Cleaning Beer Glasses with Automatic Dish Washers

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Cleaning Beer Glasses with Automatic Dish Washers

A clean glass is key to serving a great glass of draft beer.  An efficient and effective way to clean glasses is with an automatic glass washer, a mechanical device designed and built for cleaning glassware.

The use of automatic glass washers saves time and effort and they perform quite well when used appropriately.  A glass washer should be used exclusively for glassware and should not be used to clean other restaurant-wares. Automatic glass washers are classified as low temperature or high temperature and the pros and cons of both types are described below.  To get the most out of the glass washer refer to manufactures recommended procedures for maintenance and chemical usage. Detergents and sanitizers must be designed for beer glasses. 

Glass Washing Standards

In the US, the NSF is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that develops standards and provides product certification and education in the field of public health and safety. They set the standards for chemical usage, wash and rinse time along with minimum water temperature for chemical or hot water sanitizing methods.

Energy Usage

Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy designed to save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

Restaurant and commercial kitchen owners and operators will be able to purchase Energy Star qualified commercial glass washers starting Oct.11, 2007

More efficient commercial kitchen equipment can save restaurants and food service facilities from 10 to 30 percent on commercial kitchen energy consumption.

High Temperature Glass Washers - 1800F

To reach the required heating level during the sanitation process, operators are turning to high temperature glass washers that heat the rinse water to 1800F.
At this temperature, cleaning and sterilizing are accomplished and drying time is reduced.  A chemical sanitizer is not required.  A low suds dish-washing detergent specified for high temperature glass washers should be used.

Pros:

• Higher temperature machines conserve water and detergent because in the fresh, final rinse, the water circulates to preheat the wash water for the next load.  This is an overflow vs. a “fill and dump” approach that results in significant water savings (1 gallon vs. 2-5 gallons per load)
  
  
• Glasses exit a high-temperature washer and “flash dry” virtually spotless.
  
  
• A typical high-temperature machine will wash 55 racks of dishes per hour vs. 40/hr in a low temp chemical rinse unit.
  
  
• Cost less to operate by saving labor, energy, water, sewage and detergent use.  High temperature washing is also better for the environment.

Cons:

• Glassware should cool before being used for serving beer.

• Higher initial equipment cost

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