Vodka doesn’t freeze in the freezer. The alcohol needs a much lower temperature to freeze than water. Pure ethanol alcohol must reach -173 degrees Fahrenheit to freeze. This means that vodka is not ideal for freezing and is best avoided. Sodium ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol both freeze at lower temperatures.
At What Temperature Does Vodka Freeze?
Every alcoholic beverage has a freezing point, much lower than common knowledge, just like water. At 32 degrees Fahrenheit, water freezes. The freezing point for pure ethanol alcohol, however, is -173 degrees Fahrenheit.
Does vodka thus freeze? It does, indeed! A vodka with 40% alcohol content (80 proof) will freeze at a temperature of -16 degrees, much lower than your typical freezer can handle.
Vodka won’t completely freeze in the freezer; it will only provide the benefit of an ice-cold drink without the need for ice.
Isopropyl Alcohol Freezes at -1.86C per Mole Solute per kg Solvent
The freezing point of isopropyl alcohol is 1.86C lower than that of an aqueous solution. This fact can be used to calculate the freezing point of a solution. It is important to know that the freezing point of a solution depends on the freezing point depression constant of the solvent and the solute.
Ethanol, methanol, and water are all nonpolar solvents. An aqueous solution of a protein has a molecular mass of 180.2. The osmotic pressure of a solution containing three grams of protein is 1.54 torr at 25oC. This pressure is equivalent to the partial pressure of CO2 gas in a cola bottle. At this temperature, the molarity of CO2 dissolved in water is 3.3 x 10-2 mol/L.
When solute molecules are present in a solution, they associate with each other and decrease in mass. The greater the number of particles of the solute, the lower the mass of each particle. This decrease in molecular mass is known as dissociation.
Isopropyl Alcohol is Used to Make Antifreeze
Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is a chemical compound that forms hydrogen bonds with water molecules. This chemical reaction lowers the freezing point of water. It is used in the manufacture of antifreeze for automobiles. Seventy percent of isopropyl alcohol freezes at -2.5 degrees F, or -19 degrees C. That’s much lower than the freezing point of water in a home freezer.
Another compound used in antifreeze is methanol. When alcohol freezes, a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and methanol is formed. Typically, the combination should be ninety percent isopropyl alcohol and thirty percent ethanol. This mixture can be used to prevent paint damage.
Sodium Ethyl Alcohol is Used to Make Antifreeze
Sodium ethyl alcohol is a polar solvent and is used to manufacture antifreeze. This fluid lowers the freezing point of water and is used in industrial heating and cooling systems. The compounds in antifreeze also serve as corrosion inhibitors. It is essential to change the antifreeze regularly to prevent corrosion and to keep the fluid at a safe temperature.
Antifreeze comes in two forms: ethylene glycol-based and non-toxic propylene glycol-based solutions. Antifreeze solutions are usually pre-mixed solutions of water and antifreeze. The ratio is usually 50-50 or 70-30. It is important to thoroughly mix antifreeze before using it, and the product’s label will let you know what type you’re buying.
It is Hard to Freeze Vodka
To freeze your vodka, you need to lower its alcohol content before freezing. You can do this by adding a little water or flavoring to it. For instance, you can add cucumber slices, lemon peel, or chili peppers. Orange juice will also reduce alcohol content. Remember that the amount of juice you add depends on the size of your freezer.
Vodka is a mixture of 60% water and 40% ethanol. This means that it will not freeze solid in a standard kitchen freezer. However, liquid nitrogen and industrial freezers can freeze alcohol to a solid state.
What Makes it Difficult to Freeze Vodka?
Water and ethanol, miscible liquids, are the main ingredients in vodka. Both of which have different freezing temperatures.
The freezing points of water and ethanol are 0 degrees Fahrenheit and -114 degrees Celsius, respectively.
To balance with its other component, this mixture causes a phenomenon known as “freezing point depression,” which lowers the freezing temperature of the water.
As a result, the temperature of the vodka is reduced to roughly -27 degrees Celsius (-16.5 degrees F), which prevents the vodka from freezing in standard household freezers.
How to Properly Freeze Vodka?
A standard freezer might not be useful if you intend to freeze your vodka. Although it won’t freeze in your standard freezer, keeping it extremely cold might help.
Your vodka will stay extra cold if you put salt and ice in your bucket. Enough to generate a vodka sicle that is slightly less alcoholic.
But how can you properly freeze Vodka? You need to have an industrial freezer or dry ice and liquid nitrogen. As noted, Vodka has its freezing points; therefore, surrounding it with dry ice can lower the temperature to -109 Fahrenheit, actually freezing the Vodka.
How Long will it Take to Freeze Vodka?
Until it reaches its ideal low temperature of -16 degrees Fahrenheit, vodka won’t completely freeze. At 0 degrees Fahrenheit, a refrigerator is typical (but that is still too cold for premium Vodka)
“Final round vodka and other hard liquors will never freeze in the normal freezer,” asserts Francois Thibault, the man behind Grey Goose.
A bottle of vodka won’t do anything but splash around in your freezer, no matter how long you keep it there. The vodka could, however, be frozen in no less than an hour if you use a freezer set to -16 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is it Okay to Freeze Vodka?
Is it safe to store vodka in the freezer, then? If you freeze it, is that okay?
Since most vodka drinkers prefer their vodka “neat,” or without ice, freezing it is a great way to chill it. But because it alters the flavor and texture, over-chilling the spirit is not advised. Vodka should ideally be consumed between 32 and 39 °F (0 and 4 °C). This is at or just above the water’s freezing point. Vodka thickens under extremely cold temperatures.
Additionally, the aroma and flavor lose some of their complexity because the volatile compounds don’t have enough energy to travel as far into the air. This may be advantageous if you’re consuming cheap vodka that tastes medicinal. But for the best experience, keep and serve that expensive bottle of vodka at the right temperature.
Vodka won’t be harmed by freezing, but the liquid will expand as it does so. This expansion may cause the container to break. However, the only real risk is frostbite if you make vodka ice cubes. Vodka should thaw before drinking.
Does Vodka Freeze Mix with Water?
Vodka may freeze in home freezers by mixing it with water. This is because adding water to vodka can reduce its alcohol content per volume.
Additionally, additional non-alcoholic ingredients in your vodka may further reduce the alcohol content and raise the freezing point.
The chance of vodka freezing increases with the ratio of other agents to vodka.
Does Flavored Vodka Freeze?
If flavored vodka has a high sugar content and less alcohol than the typical 40% or 80%, it can freeze.
This is because sugar water freezes, and vodka is more likely to solidify the more sugar it contains. The vodka must have proof of 90 or above to stop this.
Nevertheless, many companies assert that their flavored vodka contains no sugar.
It’s necessary to comprehend the fundamental definitions of flavored vodka to understand better why some freeze while others don’t:
- The natural flavoring added to vodka may or may not also contain sugar, and the vodka must be at least 30% by volume or 60 proof.
- Vodka is classified and branded based on the flavoring that predominates in it (e.g., Grapefruit Flavored Vodka).
- Wine-infused vodka, but only if the wine makes up no more than 21% of the finished product, and the percentage of wine must be disclosed on the label.
Based on this, flavored vodka is permitted to contain unlimited sugar as long as the finished product has 30% alcohol by volume.
Vodkas with whipped cream or tart cherry flavoring often have the highest sugar, at roughly 14 grams per shot.
It would be safe to presume that given their lower proof and sugar content, they would need temperatures over -17°F to freeze.
If you’re interested in learning more about vodka, check out our pages on whether it burns, whether it mixes with water and whether it may be consumed neat.
Can I Still Get Drunk on Frozen Vodka?
Yes. Compared to the other component, water, alcohol is in a lower state of matter. When alcohol freezes, it becomes thicker because the water in it freezes. Vodka is difficult to freeze in part because of alcohol.
Vodka increases its alcohol content. Hence the answer to the question is that drinking vodka that has been frozen will still make you intoxicated.
Conclusion
With the proper tools and temperature, vodka can be frozen.
Vodka could be frozen in freezers that can reach temperatures as low as -16°F, but typical residential freezers can only go as low as 0°F.
Additionally, adding water to vodka to dilute it could increase the volume ratio of vodka to water, even more, making it simpler to freeze in a refrigerator at home.
However, regardless of how long you store an 80-proof vodka in a typical freezer, it typically won’t freeze solid.
