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Old February 23rd 07, 03:20 AM posted to rec.skiing.alpine
klaus
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Posts: 409
Default Blind me with beer science

bumpfreaq wrote:
Ok, here's a sciency query for y'all.

I get to my motel with plenty of beer. I've got Sierra Nevada Pale
Ale, Sierra Nevada Wheat and O'Dell's 5 Barrel Pale Ale. The mini
fridge isn't quite chilly enough so I ratchet the thermostat down a
bit then load in the bottles, filling up each available space in turn
but rotating the different flavors so that I have ready access to
whatever suits my momentary fancy. The next evening when I return
"home" from skiing I select a wheat beer and it's quite frosty. Next
up is a SNPA, of course it's mighty chilly as well. When I get to the
O'Dell's it instantly freezes as soon as I open it. This remains the
case for each O'Dell's no matter what part of the fridge it came from,
but is never the case for the other two brews no matter what part of
the fridge they were chilling in.

Can anyone explain this?


The freezing point changes with pressure and alcohol content. When you
open the bottle, the pressure drops and the freezing point goes up. If
the beer is cold enough, and alcohol content low enough, it will
freeze. If the alcohol content is high enough, the change in pressure
doesn't raise the freezing point enough to freeze.

Physics of beer.

-klaus


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