Supercooling Drinks: How to Get That Gel-Liquid Mix

[Mk]

As I am drinking some supercooled lemonade, I've noticed that my favorite drinks are drinks that have been supercooled. When there is water or lemonade or any other drink left in the freezer for a while but it remains a liquid, and I open the drink for the first time— as it instantly freezes and turns to a gel-liquid mix— I love the texture and the coolness of it.

How could I build something that would supercool my drink every time? Has it been done before, and is it possible?

Thanks, didn't know what forum would be best for this post, but I thought General Discussion might expose the topic to a wide-range of people.

 

[russ_watters]

I don't know if supercooling is the right term here. If these are packaged drinks, the pressure is what inhibits freezing. Getting the effect you see is simply a matter of cooling them to the right temperature (simple in theory - in practice, it is a pretty narrow temp range).

 

[Mk]

If it is only pressure that inhibits freezing, why when I put a bottle of water in the freezer, isn't it always liquid, and turns to slush when I open or pour it? 99% of the time, it'll be rock hard. Is it because of the built in expanding mechanisms in a water bottle?

 

[tribdog]

Unless you live in a very,very deep cave I doubt your water bottles are at the same pressure as the packaged drinks.

 

[tribdog]

actually you can get the slushyness you want by getting one of those cups that you put in the freezer. I think the insides of the cups are full of alcohol and once it gets cold and you pour a drink into it it slushes right up.

 

[russ_watters]

Note also that the sugar and other dissolved stuff in a drink other than water will lower the freezing temperature and carbonation will in inhibit crystal formation, making them freeze as a thick slush instead of a block.

 

[LowlyPion]

I don't know if supercooling is the right term here. If these are packaged drinks, the pressure is what inhibits freezing. Getting the effect you see is simply a matter of cooling them to the right temperature (simple in theory - in practice, it is a pretty narrow temp range).

I get a similar effect by freezing cola and running it through an ice shaver. Because as noted the ice isn't hard even at the fairly low temps in the freezer it tends to crumble and shave pretty readily and results in a soft liquid slush as opposed to a mound of hard ice for drizzling flavoring over.

Another option is to freeze a tray of cola cubes to use in cooling a cola drink. This prevents the watering down from plain ice.