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papajohn

Personal walk in cooler

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Curious how many of you have your own walk in cooler for hanging and tenderizing your game meat. I'm currently making one just so I can take my time to process any game taken but also to hang it for the recommended 10 days to 2 weeks to tenderize. No problem keeping meat cool while transporting from the field with large coolers but once home has been a rush to get cut up and packaged. Three in my family plus two good friends all got drawn for elk this year plus maybe some deer and javalina. All of us process our own game meat so my walk in could get quite a bit of use. Will pay for itself this year alone if we get even 2 animals between all of us at current butchering prices. Have all the insulation, ac unit and Coolbot temp controller so ready to put everything together soon. Anyone else build one? Wondering how it worked for you.

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We have an actual walk cooler but a friend of mine has a cool bot in a room he built and it works great however because the ac also evaporates all moisture after a full day of hanging he wraps hanging carcasses in plastic wrap after the animal dries out (about 24 hours),  Otherwise the meat turns to jerky in days.   I don't think our game meat benefits from time in a cooler to the same degree that beef does although I'm sure it helps some however I would guess the combination of a.c. And wrapping in plastic even further lessons the positive effects that hanging has.   But it sure doesn't hurt and all of the other financial, time and ensuring you get your meat benefits still remain.   We love having our walk in because we had the same problem, got home from a hunt and drive only to have to cut and wrap.    Best thing about building one is it you have the room that you can put a cut and wrap table inside and process in your cool room.   That would awesome to have.

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Been throwing this idea around for a few years now.  Thinking of starting up at the first of the year. Keep us posted on your plan, progress and issues you run across. 

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I scored a large bagged ice freezer for free and put racks in it for hanging meat as well as a refrigerator thermostate.  Works great and can fit at least 3 elk no problem. 

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Build it yourself and put a real compressor and fans in. a little more but serviceable. Be a cold day b4 I pay a buck a pound or 100 per deer. Its a great business if you want no life during hunting season.

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Lots of info about ac/coolbot coolers people have done on you tube and discussions on forums like archery talk etc. I was going to try to avoid the cost of the coolbot but finally gave up the cheapo idea and found several on craigslist in other states. Got one for 250 including shipping ( they are 325-350 usually). Bought a used window ac for 90. Been buying damaged sheets of foam insulation at 60-80% off regular price and will glue them together and fill voids and cracks with great stuff foam. would have cost A LOT more to buy the foam sheets at full price as it needs 4 - 6 inch thickness everywhere.

Currently looking for a cheap storage shed to convert so I can use it year round for more storage and not just a month or so during season. 

Will post a link to a complete study done by Wy or Idaho on game meat hanging to tenderize when I can find it again. 

 

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55 minutes ago, papajohn said:

Will post a link to a complete study done by Wy or Idaho on game meat hanging to tenderize when I can find it again. 

 

That's an eye opener for sure. I came across it about 15 or 20 years ago. One thing I will say though that there have been times when after I butchered deer and javelina  I kept the meat in a bowl in the refrigerator, draining the blood every day. After a week the meat definatly breaks down and gets more tender. 

By the 10th day it will start to turn and needs to be frozen. The paper was from a Community College in Wyoming.

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Lots of info about ac/coolbot coolers people have done on you tube and discussions on forums like archery talk etc. I was going to try to avoid the cost of the coolbot but finally gave up the cheapo idea and found several on craigslist in other states. Got one for 250 including shipping ( they are 325-350 usually). Bought a used window ac for 90. Been buying damaged sheets of foam insulation at 60-80% off regular price and will glue them together and fill voids and cracks with great stuff foam. would have cost A LOT more to buy the foam sheets at full price as it needs 4 - 6 inch thickness everywhere.

Currently looking for a cheap storage shed to convert so I can use it year round for more storage and not just a month or so during season. 

Will post a link to a complete study done by Wy or Idaho on game meat hanging to tenderize when I can find it again. 

Here it is.  

wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B594.pdf

 

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I have hung my meat and packed them on ice both Ive done for 2-3 weeks before I butcher.  I honestly prefer them packed on ice.  I just hate how much meat I have to cut off and waste when I hang them. 

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As long as you butcher in less than 10 days (again cooler not cool bot), I have not come across wasting any meat.  If you get into that 14 day mark plus, I can see stuff starting jerk or mold over at some point I'm sure, but never an issue and on waste under 10.    I can't speak to the cool bot timing though but as mentioned if you wrap after a day, then I'm sure you could hang for any length of time.  Open air in a cool bot, could be a huge waste.  

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