My sister bought me a nice bottle of bubbly to celebrate aquiring my plumbing contractors license, my mother told her to put it in the freezer because it contained alcohol and wouldn't freeze. I found it within 10 minutes of detonation(frozen 90%, very little liquid left). It has thawed finally, my question is will this cryogenic experience affect the quality of the champagne? I'm not a big fizzy wine drinker but I know she spent a bit on it, so I'm wondering if i'm in for a phony "mmmmm, thats nice" or if it won't really affect it much.
Frozen champagne?
- Thread starter Argonaut
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Did it actually explode, or not? the "within 10 minutes of detonation" bit has me concerned ...
If the bottle isn't broken I would give it a go. Wait that you have liquids again. I would be surprised that your bottle would be broken as a champagne bottle is made to survive high pressure.
I tried a frozen booze before and didn't have any problems. As for the taste, I wouldn't know but would think it's better not to freeze it.
The champagne frozed because it didn't have enough alcohol to keep it liquid. A 40% spirit wouldn't freeze in the freezer.
Having said all of that. I'm no expert and YMMV!
I tried a frozen booze before and didn't have any problems. As for the taste, I wouldn't know but would think it's better not to freeze it.
The champagne frozed because it didn't have enough alcohol to keep it liquid. A 40% spirit wouldn't freeze in the freezer.
Having said all of that. I'm no expert and YMMV!
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No, I came home from work and saw it in the freezer, I handled it like a bomb. I placed it in the sink and covered it with a towel, then wet it down with cool water to encourage heat transfer without too much temperature shock. The bottle is fine now, I'm curious about the effect on the taste/quallity that might be affected by the freezing of a product that has been aged in a temperature controlled environment for years.
Only one way to find out! If the cork just falls out of the end of the bottom instead of popping out, there might be a problem. Bottoms up!
If it didn't actually blow, it should be fine ...
But definitely wait until it thaws. At the moment you have a strange specimen of Applejack, made with nice champagne rather than cider--through a process called "freeze distillation". The water freezes before the alcohol, so you essentially get an alcohol "concentrate" that you can separate from the (now-frozen) water. I've not tried it myself, but I've been told that freeze distillation leads to the worst of flavors and the worst of hangovers.
But definitely wait until it thaws. At the moment you have a strange specimen of Applejack, made with nice champagne rather than cider--through a process called "freeze distillation". The water freezes before the alcohol, so you essentially get an alcohol "concentrate" that you can separate from the (now-frozen) water. I've not tried it myself, but I've been told that freeze distillation leads to the worst of flavors and the worst of hangovers.
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It'll get drank one way or another, if its too flat I'll jazz it up with a little Evan Williams, or maybe some Turkey 101.
Personally I don't think I have ever found a champaign that I ever found to be particulary good. Some werebetter than others but not something I ever said ohhh I really want more of this. So I don't think you can hurt it.
You can always put it with a little OJ as well
You can always put it with a little OJ as well
If I'm not mistaken, doesn't the method Champagnoise involve freezing the champagne and yeast lees in the neck of the bottle and removing the frozen plug? I would think that having a nearly frozen bottle should be pretty much fine. But do try it, and let us know how it turned out!
Now overheating, that would probably be a big problem.
Now overheating, that would probably be a big problem.
Sorry. It's stuffed. I've done it myself. You're lucky Champagne bottles are built like tanks (They have to be because if the pressure inside) and that stopped the bottle breaking. But it will now be flat and taste funny. By all means give it a try. It wont poison you. But don't expect it to be what it was before it was frozen like Walt Disney's head. 
And for the record, guys, don't freeze any alcoholic beverage, even the high proof ones. The may not freeze solid but it will not help their chemistry. The fridge is plenty cold enough to cool your drinks.
And for the record, guys, don't freeze any alcoholic beverage, even the high proof ones. The may not freeze solid but it will not help their chemistry. The fridge is plenty cold enough to cool your drinks.
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SWMBO is a wine drinker, lover and in fact sells wine at a boutique wine store. She beliefs the champagne is drinkable as long as you get to it soon after it thaws, however it will have lost some of its effervescence and may be mostly or completely still. This will affect the taste but it still may be quite palatable. I say give it a go and congrats on the achievement!
She suggests next time to plunge it in a 50/50 bath of water and ice for 15 minutes.
She suggests next time to plunge it in a 50/50 bath of water and ice for 15 minutes.
I know beer goes all screwey in flavour after it freezes and then defrosts, so I can only assume champagne will do something similar. I usually set a timer when any alcohol goes into the freezer - dont want it undrinkable ever again!! 
Actually, Methode Champenoise does not involve freezing; people have been making sparkling wine long before refridgeration... The traditional method involves 'riddling', where the bottles are rotated (with rest in between) neck down which concentrates the yeast cells at the mouth of the bottle.
I left a bottle out on the deck one night and froze it solid. We thawed it next day and drank it with no ill effects. I also froze one in the freezer and had some seepage around the cork that also tasted fine.