The perils of improper glass care

There is no question that renovation of glassware is an important part of providing the best possible drink experience for the customer. Neglecting proper glass care causes issues such as:

• Poor lacing
• Poor head retention / flat pints
• Poor presentation

All of these can affect how your customer perceives your establishment and how likely they are to give you repeat business or give you positive reviews to friends and on social media. Negative reviews can be damaging to a business and it is of no surprise how quickly word of mouth spreads. You never want to serve a pint in a glass like the one in the picture above!

Why glasses need Renovation

Even if you are using the best glass washing system, with the best in water softening technology with the best detergents and rinse aids on the market you will still need to Renovate your glasses at regular intervals to retain the quality.

Over time non-rinsable films will develop as a side effect of using rinse aids (rinse aids use surfactant based chemicals, which reduce the surface tension of water making it slide off the side of the glass into the bottom of the machine), this will leave a very small amount of residue on the side of the glass. As this non-rinsing film builds up it will trap small amounts of proteins, yeast residue, water hardness salts and tannins. When these deposits reach a certain level they begin to impact the behaviour of the beer in the glass causing the issues already listed in the introduction of the article.

New glassware when it comes from the supplier, is coated in a mould release agent used during their production process along with debris from any etching of any decoration, residues from decorative printing and warehouse storage particulates. This needs to be removed from the glass before the glass is used to serve the customer with a quality drink.

What’s in your Renovate

Although it is possible to choose between a powder or a liquid glass renovation product, at Proton we favour powder to ensure best results. Powdered Renovate is made up of one or more of the following components.

Non-Caustic Alkaline Detergent
This is used to break down and remove proteinaceous material, natural fats & oils, and dirt deposits and remove them from the surface of the glass.
Water Conditioner
Usually a chelant complexing agent which removes calcium and magnesium salts from the wash water and from the surface of the glass, helping to prevent blooms, streaks and water spotting.
Glass Protector
This is a unique chemical which acts to buffer the other components of Renovate powder keeping the pH at an optimum level throughout the whole glasswasher cycle. It will also act to prevent the corrosion of metal surfaces within the glasswasher and corrosion to the surface of the glass itself.
Chlorine Release Agent
This is a low level chlorine release agent which helps the alkaline detergents do their job as well as stripping the non-rinsing films left behind by rinse aid, from the surface of the glass.

How Renovate works for you

It’s kind to glass – Because it contains a low level chlorine release agent and a non-caustic detergent. High levels of caustic detergent and chlorine will cause the surface of the glass to be eroded faster thus reducing the lifespan of the glass. Many liquid renovate products contain 5-10% sodium hypochlorite (Chlorine release agent) which when combined with the sodium hydroxide is more aggressive on the surface of the glassware and is the same formula that many people use for beer line cleaner.

Dedicated Process – You run this as a dedicated cleaning cycle out of operating hours, this means that you can ensure all glasses are Renovated at the same time and that none are missed. This also increases safety to customers as it reduces the risk of chemical contamination being left on the glass.

Works with Every Rinse Aid – Unlike some Liquid Renovating Products which only work with specific rinse aids due to the use of specific surfactant cleaners.

Manual Use – Powder Renovates can be used as a manual soak in a sink if a machine is not available or suitable due to the type of glass.

Less odour – some liquid renovators which have high levels of sodium hypochlorite and in hot water there is an increased chance of a smell of bleach in the bar and service area during service hours which can be off-putting to some customers. There will be no risk of this with the quality of Renovate

Caustic free – Some retailers will advertise their formula as caustic free as it uses Potassium Hydroxide rather than Sodium Hydroxide but the other name for Potassium Hydroxide is Caustic Potash so it can be misleading. Potassium hydroxide is kinder to glass when used as a cleaner but with the hypochlorite is still overly aggressive and damages glassware faster.

Proton Renovate Powder does not contain sodium or potassium hydroxide and as such really is caustic free.

A word to the wise

Overuse of any renovation products will damage glassware by eroding the surface of the glass, making it easier to scratch and reduce its durability. Nucleates will lose their effectiveness and the drinks will be as flat and lifeless as if you didn’t Renovate at all.
Moderation is the key. Only use Renovate when you need to – try out the water break test which can give you an indication of the cleanliness of the glass. If used properly and at the correct frequency Renovate will keep your glasses in perfect condition for their whole life cycle, helping to deliver the perfect serve.

Getting in touch…

For more information about Renovate or any of our superb, top-quality hygiene solutions, or to book a free demo of our online ordering system that guarantees to save you and your tenants both time and money, please contact Claire Howden