Ice Stabilization

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PhysicsBrew

PhysicsBrew

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I posted this in the General Beer Discussion section and then realized it is more appropriate here.

I have been reading George Fix's book "Principles of Brewing Science." He has a section on ice stabilization, where around 5% of the beer is frozen and the remaining liquid removed and allowed to continue conditioning as normal.

Eisbocks aside, I'm wondering what people's experiences have been using this as a conditioning technique? Have many of you tried it? Have ANY of you tried it?

-PhysicsBrew
 
It'd be quite difficult and I'm sure there aren't many people who have the availability of a large freezer and soforth.
 
I have involuntarily created a five gallon beer cube by putting off kegging the batch I was cold crashing for too long...You mean that this is a valuable technique if I could only learn to control it?

Edit: Damnit, I just got home and I did it again. Put a batch into cold crash last night and 24 hours later it's a giant beer cube.
 
normzone said:
I have involuntarily created a five gallon beer cube by putting off kegging the batch I was cold crashing for too long...You mean that this is a valuable technique if I could only learn to control it?

Edit: Damnit, I just got home and I did it again. Put a batch into cold crash last night and 24 hours later it's a giant beer cube.
Click to expand...

Beer ice-cubes are a fantastic idea. Pop one in your beer to make it frosty cold, without watering it down! It is brilliant. You are full of accidental awesomeness!
 
I have not done this with beer yet but have done it with blackberry wine. I filled the tap a draft bottles so they would fit in my freezer and waited until it was more solid than a slushy. I took the tap a draft bottles of frozen goodness, opened 1 up at a time and turned it upside down on the top of a gallon sun tea jar and collected the runnings.

Be careful because this enhances flavors! So if there is an off flavor to your brew this could stand out even more so. I had to then backsweeten the wine because it had such a dry tart punch. It really warmed you up with each sip!
 
HopJuicer said:
I have not done this with beer yet but have done it with blackberry wine. I filled the tap a draft bottles so they would fit in my freezer and waited until it was more solid than a slushy. I took the tap a draft bottles of frozen goodness, opened 1 up at a time and turned it upside down on the top of a gallon sun tea jar and collected the runnings.

Be careful because this enhances flavors! So if there is an off flavor to your brew this could stand out even more so. I had to then backsweeten the wine because it had such a dry tart punch. It really warmed you up with each sip!
Click to expand...
What you're describing is different than what the OP is suggesting.

Ice stabilization is a process to clear up haziness, especially chill haze, by freezing and removing a small amount (about 5%) of the beer. The theory is that as proteins and other haze causers drop out of suspension they provide good places for ice to form. Thus, they are removed when you remove the ice.

This process will slightly concentrate the alcohol in the beer, it won't be to nearly the same degree as a complete 'freeze distillation'
 

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