HEAD RETENTION OF GLASSES

[Nort]

Hi Guys. Sorry if this has been asked before, but I have searched every where but to no avail. I live on the GC but have a townhouse on Bribie Island. I have been brewing beer now for about 4 months, of 40 batches, (spirits for about 10 years). My Mate next door has been brewing beer for about 6 weeks. I bought six Headmaster glasses for my self and 6 for him. I took three home and left three up here. If I pour a beer up here it has a big frothy head and plenty of lacing. It retains the head (although not as big) until the end. When I pour one at home on the GC (even the same batch) it gives a small head, then it disappears. The same with my Mate next door. I wash the glasses exactly the same way. That is, when I finish, I wash them under hot water, leave them on the sink to drain, then put them into the fridge. He does the same. I can't believe that both places react in completely different ways. Can anyone please explain what is happening? or make some suggestions. We have both tried everything. Thanks in advance.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Don't know if just hot water will clean properly, I was all my beer glasses in the dishwasher and never have a problem with head retention (due to the glasses).

I don't know enough about the technicalities of head retention but could it be a difference in relative humidities? Will leave that for someone more experienced to comment on.

 

[fletcher]

try cleaning them with hot water and bicarb soda then letting them air dry. there was a post about this a while back. i'm too lazy to search for it but i've done hot water and bicarb and it works well to retain the head.

 

[mosto]

I always did the rinse with hot water method with no problems. Eventually though, I believe fats, oils etc must build up on the glass as each glass would lose it's ability to form / maintain head. When this happened I'd put a bit of bicarb in the glass and pour in some vinegar (a tip I got off here). After it foams up, let it soak for a while, then give it a bit of a scrub, rinse thoroughly in hot water, let dry and your good to go.

However, a few months ago I installed a dishwasher and tried washing one of the beer glasses. As DJ says, no dramas, so now they get chucked in the dishwasher. If any start to under perform I'll give them the bicarb / vinegar treatment again.

Maybe the glasses at your home have had more use, therefore more oily build up, or maybe it's a humidity thing as DJ said. Bribie G might be able to verify that as he used to live there.

 

[Bribie G]

Bribie Water is a mix of SEQ water and bore water pumped up by plant near Woorim. It's mixed according to demands on the system, especially holidays. That's why I bought a RO system for my brewing water.

Here in the Manning Valley we have excellent water off the Barrington Tops that is membrane then carbon filtered at the works. Send me your glasses and I'll test them out for you

 

[Yob]

geez, you should be able to get good head on the goldie almost anywhere at the moment

....sorry....

as above, bi-carb if they start to give me guff but rarely have to do it.

 

[bradsbrew]

Lots of info in this thread

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/3101-cleaning-your-beer-glasses/?hl=%2Bbatz+%2Bcleaning+%2Bglasses#entry71804






Cheers

 

[mje1980]

geez, you should be able to get good head on the goldie almost anywhere at the moment

....sorry....

as above, bi-carb if they start to give me guff but rarely have to do it.

Classic!

 

[mje1980]

I once bought a 4 pack of Pilsner style glasses. 2 always held lace all the way, 2 never did. I just could not figure out what the **** was going. It was weird but no matter how I cleaned them, always the same result.

I use the dishwasher now, works perfect IMHO.

 

[Spiesy]

You guys don't wash your glasses with detergent?

Ewww....

What's wrong with detergent, providing you rinse properly and drain?

 

[Bribie G]

Dishwasher is definitely the way to go. When Haysie was up on Bribie and we had that BBQ that Brad would remember, Fatgodzilla brought me 6 nonick glasses that he'd picked up from an op shop.

I still have 5 of them and over the couple of years they had got a bit dull so I popped them in the dishwasher and they came up looking like they had just been manufactured.

 

[Weizguy]

Is someone sneaking a drink of milk in those glasses?
Or is it the tap water used to rinse?

I usually wash with detergent if the glass starts flattening the beer, and rinse with really hot tap water and air dry on the sink. Easy and effective.

 

[mje1980]

You guys don't wash your glasses with detergent?

Ewww....

What's wrong with detergent, providing you rinse properly and drain?

Nothing wrong with detergent. It's just less effort to put them in the dishwasher. Which I believe uses detergent ?

 

[stakka82]

I don't know how washing beer glasses is somehow brain surgery...

I either hand wash them or chuck em in the dishwasher. Never any problems unless the batch itself is fucked.

 

[Nort]

Thanks very much to all who have made suggestions. When I get home, I'll try the bi carb and vinegar trick, although I was talking to my mate about it and he has tried it, but no go. The thing I can't understand, is that I bought the six glasses up here, washed them out and took three home. Up here, no problem, at home all flat/no head. Anyway, thanks heaps for the info.
Cheers

 

[shaunous]

Would this detergent theory explain why I don't get carb 'bubbles' from the bottom up like I used to, and more get odd random pockets of bubbles that just stick to one spot in the glass???

 

[Spiesy]

Nothing wrong with detergent. It's just less effort to put them in the dishwasher. Which I believe uses detergent ?

My quote was in regards to not washing with any detergent, nothing to do with dishwashers.

Although if I may be permitted to throw this cat amongst the pigeons; I've heard it said in many a pub that standard household dishwashers can often leave behind soapy residue in the glass...

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Napi San in the dishwasher is fantastic fo glassware

 

[shaunous]

Your not trying to get people to fill there kitchen with little bubbles are you Stu???

 

[mje1980]

My quote was in regards to not washing with any detergent, nothing to do with dishwashers.

Although if I may be permitted to throw this cat amongst the pigeons; I've heard it said in many a pub that standard household dishwashers can often leave behind soapy residue in the glass...

I thought that too, and for years washed religiously. Then, I read something about release agents in the detergent in dishwashing tablets etc, and tried it. **** me, straight from the dishwasher the lace is sweet as. No problems with residue whatsoever.