinse with an air dry.

This. I use one of these- https://www.polder.com/kth-300.htmlBeach

[Breakpoint]

This. I use one of these- https://www.polder.com/kth-300.htmlBeach

I stole a bottle brush from the kid - she wasn't using it!Anyway, I had been using Dawn with lots of rinsing, but seemed to be missing out on the lacing. You guys don't have a problem like that?

[Mya]

PBW or PLC, something with Sodium Metasilicate does the best job IMO, Red Devil TSP 90 works as well

[beach]

I stole a bottle brush from the kid - she wasn't using it!Anyway, I had been using Dawn with lots of rinsing, but seemed to be missing out on the lacing. You guys don't have a problem like that?

Lots of lacing here. Also, my water heater is set pretty high (I have to wear rubber gloves it's so hot) and I think that really helps when rinsing.Beach

[Big Nake]

This. I use one of these- https://www.polder.com/kth-300.htmlBeach

Whoa, a glass washing station? Nice! I could see someone saying that regular dish soap is not right but hot water + dish soap + hot water rinse + air dry = nice head stability and lacing all over the place. I have never considered washing my glassware in EasyClean or PBW but I'm willing to try if someone says it's all good.

[djinkc]

If i get them first, super hot water and maybe some/a little detergent plus a green scrubby. Rinse, rinse. Honestly, whatever dishwasher soap the wife uses seems to be pretty good. Still get nice lace if that particular beer will do it.

[Big Nake]

If i get them first, super hot water and maybe some/a little detergent plus a green scrubby. Rinse, rinse. Honestly, whatever dishwasher soap the wife uses seems to be pretty good. Still get nice lace if that particular beer will do it.

I've actually scratched a glass using green scrubbies. Those 3M scrubbies can be really abrasive. I have a sponge I use on glasses along with the hot soapy water and I agree with DJ that the detergent doesn't seem to matter. Good hot soapy rub with a hot water rinse. Also, don't underestimate the air dry. A cloth you use to dry could have any number of things on it and even if it's clean it's likely to leave dust/threads or whatever behind on the glass. I just turn the wet glass upside down on a paper towel or drying rack and shortly it's dry and squeaky clean... ready for beer.

Edited by KenLenard, 19 September 2012 - 07:12 PM.

[MtnBrewer]

For any glass with a printed label or logo and/or a metallic rim, I hand wash in dish soap with a sponge. The normal glasses just go in the dishwasher with everything else but I don't use Jet Dry because that kills your head.

[beach]

Whoa, a glass washing station? Nice!

Yeah, it's very handy. All my glasses have brewery logos and green scrubbies will eventually destroy the logo. Plus, I've broken glasses by shoving my hand and a dish cloth, or scrubbie, into the glass to clean the inside (ouch). So I got the glass washer to save the glasses and my blood.Beach

[SchwanzBrewer]

I've noticed that the glasses I hand wash retain head better than the dishwasher washed glasses. When I build my kegerator/bar. I might put in a glass washing station. It would be semi-easy since the water lines for the washing machine are on that wall.

[Jdtirado]

So can I introduce a side topic that is closely related. I currently soak my used beer bottles in Oxy, then sanitize in my dish washer, but now I've ordered a blichmann beer guy and will only be bottle for friends or competition. I really don't want to place a single, or a few, bottles in my dish washer. How do you guys sanitize your bottles in cases like this.

[tag]

Either soak with StarSan or bake in the oven.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Either soak with StarSan or bake in the oven.

This. I soak in starsan.

[djinkc]

So can I introduce a side topic that is closely related. I currently soak my used beer bottles in Oxy, then sanitize in my dish washer, but now I've ordered a blichmann beer guy and will only be bottle for friends or competition. I really don't want to place a single, or a few, bottles in my dish washer. How do you guys sanitize your bottles in cases like this.

When I enter comps, bottle brush until it's visibly clean. Starsan spray inside for around 1 minute. Bottle and cap. I'll add that the few bottles I keep for this are rinsed clean the same day they are emptied - no dried crud. If so, that's a different story.Back in my bottling days, dishwasher on sanitize with no detergent. It worked OK as I recall. No StarSan back then. The other option was bleach, and for me rinse with one of the meta sanitizers. Campden tablets have a bit of sanitizing power but are great for knocking chlorine out. This was back in the early 80's.

[Jdtirado]

Either soak with StarSan or bake in the oven.

Just out of curiosity how long do you back the bottle and at what temp. also why bake them. I get that it sanitizes them but why not your dishwasher.

[Big Nake]

Starsan soak in that case.

[Brauer]

Just out of curiosity how long do you back the bottle and at what temp. also why bake them. I get that it sanitizes them but why not your dishwasher.

It's just another alternative option, but baking will sterilize bottles, while most other methods only sanitize.From Palmer: 338°F for 60", 320°F for 120', 302°F for 150', 284°F for 180', 250°F for 12 hours.For a few bottles, though, I just swirl enough StarSan around in the bottle to coat the inside, wait a couple minutes, dump the sanitizer and fill with beer.

[ChefLamont]

Honestly, I bottle for competition so seldomly, I just keep a case of new bottles around for comps. I just rinse, starssan, and go.If I don't use new, I brush them, starssan, go. To brush them, I have a bottle brush that I hack sawed the look off the bottom of the handle. I chuck that into a cordless (not corded - no electrocutions please) and use that to brush with plain water. Then I just have a bucket full of starssan to keep them in right until I pull them out and fill and cap.