Froze My Beer!!!!!!

tcMonk · 10-20-2009, 05:42 PM

I brewed a Irish red, had it in the primary for 14 days then I crash chilled it. That may be an understatement. HAHA I put it in the fridge after fermentation was complete, turned down the temp- never checked it. Four days went bye rack into keg last night and its FROZEN!!!!!! A funny thing was that my airlock was not froze. I dont know.......

I am laughing..... not to worried just thought I would tell a little story and see if anyone has any comments on what freezing could of done to my beer.

Tony

BeerLane · 10-20-2009, 06:04 PM

I froze my beer in my primaries after around 14 days as well. I re-pitched with nottingham yeast. I tried a couple two weeks ago and they tasted fine. Going to really get into them this weekend with some friends

corvax13 · 10-20-2009, 06:05 PM

Are you kegging or bottling?

Low temperatures puts yeast asleep, but freezing I think (not sure), kills them, and will make carbing up in bottles pretty hard. I'm sure someone will jump in here with more info.

**Clayton** · 10-20-2009, 06:10 PM

freezing does not kill yeast
i cold crashed a blond ale the other day and froze it about 70% solid over about 5 days (any more and my carboy may have broke) but anyway I pulled it out and let it defrost, racked the beer and then took the "frozen yeast" and pitched it in to a 5gal batch of cider, it took off like a rocket 6hrs later.

tcMonk · 10-20-2009, 06:26 PM

I am kegging.......tonight, after it thaws. The fermentation was complete tho. I hope it didn't effect the flavor too much.
This red was sort-of botched from the get go, my recipe called for roasted barley 200 L all AHS had was black roasted barley at 500 L. I didn't catch that little number until it was already in the mash tun.
Soooo needless to say with freezing it, knocking down some of the roasted coffee flavors wouldn't hurt.

**cercueil** · 10-20-2009, 07:55 PM

Cool..Can you call this one an "ice-rish red" Sorry but I had to.

kev7555 · 10-20-2009, 08:39 PM

Freezing won't hurt it. I've frozen beer before, thawed it out and kegged it and all was fine.

**Walker** · 10-20-2009, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clayton

freezing does not kill yeast

Sure it can.

You have to take extra steps to freeze yeast and have it survive (glycerin is involved), otherwise the ice crystals that form will puncture the cells or something and destroy the yeasties.

From personal experience, I had a smack-pack of yeast that got pushed to the back of the fridge on the top shelf where it got too cold froze. I moved it back to a warmer part of the fridge when I found it there, but that yeast was dead,dead,dead.

reference:
http://www.schwedhelm.net/brew/yeast_harv_freeze.html

Trevor57 · 10-21-2009, 09:05 PM

Throw some of that ice away, and enjoy it eisbock style!

like2brew · 10-22-2009, 02:44 PM

this is how coors makes coors light....right? lol