Planning a walk I cooler build.

[ditch donkey]

So like the title says, I'm planning my walk in cooler. I've got a lean to off the side of my barn, with concrete floor, insulated, heated when I want to light the wood stove, 12 foot ceiling, and 16' x 28' floor space. I think it will be a nice spot to put a meat shop for myself.

Space isn't really an issue, but I think 6'x8' would be plenty. I'm not really sure about height though. What kind of height am I going to need to hang a side of beef? Elk in moose will be brought in in quarters, but steers I will hang in halves.

Anybody have any info on a cooling unit? I would like to have the cooling unit totally inside the lean to. As in connected to the cooler box only, no holes in the exterior walls of the building. I'm not sure what this type of cooling unit is called. Is it just a standard evaporator and fan? Does anyone have any brand or model types they would recommend?

I've done some searches, and got lots of ideas, but I'm really looking for some specifics on the cooling unit.

Thanks, and I'm sure I'll have more questions.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Here is mine,

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=102444&highlight=Homemade+cooler

I don't have specifics on the cooling unit, but the dimensions are roughly 9'x9'x5'

LC

[ditch donkey]

Hey lefty. I read your thread when you posted it and re read it today. I like the chain link posts from the ceiling. Do you think 9' ceiling is enough to hang a half beef? They can get pretty long by time they stretch out and you add hooks, rails etc?

[amosfella]

9' ceiling would be a minimum. Build the rail so that you can move the carcass out of the cooler on the rail with rollers. It'll save your back a lot...

Also, set up some kind of system to lift the meat onto the rails. A winch or something like that.

[Lefty-Canuck]

No 9' is not enough for half a beef, we have hung beef and moose quarters in ours but not halves.

I have a pulley inside the cooler as well as pulleys outside. I can hang, split and quarter and animal and move it into the cooler without lifting a single thing.

LC

[FISHBATTEREDBEER]

tons on kijiji,do an "Alberta" search

[amosfella]

No 9' is not enough for half a beef, we have hung beef and moose quarters in ours but not halves.

I have a pulley inside the cooler as well as pulleys outside. I can hang, split and quarter and animal and move it into the cooler without lifting a single thing.

LC

It's enough for a quarter... Half could be as high as 15 feet... I'd use the lower ceiling and hang quarters...

[sirmike68]

Get yourself the "Coolbot" controller. Turns an ordinary A/C unit into a cooling unit. I use this system at my remote hunting camp and run a 6000 BTU unit and generator in a 4x8x8 cooler. It will hold temps at 4c with ambient temps in 20's with a deer on the hook.

[Peebles]

You say it's insulated, but it's not clear if you mean just the walls or the floor as well. If your concrete pad is not insulated underneath you should insulate the bottom of your cooler as well. This could cost you a bit of height but will give you much better efficiency on the cooler since concrete is a heat conductor. If you are only using it in cold weather you could skip this step, but with winter the way it is these days I wouldn't rely on that.

[roger]

if a cooling unit would be needed, you might check out a place that dismantles oilfeild skidshacks. they have a robust air-conditioning unit in them that you might get for decent price. this and the comptroller that sir mike was talking about might work just peachy.
or a reefer tractor/trailer cooling unit.
call a local refridge company maybe they have something that will fill the need too

[roger]

9' ceiling would be a minimum. Build the rail so that you can move the carcass out of the cooler on the rail with rollers. It'll save your back a lot...

Also, set up some kind of system to lift the meat onto the rails. A winch or something like that.
*i contributed this idea on a parallel thread*
Get a length of cannonball door track and some of the cannonball door hangers. Place it diagonally from corner to corner on ceiling and it should be able to load the rail from the back of the truck. Then push away. Just like real butcher shop!
Hang from as many ceiling rafters as what fits. Shouldn't require a whole pile of reinforcements too.
attach meat hooks of various lengths to door hangers that fit and roll easily inside track.
should work like a charm.
also works for hanging things to paint or drip dry.

[Lefty-Canuck]

It's enough for a quarter... Half could be as high as 15 feet... I'd use the lower ceiling and hang quarters...

Yup, 9' is enough for a quarter for sure...not a half, exactly what I said :)

LC

[Don K]

I built one this year. 8x9x8high. Have a window shaker and a coolbot. Had 2 antelope in it for a week and later 2 elk for 8 days. Kept it at 34-35 the whole time. Works like a charm.
I insulated the walls, floor and ceiling, vapour barriered it then put styrofoam insulation and another layer of plywood. Siliconed all seams and then used rubber paint on entire inside. Put a vinyl floor in for easy cleanup and track on ceiling with 10 hooks.
It cools within minutes from room temperature.

[Don K]

Coolbot control

[TBark]

Yep, you'll need the cool bot controller ($350) with a reg $250 AC unit to get to 3-4C.
Without the cool bot you will only get temps down to 16-17c.

TBark

[Don K]

Yep, you'll need the cool bot controller ($350) with a reg $250 AC unit to get to 3-4C.
Without the cool bot you will only get temps down to 16-17c.

TBark

I put in the he best Friedrich AC unit I could get. I can actually keep it below zero in mine! Have never had an issue with anything freezing or icing up either. It's an amazing little device.

If anyone is ever looking order DIRECTLY FROM COOLBOT. You can find them other places, such as Amazon, but you'll pay a lot more.

[blueice123]

They is another way , find a five ton reefer box ,barn doors not roll up . Don't use the reefer on it as they are very few that can fix it they very special units . Use the a/ c units the other guys are talking about

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[ditch donkey]

Thanks for all the input and pm's. I've done alot of research on the coolbot route, and I'm usually not a fan of modifying or repurposing things, cause they never seem to work quite right, but everything I've read, plus the posts bere seem very positive. So I'm pretty interested in them. And there seems to be some decent units on kijiji also.

Thanks for all the input folks.

[double gun]

Mine is 4x8x8 and I don't ever wish it was bigger. I bought a nib a/c unit off kijiji and had a local guy hook it up with a special control for $50 which is totally programable. In early fall it will go down to 4 degrees in under 1/2hour. Next year I'm adding a heater that will also be hooked into the control to keep it a 4 degrees no matter what's happening outside (hot or cold).

That said I'm not sure if I would go the a/c unit in such a big cooler as mentioned in the op.

[Hawkhills]

Another vote for the cool bot.My cooler is 6 ft wide 12 feet long 8 feet high.2nd year of use .No issues.This year had 2 bull elk 1 bull moose 1 deer in it all at the same time.Plus 24 outside 4 degrees inside.No worries.


Sent from my SM-N915W8 using Tapatalk

[kingrat]

Yet another cool bot fan, 3rd year having it and more than happy with it. 8x8 10 feet tall heavily insulated including the floor and it gets down to 2 no problem even when it's 20 outside.

[reaper]

I have a cooling unit I got out of a restaurant cooler. I intended to make a cold room but haven't got around to it. If you'd like the unit I'd be happy to have it out of the garage. Pm me if you're interested.

[rookiemoosehunter]

For the guys that use the cool bot, what size of ac unit do you use?
Do you just use 1 unit and where do you position the unit on the cooler?

[Hawkhills]

Cooler size 6 wide 12 long.1 ac unit 8000 but. A/c unit is 4 feet off the ground and placed at 1 end.Copl bot rocks

Sent from my SM-N915W8 using Tapatalk

[Hawkhills]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161221/58538934ee8e917c475920299a643981.jpg

Sent from my SM-N915W8 using Tapatalk

[Bowtech1]

Such a great idea to have in early season

[skidderman]

I realize this thread is as old as dirt but I very much want to research this subject further. Am fully aware of using a portable air conditioner & a coolbot. Problem is a coolbot is roughly $600 now. My research shows it might be possible to convert a conditioner so it does not freeze up without using a coolbot. I have a feeling there are lots of AO fans out there that would like more info on it as well. I think it it involves a line volt thermostat & some kind of change to a capacitor but so far the info I find is lacking detail. Found this on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL8ol72Igbo
If there is anyone out there that can provide some finer detail I & I am sure many other's would be most grateful.

[coxy95]

The cool bot can be done diy with a couple of inkbird controllers and a small light bulb or heat source for about $50. That’s what I did for my cooler and it has worked really well for two years now. I found the idea on a home brewing website when I searched diy coolbot.

[Xbolt7mm]

I have a triple heated garage with the single running 8 feet up the side of my house, I but a 2x6 wall with double doors flush with the house wall, leaving me with a 8ft deep x 8 feet wide x 10 feet high room. I used the pink styrofoam insulation on all the walls stuck to my garage drywall. I then sealed all the joints and corners with silicone. I have an overhead door going into the yard from there and that is the weak point. I placed 2 2x6’s nailed together on each wall and put a 6x6 on top of those tight to the roof. Princess auto 2000lb winch mounted on the 2x6’s with a couple pulleys for a snatch block set up for a quad. Easily lifts a whole elk up. Ive had about 700 lbs on the 6x6 without an issue and expect it would take considerably more. I used a 12,000 BTU window AC unit from Kijiji, (dirt cheap right now, I paid 100 bux for a near new unit) The cool bot was over 500 CAD to my door as the dollar is crap and it cant be ordered from anywhere in canada. The AC unit is on the wall I built as to not cut a hole in an outside wall and vents into the main garage area. Easily holds plus 2 when its 20c outside. Takes 30 minutes to get there when there is no meat in there. Takes 5 hours if there is two or three deer hanging in it. The meat does not dry out near as bad using this set up. Just butchered an elk that was in there for a month, it was awesome. I have a few shallow spill trays to catch drips and such under hanging animals. No idea how much it cost to run it and I dont care lol. Throw my beer. Pop and other stuff in there too when its going. Large trays of meat when doing sausage go back in during processing too. Handy for pig roasts in the summer as well as huge family BBQ’s for extra fridge space. When not in use then its just part of my garage again.

Side note, if you have lots of meat in there, wifi hook up is fantastic, the new cool bots have that and hook to your phone and once you set your low and high alarms you can monitor it remotely, I know its more money than the home made stuff but a couple sides of beef ruined is waaaay more than a cool bot. the whole thing done for me was about a grand.