Thread: Meat safe designs

I have recently modified a medium sized chest freezer as a chiller. So far a roaring success and worked beyond expectation. Freezer has a 'step' inside the top so I made two wooden frames like footy posts but with two spaced cross bars. With aluminium 'L' shaped hangers that hang on the 'step'. No 8 wire hooks to hang joints off the wooden frames. Two plastic tubs underneath catch drips.
Tried it out a couple of weeks ago. Shot two young stags a 70kg and a 90 kg skin on carcass, the freezer took all eight legs the backsteaks and necks for 12 days. Turned it on, took the temp down to zero to pull the heat out of the meat then turned the freezer off. When the temp climbed to 4 degrees I just turned the freezer on again for a couple of hours.
Thought I had Corona virus as there was no smell at all, not even from the blood etc in the tubs when I cleaned them. Meat aged nicely.
The big secret is getting the heat out fast and the freezer worked much better than the fridge that I have used previously. No rush to cut it up when it is keeping so well, so I just cut it early in the morning before the flys get up a bit at a time.

Dad just built one in the corner of his shed put pink bats in th top to stop the head off the iron in summer then just use wind brack on the sides put plywood down bottom 1/2 to keep dogs out & just as a fan in there to stir up the air if it realy hot he will put some frozen bottles of water in front of fan & that keeps it really cold

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

I have recently modified a medium sized chest freezer as a chiller. So far a roaring success and worked beyond expectation. Freezer has a 'step' inside the top so I made two wooden frames like footy posts but with two spaced cross bars. With aluminium 'L' shaped hangers that hang on the 'step'. No 8 wire hooks to hang joints off the wooden frames. Two plastic tubs underneath catch drips.
Tried it out a couple of weeks ago. Shot two young stags a 70kg and a 90 kg skin on carcass, the freezer took all eight legs the backsteaks and necks for 12 days. Turned it on, took the temp down to zero to pull the heat out of the meat then turned the freezer off. When the temp climbed to 4 degrees I just turned the freezer on again for a couple of hours.
Thought I had Corona virus as there was no smell at all, not even from the blood etc in the tubs when I cleaned them. Meat aged nicely.
The big secret is getting the heat out fast and the freezer worked much better than the fridge that I have used previously. No rush to cut it up when it is keeping so well, so I just cut it early in the morning before the flys get up a bit at a time.

Sounds good. Can you post a pic or two of it?

Originally Posted by Hiawatha

Sounds good. Can you post a pic or two of it?

I will try, gave up on trying to post pics here a while back. It is a very good system and simple too, better than a lot of chillers or fridges that have too high a humidity level and get cold tolerant slimy mould growing on meat. Of course a proper controlled atmosphere chiller is the best if you have one.

Originally Posted by Hiawatha

Sounds good. Can you post a pic or two of it?

I will try, gave up on trying to post pics here a while back. It is a very good system and simple too, better than a lot of chillers or fridges that have too high a humidity level and get cold tolerant slimy mould growing on meat. Of course a proper controlled atmosphere chiller is the best if you have one.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

I have recently modified a medium sized chest freezer as a chiller. So far a roaring success and worked beyond expectation. Freezer has a 'step' inside the top so I made two wooden frames like footy posts but with two spaced cross bars. With aluminium 'L' shaped hangers that hang on the 'step'. No 8 wire hooks to hang joints off the wooden frames. Two plastic tubs underneath catch drips.
Tried it out a couple of weeks ago. Shot two young stags a 70kg and a 90 kg skin on carcass, the freezer took all eight legs the backsteaks and necks for 12 days. Turned it on, took the temp down to zero to pull the heat out of the meat then turned the freezer off. When the temp climbed to 4 degrees I just turned the freezer on again for a couple of hours.
Thought I had Corona virus as there was no smell at all, not even from the blood etc in the tubs when I cleaned them. Meat aged nicely.
The big secret is getting the heat out fast and the freezer worked much better than the fridge that I have used previously. No rush to cut it up when it is keeping so well, so I just cut it early in the morning before the flys get up a bit at a time.

You can get temperature controllers for freezers that does the switching on and off for you.

Moa hunter could you pop some pics up please sounds like a good idea.
Thanks Sam

Originally Posted by Samsamdjt

Moa hunter could you pop some pics up please sounds like a good idea.
Thanks Sam

The photos are there in post 13 of this thread