Is it possible to store beer in the freezer and what to do with the frozen drink?

If you leave a bottle or can of an intoxicating drink to cool for too long, you may be disappointed to find that the beer has frozen in the freezer, turning into ice. Also, foam can harden if it ends up in a car during the cold season. If it was stored in a plastic bottle, drinking or otherwise using it after thawing is unhealthy. But a drink that was stored in a glass container and accidentally frozen does not have to be thrown away immediately. Once it melts, it can be used for other purposes. In addition, sometimes the taste of the drink remains quite good even after defrosting.

Beer freezes at a lower temperature than water. It is impossible to give an exact figure - it depends on the composition of a particular product. The higher the strength and denser the wort, the lower the freezing point. Typically, the drink turns into ice when the thermometer readings are from -2°C to -5 degrees.

What to do with frozen beer?

If the beer is not completely frozen, it may retain a pleasant taste. This happens when 20–30% of the bottle remains in a liquid state.

An important factor is the quality and composition of the beer. It’s better to first try to defrost the bottle - what if its contents still taste acceptable?

If the drink has turned into a solid ice floe, then the taste and beneficial properties will be lost. Gas will also escape from it.But the smell and strength will be preserved (only if the bottle remains intact).

Glass, unlike plastic containers and cans, often cracks when frozen. The bottom or neck will most likely fall off, releasing debris into the liquid. It is better to throw away what is left after this, otherwise you risk drinking particles of broken glass.

Plastic bottles are not damaged when frozen. But if you drink thawed beer from them, you can get poisoned: harmful substances will be released from the container.

The product must be defrosted gradually. Temperature changes should not be too sudden. It is better not to place the bottle in hot water, not to heat it near a fire, or to leave it on a radiator.

You can place frozen beer in the refrigerator, and there it will slowly but surely thaw. To ensure that it defrosts evenly, you need to turn the bottle 180 degrees every 12 hours. This will reduce the likelihood that sediment will appear at the bottom.

How to use beer that has lost its taste?

If you no longer want to drink defrosted beer because of the unpleasant taste, you can find another use for it:

• Use when preparing food. There are many recipes for delicious dishes that use everyone’s favorite foamy drink. With beer you can bake meat, use it as a marinade, make pizza dough or even pancakes based on it.
• Make a beer hair mask. It has an excellent cosmetic effect, cleanses hair well, makes it soft and at the same time strong.
• You can splash foam on the hot stones in the bathhouse, filling it with a pleasant aroma.

How long does it take to chill beer?

To avoid finding a piece of ice in a broken bottle in the freezer instead of a forgotten beer, it is better to keep the drink in the refrigerator.

Tips from true foam connoisseurs:

• If you really can't wait to taste a cold beer, then put it in the freezer and set a timer on your phone. Cooling to the desired temperature will take no more than 10–12 minutes, after which the bottle must be removed from the freezer.
• There is another way: place the bottle in the refrigerator, after wrapping it in a damp paper towel. So after 5-10 minutes it will be sufficiently cold and at the same time not icy.
• A good way to lower the temperature of your beer is to chill your glasses by placing them in the freezer. The drink becomes colder, and the mug becomes warmer. Everything is simple and effective. Here, too, it is important not to overdo it so that the dishes do not burst.

It is generally not advisable to put beer in the freezer - it likes gradual cooling, and not a sharp temperature change. In the refrigerator, it better retains its taste and beneficial properties. In addition, it is better to cool it evenly by periodically turning the bottle.

But even if the cooling didn’t go according to plan and a good, tasty drink began to resemble ice cream, you shouldn’t throw it away. If it was not stored in a plastic bottle, it may remain harmless to health and quite tasty, albeit not carbonated.