Freezing temp of carbonated beverages
I sometimes put bottles of soda in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to get them near frozen (taste SO much better that way).
If I time it just right I'll pull the bottle out and the liquid will appear completely liquid until I loosen the cap - the liquid will then spontaneously turn into slush.
Can anyone explain why that happens?
(this being my first post on the cooking stack exchange I apologize in advance if it's deemed unsuitable)
Best Answer
Obligatory mythbusters: Instant Frozen Beer
It's an instance of Supercooling. The liquid is chilled to below its nominal freezing point, but it doesn't transition to solid, largely because there isn't any growth catalyst for ice crystals. But agitate it, or open it, and the disruption jumpstarts crystal formation, and it freezes solid in seconds.
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Quick Answer about "Freezing temp of carbonated beverages"
Water and diet soda freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Regular sodas (with sugar) freeze at about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact freezing point of alcoholic beverages depends on its proof (amount of alcohol per volume).Will carbonated beverages freeze?
Plastic bottles of carbonated beverages should do fine in the freezer (because of the headspace, tight seal, and expandability of the plastic), but cans are prone to bursting and can create a huge mess in the freezer.Does carbonation lower freezing point?
When carbon dioxide is dissolved in water a solution is formed and the freezing point is lowered. The greater the concentration of CO2 the lower the freezing point of the solution.Do carbonated drinks explode in the freezer?
Soda explodes when frozen due to the mixture of water molecules and carbonation. Soda is mostly water and is full of dissolved carbon dioxide gas that makes it fizzy. Water expands as it freezes, and the process pushes the CO2 in the soda outward.What temperature does coke freeze?
Soda or beer Water expands when it freezes. And for canned liquids under pressure, that can mean explosion. The freeze temperature for Coca-Cola is 30 degrees, and the temperature for beer that's 5% alcohol by volume is 27 degrees (higher-alcohol beers freeze at lower temperatures), as NJ.com reported.Seltzer Water Freezing Point Elevation demo
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Answer 2
This happens because the process of crystallization requires nucleation points to begin. When the soda is lying in the freezer in it's smooth bottle, there aren't any nucleation points.
When you open the bottle, the carbon dioxide dissolved in the soda forms bubbles, which in turn create turbulence. This turbulence creates the necessary nucleation points for crystals to form.
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