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vtsnowedin · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 3:51 am Post subject: Frozen wine!!

I absentmindedly left a bottle of wine in my truck overnight which was down to 10deg F. This afternoon the bottle was frozen solid but the glass was not broken. I set it inside on the basement floor in case it decided to pop and went on the errand of the day. While I was gone the bottle popped it's cork with the bulk of the wine still frozen. Now it has completely thawed and I stuck another cork in it. I haven't sampled it yet. It's just a 1.5 liter white Zinfandel and for $10.00 no great loss. Any thoughts on what it will taste like?

adam2 · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 12:46 pm Post subject:

I expect that it will be fine.
A wine snob might be able to detect some subtle change, but for everyday drinking I would not worry. I would consume it fairly soon in case the popping of the cork has admitted bacteria that will in time cause it to spoil.

BTW, the freezing of wine in a large flat container, rather than in a narrow necked bottle is a way of producing brandy. Let about half the volume freeze and then remove and discard the ice which is almost pure water.
The remaining liquid is now about twice as strong. Repeat as desired.

The main objection to this is the amount of electricity used by a freezer, but if you have outside temperatures that are low enough then it becomes more attractive.
The process is unlikely to be viable with purchased wine, but if you have a surplus of home made fruit wine might be worthwhile.

"freeze distillation" is illegal in most places, but a lot easier to conceal than a still. You cant build and operate a still by mistake, but might accidently leave an open topped cask of home made wine in an unheated outbuilding.
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"Installers and owners of emergency diesels must assume that they will have to run for a week or more"

Radnice · Joined: 18 Dec 2017 Posts: 7

This happened to me as well. The wine was not tasting super bad but you could tell that it's not like how it was supposed to be. It lost some flavor.

kenneal - lagger · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 2:40 pm Post subject:

Shake well to remix the alcohol and water? Rather than stirring of course.
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"When the last tree is cut down, and the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find out that you cannot eat money". --The Cree Indians

vtsnowedin · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 3:58 pm Post subject:

kenneal - lagger · Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 4:09 pm Post subject:

_________________
"When the last tree is cut down, and the last river has been poisoned, and the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find out that you cannot eat money". --The Cree Indians

adam2 · Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:11 am Post subject:

Around the holidays I consumed some cider that had accidentally frozen, I think that the ice from the top of the bucket was accidently discarded Wink

I suppose that this might have happened more than once.
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"Installers and owners of emergency diesels must assume that they will have to run for a week or more"

Little John · Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 5841 Location: UK

Well....

I'm saying nowt....