Get your Glass "Beer Clean"
You clean your glasses with what? Just because that glass is clean and sparkling doesn't mean that it is "beer clean". Yes, "beer clean" is an actual term that means the glass is free of impurities, films, oils and other elements which can affect both the presentation and the flavor of your beer. When you clean a glass with regular dish soap you may leave an oily film on the glass which can prevent a good head from fully forming or may even make your beer taste "soapy" or flat. In fact, I once met a lady who swore her "pappy" would only drink out of throw-away Dixie cups to ensure he got the best flavor. However, some plastic or Styrofoam cups have oils and coatings which can also take away from the flavor of your beer, so be careful when not drinking straight from the bottle.
In order to get your glass "beer clean" you can buy professional strength cleaning solutions used by bartenders or even invest hundreds of dollars in professional cleaning solutions for your home bar. However, if you don't happen to be G. Arthur MoneyBags there are some ways you can keep you home glassware purer and ready for delicious beer. One suggestion is to have a set of beer glasses only for beer. If you have a large glass collection like myself, this should not be a problem; you can probably buy a set of 4 beer glasses at target for under $10 – well worth it if you are going to be buying $5 a pint and up craft beers for home consumption. Once you have your set of beer glasses, here is how you can keep them clean at home. First, after finishing off that beer wash the glass in water to remove any residue or leftover foam. One of the easiest home methods is to create cleaning paste consisting of 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 4 teaspoons of water. Take the paste and spread it on the inside of the glass, then using a bottle brush (or if you are fancy you can buy an electric scrubbing brush) scrub the glass clean. After scrubbing, rinse the glass with cool water and let is air dry open-side down. You may have to repeat. Your local beer store or craft beer ingredients merchant may also sell special solutions for glass cleaning.
You will probably read a bunch of other articles out there telling you that you use soap or just use the dishwasher, but in all actuality your glass will probably still have some residue and film on them. At home, you can put some water and salt into the glass –anywhere the salt doesn't stick, the glass is filmy and needs to be cleaned. Also, if you have a relatively flat head after pouring, this is another sign of a "beer dirty" glass. Also, take a few seconds and check out this video on how to spot a dirty beer glass:
If you are setting up a home bar, and you often have your friends over for sampling, it may be worthwhile to invest in a three-sink setup or make a simple version with some small totes. This is one of the techniques used in bars and allows you to very quickly get your glasses clean, which is important in a high volume setting like a bar. Note, that this is why you may get a "wet" glass at a bar and not notice any watery taste in your beer. If properly maintained, the bar or pub will be using special chemicals in each stage. Of course, there are many other cleaning methods available once you are in the bar setting. And, at the bar – don't settle for an overchilled or unclean glass again – this is beer we're talking about, no room to mess around!
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