How Long Does It Take To Chill A Beer In The Freezer? (2022)

It’s afternoon, and there’s nothing quite like an ice-cold beer after a long hot summer day. But if you just ran out of cold beers and you’re in a hurry, how long does it take to chill a beer in the freezer? 

Lucky for you, you can do a few things to speed up the process. Read on and learn more.

How Fast Does Beer Get Chilled In The Freezer?

Putting a “room temperature beer” in a freezer usually takes 1 to 2 hours to get to the right temperature. Beyond that could reach the beer’s freezing point, which makes the beer freeze and form ice crystals that make it slushy and taste flat.

It’s also important to know that the freezing point of beers varies based on their alcohol content. The higher the ABV, the harder it freezes.

Canned Beer

Generally, it usually takes 45 minutes to an hour for canned beer to get sufficiently chilled in the freezer from being a room temperature beer. However, this time can vary depending on factors such as the type of beer, size, shape, and how full the freezer is.

Bottled Beer

Bottled beer takes approximately 50 minutes to 2 hours to get chilled in the freezer. The time it takes to chill your beer depends on how thick the glass bottle is and how many beers you are chilling at once.

How Long Can You Put Beer In The Freezer?

You can leave beer at approximately 2-3 hours in normal household freezers. Beer has a lower freezing temperature than pure water, so it can stay in the freezer for a little longer. Normally beer freezes around -2 to -5 degrees celsius. You have to get the freezer set right to get a perfectly chilled beer. Otherwise, the beer freezes, frost forms, and will taste completely flat.

Effects of Chilling Your Drink 

Taste

Chilling your drink can enhance flavor by numbing your taste buds and making them less sensitive to bitter tastes. Chilling will make it taste more refreshing and can help to mask any bitter flavors bringing out the malt notes instead of bitter hops.

Alcohol Content

There is no significant difference in the alcohol content of a drink, whether it is chilled or not. But according to experts, chilling your drink can help to make it more potent since alcohol freezes at a lower temperature than water.

Can You Chill Beer Quickly Without A Refrigerator?

Chilling beer quickly without a refrigerator can be done using ice, cold water, salt, and a large pot. The key is to put your beer somewhere that is close and cold. You can add salt to the ice and ice water to make it cool faster.

7 Tips To Make Your Beer Cool Faster 

7. Cover With A Soaked Towel

One quick way to cool down your beer is to cover it with soaked towels or wet paper towels and place it in the freezer. The soaked towel or damp paper towel/cloth will help transfer the cold from the freezer to your beer faster than if you just placed the beer in there by itself.

6. Wrap It With A Copper Foil

If you want your beer to cool down quickly, wrapping it in copper foil is best. Copper has great thermal conductivity, which can help the heat transfer away from your beer bottle quickly. Just ensure that the copper foil is in contact with the entire surface of the beer bottle or can.

5. Drill A Hole

This is a method for quickly chilling a beer can using a power drill and a thermos cap. The beer can is placed in a pot of ice water and salt, and the thermos cap is placed over the top of the can. The power drill is then used to rotate the can, which speeds up heat transfer and chills the beer in under 5 minutes.

4. Add Dry Ice

If you want your beer bottle to chill down quickly, adding some dry ice is the way to go. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, and it’s -109.3°F (-78.5°C). 

When you add dry ice to your cooler, it will sink to the bottom, where it will come into contact with your beer cans or bottles. The extremely cold temperature of the dry ice will cause the beer to cool down rapidly. [1]

3. Use A SpinChill

The SpinChill is a device that you can use to cool down your beer quickly. It works by spinning the beer can or bottle in a container of ice water. The centrifugal force created by the spinning will cause the beer to cool down rapidly.

2. Submerge In Ice Water & Salt

This is a quick way to chill beer if you don’t have a freezer or if you are in the outdoors. Simply put beer inside your sink or a large container with ice cubes, ice water, and salt. The salt lowers the freezing point where the water freezes, which will help to cool your beer down faster. [2]

1. Use Compressed Air Coolant

This method is often used by professional brewers to cool down their beers quickly. It involves using compressed air to blow cold air on the drink’s surface. This will cause the beer to cool down rapidly without freezing it.

FAQs

Does cold beer hit harder?

Most likely, no. It is a common misconception that alcohol hits you harder when it is cold. Drinking beers or any other alcoholic drinks straight from the fridge can actually numb your taste buds, making it difficult to gauge how strong your drink is and how quickly it will affect you.

How do pubs chill beer?

The most common way that pubs chill beer is by using a keg cooler which is specifically designed to hold and cool kegs of beer. The keg cooler has a number of shelves inside it on which the kegs can be placed. The temperature inside the keg cooler can be controlled so that the beer is kept at the perfect temperature for serving.

Can you make a beer cold in 60 seconds?

Yes, you can make a beer cold in 60 seconds by blowing it with a CO2 fire extinguisher, but that would be barely enough. If it’s a warm beer or at room temperature, blowing it for a minute would cool it a little but not enough.

Does putting beer in the freezer ruin it?

Yes. Putting beer in the freezer can ruin it if the beer is left in the freezer for too long. But it should be fine if you put beer in the freezer for a short period, like an hour or two. More than that could reach the beer’s freezing temperature unless you want a frozen or slushy beer.

What is the fastest way to chill a beer in the freezer? 

The fastest way to chill a beer is to wrap it with a wet paper towel, damp cloth, or copper foil before putting it in the freezer compartment.

Final Thoughts

Overall, it takes about two hours to “quick chill” a beer in the freezer. However, this time can vary depending on the type of beer, size, and how cold your freezer is. 

However, you should also be aware of the potential risk if the beer freezes. If you leave your beer in the freezer for too long, it can explode. So, keep an eye on your frozen beer and remove it from the freezer once it’s sufficiently chilled.

Lastly, ensure that your beer is well-sealed before placing it in the freezer, as this will help prevent frost from forming outside the bottle.

References:

1. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/dry-ice 
2. https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-salt-melt-ice