Too cold in garage?

[Baldbrewer]

Hi all,
Given the current low temps 0c in garage should I be bringing bottled beer in from the cold?
Just don't want to ruin my hard work lol!
:

 

[robsan77]

In theory, 0 is fine. The alcohol present will prevent freezing but I'd be concerned if it got colder.

 

[ScottM]

Beer will freeze only a few degrees below zero. If you are confident that it is sheltered enough not to go past freezing then it should be fine. If not then I would definitely think about moving your low alcohol stash.

 

[Baldbrewer]

Low alcohol? My brews are 4.8%,5.6%, and 6.5% would these be ok?

 

[graysalchemy]

Are they in a cupboard or a box off the floor? if they are then they will probably be ok, try wrapping them up in blankets to keep the frost of them and keeping them off a concrete floor is a good idea as well. :thumb:

 

[ScottM]

Low alcohol? My brews are 4.8%,5.6%, and 6.5% would these be ok?

In comparison to wine and spirits they are low

It's all down to how insulated your garage is. There is no definitive answer unfortunately. If the beer gets to a certain temp it will freeze, you need to be sure it won't get to that temp.

Mine should all be fine as I've never seen any frost inside the garage and all my bottles are in fridges which are well insulated. It would take a deep freeze for them to hit low enough to freeze themselves.

 

[Baz Chaz]

In winter in 'The Den' where all my beer is stashed it has got down to -3 ......... inside

..... it was often as low as -20 outside and the garage and workshop (The Den) are unheated, the beers are all stored in kitchen style units and were checked on regularly. The contents never froze and were perfectly drinkable when brought up to the house in the warm for a day or so before opening. Some are still out there, stored in cardboard boxes for a 'special occasion' the rest are in the cupboards, I can't be bothered to move 200/250 bottles of ale into the house when it gets cold

It was so cold the sea froze and had huge blocks of ice, the size of cars, floating around :whistle: but the beer survived :thumb:

 

[Baldbrewer]

Thanks guys, putting some in empty fermentation fridge at 12c some under sparebed shhh don't tell swmbo!
And some in boxes with newspaper in garage off the floor
:thumb:

 

[PD]

Storage for me is not a great problem the heating boiler is in my garage so it always stays up above 10 degrees ( until swimbo leaves the blasted doors wide open ! )
Carbonation of my bottles is my main problem..

 

[graysalchemy]

[quote="Baz Chaz"

[/quote]

Nah thats just global warming the remains of a north pole iceburg.

Did you find any polar bears :lol: :lol:

 

[Baz Chaz]

.... Did you find any polar bears :lol: :lol:

Didn't hang around outside long enough, it was really feckin cold :!:

 

[neddy]

Ive been worrying about this today cos i got my wow, burton bridge summer ale, youngs barley wine, woodfordes wherry real ale and turbo cider in my shed and dont want it to be ruined so was gonna put a post on but been beaten lol

 

[ScottM]

I wouldn't worry so much with wines and stronger drinks. It would take some extreme weather to freeze those drinks :)

 

[Bluekez]

Was going to put my bitter in the shed this weekend, perhaps I better not then. Its been down to -3 and perfect white frost in my back garden for a few days now. First snow should be here tonight :)

 

[monte]

Just throw a blanket or better still an old quilt over them to put your mind at ease,My stout be ready for barreling off next week and the week after i be putting that on my shed table and sure it will be getting colder by then,iwouldnt worry too much,like i say,just throw a blanket over it and don't worry.
:drink:

 

[Baz Chaz]

Was going to put my bitter in the shed this weekend, perhaps I better not then. Its been down to -3 and perfect white frost in my back garden for a few days now. First snow should be here tonight :)

Have had it down to -3 actually INSIDE the garage etc where my beers are stored, - 20 outside, never had a problem, never lost a single bottle frozen :!:

 

[Bluekez]

Right, shed it is then. :thumb: Never gone below -9 here apart from the other year, so it should be good.

 

[c_burgess]

Like others have said, keep away from the floors. Now is a good time to get a quick gauge on temps by either investing in a thermometer or using a bowl of water.

Put a bowl of water in the coldest place in the garage or shed! Check on it in the morning and you might have a clue about what temp you are dropping to but the alcohol will help you to prevent freezing. I don't know about the exact temp/abv freezing point but as a child I remember my dad blowing 4 or 5 bottles of IPA on a cold night so be careful.

Its been cold in Bury through winter over the past 3 winters but last year I simply put a bowl of water on the shed floor, when the temp hit -7 outside the water froze overnight in my shed bowl. This was when I started to worry! I bought an oil filled rad from b&q and set on the lowest temp. It might cost a few quid to run over winter but I have wine ,mead and bottled beer that are worth more to me than an extra £30 on my leccy bill.

 

[robsan77]

If the beer gets frost bite it will get a permanent haze. Don't know if it has any effect on flavour stability but there is a risk of bottles bursting. Every year we get at least 1 set of photos where someone's beer has ruptured in the cold.

 

[Asalpaws]

Checked my shed this am, thermometer was at -3.7, this got me nervous. No breakages or ice but decided to bring my stash inside. All tucked up under the roof.