A chilled can or bottle of beer can often be the solution to a tiring day out. But how do you get it super cold?
Can You Freeze Beer?
Yes, you can freeze beer but it’s not something we would advise. Your beer will become slushy and lumpy. Instead, place beer in the freezer for up to an hour to get it super chilled but not icy.
Does Beer Freeze Well? No
Can You Refreeze Beer? No
How To Freeze Beer
First, keep in mind that freezing beer is not a good idea. You can use a freezer to quickly chill your beer, as long as it does not freeze completely.
Remember that liquids expand upon freezing. Since beer cans and bottles always have the drink virtually up to the brim, there is no extra space. When the beer freezes and expands, it exerts pressure on its container.
The build-up of pressure may cause the bottle to break or unseal the can.
Transferring the beer into a spacious container might seem like a response to this. That, too, is not viable because the carbon dioxide will escape.
If you still want to freeze your beer, then do not break the seal. Beer freezes at a slower rate than water, so it will take several hours to freeze. This is due to the fact that the freezing temperature of alcohol is lower than water.
The sugar content in it also brings down the freezing point.
How Long Can You Freeze Beer?
Beer takes several hours to freeze. Ideally, try not to leave your beer in the freezer for more than an hour. An hour is often adequate to chill a warm beer. You can transfer it to the refrigerator after that to retain the coolness.
In addition to this, the longer your beer remains frozen, the more you decrease its quality.
Bottled beer will keep in the fridge for around 6 months. Once opened, it will need to be consumed within 12 hours before it loses its fizz.
How Do You Defrost Beer?
Did you accidentally leave a can or two in the freezer after putting it in with the intention of a quick chill? If yes, then you will have a slightly tricky situation on your hands. Do not worry, though!
You can take care of it in a simple manner and defrost it safely.
The first step to take when handling frozen beer is to make sure there are no cracks in the bottles and look for ruptures in a can. The bottle or can may ‘explode’ while in the freezer. If this is the case, take all the necessary safety measures and clean up.
If your bottle has indeed broken, discard it immediately. Small shards of glass may litter your drink, making it hazardous to consume. If all is intact, you can begin defrosting your frozen beer.
A sudden temperature change can cause the can or bottle to rupture or develop cracks. To prevent this, keep the frozen can or bottle away from heat and warmth. Do not open the sealed containers either, as this may cause eruption too.
The best way to defrost beer is to put the can or bottle in a sealable plastic bag and place it in the fridge. Frozen beer thaws slowly in this manner, so be prepared to have your patience tested!
Half-rotate the bottle every nine to twelve hours until it returns to its liquid form.
Does Beer Freeze Well?
In short, no, beer does not freeze well. It owes this to a multitude of factors. Firstly, freezing a beer will most likely cause it to lose some carbonation. It will taste flat when you drink it later.
The ice crystals in frozen beer are almost purely water. The alcohol and the water may separate when you freeze a beer. A half-frozen beer will have a far greater concentration of alcohol. While the water freezes, the alcohol remains behind for a longer time.
In addition to this, your beer may become cosmetically distasteful after thawing due to haze and flakes. It may also taste different.
To summarise: Just don’t bother!
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing beer or beer in general, then these may help:
Yes! If you leave beer in the freezer to (sort of) freeze then you’ll completely ruin the texture. Instead, only put beer in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes to chill it.
Sources
We have verified the information on this page using the following resources:
When beer is served too cold, the cold masks many of the flavours and aromas of the beer by slowing the release of the aromatic compounds in the beer. When these aromas are not released it can dramatically change the aroma and flavour of the beer. So that thin, tasteless, lack of aroma that you get sometimes when you grab and can out of the fridge and pour it? It could be that your beer is too cold. Beer should be drunk at the temperature of the average beer cellar.