2 frozen commercial kegs! Need advice

[murphmag025]

Getting ready for a party for my daughter. We got a sixtle and a quarter keg. We accidentally froze both of them by forgetting to put the temperature probe in the freezer! The party is Sunday. Can we salvage this beer?

 

[odie]

just let it thaw out.

 

[Broken Crow]

As long as it didn't freeze bad enough to damage the spear or lose pressure, it should be fine once defrosted.....Just pay attention to the carb-chart and keep it at the correct pressure/temperature.

 

[murphmag025]

Any idea how long it might take to defrost? Will the taste be affected?

 

[Broken Crow]

Given you don't need it till Sunday, you could probably leave it out for most of today at room temp and then throw it back into your properly temp-controlled unit before you go to bed. I've had frozen beers, and though it doesn't seem to affect the taste, I suspect it may have lost just a bit of its carbonation, but not so much the average person would notice.

 

[day_trippr]

How many days were those kegs in the "freezer"?
It'll likely take the same number of days to thaw back out...

Cheers!

 

[murphmag025]

About 12 hours

 

[passedpawn]

no worries. Done that myself (more than once, sadly)

 

[day_trippr]

About 12 hours

Can't have frozen much - maybe just enough to freeze up the tip or the top of the spear. I bet they thaw out quickly...

Cheers!

 

[odie]

remember "ice" beers back in the 80s, or was it the 90s?

 

[Beermeister32]

I accidentally let the temperature probe hang out of my refrigerator once. Took it down to 21 degrees. After thawing, it was fine.

 

[T Murph]

I did the same thing recently. Accidentally let half a sixtel freeze solid. I took it out of the kegerater left it at room temperature for two days and it was fine. Put back into the kegerater after adjusting the temperature until it kicked.

 

[murphmag025]

So far it is pouring but seems to have lost carbonation? Should we turn up the gas?

 

[T Murph]

Pressure should have came back up as it thawed. But add a little Co2 gradually to test it. Then pay attention to avoid over carbonation. It should be fine.

 

[Franktalk]

Since brewers are sharing anecdotes, I once left a corny keg full of ordinary bitter to freeze under the cellar bulkhead in the dead of New England winter. I thawed it out, filled few bottles, entered them in a club competition, and won first place. I don't think there is anything to worry about if the beer freezes temporarily.

 

[Beermeister32]

Mine was fine too. The more I think about it, maybe there is little to fear.

The beer changes would slow way down, the CO2 isn’t going anywhere, the beer isn’t going anywhere, it is going to be carbonated when it warms back up. Any residual yeast might die out I suppose.

Only real issue I see is if the ice somehow broke a weak keg weld. Otherwise to me, it really wasn’t much of an issue.

 

[murphmag025]

Seems like we are in good shape now. Thanks everybody!

 

[beren]

Alcohol and water may stratify in the keg after freezing, might wanna give it a jostle to make sure it is well mixed.