What happens when you freeze your beer?

[bambam190]

OK so I tried my first attempt at lagering. It was a MaiBock I took a dorm fridge, set the temp as high as it would go, monitored it for a few days to confirm that it stayed at the temp I wanted (approx 45F) then threw in my plastic carboy.

I travel a bit so while I was out of town my neighbor and co-brewer, went to check on it to find that it was frozen solid. (still working on why). After finding the beer-cicle he took it out and thawed it in his heated garage. The beer is now thawed and looks to be fermenting again.

My question is will my beer survive? I've had canned/bottled beer freeze and it never tastes good again

Is there anything that I can/should do?

Our thought is to wait until the re-fermentation ceases then keg it and see how it tastes.

Your input is welcome and needed

 

[weissbierdrinker]

Was it a lager yeast?

 

[bambam190]

Was it a lager yeast?

Yes,

it was Norther Brewer's Maibock kit with saflager w-34/70 Lager yeast

 

[humann_brewing]

their website lists 48-59 as the range for the yeast with 53 being ideal. Either way if your fridge was at 45 there is no physical way it could have frozen so something else happened.

http://www.fermentis.com/fo/pdf/HB/EN/Saflager_W-3470_HB.pdf

 

[bambam190]

I believe that it was a cold snap that did it, but I havn't looked into the fridge yet to confirm that something didn't happen there. I just got home last night, the beer was out and the fridge was unplugged that is a second batch of trouble shooting.

 

[ballin_shogun]

I had an old dorm fridge a while back that would do the same thing... If all I did was put something in the freezer compartment the darn thing would never stay frozen even at the coldest setting. On the other hand if I filled up most of the space with stuff (cans bottles whatever) then it would get cold enough to freeze the everything not just the freezer compartment. My conclusion was that the lower air volume (becuase space was taken up by the stuff) allowed it to work more effeciently. Try putting an empty carboy and a glass of water in and recheck the temps... My guess is it gets colder when stuff is in it. No idea about what will happen with the frozen beer. I say if its fermenting again you're cool but can't say I have heard of that before.

 

[bambam190]

I had an old dorm fridge a while back that would do the same thing... If all I did was put something in the freezer compartment the darn thing would never stay frozen even at the coldest setting. On the other hand if I filled up most of the space with stuff (cans bottles whatever) then it would get cold enough to freeze the everything not just the freezer compartment. My conclusion was that the lower air volume (becuase space was taken up by the stuff) allowed it to work more effeciently. Try putting an empty carboy and a glass of water in and recheck the temps... My guess is it gets colder when stuff is in it. No idea about what will happen with the frozen beer. I say if its fermenting again you're cool but can't say I have heard of that before.

Trailblazer:rockin:

In a few months you'll all be subscribing to the bambam beercicle fermentation process!

 

[windbreaker123]

Once it has reached final f/g. Keg it but give it 2 or 3 weeks before sampling. I have had beer freeze before also. In bottles and cans and they required the extra time to recondition. I don't know the science behind it I just go by the taste.