Melbourne, Jan ary 21: Surrounding your beer in ice is actually one of the most inefficient ways of keeping your coldies cool, researchers say.

According to postdoctoral Research Fellow at Australian Synchrotron, Helen Maynard-Casely, there is a much more scientific way to ensure your beers stay cooler for longer using basic household items.

"The recipe I came up with is to find a big tub like an esky or bucket and put in one cup of salt and three cups of water and then throw in loads and loads of ice," News.com.au quoted her as saying.

"It will equilibrate in temperature and should get down to about minus 10 degrees, roughly," she said.

Maynard-Casely said that every scientist worth their salt uses this trick which is known as "freezing point depression," and that if you're out of salt, try using washing powder instead or anything in your house that dissolves in water.

The process works by keeping water molecules away from each other and stops them from freezing or melting.

And because the liquid naturally flows around your beer, it will do a much better job of keeping it cool than sticking a lump of ice on top of it.

It's also more effective than putting it in the freezer.

The same kind of science that keeps your beer cold is responsible for the formation of the various planets that make up our universe. (ANI)