Frozen in my Blichmann Fermentor after fermentation

[RockerDlicious]

I made what I think might be a really great Imperial IPA. The SG was 1.090 and finished at 1.020. I dumped the yeast off the bottom of the fermentor and turned my temperature controlled freezer to 38 dF to cool condition the beer before kegging. This was 2 days ago. Today I checked on it and the first thing I noticed was frost on the outside of the door. I checked the temperature and it was - 25 dF, and the beer was solid as a brick. Apparently the thermostat had malfunctioned and let the freezer run out of control. Naturally I'm panicking. I took the doors off the freezer and now basically I'm letting the room temperature air thaw the beer.

I've seen some posts on this before, but not quite this extreme or specific. I'm wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this before, and what sort of outcome they had? Thanks.

 

[BigB]

I know John Palmer had this happen to him and it ended up being one of his best beers.

 

[wittmania]

About the only danger of freezing is that it usually kills the yeast via molecular level ice crystals piercing the yeast cell membranes. Since you're past the fermentation stage, you should be fine.

 

[solbes]

I'd be more worried about your Fermenator. Is she okay?

Palmers Vienna got frozen on top only though, and it was a lager.
This sounds like a frozen beer brick.

As to the beer, I agree that they yeast sounds like it has finished. If there are no more available though, how would it condition? Maybe it's not an issue.

 

[RockerDlicious]

Update: The frozen beer thawed and I put into 2 kegs. The taste seemed fine. The pressure is on. I'll let you know how it force carbonated.

 

[Diaperload]

This sounds like a frozen beer brick.

Am I the only one that thinks this sounds particularly yummy?

If I saw "Frozen Beer Brick" in the store I'd be tempted to buy it.

 

[dfess1]

bah! I would have skimmed the ice off the top! 3xIPA???

 

[solbes]

Schells makes a "Firebrick". This would be "Icebrick". I agree the Icebrick beer sounds more tasty.

 

[Jazman]

Update: The frozen beer thawed and I put into 2 kegs. The taste seemed fine. The pressure is on. I'll let you know how it force carbonated.

I had a problem once where my serving fridge got set too low and my serving kegs froze (obviously yeast health wasn't an issue). I did need to re-carb the beer as the freezing/thawing process drove the CO2 out, but other than that it was still great.

Jaz

 

[mugzz819]

I just had a carboy freeze while cold crashing due to not figuring out temps in a new fridge before throwing it in there. Took it out, let it thaw, kegged and used the yeast cake for a new beer that was already boiling when I realized it froze. A day and a half later I was spewing krausen out the blow off tube. I'm guessing it takes a bit if time at freezing temps to kill the yeast, and if you keg you don't have to worry about yeast for bottling anyway.

 

[BigRob]

It would be a very good way to get a crystal clear beer. It's a trick a lot of chefs and cooks have been using to make crystal clear consomme for a few years now, freeze it solid, and then slowly thaw in the fridge. I'd assume with a conical you could thaw it entirely and dump off all the trub and sediment that would settle out as it thawed. If you force carbed it wouldn't even need yeast added back for bottling.

 

[HollisBrewCo]

I used to regularly freeze the valves in my fermenator with no I'll effects. I would thaw them with a hair dryer with no I'll effects. Never froze the whole thing solid though.