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>pub glasses are manufactured to indicate their age Why? This just sounds like planned obsolescence. >as they're meant to be replaced regularly Why? Is it a
by Rinzler89 2y ago
>pub glasses are manufactured to indicate their age
Why? This just sounds like planned obsolescence.
>as they're meant to be replaced regularly
Why? Is it a real hygrine problem or something?
- scott_w 2y agoIt's likely the washing process still scratches the glass but it's less visible. It doesn't increase the "safe" life of the glass, as bacteria is still able to get into those scratches. Making the scratches obvious makes clear to the pub landlord that they need to be replaced (and tips patrons off so they'll put pressure on the landlord by not coming back).
- Rinzler89 2y ago>It's likely the washing process still scratches the glass but it's less visible. It doesn't increase the "safe" life of the glass, as bacteria is still able to get into those scratches. Honestly, I've never heard of this before and I have friends working in the restaurant industry. Is it a real documented health hazard or a FUD spread by the glass manufacturers to create perpetual demand for their product (Glass As A Service)? My grandma still uses the same glassware from like 30+ years ago and washes it by hand and it doesn't look tarnished at all. Is she and our family likely to die from drinking from those old glassware with micro scratches?
- scott_w 2y ago> and washes it by hand That's the key part here. Pubs use commercial dishwashers which effectively shot blast your dishes and glasses. There's a reason you can see "Not dishwasher safe" on certain items: because it'll blast off the nice patterns. I know because I've done it by accident.
- sfn42 2y agoNot sure what shot blast means, but as far as I know dishwashing machines just spray hot water and detergent on everything. I guess that could cause abrasion if there's hard and sharp particles in the water, but I'm not sure what could cause those. Maybe if glass breaks during washing, but I'd assume the machine filters the water before reusing it.
- scott_w 2y ago> as far as I know dishwashing machines just spray hot water and detergent on everything There's a couple of sources: - The dishwasher tablets have a mildly abrasive substance - The water itself (especially in the UK) can carry abrasive substances from the pipes
- ThePowerOfFuet 2y agoIf it was in the pipes, handwashing would do it too. Dishwasher detergent does not contain abrasive substances; dissolve a teaspoon of it in a glass of hot water and see for yourself.
- scott_w 2y agoI’m not convinced because I can run pellets over a surface by hand and not scratch it, yet a shot blast will strip paint off easily. Same substances with different processes produce different results.
- Rinzler89 2y ago> There's a reason you can see "Not dishwasher safe" on certain items: I've nerve seen it on glassware though. That warning is usually for plastics since they melt at hot dishwasher water, and on certain metal cook-ware where the caustic dishwasher detergent will corrode the metal anodization, but glass is usually resistant to both temperature and caustic detergents, which is why it's used in bio labs for storing and mixing harsh chemicals, granted, different composition of glass, but it's still glass not adamantium. So this point doesn't scan for me.
- scott_w 2y ago> I've nerve seen it on glassware though. No but the process that strips the paint off delicate crockery is self-evidently abrasive, which stands to reason when you look at the scratch marks in glass that has been through too many cycles. It's not on glass because an individual washing won't destroy it but repeated washing eventually scratches the glassware to hell. I've seen it with my own eyes.
- seszett 2y ago> self-evidently abrasive, which stands to reason when you look at the scratch marks in glass that has been through too many cycles. Marks on glass are not due to abrasion, they appear because glass is slightly soluble in alkaline water, which is the case in dishwashers. Porcelain and stainless steel do not get scratched by dishwashers for example.
- scott_w 2y agoThanks for the explanation! I guess this means there’s no way to make even “unbreakable” glasses to not mark?
- infecto 2y agoI will be honest that sounds doubtful with at least the contraptions and process used in America. I guess its possible if you are just hand washing the glass?
- scott_w 2y agoI don't know what American bars use but the use of the term "pub" marks this out as a UK thing. I recall going to social clubs and other, cheaper, drinking establishments and seeing grotty glasses. I know for a fact they use dishwashers (I've seen them) and that dishwashers scratch the hell out of your glasses (I've seen that too). Handwashing simply doesn't do this. Dishwashers work by, effectively, shot-blasting your dishes and glasses so I can see the mechanism by which your glassware will get scratched. I don't see how this happens when you're handwashing with Fairy liquid and a soft sponge.
- infecto 2y agoMy point being that the sani-wash that most all pubs/bars/clubs use would eliminate any bacteria hidden in scratches. Hence my caveat that I know America best and perhaps that is not the standard in other countries. A UK pub might not use these traditionally which may introduce sub-par cleaning. Thank you for the explanation but already knew it, just going towards the part where commercial washers are less "soap" and more sani-solution.
- eru 2y agoWhy would a pub landlord buy these glasses?
- BoxOfRain 2y agoSome pint glasses designed for lager are made with nucleation sites for the bubbles at the bottom, over time these wear out and make your pint of lager look 'dead' compared to a fresh glass. This is less of an issue with ales and other less carbonated drinks though.
- consp 2y agoMy experience is either the wrong soap or unclean water leaves a residue on the glass killing any beer. It likely also fills these nucleation sites.
- ch4s3 2y ago> Some pint glasses designed for lager are made with nucleation sites They really shouldn't be, forcing CO2 out of suspension is exactly what you don't want. It causes the beer to become flat more quickly. This is why good beer bars use a glass washer right before serving, to remove any small particles that may end up in the glass and cause nucleation.
- walthamstow 2y agoMore quickly, like how quickly? Most pints are drunk within about 45 mins of pouring
- ch4s3 2y agoYou'll notice a difference right away, because the escaping CO2 breaks the head on the beer, which is exactly the opposite of what you want on a pilsner. As for going flat, I'd have to root around on Brulosophy later I think they did a test on this.
- jdietrich 2y agoIt's a quality issue. Beer served in a new, spotlessly clean glass will have a distinct foamy head on top of clear liquid. If the glass is dirty or scuffed, bubbles will rapidly form on the sides of the glass, which seriously affects the quality of the beer. The head will be thin and uneven, the liquid will look murky and the beer will taste flat. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2971/0116/files/dirty_beer_glasses_collage.png https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2971/0116/files/dirty_beer... This isn't meant to be a nationalistic point, but America has a relatively undeveloped beer culture; beer is often kept and served very poorly and drinkers rarely notice. British, Belgian or German drinkers will notice, complain and tell all their friends if you aren't serving beer properly.
- javaunsafe2019 2y agoGerman here: as if! No one except a few nerds would notice in real life.
- mschuster91 2y ago> Why? This just sounds like planned obsolescence. It's a requirement of the volume calibration - beer glasses used for commercial purposes are classified as certified measurement devices under EU law, you have to print on the glass the year in which the required stamp got affixed [1]. This serves to provide the customer with a way to check if they're being sold the correct amount of beer. Fun fact, this was a massive issue for stone mugs and led to a lot of confusion when the regulation became enforced [2]. [1] https://www.agme.de/?qs_servlet=downloadIxServlet&rq_RecId=3432&qs_fileId=73&qs_lastModified=1464943945927&qs_fileControl=5C3C3DD3613D27081F9BF777B553B2A8298EF50F https://www.agme.de/?qs_servlet=downloadIxServlet&rq_RecId=3... [2] https://germany.representation.ec.europa.eu/news/klarstellung-eu-verbietet-nicht-den-bierausschank-aus-steinkrugen-2017-03-28_de https://germany.representation.ec.europa.eu/news/klarstellun...
- Steve44 2y agoI've posted a fuller reply, but they year on the M stamp is about certification of the tooling used to make the glass. This can be updated annually and so does give a decent indication of year of manufacture, but it is there as part of the Weights & Measures legislation and not about obsolescence / "use by" etc