Frozen Beer in Fermenter...Help!

[ChihuahuaTN]

Dear everybody I hope everyone can find some humor in this post!

This was my 15th all grain brew an IPA (I called it mean marsupial due to Secret Vic Australian hops) I hit all my numbers and my efficiency was great. I hit my FG and on day 16 elected to cold crash.

Everything was running according to plan on day 18 the temperature was slowly lowered to 38f. I use a small fridge to cold crash in my basement. My house was made in 1921 and the basement runs 64-74f year round. We had a severe cold spell this past week and I went to check on my beer in the SS brewtech fermenter and my small refrigerator showed a warning for extreme low temperature... and I checked the beer and it was frozen. The tilt recorded a temperature 25° this was confirmed by the temp gauge on my SS brewtech.

Currently the brew has thawed and is resting at 57f at 23 days post brewday. The ABV is 8%

I guess there is a first for everything.
Questions:

1. I’m assuming that beer is OK (won’t say perfect due to bursting of all the cell walls and proteins released ect..) but I have lost all my yeast and won’t be able to bottle this beer.
2. To salvage this brew it has to be forced carb/kegged?
3. Am I missing anything ...

All input accepted ,
Cheers

 

[day_trippr]

1 - I have no first hand experience so no clue on impact
2 - Not necessarily
3 - You can add a neutral bottling yeast (ala CBC-1) with your primer...

Cheers!

 

[AkTom]

I froze a beer once. I had 2 carboys in the ferm chamber. I bottled one and the temp probe slipped out the door.. let thaw and was fine, other than the lost beer when it froze and oozed out the carboy. I was thankful no damage to the beer or carboy.
You’ll be fine.
Cheers

 

[bracconiere]

I hope everyone can find some humor in this post!

freezing beer is illegal!

edit: seriously, here in the states it is! can't freeze or boil it.....

 

[satph]

1. I’m assuming that beer is OK (won’t say perfect due to bursting of all the cell walls and proteins released ect..) but I have lost all my yeast and won’t be able to bottle this beer.

Your beer is fine.

1. To salvage this brew it has to be forced carb/kegged?

If you want to keg it/force carb it, go ahead.

1. Am I missing anything ...

If you want to bottle it the yeast may have survived the freeze, but if you add fresh yeast with your priming sugar, it should carbonate just fine.