# At what temp does whisky freeze?



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Last night I left a bottle of Jack on the porch rail hoping that it would freeze overnight...so I could take a photo of it. Well, the temp this morning was -37ÂºF (actual) and the whisky didn't freeze. So, no photo for all y'all.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Well I'm glad someone is having fun this morning...Did you drink it?


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

Dang it!

You're making me do research early in the morning.



> Water freezes at 0Â°C (32Â°F) and the freezing point of ethanol alcohol is -114Â°C (-173.2Â°F). Alcoholic beverages are a mixture of both alcohol and water (with sugars and other additives in some distilled spirits) so the freezing point of all of you alcoholic beverages is somewhere in between. The exact freezing point of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, whiskey and the myriad of liqueurs is dependent on its proof, or alcohol per volume. The lower the proof, the warmer the freezing point: the higher the proof, the colder the freezing point.
> 
> For example:
> 
> ...


From: http://cocktails.about.com/od/mixology/f/alcohol_freeze.htm


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## MTplainsman (Oct 12, 2007)

LOL! Thats what I need in my coffee this morning to thin the blood. I honestly do not agree that 80 proof whiskey like Jack will freeze at -30. I've kept that same make out in much colder temps, and I don't remember too much for ice crystals even. Hmmm, if your whiskey is freezing much at only -30, I think you should search for better Hooch.


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## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

If the bottle would have froze, it would have shattered the bottle and left glass splinters all over...did you decide to do this experiment after the taste test?;-)


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

It wasn;t a full bottle, there was some headspace in it. I figured if it had frozen, it wouldn't have frozen solid...just slushy. Ooooh, a whisky slush...that sounds pretty goooood.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

On the porch rail! Too funny. Now, I know where to get lost in the wild.

When opening a cabin at deer camp one year in the UP, I poured some Jack D. over the padlock to to thaw it out and get it open.


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## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

Bret said:


> I poured some Jack D. over the padlock to to thaw it out and get it open.


I'm calling alcohol abuse on that one!

Twila


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Had a bottle in the Car up on the mountain out in Colorado,in 12 hours it was getting some ice.

big rockpile


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2002)

Don't know about the whisky, but hubby says that Blatz Beer freezes at 20 below. It sounds like a .22 when the can explodes. So he says. Frankly, if it's 20 below outside I'm not going to be hanging around out there waiting for things to freeze.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> we keep our little one room off-grid guest cabin unlocked and well stocked with Jaegermeister (also known as Norwegian antifreeze) just in case some poor unfortunate soul has to take refuge inside! There's also plenty of matches and a stack firewood by the woodstove!


 Mercy,now in my mind I'm seeing Cabin Fever setting out there in the guest cabin with the smoke biling out the chimney and with a great big grin saying, "I,m keeping the whiskey from freezing."Well somebodys gotta do it":nana: Eddie Buck


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## fantasymaker (Aug 28, 2005)

Elizabeth said:


> Don't know about the whisky, but hubby says that Blatz Beer freezes at 20 below. It sounds like a .22 when the can explodes. So he says. Frankly, if it's 20 below outside I'm not going to be hanging around out there waiting for things to freeze.


LOL ya dont have to hang out......................
Those exploding beers are just ******* tempature alarms!


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

Blats cans may explode at 20 below but 4.5% beers slush at about 12 we were frying fish at church one lent outside and the beer was slushing in the cans we had to keep them in the cooler to keep them warm it was 10f and 20 minutes out of the cooler and they were slush , had to drink fast 

beer slush actuualy goes down quite well 

yes i said drinking beer at church


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## MN Gardener (Jan 23, 2008)

Elizabeth said:


> Don't know about the whisky, but hubby says that Blatz Beer freezes at 20 below. It sounds like a .22 when the can explodes. So he says. Frankly, if it's 20 below outside I'm not going to be hanging around out there waiting for things to freeze.


HHmmmmm.......another definition of "Blatz Splatz"!


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> ....yes i said drinking beer at church


A big polish Catholic church down in nordeast Minneapolis has a polish sausage/sauerkraut/boiled potato fund raiser dinner every spring....and they sell beer at that event, too.

Not only that, but they have a polka dance downstairs in the gymnasium going on at the same time....where you can also buy beer.

Not only that, but if you don't want to dance after supper, they have bingo games going on.

When we partook of this event several years ago, WIHH...being from the Baptist Bible Belt of the nation....just had to call her youth minister son. She said to him, "You'll never guess what we're doing! We're at church drinking beer, dancing and gambling!"


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

the freezing point of alcohol is -114C -173,2F
JD is what 85proof meaning a basic alcohol content of 26-27%
to freeze your going to need around -80 for ice to start forming


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## house06 (Jan 4, 2007)

havent done any experiments here in Ky but remember the years that we lived in Germany and we would buy beer by the rack. All year round they stayed out on the covered patio area. In the winter, during the day we would keep soda out on the deep marble window ledges too, first floor only, though. Then if we needed something cold to drink we would go to the window open it and get a drink. Sure cut down on all the trips to the refrigerator!


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## woodsman (Dec 8, 2008)

Pyro, 85 proof means 42.5%. Vodka is usually 40% - 80 proof.


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## beccachow (Nov 8, 2008)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> we keep our little one room off-grid guest cabin unlocked and well stocked with Jaegermeister (also known as Norwegian antifreeze) just in case some poor unfortunate soul has to take refuge inside! There's also plenty of matches and a stack firewood by the woodstove!



And you live where?! I might find myself stranded in your cabin...drunk, toasty and child free! Leave me there til spring thaw, as I will not be capable of making my own decisions at the point that you find me :happy: !

PS: Can I stumble in for a home cooked meal?


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

woodsman said:


> Pyro, 85 proof means 42.5%. Vodka is usually 40% - 80 proof.


true enough I was halfing again for some reason 
that would drop the temp to slightly below -100 F


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

my grandparents church has a walk in cooler with beer tappers that are connected thru the wall there is a pannel that is unlocked and removed then the catch pan is put in place on hangers and the tapper handles screwed on they have a bar on wheeles that rolls out and the wheeles are locked 

the area is very large and was desinged and built in the late 50's to be perfect for weddings have the service up stairs and then the reception down stairs it was a good money maker for many years it has a full commercial kitchen also 

but a few years ago the arch bishop ruled that if a church was going to rent out it's hall for weddings or other gatherings the renter would have to carry a million dollar insurance policy made it not quite as affordable now it is mainly used for church festevails.


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## freeinalaska (Jan 21, 2005)

Grey goose vodka (80 proof) will freeze about -38F. My bottle of Jim Beam froze well beyond slush last week at -51F. I wanted to see at just what temp the 80 proof Beam would freeze at but it got too cold to come up with actual data on the subject. All I know is that it will freeze at fifty below.


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## Denise K. (May 10, 2002)

We have a Catholic church in our area that every spring they have a St. Patricks Day carnival. They have games, basketball contests, dancing, good food, lots of good food (of various ethnic varieties!) and a Beer Garden. Hubby and I went to eat some of the good food he ate just "plain food" and I went and had the Jamican food (it was wonderful). We visited with friends and when we were very stuffed of that good food we returned to our car. On the way back to the car we had to cross a busy road. Stepping off the curb I stepped on a rock and fell flat on my face in the road!:help: I got up stumbling as I injured my knee, hubby helped me accross the road and as I was hobbling across I hear someone say "she must have been in the Beer Garden to long" I swear I never went in the Beer Garden! Watch out for those church dinners!


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## freeinalaska (Jan 21, 2005)

I want to add...if you drink booze that is any colder than say about -10F to -15F it will burn your throat. I collected this data during a careful experiment I conducted not long after I moved to AK.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Well, it's suppose to be a little colder tonight...maybe we'll get to -40F or below. I think I'll set up a row of shot glasses on the porch railing. In each glass I'll pour a different kind of spirits...vodka, Canadian whisky, Jack, brandy, Jagermeister, etc. and see if any of them freeze. I hope no one comes to visit. That railing is gonna look like an outdoor bar!

Speaking of outdoor bars, here's a photo of one in Minneapolis made completely of ice! Gives a whole new meaning to "on the rocks!"


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## Elizabeth (Jun 4, 2002)

CF, do you have to go to work tomorrow morning? Cause you know, any of those experiments that fail (i.e., don't freeze) will need to be consumed in the morning. Hate to think of you getting pulled for a DUI on the way TO work!
Although, if I had to drive to work in the morning, that might be the only way to get me out the door- and I don't even drink!


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## tiffnzacsmom (Jan 26, 2006)

Becareful for broken glass when the shot glasses explode.... Freezers are very handy for holding bottles that errupted due to cold.


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## Farmerwilly2 (Oct 14, 2006)

Beer by the rack (pardon me while I tear up a minute), frosty liquor, 20 yo single rescuer/barmaids with ice bars, firewood and Polish sausages!! 
Shhhhhh I'm having a moment here.
I love this country.


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## MorrisonCorner (Jul 27, 2004)

So.. does freezing alcohol have any effect on the alcoholic content? I know if you heat an alcoholic beverage the alcohol evaporates.. if you freeze it.. does it evaporate when it is defrosting?


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## cwgrl23 (Feb 19, 2004)

I found 2 bottles of exploded wine due to the severe cold last night. Opps, thought those had been brought in.


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## freeinalaska (Jan 21, 2005)

MorrisonCorner said:


> So.. does freezing alcohol have any effect on the alcoholic content? I know if you heat an alcoholic beverage the alcohol evaporates.. if you freeze it.. does it evaporate when it is defrosting?


I'm not sure, but both times I froze booze the thawed hootch had the desired effect.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Cabin Fever said:


> When we partook of this event several years ago, WIHH...being from the Baptist Bible Belt of the nation....just had to call her youth minister son. She said to him, "You'll never guess what we're doing! We're at church drinking beer, dancing and gambling!"


Some religions have all the fun.......


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## plowjockey (Aug 18, 2008)

Careful, fellow scientists!

Chugging extremely cold alcohol can be DEADLY! You can get the equivilent of frostbite, inside your mouth, esophegus and stomach in seconds.


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

MorrisonCorner said:


> So.. does freezing alcohol have any effect on the alcoholic content? I know if you heat an alcoholic beverage the alcohol evaporates.. if you freeze it.. does it evaporate when it is defrosting?


Its known as cold distilling
as water freezes before the alcohol you can feeze the water and pour out the alcohol during the slush stage resulting in nearly pure alcohol


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## Jerngen (May 22, 2006)

I just have to say, thanks for the laughs!!! :baby04:


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## Junkman (Dec 17, 2005)

Good grief! I just remembered I bought a 12 pack of Bud for some company we were expecting (that didn't make it) and it is sitting on the garage floor near the car. It is 5 degrees out now, and no heat in the garage. Hope it does not freeze and blow. It would be hard to explain car damage to the insurance company. Flu was going around here before Christmas and a lot of our friends were sick. Jklady


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## Junkman (Dec 17, 2005)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> hee hee of course you can! We actually have a snowmobile trail map thumbtacked to the inside of the outhouse wall with a "you are here" arrow so in case any lost snowmobilers take advantage of our outdoor "facilities" they'll be able to figure out where they are!
> 
> And here's what happens to all that Jaegermesiter when its left unattended.
> 
> One day a few years ago, my daughter and I took off while the "boys" were snowmobiling and we "accidentally" locked them out of the house. So they took advantage of the matches and firewood, made a campfire, drug a few lawn chairs out of the storage building and poured themselves some Jaegrmeister to chase away the chill! This is how we found them.


All they needed was a warm loaf of Beer Bread and a stick of pepperoni.:bouncy:


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

I've been making pear-apple brandy this winter from 25 gallons of wine. Figured it at about 12% when fermented. Set out final 8 gallons last night. After only -14Âº for a low, scooped out 4 gallons of slush in the morning. I've been reducing at a rate of getting 1Â¼ gallon of brandy per 5 gallons of wine so it will be roughly 50% alcohol when finished.

Martin


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## Charleen (May 12, 2002)

Cabin Fever said:


> A big polish Catholic church down in nordeast Minneapolis has a polish sausage/sauerkraut/boiled potato fund raiser dinner every spring....and they sell beer at that event, too.
> 
> Not only that, but they have a polka dance downstairs in the gymnasium going on at the same time....where you can also buy beer.
> 
> Not only that, but if you don't want to dance after supper, they have bingo games going on.



Here's the Waclawski family recipe for "Slush" which is served in great quantities at all church functions, no matter what temp it is outside. We've also seen many Sisters and Priests enjoy this recipe. 

Mix in very large tupperware bowl:
1-12oz can frozen lemonade
1-12 oz can frozen cranberry juice
2 cups brewed tea with 1/2 c sugar added while still hot
7 cups water
2 cups vodka


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

I remember a six pack of Millers freezing in Korea some forty years ago. At least the water did, the alcohol was still in liquid form. It was only 3.2 beer, so not sure how that would have affected it. 

Nomad


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> hee hee of course you can! We actually have a snowmobile trail map thumbtacked to the inside of the outhouse wall with a "you are here" arrow so in case any lost snowmobilers take advantage of our outdoor "facilities" they'll be able to figure out where they are!
> 
> And here's what happens to all that Jaegermesiter when its left unattended.
> 
> One day a few years ago, my daughter and I took off while the "boys" were snowmobiling and we "accidentally" locked them out of the house. So they took advantage of the matches and firewood, made a campfire, drug a few lawn chairs out of the storage building and poured themselves some Jaegrmeister to chase away the chill! This is how we found them.



This picture says to me, "Were you born in a house? Close the door. You're letting the heat in"


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Cabin Fever said:


> Well, it's suppose to be a little colder tonight...maybe we'll get to -40F or below. I think I'll set up a row of shot glasses on the porch railing. In each glass I'll pour a different kind of spirits...vodka, Canadian whisky, Jack, brandy, Jagermeister, etc. and see if any of them freeze. I hope no one comes to visit. That railing is gonna look like an outdoor bar!
> 
> Speaking of outdoor bars, here's a photo of one in Minneapolis made completely of ice! Gives a whole new meaning to "on the rocks!"


Do they hold wet parka contests?


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Nomad said:


> I remember a six pack of Millers freezing in Korea some forty years ago. At least the water did, the alcohol was still in liquid form. It was only 3.2 beer, so not sure how that would have affected it.
> 
> Nomad


An interesting fact about cans freezing is that only one will freeze at a time. If you set out a 12-pack of cans, it may be cold enough to have one explode but another may be entirely liquid. As one freezes, another absorbs the heat given off. We often would set a 12-pack of soda outside the back door to cool. Forgot about some root beer one time. In middle of a very cold night, kept hearing little sounds from the back deck. Thought that it may be a cat or dog scratching at the door. Opened the door just in time to get a blast of root beer crystals in the face. The sound had been the cans moving around in the carton as they expanded. The first shock was the coincidence of the can exploding at the exact moment that I opened the door. Second was to find one of the cans still totally free of ice.

Update on last night's brandy making is that it was too cold. Whole works went to slush and too much alcohol is trapped in the slush. The coarsest slush is now divided among two other pails to drain out while the first pail has 2 gallons of mostly liquid. Accidentally got one finger of a glove wet. That's the quickest way to find out what -17Âº really feels like. 

Martin


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