Strange in-fridge explosion!

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linw

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#280152 30-Nov-2020 09:29

Last evening we were startled with a sharp crack-type sound so we hunted around with no result but then my wife had a look in the fridge and eventually found a bottle of Kombucha at the back that had shot the cap off with an impressive amount of mushy ice!

First thoughts were that the fridge must have been too cold so checked the temp and it was OK. But after a night's sleep I have figured out what happened. The Kombucha had fermented in the bottle and built up a high pressure that finally blew the top off and it was the sudden decompression that caused the big loss of temp and the ice forming!

Interesting science lesson🙂

The other Kombucha bottle was emptied in the sink. They were given to my wife and she had no intention of drinking them so now we have a bit of freed up space for more beer cans!! Never seen them explode. Perhaps because they don't sit there for ages!

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#2613062 30-Nov-2020 09:40

LOL, reminds me of a M.A.S.H episode when Hawkeye was asked by a visitor, the vintage on his gin. 20 Minutes!

wellygary

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#2613075 30-Nov-2020 09:46

I've seen plenty of homebrew pop their tops....

Oblivian

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#2613083 30-Nov-2020 09:55

I've seen ginger beer stash flood a laundry it was stewing away in..

Coke in plastic will do similar if you chill it to just before freezing. open the top, instant slushy with all sorts of science reasoning as to potential cause, like temp raising the freezing level when the CO2 escapes.

josephhinvest

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#2613181 30-Nov-2020 11:55

I had a can of Coke Zero explode in my bar fridge. With enough force the door was opened. I reckon it was juuuust touching the icebox and had partially frozen. Big mess!

MaxineN

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#2613185 30-Nov-2020 11:59

I've seen energy drinks explode in fridges and freezers.

I've had it happen before with a freezer. Was my fault. Was an interesting way to volunteer myself to clean out a freezer...

Ramblings from a mysterious lady who's into tech. Warning I may often create zingers.

Rikkitic

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#2613263 30-Nov-2020 12:53

Only exploding cans of beans. The blasts were forceful enough to deafen me.

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timmmay

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#2613348 30-Nov-2020 13:24

Years ago friends had their whole cupboard full of that darker glass explode, might have been called Akrock or something. It made the newspaper back then.

Sometimes things explode. Best try not to be too close :)

robjg63

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#2613373 30-Nov-2020 13:51

timmmay:
Years ago friends had their whole cupboard full of that darker glass explode, might have been called Akrock or something. It made the newspaper back then.

Sometimes things explode. Best try not to be too close :)

Arcoroc glass products did that when they had been heated and cooled a bit too much, or if they had a few scratches. Spontaneous explosions were apparently not too uncommon. Sounds like you are talking about a chain explosion where the shock of one thing exploding sets off another item.

I (like many people) had some home brew beer do that. They were actually plastic bottles too - was quite a mess to clean up. At least no glass shards though....

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SATTV

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#2613423 30-Nov-2020 15:24

When I was a kid we mage ginger beer, One day my father took the op off a bottle and there was a fountain of sicky ginger beer all over the ceiling.

So we had to spend a hot summers Sunday cleaning the kitchen and dining room ceiling, them Mum said we had to do the lounge as well.

From then on all home brew of any kind was opened outside.

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linw

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#2613435 30-Nov-2020 15:37

Love all theses stories. Good variety, too!

Wow, a cupboard full of arcoroc glass shards flying can't have been much fun.

A loud explosion of beans must have been scary, Rikkitic. Not to mention, messy!

JonnyCam

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#2613472 30-Nov-2020 16:28

linw:

now we have a bit of freed up space for more beer cans!! Never seen them explode.

Some of these new hazy ipas with fresh fruit added at canning have been exploding lately. (usually they have been stored warm in a supermarket back room also)

unfiltered, so the yeast keep going on those sugars and eventually explode / rupture (even at a low temp given enough time)

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#2613485 30-Nov-2020 16:49

My dad made home brew most of his life including during active service during WWII, but when I was 6 to 8 thereabouts, according to my elder brother a whole, bottled, brew of several dozen popped for several hours in the basement one night. Nobody slept. 🍺🌋☹️

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andrewNZ

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#2613516 30-Nov-2020 17:48

I'd suggest the ice is more likely due to the bottle being at the back of the fridge. That's where the evaporator coil is, and it's common for things to freeze if they're too close or touching.

jpoc

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#2613598 30-Nov-2020 20:26

linw:

First thoughts were that the fridge must have been too cold so checked the temp and it was OK. But after a night's sleep I have figured out what happened. The Kombucha had fermented in the bottle and built up a high pressure that finally blew the top off and it was the sudden decompression that caused the big loss of temp and the ice forming!

That just won't happen. The temperature drop due to a few mg of expanding gas will do nothing to the temperature of hundreds of grams of fluid.

Also, at fridge temps, yeast will not ferment. Even cold fermenting lager yeasts need temps of around 14C to ferment.

Your liquid dropped below its freezing point but did not turn to ice. As it dropped close to freezing, it expanded as the water molecules lined up and the pressure popped the cap. That released gas bubbles which acted as nucleation points and caused ice crystals to form.

Temps in your fridge will vary quite a bit from one part to another depending on the design of the fridge, the position of the chiller, shelves and contents. Beer will freeze at a lower temp than water because of the ethanol.

LookingUp

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#2613600 30-Nov-2020 20:40

timmmay:

Years ago friends had their whole cupboard full of that darker glass explode, might have been called Akrock or something. It made the newspaper back then.

Sometimes things explode. Best try not to be too close :)

From one of my all time favourite films:

It happens some times, people just explode. Natural causes... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOXvDGRvX70

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