Beer Clean is a term that refers to the cleanliness of a vessel used for drinking beer, generally made of glass. Beer clean glassware is critical for the proper presentation and consumption of beer. While all beverages should be served in clean glassware, beer is more sensitive to contaminants than other beverages such as wine or spirits. Any residue of dirt, oil, or soap will affect the taste, aroma, and foaming properties of the beer. Even if a residue cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, it can ruin a beer almost instantly by collapsing the foam. See foam. It can also prevent “lacing,” the term for foam that clings to the glass in rings as the beer is consumed. See cling.

A quick sensory evaluation of the glass may reveal if it is beer clean or not. First, the aroma should be evaluated to ensure that no abnormal scents are present. Then the glass can be held up to a bright light to determine if any residue is present in the form of oily smudges, fingerprints, lipstick, and so forth. It is sometimes difficult to determine if glassware is beer clean, as many types of residue are almost invisible. Therefore, several simple observations can be made to decide if a glass is clean enough to showcase a beer.

The easiest observation is to pour beer into a glass and inspect the foam and bubbles. If the bubbles rise to the surface of the liquid and die off quickly, there could be a cleanliness problem. (It should be noted that some beers do not exhibit rich, dense heads of foam, such as light beers and high-alcohol beers.) Additionally, if bubbles are observed forming on the inside surfaces of the glass and rising to the top, then it is likely that dust or a dirty residue is present.

Another important observation can be made while rinsing the inside of the glass. The water should be repelled from the surface of the glass in sheets and not in beads. If beads form, then the glass can be considered unclean. If the water flows off the surface in sheets, the glass is most likely beer clean.

A quick test for beer clean glassware is to rinse the glass and then sprinkle crystalline sugar or salt on the inside of the glass. If the crystals stick to the surface of the glass, then it is clean. If the crystals do not stick, then a residue is present on the surface of the glass. If the glassware is found to be unclean, then it should be rewashed with detergent and hot water and allowed to air-dry on a rack. Spots should not appear when the glass is dry.

Several companies manufacture special detergents that are formulated specifically for cleaning beer glassware. These detergents generally have a high pH and contain a sequestering or chelating agent and are very effective at removing most residues from the surface of glassware. At home, glasses vigorously cleaned with a sponge and dishwashing detergent, then thoroughly rinsed with clean water, should emerge beer clean with little difficulty. See glassware.