Question

Should they be taken out of the wrapping and stored as single units, or should I leave them in the package?

EDIT to add I mean, the package is 24 bottles bundled together. Should I just leave them in the crate, or disperse them around the fridge?

Answer 1

That depends,

if the water in the bottles is warm and You want to cool it down as fast as possible, then unwrap them.

If there is enough time to cool or the water is cold already, then leave the package intact, it might be useful later to protect the water from heating up fast, when the bottle is removed from fridge for use.

Georg

EDIT to Todds edit:

There is not much "wrapping" in this case, but the outermost

bottles are a shield for the inner ones. So, the answers stay the same.