How To Chill A Beer Fast – 11 Ways & Chilling Times

Need to know how to chill a beer fast? Some unexpected friends have come home and you want to shape up that six-pack fast? Is it hot outside and you have a craving for an ice-cold beer, but all you’ve got on hand are some warm ones? don’t despair.

We’ve put together a list of 11 tested methods to quickly chill your beer bottle or can and get it ready in no time, for both home and outdoors use.

We’ve been picky and none of the following methods dilutes beer, and respect its true flavor. There’s even one that takes advantage of an ancient trick!

These methods can be used to refresh whatever beverage you want: soda cans, wine bottles, water, etc. We walk through each method, step-by-step and provide some helpful tips along with estimated chilling times.

Have your next beer chilled in under 15 minutes, well, even in 2 minutes, so let’s go!

1. Put The Beer In The Freezer – The Simplest At Home (And Fast)

Putting a warm beer in the freezer is the simplest way to chill it at home. This method is as straightforward as it gets: just pop your beer of choice into the freezer and wait for it to reach its desired temperature.

For how long? Different factors affect the chilling time as alcohol content percentage, level and type of sugars, and others. But for me that I have a standard freezer, I usually leave my bottle or can in there for around 20 to 30 minutes before taking it out. That gives me enough time to grab some snacks and get comfortable while I wait!

Although using the freezer for a quick chill is simple and effective, it is important to be cautious and avoid two potential issues: frozen beer and explosions. I wrote a detailed guide you can follow to be sure you chill your beer safely: How Long To Chill Beer In The Freezer (Before Ruin It!) – Step By Step Explosion-Free Guide 

• What you need: A freezer.
• Chilling time: About 20 – 30 minutes
• Pros: without ice, salt, damp cloth or any other device.
• Cons: 1. Not an option when you are outdoors, or you don’t have access to a freezer. 2. The beer container can get the freezer smell (not very elegant when you hand it to your friends).

Tip: Set a timer (strongly recommended!). Your beer can explode or freeze totally. 

2. Wrap The Beer In A Wet Paper Towel When Stay In The Freezer – (Even Faster)

This is a simple but effective hack: Wrap the beer bottle or can in a damp paper towel or cloth before putting it in the freezer if you want to chill your brew even faster. The water will freeze around the container, speeding up the cooling process. 

• What you need: freezer, damp paper towel or cloth.
• Chilling time: About 10 – 15 minutes
• Pros: without ice, salt or any other device.
• Cons: Same as before. I would add: there is a real risk to over-chill your beer and not enjoy fully the taste. Even to make a beer slushie!

3. Soak Your Beers In An Ice Bath With Salt – The Fastest (Without A Machine)

But what happens when you are not at home or your freezer is full of food. I even know people that hates the fishy small of the freezer and would hate to put their lovely beers in them.

Here it where the science comes to save us. Adding salt to the ice water lowers its freezing point (table salt is ok).

Get a bucket or big bowl, pour in some water, ice cubes and a bit of salt. Soak your beers and you will have them chilled beer in minutes!

Technically: The salt amount should be 10% of the water weight. But honestly, I’ve done this many times. Just add some salt to the water and you will see the ice melting and cooling down your drinks in minutes. 

• What you need: a bucket or big bowl, ice, water and salt.
• Chilling time: About 2 minutes (for a single bottle or can)
• Pros: Safe, no risk to explode. No need of an electrical device.
• Cons: Need of ice cubes and salt.

Tips: 1. Do you have snow around? Use it if you are running out of ice. 2. Stir the mix vigorously. The liquid inside the beer bottle or can will turn and move from the inside to the walls of the container (the glass bottle or the aluminum can) that it’s colder. Speeding up the cooling of the beer.

4. Soak Your Beers In An Ice Bath With Salt In A Cooler – Our Preferred

This is the one I like the most. Not only this is the fastest method (adding salt to an ice bath), it is also the one with bigger capacity, and the best at keeping the remaining beer chilled.

Get a cooler or ice box, add water, ice cubes and salt. Put as many beers as you want, cover with the ice and leave them there until you want your next super-chill beer.

• What you need: a cooler, ice, water and salt.
• Chilling time: About 2 minutes
• Pros: Safe, no risk to explode. Ideal when you need to chill quickly a six-pack of beers, or even many beers. It is just a matter of the capacity of your cooler.
• Cons: You need a cooler on hand, and ice cubes and salt.

5. Soak Beer Bottles Or Cans In Ice Water (No Salt On Hand?)

As simple as it sounds. Soaking your beer bottles or cans in ice water is a safe and effective way to quickly cool down your drinks evenly.

•  What you need: big bowl, ice cubes and water.
• Chilling time: About 30 minutes
• Pros: Simple. No need of an electrical device. This is not the fastest way, however, it can be a quite convenient in a party or BBQ if you plan a bit in advance.
• Cons: You need ice and water, and to wait a bit. 

Tip: As previously, stir the bottles or cans from time to time. It will help move the inner warmer liquid to the colder container walls.

6. Use A Quick Chiller Machine: Chill-o-Matic

Open the machine and add water and ice. Put the beer bottle or can inside. Close the lid and press the “On” button. The beer receives a bath of cold water and spin at the same time. The beer is chilled in 60 seconds! This is almost unbelievable fast.

• What you need: Cooper Cooler
• Chilling time: About 1 minute.
• Pros: No need for you to stir the ice water. It can be used with a wine bottle, and soda cans.
• Cons: You need an electrical device.

7. Leave Your Beer In The Fridge – The Classic Method

Well, this is no secret. Just leave as many beers as you want in the fridge. The chilling time will very much depend on the fridge temperature. Usually, it can take from 7 to 9 hours. You can always lower the fridge temperature for the occasion.

• What you need: A fridge.
• Chilling time: About 7 – 9 hours.
• Pros: At home, this is the best way to have always chilled beer, but it is not fast.
• Cons: You need and fridge and to think in advance.

8. Submerge Your Bottles Or Cans In A Cold River Or Water – If You Are In The Nature

Are you outdoors and want to take advantage of mother nature? Are you so lucky to be close to a river, a lake, a stream of water or the sea? Then, just submerge your drinks in the cold water. The chilling time depends very much on the water temperature.

• What you need: a cord to tie your drinks.
• Chilling time: About 2 – 4 hours.
• Pros: No need of an electrical device, fridge or freezer. No need of salt or ice. No need of a bowl or cooler.
• Cons: You need to have access to natural cold water.

Tip: Remember to attach your drinks! Don't let them go with the current.

9. Bury Your Beers – For Outdoor Fans

Are you outside? Can you find moist, soil around you? Then you can bury your drinks and let Nature do the cooling. 

Choose a shaded place (avoid direct sunlight). Dig a hole in a wet and cool place. Bury your beer bottles or cans. You can protect them inside a plastic bag to avoid the caps or lids get dirty. Finally, you can add extra water to the soil to speed up the process.

• What you need: wet cool soil. A shovel, or similar, to make the hole.
• Chilling time: More than 4 hours.
• Pros: No need of an electrical device, fridge or freezer. No need of salt or ice. No need of a bowl or cooler.
• Cons: You need a shovel or similar tool. You need to find cool moist soil.

Tip: Register the GPS coordinates of the place where you buried your beers!

10. The 2 Pots Method – The Ancient Way

This is an old technique that was used long before the existence of electricity. It is based on a physical phenomenon called evaporative cooling. In short, when the water evaporates, cools down whatever is inside.

Take a big clay pot and add some sand, the finer the grain the better. Put some beers in a smaller clay pot. Now “bury” the smaller pot in the sand. Add water to moisten the sand. Cover everything with a wet towel or paper.

The chilling time will depend on the outside temperature. It in some hours, the temperature inside the smaller pot can decrease 40 degrees.

• What you need: 2 clay pots, one smaller that the other. Sand and water.
• Chilling time:  Above 4 hours.
• Pros: No need of electricity.
• Cons: You need a little bit of handy work.

Tip: As seen previously, wrap the beer containers with wet paper or cloth, it will speed up the chilling process.

11. Blow Your Beer With Compressed Air – For The DIYers

Honestly, this is the method I do not recommend. Are you going to spend a can of compressed air to cool down your beer when you can do it in a couple of minutes with an ice bath and salt? However, ok, maybe you want to run a DIY experiment, so here you have it:

Spray your beer container with a compressed air tool, as close as possible.

• What you need: a compressed air tool.
• Chilling time: About 3 – 5 minutes.
• Pros: It is fun.
• Cons: It is more expensive and requires additional equipment.

Last Words: Enjoy Your Cold Beer

I have personally tried out many of these beer chilling methods, and the ones I find to be the most effective for cooling beers are using salt and an ice bath, submerging them in cold natural water, and using the freezer. For some, the most entertaining method is definitely using compressed air – it’s not as effective but it can be quite fun.

And remember! Once you are done chilling your beer bottle, insert a beer chiller stick to keep it icy-cold until the last drop.

Cheers!