If wine begins to freeze will it be ruined?

[SIRUSKEY]

Hi all.

A quick question.

I have 8 DJ’s in the garage at the moment which are ageing / maturing. Im a little concerned that they may freeze in the garage as it drops below zero most nights around here from now on. Im going to struggle to get them all indoors.

What temperature would it need to drop to freeze a full gallon of wine?

If the wine begins to freeze will it be ruined?

 

[Moley]

The wine wouldn't be ruined by freezing and defrosting, but if it's in glass DJs those will be smashed because freezing liquid expands.

However, the alcohol content will act as an anti-freeze so you would be ok with a few degrees of frost.


But I wouldn't leave mine out there :whistle:


Maturing wine should be left somewhere cool but not cold.

Most importantly, the temperature should be stable.

 

[SIRUSKEY]

The wine won't be ruined, but if it's in glass DJs those will be smashed because freezing liquid expands.

However, the alcohol content will act as an anti-freeze so you would be ok with a few degrees of frost.


But I wouldn't leave mine out there :whistle:

Im working on SWMBO to move them back in doors. If only I had a cellar like yours :cry:

I have a wardrobe in the garage with old clothing and coats for when I go fishing. I might move them in there.

 

[graysalchemy]

That would make a difference just getting them off a concrete floor and insulating them. :thumb:

 

[Runwell-Steve]

If you can put them in some form of cupboard, you could get yourself a little greenhouse heater just to keep the worst of the cold away.

 

[Moley]

If you can put them in some form of cupboard, you could get yourself a little greenhouse heater just to keep the worst of the cold away.

:thumb:

But one of those tubular 60 Watt (or watt ever they are) electric jobs, and not a paraffin one :nono:

 

[oldbloke]

If you can put them in some form of cupboard, you could get yourself a little greenhouse heater just to keep the worst of the cold away.

:thumb:

But one of those tubular 60 Watt (or watt ever they are) electric jobs, and not a paraffin one :nono:

Even just a lightbulb would be better than nowt.

 

[tonyhibbett]

OK, Saddleworth ain't London, so colder. Alcohol doesn't start to freeze until 4 c., so above this it acts as anti freeze for the wine. Cluster the jars together. They gain and lose heat less rapidly that way. Place polystyrene foam underneath and a blanket over the top. Glass will break if the liquid inside freezes, so 5 litre PET bottles worth considering as at least flexible and they breathe as well.
I had 12 gallons in 2 plastic containers still fermenting recently. I wanted a cool slow secondary ferment. I put them in the shed, stood them on polystyrene and got some obsolete 60 mm tank lagging from my friendly heating and plumbing supplier and made jackets with some gaffer tape. I then discovered that fermentation generates heat. The temperature inside those jackets in the lean-to wooden draughty shed was higher than room temperature at night and stayed that way during the day. The wine was warming the shed!
I bought a greenhouse heater, (for the greenhouse!), which runs on paraffin, formally a cheap heating fuel, now at least £7 for 4 litres, if you can even get it!
Wine now tranferred to 10 gallon oak barrel outside. Snow predicted for tomorrow, (yeah, like it was predicted in what turned out to be be the warmest October ever recorded) but snow is actually a good insulator.

 

[Moley]

I think you meant to say -4°C, but pure alcohol won't freeze until about -114°C, which is why it can be used in low scale thermometers, so the freezing point of beer, wine or cider is going to vary with the percentage abv.


The other word you wanted was formerly and not formally

 

[ricardo]

Saddleworth.....bbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[tonyhibbett]

I used to proof read my partner's novels, but it's nice to know that a higher force is watching over me too!

 

[Moley]

it's nice to know that a higher force is watching over me too!

Not higher, but it is something I am tuned into and will spot every time.

I have a friend who is very bright indeed, more degrees than most people have GCSEs, an Oxford research scientist who keeps an excellent blog, but who still manages to shoot herself in the foot with some absolutely priceless homophones.

 

[eggman]

(or watt ever they are)

Tut tut :nono: surely you meant whatever Moley?

 

[Moley]

I know what I meant, it was 4.30pm, time to shut down, pull the plugs and get my coat anyway.

 

[tonyhibbett]

Personally, I enjoy the occasional malapropism.
This mornings snow reminds me of last xmas in Bath. On my way, the car windscreen froze over, despite having the correct winter screenwash. - 10 c plus windchill at 70 mph.
I went out on Boxing day to collect the hens' eggs. Not only were they frozen, so was the river Avon at the bottom of the garden. I then remembered the 3 bottles of wine I left in the car overnight, at - 10c. They were very icy, but intact.
I have only ever seen 1 bottle of wine broken by freezing. It was a vinho verde, abv below 10%, which had been left in a freezer for many days. I think rapid freezing from room temperature plus relatively low alcohol content were responsible, and possibly the co2 content, as vinho verde is slightly sparkling, so there is more pressure inside than with still wine.
I have no idea how long it would take to make a dj full of wine to freeze solid enough to break the glass and there is usually rather more airspace than in a full bottle of wine, which is also completely sealed.
I do have a handy little electric room heater which is never completely off and kicks in when the air temperature hits zero, but the lowest temperature in my shed so far this winter is 2.9 c. But this is London.

 

[muddy90]

You've got me worried now. :shock: I'm going to have to find a thermometer for my shed/workshop/booze store!
I don't think it gets freezing in there, it keeps a nice constant temp being brick, but I'm deffinately going to pick my bottles off the floor.

 

[tonyhibbett]

Blanket, old coat etc. covering is highly effective. Protects from draughts and heat loss from top. Wilkinsons do a reasonably priced max/min thermometer.