What temp will beer freeze at?

[conpewter]

I know this depends on the alcohol content but I also imagine the other solubles in the solution would affect this as well. A chart for %ethyl alcohol to water and freeze temperature would be a starting point though.

Has anyone had first hand experience with this? I'm shipping a couple homebrews and was wondering if I need to worry about them freezing as they sit on the USPS truck.

 

[FSR402]

well when I brewed Monday it was -1*F and my Mild (3%) would freeze on me in 10 minutes where as my 10% stout was just fine.

 

[jfish63]

I read on another forum that 28* will freeze beer but it takes awhile.

 

[mrkristofo]

It's a federal crime to ship alcohol via USPS, just so you know.

Figuring out the freezing point shouldn't be too difficult by calculating the freezing point depression from the FG and % alcohol. That said, I take homebrews skiing regularly, and leave them in the car/stash them somewhere on the the mountain in the snow. I've never had a bottle explode because of freezing.

 

[conpewter]

I didn't know that, do you all ship UPS/fedex when entering contests?

Also thanks for the assurance about them probably not freezing (since you've left them in the car etc.)

 

[conpewter]

I've wondered about that too. I've also heard to not store your beer in plastic soda bottles because of oxygen permeability. But unless CO2 can't get through and oxygen can (because it's more slippery eh?) then I don't see how they can be very gas permeable and still hold pressure for any long period of time.

 

[debaniel]

From what I've read, it is a crime to:

a. ship alcohol through USPS

b. ship alcohol across state lines.


That being said, it is only against POLICY to ship with DHL, UPS, etc.

but still against the law to ship it across state lines.


I, however, am not an attorney. I only play one on the internet.

 

[malkore]

So how the hell does anyone legally submit a beer to a national brewing competition?

don't ask, don't tell?

I don't think that can be the law....otherwise all these beer of the month clubs would have been shut down after 1 shipment.

 

[Warped04]

So how the hell does anyone legally submit a beer to a national brewing competition?

don't ask, don't tell?

I don't think that can be the law....otherwise all these beer of the month clubs would have been shut down after 1 shipment.

You are allowed to ship beer as a producer, wholesaler and retailer. There are rules and regulations that are followed by the retailer (Beer/Wine of the month clubs) in with their contract with the shipping company (FedEx, UPS, etc). The reason it is against policy for Joe Schmo is because the shipping companies do not know if your beer is being shipped legally, so they will generally deny you.

 

[mrkristofo]

The only reason it's a federal crime by the USPS is because of taxation. Taxing alcohol has always been good revenue for Washington, even since the early days. See US Postal Code:

Intoxicating Liquor

A potable beverage is nonmailable if it is of 0.5% or more alcoholic content by weight, which is taxable under Chapter 51, Internal Revenue Service Code. The product may be mailed if it conforms to applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Service and Food and Drug Administration and is not an alcoholic beverage, poisonous, or flammable.

 

[Ooompa Loompa]

I've been caught mailing beer UPS when the bottles broke. The basic message was "umm, don't do that again cuz you're not supposed to". I didn't get in trouble or anything like that. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had shipped it USPS and the same thing had happened. I don't think they would have been nearly as friendly.