Why Is My Beer Glass Dead?

Have you ever wondered why some glasses let your beer go flat quickly. They don’t hold the head, it disappears to nothing, and the fizz just, well, stops fizzing. Why is this? And why do I have a dead beer glass?

Perhaps it could be your favourite beer glass, one you have had for a while, but it is just not cutting it anymore. Why would your beer glass suddenly stop performing?

I mean, do beer glasses have a use by date? Maybe the glass has a life and we need to replace our beer glasses regularly.

Does the thought of letting your favorite beer glass go, make you sad?

Then let me put you out of your misery now, there is a reason why your beer glass is dead, and it is fixable.

The simple answer is that the beer glass you are using is not as clean as you may think. Detergents, milk and other drinks can leave a greasy film on the inside of your glass. This is the culprit. A clean glass will let the bubbles flow free, keeping your beer lively and head intact. A glass that has a greasy film inside will not allow the bubbles to flow freely, they will stick to the film. This causes the beer to lose its life and the head disappears, followed by the bubbles.

But all is not lost, there are ways to get your glass beer clean.

I Always Clean My Glassware

Just because your glass is not beer clean, does not mean that you are not cleaning your glasses. We fill the sink with a hot water and detergent mix. We give the glasses a good going over with a cloth, sponge or brush. We then finish with a swirl in the water or rinse off with clean water.

That is how it is done, right?

In theory, and it will suffice to a degree, but the detergent, could be leaving the film that is causing your dead glass problem. Your fingertips could be leaving oils and other residues behind. The towel you dry your glass with could leave behind fats and oils.

Our glassware cleaning may need a revamp.

Can A Dirty Glass Really Affect My Beer?

There are a few tell-tale signs of a dirty beer glass apart from the obvious marks from fingers, lipstick or just bad drying.

A poor head formation will indicate that your glass may not be as clean as you think. No lacing down the inside wall of the glass, and bubbles clinging to the inside of the glass.

If your head is bad, there is no lacing and those bubbles are sticking to the inside of the glass, then there is a cleaning problem. Your glass will need to be cleaned properly to revive it to beer clean.

Do The Beer Clean Test

Get your favourite beer glass and fill it with your favourite beer and then observe.

Test 1

Look at the head on your freshly poured beer.

Check whether the head is what you would expect from the beer.

Observe how long the foam head last, and whether is lasts to the end.

Test 2

What are the bubbles doing in your beer?

Check to see if they are flowing freely.

Look close to see if any of the bubbles are sticking to the glass.

Test 3

As you drink the beer look out for the lacing pattern.

You should see a nice lacing pattern from the foam as you consume the beer.

There should be rings forming with every mouthful of beer that leave a lace pattern as they descend.

These will give you an idea of whether your beer glass is fit for drinking beer.

You could also do the salt test, this involves a wet glass and sprinkling salt inside it. If the salt sticks to all the glass, you have a clean glass. The salt will not stick to any parts of the glass that have a film on.

Rinse your glass with water and turn it upside down, if the water forms a uniform sheeting down the inside of the glass, then it is clean. A film on the inside of the glass will cause the water to break up in to streaks and droplets.

Is it time to get your glass beer clean?

How To Really Clean A Beer Glass

Getting your glass beer clean is going to change your beer experience. Instead of flat dead beer, you will have lively beer with a decent head. You will also enjoy that beautiful lacing forming as you consume the beer.

Now, if you have 3 sinks and a glass brush cleaning gadget, then follow the cleaning process in the video. If not then read on.

How To Clean Your Beer Glass At Home

You can make a simple paste to clean your glasses from a couple of household items and some water.

In a small bowl add a couple of teaspoons of baking powder, a little salt, about half a teaspoon, and around four teaspoons of water. This should form a nice paste which can then be worked around the inside as well as the outside of the glass. Use a cleaning brush to work the paste in and get rid of any residue film.

You can now wash this off with water until the glass is free from the paste. Finish by letting the glass air dry upside down on a rack. Once dry, give your now beer clean glass a go and see how much better your beer looks and tastes.

Final Beer Glass Thoughts

A dirty beer glass will affect your beers aromas, carbonation and even the taste too. It makes sense then, that a beer clean glass is going to enhance those three things, and make you beer experience so much better.

You will never have a dirty beer glass again, which means your beer won’t be flat or dead again. It was easy to fix too.

You will never have to ask ‘Why Is My Beer Glass Dead?’ again. You can pass on the information though, help others to get and keep their beer glasses in top tip condition too. If you have other methods to keep your glassware clean, then share below, if not let us know if this method worked for you.