Can I use this for wine?

Yes — just adjust the starting temp and target (white 6–8°C, red 12–16°C).

Does alcohol percentage matter?

Slightly — higher ABV lowers freezing point, so chills a touch slower. The formula ignores this for simplicity.

Chilled Drink Calculator

By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed September 2026About us

Beer chills fastest in the freezer (~90 min), slower in the fridge (~4 h). This calculator estimates chill time for any drink by volume, starting temp, and target temp.

Chilled Drink Calculator

How long to chill any drink to optimal temp.

Configuration

Volume (L)
Starting temp (°C)
Target temp (°C)
Environment

Enter values and calculate

How to use this calculator

Enter drink volume.
Enter starting temperature.
Enter target temperature.
Pick container and environment.
Calculate.

Formula

t = k * V * V * (T_target - T_start) / P

k = 1.2 for fridge, 0.03 for freezer, 0.005 for ice bath. V = volume in liters, T in °C, P = surface-area factor (1 for can, 2 for bottle).

Symbol	Meaning
volume	Drink volume in liters
tStart	Starting temperature in °C
tTarget	Target temperature in °C (e.g. 4 for beer)

Worked example

Example

500 ml beer at 20°C to 4°C in fridge -> 1.2 * 0.5 * 0.5 * 4 / 1 = 1.2 min ≈ 72 seconds. Freezer: * 0.03 -> 0.18 min ≈ 11 seconds. These are estimates — actual time varies by fridge model.

Continue with the ABV Calculator, Alcohol Dilution Calculator, or the SO2 Wine Calculator — or browse more brewing & drinks tools and all cooking calculators.