# How to measure the temperature of liquid in a can/bottle (beer, soda, etc.) without opening it **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [October 16, 2024, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872 "2024-10-16T14:44:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/1 "2024-10-16T14:44:26Z")
Is there a less-crude way of measuring the temperature of my beer besides putting a thermometer against the outside of the can? That seems inaccurate since only a portion of the sensor is actually touching something cold. Failing that, yer average American fridge keeps things at about 35-38F (1.6-3.33C). Is there a formula I need to follow to keep it inside for x (time) to achieve y (temperature)? I ask because some beers are best served at cellar temperature (51F / 10.5C) rather than ice cold, like Americans are used to, and I want to know how long to keep it in to achieve peak beer yumminess. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/2 "2024-10-16T14:49:22Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > That seems inaccurate since only a portion of the sensor is actually touching something cold. Use an IR thermometer to get the surface temp of the container. I’d make sure to roll/shake the can first so the temperature is more even throughout it. If you really want to use a probe type thermometer, you’d want to be able to hold it against the can, not with your hand, but something insulating. Like, putting the can in a cozy/koozie and stuffing the probe in there with it. Come to think of it, that’s actually not a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/3 "2024-10-16T14:58:56Z")
With a remote probe thermometer and a sacrifice beer, you could calculate it out yourself. Open a beer and put the probe in. From the base unit of the remote thermometer, record the temperature change over time. Once the beer is at the right temperature, thank the beer for it’s service to advancing science by drinking it down. But if you calculate the time for a single beer, that won’t necessarily be accurate for any quantity of beer. If you have a 6-pack or 12-pack, those other warm beers will slow down the time it takes to cool all the beers to the right temp. So to get an accurate time for the amount of beer you’re typically trying to cool down, use that much beer in your test. In case you don’t have one, a remote thermometer is great for cooking. Every kitchen should have one. It makes it very easy to properly cook meats. Rather than hoping that the time/temp settings work out, you can just cook the meat until it’s at the right temp. > **[Amazon.com: ThermoPro TP16 Large LCD Digital Cooking Food Meat Thermometer for...](https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-TP-16-Thermometer-Stainless-Standard/dp/B017613C3C)** > > Online Shopping for Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets from a great selection at everyday low prices. Free 2-day Shipping with Amazon Prime. ---
**Author:** ![Mikkel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikkel/32/13151_2.png) [@Mikkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikkel)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/4 "2024-10-16T15:09:27Z")
You could punch that one through the can and measure the beer within the can. Only thing is, you have to drink the beer short time after, before it run out. I would use an IR thermometer. They are reasonably accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/5 "2024-10-16T15:12:35Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > make sure to roll/shake the can first 🤨 Presuming one isn’t intending to drink it, of course. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/6 "2024-10-16T15:17:15Z")
I think with an aluminum can, the temperature of the can should be essentially the same as the beer. Aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat. Tape the thermometer probe to the can and you should be able to track the beer’s temp. However, aluminum is not so good at radiating heat. An IR thermometer will need to be told that it’s looking at aluminum so that it can correctly calculate the temp. Aluminum will appear “dimmer” in the infrared range relative to it’s temp since it’s not throwing off a lot of heat radiation. IR thermometers typically have a way to set which material you are testing to account for this. Glass, on the other hand, is an excellent insulator. The temp of the bottle will have a lot of variation compared to the temp of the beer inside. Bottled beer might need to have a temperature probe inside the bottle to accurately tell the beer’s temp. Tracking the temp of the glass bottle won’t necessarily be accurate for the temp of the beer inside. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/7 "2024-10-16T15:26:46Z")
You could try modeling it. [This page](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/625250/characteristic-timescale-of-a-can-of-beer) might be a good starting point. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/8 "2024-10-16T15:52:48Z")
If it’s been in the fridge for a while a reading from the aluminum can or just a thermometer in the fridge should give you a fairly accurate measurement. The interior temperature of the fridge only changes slightly between compressor cycles, aren’t having much if any measurable effect on the temperature of liquid in an aluminum can and maybe even less effect than moving the can into a warmer environment to take a measurement. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/9 "2024-10-16T16:53:37Z")
The traditional way to track the temperature of a refrigerated wine cellar is with a used bottle of wine filled with water (ideally water + alcohol in the appropriate ratio) and with a permanently installed temp probe down in the liquid.Usually in the form of a needle-like probe shoved through the cork. Leave the instrumented bottle on the shelf among the real bottles and have that feed the cellar’s thermostat. _Tres facile_. As applied to your problem, I’d create two probes: one sealed in a typical beer can and one sealed in a typical beer bottle. Store the appropriate probe near the room-temp beerverages you intend to cool so the real containers and the probe container start out at similar temps. Place them all similarly in your fridge / cooler so they should cool at a similar rate. Monitor the temp of your probe container on your remote-reading display. At the appropriate temp, pull the real ones and serve at perfection. Of course with careful notes and some practice pretty soon you’ll have gained enough data to know “20 minutes for IPA, 35 for Dunkel”, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/10 "2024-10-16T16:57:04Z")
And if you do that, be sure and wrap some insulation around the couple inches of probe/wires that are just _outside_ the bottle or can. This will help minimize stem loss errors. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/11 "2024-10-16T16:59:19Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The traditional way to track the temperature of a refrigerated wine cellar is with a used bottle of wine filled with water (ideally water + alcohol in the appropriate ratio) and with a permanently installed temp probe down in the liquid. That sounds reasonably accurate, though rather than mixing water and alcohol, why not just sacrifice a cheap bottle of wine (in a bottle with a cork) as the control? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/12 "2024-10-16T17:35:24Z")
IME oenophiles are exceeded only by audiophiles in their love of esoteric procedures to pursue the last ten-thousandth of a percentage point of improvement in whatever. When they already passed the point of “no humanly discernable difference” 4 or 5 zeros ago. IOW 🤷‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/13 "2024-10-16T17:37:42Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Presuming one isn’t intending to drink it, of course. That’s why I added the word ‘roll’. I couldn’t quickly think of a better way to mention that you have to make sure there’s not a big temperature gradient in the can (both top to bottom and center to edge). ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/14 "2024-10-16T17:55:14Z")
If the beer was at room temperature, I’d just put it in the fridge right next to a drinking glass filled with a similar amount (say: 12oz water to match a 12oz beer) room temperature water. Stick the temperature probe in the drinking glass. They should cool down at roughly the same rate. The glass _probably_ has a _slightly_ higher R-value, but its open top probably cancels that out. Without checking, I’d bet the water temp would be a reasonable surrogate for the beer temp. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/15 "2024-10-16T21:59:00Z")
Put the beer in a cooler with thirty or so identical bottles. One by one, remove, open, and sample the contents of these bottles for temperature, specific gravity, specific heat capacity, and solids content, et cetera. Perform an ANOVA on the variation of temperature with respect to the proximity to the target bottle and all factors measured above. Determine all of the cofounding factors. Use this information to create a Monte Carlo model and perform a 10,0000 run simulation. Compile the resulting statistics and use them to estimate the temperature of the target bottle once you’ve recovered from your hangover from having consumed all of your sample bottle. Yet another successful Friday night in the lab. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2024, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/16 "2024-10-16T22:49:17Z")
Science! He’s blinded us with Science! 😉 Seriously, well done good Sir! I’d like to see the OP’s stats model setup after drinking even 15 of those 30+ beers. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2024, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/17 "2024-10-17T00:07:00Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > perform a 10,0000 run simulation Is that a lakh? Are you planning to publish this in an Indian journal? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2024, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-measure-the-temperature-of-liquid-in-a-can-bottle-beer-soda-etc-without-opening-it/1008872/18 "2024-10-17T01:50:05Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > However, aluminum is not so good at radiating heat. An IR thermometer will need to be told that it’s looking at aluminum so that it can correctly calculate the temp. Aluminum will appear “dimmer” in the infrared range relative to it’s temp since it’s not throwing off a lot of heat radiation. IR thermometers typically have a way to set which material you are testing to account for this. I don’t think mine does. But most beer cans have printed graphics on them that will have a more typical emissivity; you just need to get your thermometer close enough so that the measurement zone falls entirely on a print-covered area.