Inn Doctor » Glass Care

Glasswashers are killing the beer trade

Tech Tom — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:22:37 +0000

In the past 3 months I have conducted thorough glasswasher tests in 25 pubs.

In 23 of those pubs the glasswashers were not ‘fit for purpose’.

Only 2 pubs used machines that had a ‘renovate mode’ that actually worked.

Only 2 pubs used machines that used fresh clean water for every wash cycle.

Only 2 machines could heat and supply the water needed in 3 minutes flat.

To say that this situation is appalling is an understatement.

The breweries spend millions on Quality Control each year, to ensure the beer leaving the brewery is perfect.

The licensees running the pubs and clubs clean their lines, keep their cellar clean and wash their glass washer every day.

After all that hard work and money spent, we pull that carefully produced and nurtured pint into a warm, wet glass, that has come out of a stinking glasswasher that has been using the same wash water, for the last 5 sets of glasses – or in most cases since 11am that morning…

…and then we wonder why the punters prefer a pint at home

In any other line of business the glasswasher issue would be classed as commercial suicide– how we manage to persuade punters to pay upwards of £2.50p for a pint served in a glass that has come out of a stinking glasswasher that has been using the same wash water since 11am that morning simply amazes me?

As an engineer I now recommend only one glasswasher machine manufacturer and that is Clenaware.

If there are any other manufacturers out there that build glasswashers with a renovate cycle that actually works, a fresh water wash every time and an easy to clean liner system I will also recommend your machines, but after 23 failed machines I’m not holding my breath…

The Clenaware Sovereign 45 and the Clenaware Sovereign 50.

These machines are not cheap, however I have found a supplier with a leasing option, this gives you the opportunity to see the difference in wash quality without a large down payment.

http://www.clenaglass.com/collections/frontpage/products/glasswasher-clenaware

Sure they are not the cheapest machines out there by a long chalk, but if a pub or club can’t spend the money on getting the beer right, then what’s the point of the pub or club?

60″ plasma TV’s are everywhere but try persuading anybody to invest in a glasswasher and they look at you as if you are asking them for their life?

Hope this helps

Regards

Tech Tom

More in-depth info on this subject can be found on his website flat beer.co.uk

Do you need Renovating?

boz — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:43:26 +0000

Well it comes to us all sooner or later, the need to to put back the sparkle into our lives, I mean glass ware. Here at Inndoctor we suggest that you Renovate your beer glasses sooner rather than later. As we are coming up to what we all hope is our busiest trading period, dare we mention the “C” word…there we did, Christmas is around the corner, we need to focus on our beer quality.

As well as putting the old decorations up, dragging the Christmas tree from behind the boiler and hanging dear old Santa over the mantle piece, we need to be pro-active with ensuring that are beers are presented in tip top condition. OK, you say, I have studied all the boring stuff on Inndoctor and my beer is absolutely brilliant, no problems there, but what about your glasses. Well they seem clean enough to me you might say!

Well they may look clean but to ensure your beers are presented totally at their best, you must Renovate them. That is, to use one of the many beer glass renovation products that are available to thoroughly clean all the acrued grease and dirt fom your glasses. For those who already do this on a regular basis, we at Inndoctor salute you, it’s nice to know someone is reading all the stuff we write. Anyway back to the lecture, yes if you can’t remember the last time you Renovated then it is time to get it done.

There is no point in doing this job shelf by shelf over a few days. You must do all your glasses at the same time, otherwise as people migrate from room to room glasses get mixed up and you cannot ensure all glasses have been done.

The benefits to you are easily apparent, creamy heads, heads that last and lacing on the glass are some that you will see right away. More importantly your customers will see this as well and show their appreciation by buying lots more beer.

So, when your barmaid says she has nothing to do, get her doing this easy but worthwhile job, it will pay you dividends…..Here endeth the lecture.

Bye the way renovation is not just for Christmas, do it regularly. Now where is our plastic Rudolf?

Test your beer glasses

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:36:09 +0000

A simple and effective way of testing your glasses for cleanliness is easy to do.
Take a glass from the shelf and fill it with cold water.
Dry the outside of the glass.
Drain the glass over a sink.
With the glass held upside down check to see if the remaining water breaks into beads or droplets. If so this might indicate that your glasses are contaminated with grease or detergent residue.
If the remaining water drains away in one continuous sheet or film then your glass is probably clean.

Glass Care

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:34:39 +0000

Often the most neglected item in the bar, a dirty glass can ultimately destroy all your hard work and care in trying to serve the perfect pint .We cannot overstate the importance of a good glass washing regime in all types of bar.
Bearing in mind how much glasses get used it is quite understandable they can get pretty grotty.

Why are clean glasses such an important part of serving a perfect pint?

A dirty glass can transmit disease.
Grease on the glass will affect the appearance of your beer and make it serve flat.
A clean glass will enhance the appearance of your beer.

So how do we keep our glasses properly clean?

We recommend that you purchase a good glass washing machine .You might think you can clean your glasses in a sink with a drop of Fairy liquid, and that will do .Not so. Firstly many Environmental Health Officers may not approve of such methods. Secondly it does not work.
In the modern bar environment it is essential to have a proper consistent method of washing glassware .A glass washing machine used correctly can guarantee such results always.
When using a glass washer it is important to have it regularly serviced. Correct glass washing detergents and rinse aids should be used and periodically a glass renovator.
A glass renovator product used perhaps every 4 weeks will remove any accrued grease and dirt and put your glasses in pristine condition. Only use glass washers for dirty glasses, preferably beer glasses only. Other drinks glasses that have been used for creamy liqueurs such as Baileys may contaminate the glass washer with grease. Never put dirty dishes or coffee cups in the glass washer.
Glass storage is a vital component of good glass care. There is no point in having wonderfully clean glasses only to stack them on a dirty shelf.
Glass storage mats should be used on all surfaces where glasses are stored .It is best practice to let glasses dry naturally and not use cloths; these may transfer grease or germs.

And finally

Glasses do not last forever, if they become scratched get new ones, they are cheap enough and will make your beers look great.

Here are some of our recommended Glass Care products:

ULTRGLIDE PLUS Cabinet glass wash detergent. Excellent cleaning with no foam. -no blooming.- free rinsing- gentle on glassware.
www.klenzan.co.uk/

REVIVE Glass refurbishment- free flowing powder- Return ” SPARKLE ” to the glass- Removal of non rinseable films .Will not effect beer head retention. Use manual or automatic cabinet glass wash machines. Improves glass presentation. Handy pack 2.5 kg. tub.
www.klenzan.co.uk/