From streaking to loss of head retention
There is a bewildering array of problems that can afflict your glassware, and most of these are because of how the glasses are washed and dried. We receive many enquiries about this subject, so we have compiled our list of the top 11 most common problems and what you can do to solve them.
Glasses are cloudy or have spots or streaks
Cause
- Hard water in the wash and rinse tank can leave a cloudy halo on your glassware
- Hard water salts and deposits not washed or rinsed away will leave spots and streaks on the glass after they dry
- Blocked jets or filters will mean deposits are not washed or rinsed away
- A wash temperature that exceeds 55° or a rinse temperature exceeding 65° will cause deposits to bake onto the glass
- Detergent and rinse aid concentrations are too low (recommended levels should be 0.3%-0.5% vol/vol for detergent and 0.03%-0.05% for rinse aid)
What to do
- Fit water softener to incoming water supply and regenerate if already fitted
- Carry out daily maintenance checks and clean all filters and rinse jets
- Check wash and rinse tank temperatures
- Check detergent and rinse aid bottles are connected properly
- Enlist an engineer to service your glass washer and check the temperature and chemical dosing settings.
Poor head and lacing
Cause
- Any build-up of excess rinse aid film or grease on the glass lip or interior will cause rapid beer foam slip resulting in poor drink presentation.
- Towel drying glassware may leave traces of fabric conditioner which will affect head formation and lacing
What to do
- Carry out a break test on a random selection of glasses and Renovate glassware if necessary.
- Wipe the inside of glasses with a white napkin if brown marks show then it’s time to Renovate.
- Don’t use towels to dry glasses – leave them to air dry for 40 minutes or use an Airack™ glass dryer that dries them in 4 minutes.
Lack of effervescence
Cause
- The nucleation effect can reduce over time by a build-up of deposits or non-rinsable films.
What to do
- Renovate your glassware
Gas bubbles on side of glass
Cause
- Traces of contamination are being left on the glass after washing. This causes the bubbles rising from the bottom to stick to the side of the glass.
What to do
- Renovate.
- Carry out daily glasswasher checks.
- Don’t use towels to dry glassware.
- If problem persists, give your glasswasher a full service
Beer goes flat after pouring
Cause
- Glasses have not had enough time to cool down and dry.
- Nucleate is wet or damp causing the head to form but quickly disappear.
What to do
- Leave glasses to air dry for 40 minutes after washing or use an Airack™ glass dryer that dries them in 4 minutes.
- In busy trading sessions, make sure you have enough cool, dry glasses available.
Logo is faded or etched
Cause
- Detergent with high caustic soda content will cause fading over time.
- Rinse water temperature is too high.
What to do
- Only use glass wash detergents (dishwashing detergents are too strong).
- Check caustic soda content – if higher than 10% it’s time to switch.
- Check your rinse tank temperature is no higher than 65°.
- Damage is permanent and can’t be fixed – time for new glasses!
Glassware has a stale smell
Cause
- Glasses aren’t being ventilated properly whilst drying.
- Glassware is dirty and cross contamination is happening.
- A chlorine smell indicates an incorrect renovating solution.
What to do
- Clean glasses should be stored and inverted on ventilated matting to ensure good air circulation.
- Don’t use perfumed polishes when cleaning the shelves under matting.
- Don’t use liquid renovate products that have the same ingredients as beerline cleaner.
- Clean the inside of the glasswasher, especially round the door frame where yeast can build up.
- Run one cycle with 3 scoops of renovate powder (without glasses) to thoroughly clean the machine.
Glasses not drying quickly enough
Cause
- The rinse water temperature is at the wrong setting.
- Rinse aid is not flash evaporating on the glass.
What to do
- Check that the rinse temperature is 65°.
- Check the rinse aid bottle is not empty and is connected properly.
- Check there are no kinks in the rinse aid delivery tubing.
- Check there are no air bubbles in the tube and the tube is under the level of liquid.
- Ask an engineer to check the rinse aid delivery rate is at 0.03%-0.05% v/v.
Glasses are too hot after rinsing
Cause
- Rinse temperature is too high.
What to do
- Consult your owner’s manual on how to change the settings so that the rinse temperature is 65° or call in an engineer to do this for you.
Glasses feel slimy
Cause
- Too much rinse aid or detergent is being injected.
- Water pressure not high enough to remove detergent and rinse aid.
- Wash or rinse temperature is not high enough.
What to do
- It’s time to call an engineer in to check:
- The dosing rates are correct (0.3%-0.5% v/v for detergent and 0.03%-0.05% for rinse aid).
- If a rinse booster pump is required.
- The wash and rinse temperature settings are correct (you may be able to do this yourself).
Bottom of the glass is not washed
Cause
- Water pressure is inadequate or dropping, so the water isn’t getting far enough up into the glass.
- Basket base is impeding water flow.
Wash spray arm is not rotating.
What to do
- Check water pressure to see if you need to fit a rinse booster.
- Consider using wire baskets – plastic ones tend to have bottoms that are too thick.
- Check chemical bottles are fitted correctly with no kinks in the tubes.
- Check your dosage rates.