Cleaning glasses, growlers, etc
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Oxiclean
I use dish soap to clean my glasses. I rinse well and it's fine. Really, I've never given it another thought. I use oxiclean for growlers and bottles and PBW to clean my equipment since I keep that out in the shed.
I always use dish soap. You just have to be certain to rinse very well.
The issue is that if any soap residue is left in any glassware, it acts as a surfactant, reduces surface tension, and destroys any head your beer would have. Oxiclean, if not rinsed well, would actually be even worse since it has much more surfactant activity than plain soap, but it is much easier to rinse out of glassware.
The issue is that if any soap residue is left in any glassware, it acts as a surfactant, reduces surface tension, and destroys any head your beer would have. Oxiclean, if not rinsed well, would actually be even worse since it has much more surfactant activity than plain soap, but it is much easier to rinse out of glassware.
PBW or Oxyclean. Yes it's cheeper, but I personally can't find unscented Oxyclean so I don't care about spending $10 on a tub of PBW that lasts a long time. Use it to clean everything brewing related.
Take 2 glasses, one washed with your regular method, the other using clean hot water with some washing soda (aka laundry booster; this is not baking soda!). Both rinsed well with hot water, and allowed to drip dry. Now pour the same beer in both and draw your conclusions.
You can take this a step farther and scrub the washing soda cleaned glass with some table salt, again rinse and drip dry. Also compare to a glass straight from the dishwasher, without using a rinsing aid.
I hate to admit, I wash (beer) glasses in dish wash soap water, but they always go in first before anything else, because I think it's the fats and oils that cause flat beer. They also get thoroughly rinsed/rubbed with hot water. The foam retention is quite OK, but not quite as good as the washing soda or salt method. The dishwasher gives me great foam retention glasses too.
Of all the beer equipment we have and the time and effort we spend on our "hobby" maybe it's no luxury to have a dedicated glassware washing station, with brushes and all?
You can take this a step farther and scrub the washing soda cleaned glass with some table salt, again rinse and drip dry. Also compare to a glass straight from the dishwasher, without using a rinsing aid.
I hate to admit, I wash (beer) glasses in dish wash soap water, but they always go in first before anything else, because I think it's the fats and oils that cause flat beer. They also get thoroughly rinsed/rubbed with hot water. The foam retention is quite OK, but not quite as good as the washing soda or salt method. The dishwasher gives me great foam retention glasses too.
Of all the beer equipment we have and the time and effort we spend on our "hobby" maybe it's no luxury to have a dedicated glassware washing station, with brushes and all?
I do this too and use the scent free stuff like Full Circle. I've done the dishwasher method with no ill effects, but prefer to hand wash them. Like you, I either do the glasses by themselves or they're the first things washed before the pots, pans, etc.
What's a good cheap brand of washing soda that's recommended? I may do the washing soda vs dishwasher comparison. I have one of those "bar-maid" scrubbers that sit in a sink.
On another note, is washing soda the same thing some of the brewpubs use? I've been to some that had a three vessel sink for glasses. Is the third sink for a sanitizer?
Hamaki
Well-Known Member
Yup, third sink is typically quaternary ammonia.
Thank you for the confirmation on using dish soap! :rockin:
Arm & Hammer is the most common brand, but there are others/generics. It comes in 3-4 pound boxes, around $4. Many supermarkets have it, especially the ones in "poorer" areas. Of course they call it now Super Washing Soda, but it's the same stuff your grandma used and the only ingredient should be Sodium Carbonate. Sodium carbonate makes up already a large portion of Oxiclean and more so in generic knock offs. It's also what's left over after those Oxi products have shed their oxygen. Needless to say, it should be fragrance free.
In the old days that's what bars used, it's good degreaser, but I'm almost sure they use fancier (named) products now. Yes, the 3rd sink should be sanitizer.
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Since I already have some Oxy on hand, could I use that as the washing soda for my glass comparison? It is scent free.
Sure you can!
I use about 2-4 pounds of washing soda per year for cleaning brewing related equipment, don't really measure it that closely. I use 70% "Oxi" in my homemade PBW, for cleaning the pump, plate chiller, kegs, boiling dry-hop bags, stuck-on crud in carboys and everywhere else the extra oomph of metasilicate is needed, while the potential benefits of Oxi are riding along. I still think "Oxiclean" is way overrated, as is everything else that's marketed on TV.
