Cellar to glass: The perfect pint?

Related tags Yeast

Derek Maher of Crystaltech Services (UK) Ltd offers some tips on cleaning glassware.Dodgy stuff, glasswasher detergents - too caustic and it causes...

Derek Maher of Crystaltech Services (UK) Ltd offers some tips on cleaning glassware.

Dodgy stuff, glasswasher detergents - too caustic and it causes etching on your glasses, too weak and they are left dirty. So the majority of operators use a mild detergent.

Fine, but over a period there will be a protein residue build up on glasses and they simply become dirty - at least that is better than etching on your glasses which is where the glass is actually being eaten away, causing permanent damage.

The major brewers and pub operators have already identified this problem and insist that their managers renovate their glasses regularly. Why after spending so much effort preparing "the perfect pint" should it be ruined by being served in a dirty glass?

Dirty glasses will mean the loss of customers - many will not complain, they will simply not return. Residuals left on the glass will also give poor head retention - flat beer.

Until recently, renovating a pub's glasses involved using a powdered product. This meant many hours of washing glasses and then putting them through again to remove the powdered residue.

Renovates are, in fact, a chlorine product which used to only be available as a powder and were unstable in a liquid form. Most chemical manufacturers have now managed to stabilise the product and produce a liquid renovate which can be connected to the automatic detergent feed of the glasswasher. At last there can be a way of saving many wasted operational hours.

A liquid renovate can be periodically swapped for the usual detergent attached to the glasswasher. Using the product over the busy weekend period will normally give sufficient time to successfully restore the glasses and remove any protein build up.

There is no set time schedule for renovating, however some operators will suggest either monthly or bimonthly. This is generally to ensure that the process is carried out at regular intervals. However, the knowledgeable publican will be able to recognise when to renovate and then carry out the process accordingly. The time period may vary if the site has a beer garden - the process may be more frequently performed during the summer months.

Here are some signs that a renovate needs to be used:

Glasses

Take a moist white serviette and wipe the inside of a supposedly clean pint glass. If there is a brown deposit it shows there is a protein build up on the glass
Turn a glass upside down and look at the outer ring of the base. The poor results will be magnified and show up as a brown "halo"
If there is a film of bubbles on the inside of a glass then it is a sure sign that it is not clean. Bubbles will only stick to an impurity
If the glass shows a raindrop effect immediately the glasswasher has completed its cycle.

Glasswasher

Wild yeast - look for beige or even a black film or deposit (build up of growing yeast cells) around the door and door hinges. If this exists then it will transfer to all of the glasses and give poor results. The chlorine renovate will also serve to sterilise the cabinet of the glasswasher.

Crystaltech has worked with most of the major chemical suppliers to develop a renovate product and we have also helped to develop an extended renovate cycle on the latest Maidaid glasswashing range. Quality brewers such as Fuller's and McMullen's now evaluate glassware as part of their audit procedures and score the manager on the result.

A free Glasswashing Results Guide is available from Crystaltech on 0870 350 2424. The company can also attend area managers meetings to give a free 30 minute talk.

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