# Chilled Drink Calculator – How Long to Cool a Drink?

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/food/chilled-drink/
Last updated: 2026-10-30

> The chilled drink calculator estimates how long it takes to cool a drink – water, soda, beer, wine or spirits, in a can, plastic or glass bottle – in the freezer, fridge, cellar, ice water or salted ice water, using Newton's law of cooling.

## Inputs

- Container
- Temperature unit
- Starting temperature
- Cooling method
- Drink (target temperature)
- Custom target temperature

## Results

- Time to reach the target
- Target temperature
- Note

## Formula

```
T(t) = T_env + (T_start − T_env) × e^(−k·t)
t = −ln((T_target − T_env) ÷ (T_start − T_env)) ÷ k
k depends on the cooling medium (water ≈ 7× faster than air), the container size (∝ volume^(−1/3)) and material
```

## Explanation

Water conducts heat far better than air, so a drink in ice water cools several times faster than in a freezer. Adding salt to the ice water lowers its temperature below 0 °C and speeds things up further. Never leave glass bottles or cans in the freezer too long – they can burst.

### How to use the Chilled Drink Calculator – How Long to Cool a Drink?

- **Container**
- **Temperature unit**
- **Starting temperature**
- **Cooling method**
- **Drink (target temperature)**
- **Custom target temperature**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Choose the container, where the drink is now, how you will cool it and how cold you want it.

### Tips

- Measure gravity and temperature carefully – hydrometers are calibrated for a specific temperature.
- Keep alcohol calculations conservative: never drink and drive, and know your limits.
- Write down every measurement in a brewing log so you can repeat good batches.
- Chill drinks in an ice-water bath for the fastest, safest cooling.

### Common mistakes to avoid

- Reading a hydrometer at the wrong temperature without correcting it.
- Mixing up ABV (% by volume) and ABW (% by weight).
- Over-priming bottles – too much sugar can make bottles burst.

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterContainerChoose one: Plastic bottle 0.5 L (16.9 oz), Plastic bottle 1.5 L, Plastic bottle 0.33 L, Glass bottle 0.33 L (beer) …Temperature unitChoose one: °C, °FStarting temperatureA numberCooling methodChoose one: Freezer (−18 °C / 0 °F), air, Fridge (4 °C / 39 °F), air, Cellar (12 °C / 54 °F), air, Ice water (0 °C / 32 °F) …Drink (target temperature)Choose one: Soft drinks (4 °C), Lager (6 °C), Ale (10 °C), White / rosé wine (9 °C) …Custom target temperatureA number

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Starting temperature** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Starting temperatureTime to reach the target (min)1113916.52042224427.52743329744333

## Worked example

Inputs — Container: Plastic bottle 0.5 L (16.9 oz); Temperature unit: °C; Starting temperature: 22; Cooling method: Fridge (4 °C / 39 °F), air; Drink (target temperature): Lager (6 °C).

Results — **Time to reach the target = 244 min**; Target temperature = 6; Note = Enjoy it cold.

## FAQ

**What is the fastest way to chill a drink?**
Spin it in a bucket of ice, water and salt – a can is cold in a few minutes.

**How long does a can take in the fridge?**
Roughly 2–3 hours from room temperature to about 6 °C.

**Why is ice water faster than the freezer?**
Water transfers heat about 20–25 times better than still air.