Accidental Freeze While Lagering Yielded Some Positive Results

[[email protected]]

I was experimenting with lagering in the freezer of my fermenting fridge while an ale brewed in the fridge. I placed the beer in 2 12L cubes in the freezer. I didn't have temperature control on the freezer section and accidentally partially froze the lagers. I removed the beers to place them in 2 party kegs. On realsing my error, I left them an hour before racking to the kegs. I racked to the first keg and after mostly filling it I realised there was still a massive lump of ice in this. The ice was very clear. I left them over night to fully thaw out. I had about 2.5 L left of the first cube and the keg was mostly filled. I thought I would bottle the remainder, but I tasted it first and realised this was mostly water. I kegged the other cube fully thawed and bottled some of it.

In comparrison between the two beers, the first one has a much fuller flavour, and probably a higher alcohol content.The accidental freeze essentially removed some of the water from the beer and strengthened the rest of it. I prefer it.

Anyway while probably quite a hard method to change the flavour of a beer, this could potentially be used to strengthen a beer and acheive a fuller flavour. Anyway, there is a lot of things that go wrong with this and I don't recommend it but I thought I would mention it due to the positive results I acheived.

 

[ekul]

thats how they make eisbcks isn't it? Good idea on the lagering in the freezer in your fermenting fridge. I was keeping bottles in there for a little while but i don't bottle anymore.
I'd like to have a long term lager, but don't want to tie up the fermenting space, now i can have my cake and eat it too.

 

[fcmcg]

I was experimenting with lagering in the freezer of my fermenting fridge while an ale brewed in the fridge. I placed the beer in 2 12L cubes in the freezer. I didn't have temperature control on the freezer section and accidentally partially froze the lagers. I removed the beers to place them in 2 party kegs. On realsing my error, I left them an hour before racking to the kegs. I racked to the first keg and after mostly filling it I realised there was still a massive lump of ice in this. The ice was very clear. I left them over night to fully thaw out. I had about 2.5 L left of the first cube and the keg was mostly filled. I thought I would bottle the remainder, but I tasted it first and realised this was mostly water. I kegged the other cube fully thawed and bottled some of it.

In comparrison between the two beers, the first one has a much fuller flavour, and probably a higher alcohol content.The accidental freeze essentially removed some of the water from the beer and strengthened the rest of it. I prefer it.

Anyway while probably quite a hard method to change the flavour of a beer, this could potentially be used to strengthen a beer and acheive a fuller flavour. Anyway, there is a lot of things that go wrong with this and I don't recommend it but I thought I would mention it due to the positive results I acheived.

Paxxy,
What you just did was make an "eis" beer...
The Germans actually have a beer called an eisbock , which is achieved using similar methods...
Sorry to break it to ya , bloke , but it's been done before lol Germans...can't win wars but know how to make a beer !
Never-the-less , it sounds like your little accidental experiment worked out !
Cheers
Ferg

 

[[email protected]]

thats how they make eisbcks isn't it?

Seems like it. Dam seems like any idea you have had has already been thought of... I thought of it indepenently though, so can we start calling them paxxy-eisbocks?

 

[fcmcg]

Seems like it. Dam seems like any idea you have had has already been thought of... I thought of it indepenently though, so can we start calling them paxxy-eisbocks?

Yeah ,unfortunately , brewing has been around for thousands of years and most of the ways to do things have been found or invented lol
i think you could probably call it an eispaxx ! ( seeing your beer isn't a bock lol )
Maybe call is eispaxx ale or larger
Cheers
Ferg

 

[[email protected]]

Yeah ,unfortunately , brewing has been around for thousands of years and most of the ways to do things have been found or invented lol
i think you could probably call it an eispaxx ! ( seeing your beer isn't a bock lol )
Maybe call is eispaxx ale or larger
Cheers
Ferg

Great idea, I'm taking it to the darlo brewshare on Tuesday. Was going to call it Osama bin Lager, but Eispaxx has a much better ring to it.

Cheers.
Paxx

 

[humulus]

Thats what i was trying to think of EISBOCK!
Cheers for the kegs mate there all good! :icon_chickcheers:
make sure you post the tasting notes,i might freeze one of my party kegs

 

[[email protected]]

Thats what i was trying to think of EISBOCK!
Cheers for the kegs mate there all good! :icon_chickcheers:
make sure you post the tasting notes,i might freeze one of my party kegs

No worries, glad they are all good

I just hope I don't accidentally drink it all before tuesday.

 

[kelbygreen]

he guys at brew dog do this to extreme with there tactical nuclear penguin beer I think they froze it 3-4 times and then there new one sink the bismarck is the same but id rather buy a new brew pot then a 330ml bottle of one of them both about the same price maybe get a pot cheaper lol

 

[super_simian]

Isn't freeze-distillation still technically illegal in Aus?

 

[fraser_john]

The use of any home distillation is illegal in Aus. You can make/own/operate a still of less than 5 liters capacity for distillation of "other than spirits" i.e. water and natural oils only. Production of alcohol in a still is illega.

Doesn't stop people though.

 

[zebba]

My understanding was that freeze distilling was OK.

My second best brew was a freeze distilled 11% English pale. You gotta get the fermentation right cause the freezing magnifies the good and the bad. If you like big beers though it can be easier than trying to get 1.100 wort and any kind of efficiency

To check abv you need a hydrometer and a refractometer.

 

[[email protected]]

Yep I checked abv with refractor and hydro, came out at 5.5 while original was 4.6. Not a huge difference but the extra maltiness is tops. It's developed a honey/ toffee taste.