Frozen?! Should I let it go?

[chefjeremy]

So, apparently my temperature controller **** the bed and I am now the proud owner of 5 frozen gallons of hoppy brown. I didn't get a chance to check the SG, but I'm certain that it fermented out. What's my next move? Do I just slowly thaw it, dry hop and procede as usual? Should I expect any off flavours from this chilly mistake?

 

[jfk69]

I'd get it thawed, dry hop it, and bottle/keg. How long was it fermenting before freezing? As long is it was close to FG you'll probably still have beer. I've frozen many store bought beers, in an effort to get them chilled and then going senile and forgetting about them lol. I'd let them thaw on the counter for an hour, and they would always be fine.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Agree with jfk, just thaw it out and proceed as normal. If bottling, you should prolly add some fresh yeast at the time to be sure you have some viable cells to carbonate. No worries if kegging.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

The beer should be fine, I've heard some people (anecdotally) say the beers head retention was affected by the freezing, but it could be other factors that affected the head retention. I froze 5 gallons down to 2 gallons iced beer and the head retention was fine (even with the infection it got it still would give a decent head).

Bonus points you could make an iced hoppy brown. Since it's already frozen.

 

[JonM]

Plenty of people have done that (even John Palmer has a story in "How To Brew" about doing that himself!) and the beers turn out fine. Just be glad you didn't do it in a keg!

 

[Hoppity]

Just last month I was perplexed when the taps on my keezer would not pour. Then realized I left the temp probe out of the keezer. Ice beer! Thawed and recarbed. Worked out fine.

 

[sniktaw]