Beer froze, please help

So this is my first batch, all extract-amber ale. On the advice of my local craft brewer, Scott, I put the carboy (secondary) outside for two weeks. He said that the cold would help settle the beer. However, it's been 12 days and bitter cold here in NY and it's froze on me, all but the bottom 2 inches. It's been inside about 3 hours and is thawing, was hoping to bottle tomorrow. Is my beer OK? Scott also said (before knowing it was this bad) that I should come get a little yeast and add that before bottling. Thanks for your help.

-Chris

franman said:

So this is my first batch, all extract-amber ale. On the advice of my local craft brewer, Scott, I put the carboy (secondary) outside for two weeks. He said that the cold would help settle the beer. However, it's been 12 days and bitter cold here in NY and it's froze on me, all but the bottom 2 inches. It's been inside about 3 hours and is thawing, was hoping to bottle tomorrow. Is my beer OK? Scott also said (before knowing it was this bad) that I should come get a little yeast and add that before bottling. Thanks for your help.

-Chris

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Wow... that bottom two inches would have had a MAJOR kick...

Ooo that doesn't sound good. I don't know what the ice crystals would do to the beer. Maybe the flavor will be different, as many things change when you put them in the freezer and whatnot. I wouldn't be surprised to taste a stale beer.

The freezing may have killed your yeast so re pitching might be a good idea. I wouldnt dump it by a long shot. It was a nice thought putting it outside to clear it but its too dam cold and that was too long. Try a spare fridge or a basement next time.

its going to taste differnt than it would have so if it tastes bad dont let it scare you away

we used to freeze beers on purpose all the time back in college,
kills the carbonation, but if you drink it before the ice melts, you get all the alcohol, with out all the water...

rabidgerbil said:

Wow... that bottom two inches would have had a MAJOR kick...

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I kinda doubt it. The alcohol froze it was probaly the trub and suspended yeast that stopped it from freezing.

well good thing I made another batch a week after this one. Batch 2 is still in the primary (10 days, been really busy) but is going into another carboy tomorrow for a bit. I will pitch a little yeast and bottle batch 1 sense I have everything set to go. We'll see what happens and I'll keep ya posted.

BuffaloSabresBrewer said:

I kinda doubt it. The alcohol froze it was probaly the trub and suspended yeast that stopped it from freezing.

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alcohol doesn't freeze until lik 50 below zero

basically what he's done is distill his beer, also known as an eisbock

hmmmmmmmmm i dont know

BuffaloSabresBrewer said:

hmmmmmmmmm i dont know

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http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_freezing_temperature_of_alcohol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bock#Eisbock

what ever it is you don't know, feel free to look it up

Take All of these comments into your brain and think about what you want to do, but just dont put your brew outside again, ALL of the books there are say not to put outside because a temp drop of more than 15 degrees can shock and kill the yeast.

Thaw it, rack it, add yeast and priming sugar & bottle. Freezing/thawing doesn't hurt the flavor.

I would take out a chunk of ice and call it ice beer. It's gotta be worth a try at this point.

jatlrdierk said:

I would take out a chunk of ice and call it ice beer. It's gotta be worth a try at this point.

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That's a fun plan, but I only dream of such things until the federal laws change.


TL

BuffaloSabresBrewer said:

hmmmmmmmmm i dont know

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bottom 2 inches.......... as in about 5% of the total volume? sounds like frozen water and non frozen alcohol to me

Sure I could be wrong but you can take a bottle of beer and freeze it you your freezer with out a problem. The alcohol doesnt freeze but its trapped inside the frozen water portion of the beer. I still think the alcohol is trapped inside the frozen beer.
I have read about a freeze distillation technique where you freeze in an 2 liter pop bottle. Then you cut slits in the side of the bottle. You then spin the bottle very fast, probably with a drill. The spinning gets the alcohol out by spinning it out of the sides of the bottle. The 2 liter bottle will appear to be completely frozen because the alcohol is trapped.

Not like it really matters tho.

I just was too lazy to type that last night.

You've created hopped-scotch. Good for you.

My buddy accidentally froze a lager once (one of the last batches he did). Once he thawed it, he said it was undrinkable and pitched it. Who know's though, perhaps your's will be find. At the very least, I'd say thaw it and try.

Good old Palmer, he answers most of these concerns.

http://howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10-6.html

In verse, no less.

TexLaw said:

That's a fun plan, but I only dream of such things until the federal laws change.


TL

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Is it illegal to make ice beer?

jatlrdierk said:

Is it illegal to make ice beer?

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IF you only remove up to 5% of the total volume