Freezing point of beer

[kaiserben]

I bottled a schwarzbier 1 week ago (primed and then let it carb up at ~20C for the week) and now I'm ready to lager it.

Most of the bottles are just going in the household fridge.

I chucked 2 bottles in the household freezer, but I'm wondering how likely they are to freeze and if that'd have a disastrous affect on the beer???

(I don't really want to muck around with the freezer temp settings as we have frozen food and stuff in there. I have a bottle of schnapps in that's fine and unfrozen, but a 4% abv beer might not stay liquid).

 

[Mr B]

They will freeze and spew everywhere. Not terribly good.

On more than one occasion I have discovered forgotten soldiers in the freezer, fallen over with their lovely golden innards all over the frozen peas.

Quite heartbreaking......

~6% abv

 

[danestead]

Ahhh yep in the freezer will most definitely freeze them very quickly.

im not sure the exact freezing point of beer of your strength but ive had it freeze at -1 before. It shouldnt usually freeze at that but the freezing point wont be many degrees off -1.

 

[michaeld16]

Yeah only takes bout an hour and a half to turn into a beer slushy get em out quick mate

 

[danestead]

If u time it just right, the beer will freeze in your hand as you open it

 

[michaeld16]

Yeah I remember watching something on TV about that can't remember the science behind it but just a gentle tap would instantly freeze the whole bottle

 

[kaiserben]

Bugger. I'd read somewhere that -4 would be about the freezing point of beer. I don't really know what I thought my freezer would sit at, but I'm not going to risk it.

 

[michaeld16]

Ya household freezer should be running around -18

 

[danestead]

Yeah I remember watching something on TV about that can't remember the science behind it but just a gentle tap would instantly freeze the whole bottle

when the beer is under pressure (lid on) it has a lower freezing point. If the temperature is right, when u open it and it is no longer under pressure, it will freeze.

 

[michaeld16]

That's cool I might just sacrifice a couple trying cheers danestead

 

[pcmfisher]

I reckon everyone at some time has forgotten about the beer they put in the freezer.

Its like filling up your fermenter while the tap is on or launching your boat and forgetting to put in the bungs....

 

[storeboughtcheeseburgers]

If you freeze them, just pop them in the fridge o'night.. its the best option. I have noticed little effect on the beer doing this.

 

[Pogierob]

I reckon everyone at some time has forgotten about the beer they put in the freezer.

Its like filling up your fermenter while the tap is on or launching your boat and forgetting to put in the bungs....

you put your bung in before you launch? So un- Australian

 

[Droopy Brew]

I reckon everyone at some time has forgotten about the beer they put in the freezer.

Its like filling up your fermenter while the tap is on or launching your boat and forgetting to put in the bungs....

Haha, yes I have the trifecta!

 

[Hairy Maclary]

Slightly OT but still related.

We froze two fermenters of ale once in a cold crash attempt gone horrible wrong. Only noticed when we were bottling that the flow was quite slow and coming out with the consistency of a slurpee.

The beer took on a horrible plastic/band-aid flavour and had a slimy consistency. Both were dry hopped prior to "the crash", and I think that freezing the hop residue added to the bad flavours.