Frozen beer?

Oh no!

I left my kegs outside to remain cool (the keg fridge isn't installed yet). Unfortunately the balmy 6 C day dropped to -16 C by the time I got home, and the kegs are slushy... not frozen solid, but verrrry slushy.

I've heard rumours about why to not drink once-frozen beer.... but I'm not sure I can think of a logical reason why it would do anything too bad?

Any thoughts? Experience? It would be way too bad to throw out 2 kegs full of beer, when my draft system is just about complete!

Thanks,
Keegan

 

You'll be fine. The yeast probably died, but since you kegged (and probably force carbonated) your beer, I don't see that as being terribly relevant.

OR you could scoop off the ice from the top and tell your friends you made an eisbier!

 

Yeah, don't throw out your beer. They are almost certainly fine. I bet freezing them won't even kill the yeast.

If you are REALLY concerned, send them to me and I will dispose of them for you!

 

Managed to freeze our last batch twice and it's one of the best beers that we've made. You should be fine.

 

I let one freeze made the brew very smooth.. RDWHAHB!

 

Awesome awesome, thanks for putting my mind at ease, friends!

(Am I the only one who has heard the rumour that frozen beer will give the runs?)

Keegan

 

I think you must be.

 

give you the 'runs back to the keg for more' you mean!

 

Drinking lots of yeast at the bottom of your bottle will give you the runs but not frozen beer...

 

No harm done! had 10 kayaking buddies over this weekend and made a pretty big dent!

 

I frooze a pilsner in teh secondary once, it came out sooo good it was sexual.

 

You know, this thread makes me wonder about this because we accidentally froze our last batch twice and it was the smoothest and clearest beer that we've made. I'm tempted to purposely freeze our next batch and see if it repeats (we keg so maintaining active yeast is not desired).

 

Actually, in his book 'Principles of Brewing Science' George Fix talks about a freezing technique developed by Labatts to clarify beer. I don't remember the details, but apparently there is something very credible behind the process. I can look it up if anyone is interested.

 

It there any danger of the carboy cracking if I just let it sit on the snow overnight?
The carboy is currently 70 degrees, so I don't want it to get shocked.

 

the glass in carboys is so thick it doesn't accomodate to temperature very well...i would advise highly against that..

 

Put it in a fridge to get it close to freezing first... Or put the beer in a container that can handle it (ie not glass). I would like to see the information about Labbatt's process, so if anyone comes across it, please post

 

I put a high alcohol beer in a corny keg and its frozen solid. SOLID. hoping to thaw and continue force-carbing it. Came here to allay my concerns, because this is far and away my favorite beer anywhere.