How do you recognise a dirty beer glass?

Let's say, you finally got your BLADE home tap, you have figured out which beer glass goes with your favourite beer and you tapped your beer yourself. But once tapped, your beer looks sad: little carbonation and a small head that dissapers completely after only a minute. A shame but easy to prevent! Because a clean beer glass can do wonders for your head.

Bubbles on the inside of your beer glass

Is the inside of your beer glass full of bubbles? It may look nice, but beer connoisseurs know what it means: this indicates a dirty glass! This is because the carbon dioxide in the beer attaches itself to the dirt in the glass.

To show you what this looks like, we sacrificed a beer. The beer glass on the right has been made greasy on purpose, creating bubbles on the side. Does your beer look like this in the pub too? Be sure to ask for a new, clean glass!

Rinsing your beer glass with water

Another trick to find out if your glass is clean before you pour or tap a beer in it: rinse it with water and see how the water pours out. Do dry spots appear on the glass when you pour? That indicates greasiness or dirt, which is where carbon dioxide will adhere.

How do you recognise a clean beer glass?

If you want to do a final check to see if your beer glass is clean, you can pay attention to the foam. If you drink from a really clean beer glass, the foam will leave rings on the glass. So to say, you can count your sips of beer on your glass. That means you have degreased and cleaned your beer glass properly.

Cleaning beer glasses in 4 steps:

Okay, we now know how to recognise a dirty and a clean beer glass. But how do you make sure they are and stay clean? With these tips!

#1 Rinse your beer glasses immediately

Have you been drinking beer? Rinse your beer glass as soon as possible after use. You can do this simply with (lukewarm) water. Use a clean brush or sponge to clean the glass inside and out. Make sure you only use this brush or sponge for your beer glasses, because food residue on or in your brush can easily undo your hard work. Pay extra attention to the edge of the glass, which can get greasy very quickly.

Don't leave your glasses until the next day, as all the beer and foam residue will be dried up and sticky. Is rinsing your beer glasses after use not an option? In that case, soak the glasses in warm water for a while before cleaning them.

#2 Wash your glasses by hand

The key question: can beer glasses go in the dishwasher? Unfortunately, we have to answer that one with: no. If you really want to keep your beer glasses clean, you will have to wash them by hand. This has to do with the most important rule of glass care: grease is the enemy. You may think your dishwasher is clean (after all, a lot of water and detergent goes through it every day, right?), but the problem is that you put your beer glasses in the same machine that holds plates with leftover food and other dirty crockery. Those food scraps fly around in the machine and the grease sticks to your glass.

Besides the greasiness of your machine, the dishwasher detergent you use is probably far too aggressive for your glassware. After a while, you may end up with a dull white deposit in your glasses - and you'll never get it out. By the way, the same goes for wine glasses or champagne flutes, especially if they are crystal. Those are far too beautiful to ruin in the washing machine, right?

#3 Wash your beer glasses thoroughly with baking soda

Once in a while, it is advisable to thoroughly wash your beer glasses. To do this, use a clean sink or washing-up bowl with warm water into which you have dissolved a little baking soda. There are also special rinses for beer glasses. Soak your glasses for a while and then clean them thoroughly with a brush or sponge. After cleaning, rinse the glasses well with cold water.

#4 Dry your glasses properly

After you have rinsed or washed your glasses, they need to dry. It is better not to do this with a dishcloth or tea towel, as these can leave lint and dust in your glass. Place the glasses upside down on a drying rack and make sure the air can circulate well (not on a dishcloth on the counter).

Still want them to dry quickly? Then use a microfibre cloth, special polishing cloth or hydrophilic cloth, which leave little to no dust. If you really want to use a tea towel, make sure it is clean and only used for glasses.

Maintaining your beer glasses

Okay, the glasses are beer clean, then are you all set to tap or pour a bottle of craft beer? Almost, because there are still a few things you need to know when it comes to maintaining your beer glass.

Don't pour other drinks in your beer glass

We get it; your beer glasses are so beautiful that you'd prefer to use them for your cola, orange juice or other drinks too. Yet that's not a good idea, as other drinks can ruin your beer glasses. Be especially careful with dairy drinks, because (and now all at the same time): grease is the enemy of your beer glass!

Should you pre-rinse your beer glasses?

Craft beer is best poured or tapped in a dry glass. Want to go for lager? Then rinse your glass under the cold tap before use. This creates a film layer in the glass so that carbon dioxide cannot stick to it. Shake the glasses well (and be careful not to break them), so that no puddle of water remains at the bottom of the glass. That, is not so good for the head.

An added advantage of rinsing with cold water is that you also make the glass slightly colder, reducing the temperature difference between the beer and the glass. Optionally, you can briefly put the glasses in the fridge beforehand for the same effect.

Ready? Tap away! Also check out our tips for the perfect tapped beer.