Frozen Beer

[mpstockdale_greatbeers]

I am fairly certain I know the answer already, but I am going to ask the question anyway: is my home brew lager ruined as a result of it literally freezing into a solid block of ice during the lagering process?

 

[Dland]

If you re carbonate it, it might still be OK.

Back when I drank commercial beer I sucked down plenty of PFWs (previously frozen ones) I'd left in freezer too long!

 

[ktm250]

Thaw it out and try it. Nothing to lose.

FWIW, I used to keep my homebrew in my barn fridge and it would freeze rather regularly during cold snaps. I never had "bad" beer after it thawed.

 

[IslandLizard]

Let it defrost where it is, it will be just fine.
Think about it, how would freezing change the beer?

If anything, there will be some stratification in your lagering vessel, as the lighter ice floats to the top, leaving thinner beer in that region as it melts. When you package it, it will all re-homogenize in the bottling bucket (stir gently) or keg.

 

[whovous]

I froze a keg of ale recently and was convinced it was ruined. It was fine.

 

[RPh_Guy]

RDWHAHB* (and get a temp controller?)


*Relax; Don't Worry; Have A Home Brew

Welcome! It'll be perfectly fine.

 

[kh54s10]

You could pour off the beer, freeze it again, pour off the beer. Concentrating the beer. Eis is nice!

 

[mpstockdale_greatbeers]

Wow, folks! I am very happyI asked. What I thought was the answer was wrong. I will let it thaw, give it a good stir, let it sit for another day, and then bottle it. Thank you all.

 

[Dland]

When you say give it a good stir, remember you do not want to oxidize, as in expose to air, the beer any more than you have to. You will loose flavor.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Yeah, don't stir it.

 

[IslandLizard]

I will let it thaw, give it a good stir, let it sit for another day, and then bottle it. Thank you all.

No, don't open it up or stir at that point, it highly increases risk of oxidation and will make it cloudy again.

Once it's racked to the bottling bucket with the priming sugar, stir the contents of the bottling bucket, to homogenize it. Stir gently, so you don't whip air into it oxidizing your beer.

How long has it been lagering?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

It's probably worth adding a bit of fresh yeast at bottling as well - the frozen yeast won't be too happy by now. You don't need a full pitch of yeast like what's used in fresh wort, a quarter to half a packet of rehydrated dry yeast should do.

 

[@RoyalGallon]

I recently did exactly the same thing when crash cooling a beer

. Defrosted after resetting temperature and then kegged after it had cleared. No problem.

 

[mpstockdale_greatbeers]

Damn...should have read more comments before charging ahead. Tomorrow is the day of truth...I will crack one open for an official taste test. I bottled them up three weeks ago tomorrow and I am prepared for both scenarios: tastes good and tastes bad. If good, yay me! I’ll drink and share. If bad, oh well...I’ll toss and start again.

 

[Dave Sarber]

I've always been interested in eis beer. More years ago than I care to admit to, we used to to put Miller's High Life in the freezer. When you time it right, the beer comes out of the freezer completely liquid. After opening, take the first swig, and put it down, the remainder of the bottle would then freeze solid. Is that first swig taking all the alcohol off the beer? All I remember is that first swig was pretty dam tasty! Does the alcohol stratify in the beer?

 

[Alex4mula]

Cool. I just opened a keg to clean only to find out it had maybe 3-4 frozen pints at the bottom. I had my keezer too cold. Just put lid back on and purged the hell out of it and put it to thaw It is a very good Oktoberfest brew.

 

[@RoyalGallon]

I've always been interested in eis beer. More years ago than I care to admit to, we used to to put Miller's High Life in the freezer. When you time it right, the beer comes out of the freezer completely liquid. After opening, take the first swig, and put it down, the remainder of the bottle would then freeze solid. Is that first swig taking all the alcohol off the beer? All I remember is that first swig was pretty dam tasty! Does the alcohol stratify in the beer?

My guess here would be that the beer is near it’s freezing point - but for some reason hasn’t done so. Then as you open the pack you form a nucleation point for ice crystals to form and it freezes.

Maybe the freezing point is lower for liquid with dissolved CO2 in it - when you open this falls and the beer then freezes.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

My guess here would be that the beer is near it’s freezing point - but for some reason hasn’t done so. Then as you open the pack you form a nucleation point for ice crystals to form and it freezes.

Maybe the freezing point is lower for liquid with dissolved CO2 in it - when you open this falls and the beer then freezes.

I'm not sure about nucleation points for freezing...

But,
If water is in a confined space, it CAN'T freeze. Water is a rare chemical in that the solid phase is less dense than liquid (ice floats in water), so compressed water won't form a solid. If you take liquid water (or a water based solution/mixture such as beer) below it's freezing point, but in a closed container with no air space, it either stays liquid or explodes the container. There is no other possible outcome (that I'm aware of - I'd like to hear if there is!!!). Assuming the container doesn't explode, as soon as the pressure is released (providing it stays below freezing temperature) it will start to form ice crystals.

 

[Dave Sarber]

I'm not sure about nucleation points for freezing...

But,
If water is in a confined space, it CAN'T freeze. Water is a rare chemical in that the solid phase is less dense than liquid (ice floats in water), so compressed water won't form a solid. If you take liquid water (or a water based solution/mixture such as beer) below it's freezing point, but in a closed container with no air space, it either stays liquid or explodes the container. There is no other possible outcome (that I'm aware of - I'd like to hear if there is!!!). Assuming the container doesn't explode, as soon as the pressure is released (providing it stays below freezing temperature) it will start to form ice crystals.

Yeah, the weird thing is this. There was airspace at the top of the bottle. Bottle pressure unknown, but just uncapping it, it did not freeze. It didn't freeze until you took the first drink. I still think the alcohol floated to the top.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I still think the alcohol floated to the top.

When beer freezes, you definitely get ice crystals forming first which concentrates the alcohol and sugars in the beer (in the liquid remaining). This is how eisbier (ice beer) and freeze distillation works.

 

[mpstockdale_greatbeers]

Update. Took my beer to my “local brewery” (Mad Robot Brewing in Boca Raton, FL for those keeping score at home) for the initial evaluation by their head brewer. I took the last four bottles I bottled. Aroma was a bit on the yeasty side. Body was heavier than you’d expect with a lager. Taste was “better than good, but not great.” For me, that’s a home run and a touchdown all at the same time. I enjoyed my own creation and look forward to having more. Next batch is going to be an American Pale Ale.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Taste was “better than good, but not great.”

Ah, that's a shame - you'll need to change your name to "mpstockdale_betterthangoodbutnotgreatbeers" until you get a great batch!

 

[bracconiere]

I took the last four bottles I bottled. Aroma was a bit on the yeasty side. Body was heavier than you’d expect with a lager. Taste was “better than good, but not great.” For me, that’s a home run and a touchdown all at the same time. I enjoyed my own creation and look forward to having more.

wait...you needed to get approval to enjoy YOUR homebrew? lol

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I've always been interested in eis beer. More years ago than I care to admit to, we used to to put Miller's High Life in the freezer. When you time it right, the beer comes out of the freezer completely liquid. After opening, take the first swig, and put it down, the remainder of the bottle would then freeze solid. Is that first swig taking all the alcohol off the beer? All I remember is that first swig was pretty dam tasty! Does the alcohol stratify in the beer?

I believe that pressurized beer has a lower freezing temperature than beer at atmospheric temp. That's why the beer is liquid until you open the bottle.