# Hard alcohol in the freezer??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556 "2003-05-15T22:45:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hekc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@hekc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekc)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/1 "2003-05-15T22:45:37Z")
I live with two roommates and my girlfriend.\_ Outside of this arrangement we also have friends who come over.\_ Now we all enjoy the occasional adult beverage so we have a few choice alcohol selections in our freezer.\_ The other day I came home to find that the 80 proof Jim Beam was frozen when it was just fine the day before.\_ My understanding was that hard alcohol can’t freeze in a normal household freezer.\_ Am I wrong or should I start marking the bottles to thwart unwanted imbibing. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@MC\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_E)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/2 "2003-05-15T22:59:48Z")
I’ve even kept 70 proof spiced rum (Capt. Morgan and cheap imitations) in the freezer with no problems. I think someone may be watering down your booze. Does your freezer have a thermometer? Is it turned all the way down? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/3 "2003-05-15T23:45:39Z")
Are your roomates trustworthy? Sounds like the alcoholic content of your liquor maybe isn’t what you think it is, if you catch my drift. That would account for the higher freezing point. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/4 "2003-05-16T00:01:12Z")
I’ve had this happen to with some Seagrams 7. Cheap stuff is better very cold. But anywayz, NOBODY messed with the bottle; I am sure of that, and it turned into a thick slush - almost totally hard solid!?!?!? ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/5 "2003-05-16T00:01:12Z")
I’ve had this happen to with some Seagrams 7. Cheap stuff is better very cold. But anywayz, NOBODY messed with the bottle; I am sure of that, and it turned into a thick slush - almost totally hard solid!?!?!? ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/6 "2003-05-16T00:03:50Z")
You domestic freezer will typcially keep the temperature around -18 to -21 degrees C. The alcohol in drinks is called ethanol, and it freezes at -114 degrees C, therefore it won’t freeze in your freezer at home. ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/7 "2003-05-16T00:06:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blown & Injected \* > \*\*I’ve had this happen to with some Seagrams 7. Cheap stuff is better very cold. But anywayz, NOBODY messed with the bottle; I am sure of that, and it turned into a thick slush - almost totally hard solid!?!?!? \*\* There may have been some seperation of the water and alcohol. This may account for the partial freezing. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/8 "2003-05-16T00:07:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samarm \* > \*\*You domestic freezer will typcially keep the temperature around -18 to -21 degrees C. > > The alcohol in drinks is called ethanol, and it freezes at -114 degrees C, therefore it won’t freeze in your freezer at home. \*\* I’ll bet you are talking about pure C2H5OH Liquor is typically 80\* = 40% ---
**Author:** ![bradwalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@bradwalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradwalt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/9 "2003-05-16T00:09:46Z")
So what’s the freezing temperature of 70 proof spiced rum? ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/10 "2003-05-16T00:19:42Z")
Hmm… I’m no expert but I thought that ethanol C2H5OH _is_ what is found in alcoholic drinks? ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/11 "2003-05-16T00:21:16Z")
I may have been whooshed, but your rum contains ethanol which freezes at -114, so I’m sticking by my assertion that it won’t freeeze. (until someone comes along to prove me wrong, of course!) ---
**Author:** ![Kalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/12 "2003-05-16T01:40:33Z")
i have my Grey Goose (40%) in the freezer, it’s not frozen. never has been. It does get syrupy… slightly higher viscosity… but no chunks of ice, no slush. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/13 "2003-05-16T01:57:27Z")
samarm, the freezing point is highly dependant on the ratio of alcohol to water. Placing a single drop of alcohol in a bottle of water is certainly not sufficient to keep it from freezing, for instance. Fear Itself was suggesting that the roomies may have watered down the Jim Beam to hide that they were stealing it. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/14 "2003-05-16T02:31:50Z")
I FINALLY found a [cite](http://www.homedistiller.org/notstill.htm) that shows what the freezing point depression is for various proofs of alcohol > [@](#): > > Adding ethanol to water will therefore depress the freezing point by 1.86 C per molar conc present. Doing the translation between molar and regular % by volume gives … > > 5% abv 1.6 mol% 3 C lower > 10% abv 3.3 mol% 6 C lower > 20% abv 7.2 mol% 13 C lower > 30% abv 11.7 mol% 22 C lower > 40% abv 17.1 mol% 32 C lower > 50% abv 23.6 mol% 44 C lower > This explains why beer (at 5% abv) will freeze for ya in the freezer, wine will need it to be a bit colder, but frozen schnapps or vodka won’t normally be possible. I saw the value of 1.86C per molar concentration in the scientific sites I visited, so that looks correct. I can’t verify the translation of Alcohol By Volume to Molar Concentration, but it looks like it’s in the ballpark. Assuming the translation is correct, 80 proof alcohol will freeze at -32C, but if it’s diluted below 60 proof it will freeze at temps above -20C, which is around freezer temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/15 "2003-05-16T02:39:13Z")
Some home research if you don’t want to dig out the calculator. From [Bush Thermometer](http://www.alaska.net/~dogdrivr/bushthermometer.htm): ```auto Alcoholic Beverages Volume Proof Freeze Point 12% 24 +20 20% 40 +10 27% 54 0 32% 64 -10 38% 76 -20 42% 82 -30 ``` > [@](#): > > A few weeks later, I did my own little scientific test for the freezing point of bourbon. Before going to bed, I stuck a partial bottle outside on the porch. The next morning when I checked it, the liquid was frozen solid. The temperature read -47. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/16 "2003-05-16T03:14:17Z")
samarm: yep it is. i, as others, am making the point that the amount of it is what makes the freezing point different. I have kept lots of liquor in the freezer. I only once have seen it freeze - maybe a QC problem??? ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/17 "2003-05-16T03:19:19Z")
WAG: Does the ambient temperature of the freezer need to drop well below the below the melting point of the liquid? Perhapds this is why liquor is so difficult to freeze. Think about water, which melts at 0. The freezer needs to have an ambient temperature of way below zero to make the water freeze. ---
**Author:** ![hekc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@hekc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekc)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/18 "2003-05-16T06:02:33Z")
Thanks guys. I think that this pretty much answers my question. You all were way on top of it. peace. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/19 "2003-05-16T10:31:40Z")
samarm, you should be able to freeze any liquid at a temperature below its freezing point. It may take a very long time… but it will eventually freeze. All liquids have a _latent heat of fusion_ which is the amount of heat energy required to change from solid to liquid (or back) without changing the temp. In a freezer at -1C, your water will sit at 0C while SLOWLY releasing its latent heat to its surroundings. This will take a long time because the temperature difference is only 1 degree so the energy won’t flow quickly. In a much colder freezer, the energy flows faster and the heat energy is transferred rapidly, causing the phase change to occur faster as well. ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-alcohol-in-the-freezer/175556/20 "2003-05-16T11:26:14Z")
It’s also worth noting that fractional crystallization is possible: if your freezer gets cold enough and varies (maybe you leave the door open for a long time or something), you can freeze out a good portion of the water, but not the alcohol. It’s how some stuff is (or at least was) made in the first place.