There is no exact answer as to how long soda will take to freeze. This is because there are a huge number of varieties of soda, all with different quantities of sugar.
Sugar has a strange effect on the liquid, lowering the freezing point. This means that the sugar content of the soda has a direct impact on how long it takes to freeze solid.
Due to the carbonation, most sodas will not actually freeze solid. It is much more likely that you will simply end up with some kind of sugary, soda flavored slush.
Generally speaking, it is not advised to freeze soda as it will almost always deteriorate in quality once frozen.
If you wish to cool off a warm can of soda to drink, we recommend placing the can in the freezer but only briefly. Leaving it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes should be sufficient.
Try not to forget about it! If you do, we suggest thawing it fully in the refrigerator before you try to open the can.
There is an online chilled drink calculator from Omni. This will tell you how long it takes to cool or freeze drinks.
Why does sugar lower the freezing point of a liquid?
Water has a regular molecular structure which forms hydrogen bonds with one another when cold. This creates a regular crystalline structure of ice. When sugar is added, the water molecules are disrupted.
Sugar molecules are of a different size and shape to water and so cannot form the same regular structure.
They get in the way of the hydrogen bonds the water molecules are attempting to form, thereby inhibiting the freezing process. They remain in pockets of liquid water, therefore preventing the liquid from freezing properly.
The lowering of the freezing point is known as freezing point depression. The more particles of additive (in this case, sugar) are added to a liquid, the greater the freezing point depression.
Does the container material impact the freezing time?
Glass bottles of soda should never be left in the freezer. When liquids freeze they expand by up to 10%, and glass is too rigid to allow for this.
If you place a glass bottle in the freezer it is likely to shatter. This will not only create a huge mess inside your freezer, but it can also be a major health hazard.
A similar situation is likely to occur if you attempt to freeze soda in a can. The walls of the container are not rigid enough to withstand the pressure increase. As the can is already pressurized because it contains soda, extra pressure will force the can to burst.
Plastic is the least likely material to deteriorate in the freezer and burst as a result of the pressure increase. If you do wish to freeze soda, we would recommend breaking the seal of the bottle and pouring a little of the soda out.
This will reduce the pressure trapped inside the bottle and will increase the air space at the top of the bottle for the soda to expand into. This will hopefully prevent the plastic bottle from bursting in the freezer.
Does the carbonation impact the freezing time?
Carbon dioxide is what causes the bubbles in soda. It becomes more easily soluble in liquids as the temperature decreases.
This means that placing your soda in the freezer is likely to reduce the carbonation of the drink. When compared to room temperature liquids, the solubility is more than doubled!
As the water contained within the soda freezes, this pushes the carbon dioxide out of the solid ice structure. When a container is sealed, there is no escape route for the carbon dioxide so the energy and pressure within the bottle builds up.
The thawed carbonated drink is very unlikely to remain carbonated. This is due to the increased solubility of carbon dioxide. More is absorbed into the liquid, and therefore there are less bubbles in the thawed liquid.
The most likely thing to happen to the carbon dioxide occurs after the bottle has been removed from the freezer and opened.
When the pressure is released the carbon dioxide will instantly create many small ice crystals - forming a slushy kind of substance.
Coke
A 16 oz plastic bottle of coke will take roughly 3 hours and 15 minutes to freeze in a standard household freezer set to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most freezers are set to around 0 degrees Fahrenheit and so this process is likely to be faster.
Diet coke will freeze considerably faster due to the reduced sugar content. This allows it to freeze faster as the freezing point will be closer to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Carbonated Water
There are no real measurements for how long carbonated water will take to freeze.
It is likely to take around the same amount of time as regular water, or maybe even a little faster.
It is likely to take around 1-2 hours for an ice cube tray filled with carbonated water to solidify.
How to make a soda slush - every time
The first step is to shake your bottles of soda vigorously. Set your freezer slightly lower than normal - to around -11 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave them to sit in the freezer for between 3 and 4 hours.
The longer that you leave the bottles in the freezer, the thicker your resulting slush will be. There is a slight chance that they could freeze solid before you remove them from the freezer. Anytime longer than 3 and a quarter hours increases this risk drastically.
Experiment with placing the bottles in different locations inside your freezer. Each will have a varying temperature, having a knock on effect on the freeze time and quality.
Once the time has elapsed, remove the bottles from the freezer. Moving quickly, unscrew the cap of the bottle and then immediately re-tighten it.
Invert the bottle (flip it upside down) and then return it to an upright position.
Pour it into a glass and enjoy!