I done with using up most of our fridge space and dealing with the mess afterwards. We have 4 refrigerators that if temps are running in the 50’s like they have been the last few years “see global warming” I’m emptying them to hold elk meat until I can get to butchering them.

Now, before someone ask’s why don’t I butcher it as soon as I get home? The answer is, I like to let them hang for bit before carving. The other reason is I’m not done hunting. I’ve got pards to help get an elk with only a 4 day season. I prefer doing the knife work after the season ends, which wasn’t a problem until the last few years where temps have been Abby-Normal here. And, there isn’t any viable cold storage space in my locale. I’ve checked.

Here’s my solution...If you see holes in it-speak up, or better design ideas- let’s hear them.

I have a perfect spot for a new build next to my shop where all our game animals get taken. I measured off what I think would be perfect for my intended needs 12x16 with 8’ft. walls. I would install a roller rail/hook system on one side. Build some shelves and place a stainless steel Costco Gorilla Rack on the other side.

Floor will be concrete slab with a center drain and drainage pipe running underground. Run some electrical for lighting and cooling which would be an air conditioner.

Walls would be insulated and covered with a material I’m not sure what it’s called, but most cold storage places I’m been inside seem to all have it. It’s a dimple-textured sheet that looks to have seams that get covered. It doesn’t feel like stainless steel, more of a composite material, I’m guessing. I need the space to be water friendly, so I can blow it out with a hose for clean up.

I see one problem, maybe, with the air conditioner location. Ideally, I’m thinking setting it low on the wall would be the best play for cooling - but, possibly the worst placement when it comes to hosing out the space. I’m definitely not going to remove the cooling unit before I clean. Would I be ok mounting the cooling unit up high where it’s not likely to get wet?

Is my build out plan solid or missing key elements? I’m going for it this winter/early fall.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, ideas, and solutions.

😎

I’m planning to do the same thing myself here in Virginia. I was looking at framing and capping then spray foam insulating the whole works and cutting racks into hang meat.

I plan to have a small area right outside the cooler for cutting work as well.

Great topic. Thank you.

You might consider the prefab insulated wall panels.
If not I personally have thought about using the metal studs. you can get plastic in 4x8 sheets for a bit of wainscot or stainless.
Also, there are a few discussions on using a airconditioner- I think you will need a digital controller but they are fairly inexpensive.
I think up high is fine- you can always duct it down low.
Also you need a way to control humidity.

I'd keep an eye out for the prefab panels as well. They are usually water resistant and seal right, etc. My uncle just built one this fall, he set his up in the corner of his pole barn. One panel even had the proper door.

One thing I would think about is how to seal the floor drain. I was told a bunch of the cold can escape through the drain. I know of a slaughter house that has a big rubber stopper in the floor.

My first thought is that the air conditioner should be up high. Cold air falls and warm air rises. If you put the unit low, you'll have a hard time cooling the warm air up high.

Put a trap in the drain to keep the cold air in.

Check this out. This might help you decide what size AC unit to get. It has specifications for how big of an air conditioner you need to cool a certain area. There also a video on how to install the AC unit. It looks like they have the AC unit up high.

https://www.storeitcold.com/build-it/ac-selection/

They also sell prefab boxes, but I'd build it yourself. They're only a cool $4200.00.

https://www.storeitcold.com/coolbot-walk-in-cooler/

B, you’re welcome...It’s never been an issue until the last few years. We put two bulls down one morning in a rain storm. 10 hours later we’re out and headed home. The next night after getting back to the cabin from hunting, I noticed a slight smell coming off the hanging meat. We call it “Green Bone” I think it’s referred to as “Sour Bone” in most place. It’s were the meat doesn’t cool fast enough and starts to rot from the bone out.

It was all hands on deck breaking down those two elk and losing approximately 2”-3” inches of meat in some places because we had to cut the meat out far enough to no longer smell that rank sourness.

This years bull we broke down into chunks and put it in 4 refrigerators. Then I started on it properly on the 5th day. No issues obviously due to being refrigerated.

I just shot a depredation cow elk on Tuesday morning. The temperature inside the shop was *45 degrees. It took me until Thursday night to break the cow down and cut and trim out all the meat, making it ready for the butcher. I would have preferred to let the cow hang whole for 3 days, but my schedule required me to leave town Thursday night and not be returning until late Sunday night.

I felt I had best get on the elk rather then risk losing any or all the meat...A cold room fixes all of these problems.

SC,
Good Call! I was just explaining this to my way more intelligent wife then I and she said the A/C unit should go up high because cold air is heavier and will travel down. Hot air goes up...Duh!

Thanks for the information. 😎

Ben,

No Shît????
Thank you! That I wouldn’t have thought of. 😎

Cinch,
Txt’d me and said I could pick up a small like new cargo container fairly cheap. Set it on a slab or gravel with concrete pillars. Stud out the inside, spray foam insulate it, wire it up and done...That’s a possibly way to fly...Beretzs, you listening?
😎

Mine is 10' x 10'. I used 2x6 walls with spray foam. Then another 1 1/2" foam on the outside and inside. Air conditioner is a 220 volt LG with a CoolBot controler. AC is up high. Insulate the heck out of it. I just left the Pink Foam as the interior wall finish

My buddie's cooler,although a bit smaller ,the air conditioner sits up higher. He used a Cool-Bot Controller on the air conditioner

Think about having a bin or tub with drain for ice. Like an old fashion ice box.

What for? Sorry, I’m not tracking on this suggestion. More information, please 😎

The storeitcold site has all kinds of plans and ideas. Mount the a/c high to cool up top and let the cold air settle to the floor.

They recommend R25 for the walls. Pink insulation board is R-5 per inch. I used 2 layers of 2" and 1 layer of 1", offsetting the seams. My cooler is 8x8. I didn't use a floor drain but rather sloped the floor to the door so I can sweep water out.

A cooler will serve as a warm room in the winter as well as being a cooler the other 3 seasons. I put a small space heater in it to keep it about 40 to 45 in the winter. I store stuff like canned fruit, pesticides, and paint in there during the winter. Watermelons and cantaloupe will keep for a month or more at that temp. We ate the last watermelons in mid-Oct. this year.

RC,
Appreciate the site information. Wife will use the space for same things as you’re doing as a secondary pantry for certain canned good and fruits, etc..

That was part of my sales pitch to her about building one...Grins 😬😎

Excellent topic. I am also going to do the same thing. I was just talking to a buddy about that yesterday. He let me hang my elk in his walk in cooler a few months ago. I will be using half of my garden shed, which is used for storage right now. Mine will be approx 10'x8'. Nothing fancy, but a very much needed commodity around here, as the cooler I used to use is no longer available. Finding a cooler around here is a major pain in the arse. I figured I'd build one, so I don't have to worry about it anymore... Indeed a great topic...

My little brother has a walk in cooler out of an old restaurant. Works like a charm. Everything gets hung for 10-21 days and man, since we’ve used that we’ve never had a bad piece of meat.

I’m about 450 miles away from him, so unless I’m hunting at home, I’m hosed to hang the meat in the hot, Virginia early season.

Yes sir. Always keep my eyes open for one of the 1 Ton refrigerated truck bodies. They’d be plenty for what I need. I could build a shed around it to keep it looking nice.

My dad built a walk in cooler a couple years ago. He got his locally when a business was moving/upgrading. They basically gave it away to get rid of it. It’s made of prefab panels. It has changed the way we hunt. No more rushing to get stuff broken down and in the freezer. We let stuff hangs month or more and it’s the best game meat we’ve had. The prefab panels are super easy.

I put together a prefab cooler here for a client last year in his hanger. They can be had from a restaurant supply house for around 3K +/-

Barring spending that kind of money, 2x8 construction with either blue board or spary urethane insulation should do it. Stagger 2x4's studs on 16" or 24" layout from the inside and outside so there is no penetration through the wall from a stud on either side. I'd line the interior with the white, textured, plastic coated plywood panels (the product name escapes me), or galvanized sheets.

We made one for our deer lease and built it on a skid, so we can pull it onto a trailer if we ever move leases. We have a true refrigeration unit and the cooler is made with interlocking insulated steel panels (found a used cooler on ebay). I know a number of folks that have used the coolbot without any problems.

You’ve met my lovely wife I see....I told her about Cinch’s idea on buying a small cargo container. She said “Those are ugly, I want to match the house siding, not something that looks awful”.

Build a facade around it...Cool idea. Thanks, B!

😎

Yeah buddy! That’s the reasoning, right there. Better tasting vittles by allowing the game to age. 😎

Thanks Brad....That’s a possibility. I guesstimated my spend would be upwards of $6K with concrete pour, buildout and making the exterior match the cabin. I don’t have a HOA, but worse, a wife. Enough said! 😎

Just an aside...A cold room seems like a natural, must have, for many of us who don’t have access to cold storage.

I don’t hunt archery, but those that do have it hard enough sometimes getting all their meat out of the field in warmer months when they are typically hunting.

Like some members have said, the space doesn’t have to be really large. I’m going bigger because there are times when we have multiple elk needing a cold room. And, I’m hunting in September thru January where in other States it may be cold enough to allow hanging in a shop or garage...

Weather patterns may have changed for me, but I couldn’t imagine not having a space if I was archery hunting in August or in warmer States where heat is always a problem.
😎

I'm not sure an AC unit will get things cool enough for aging

Evidently they will. I always thought you needed something special, but it looks like they just use a window unit. Check out the specs they recommend. This thread is pretty interesting. I might have to consider building one some time. Like most of us, the early season is too hot to let it hang, and late season it's cold enough to freeze it. Nothing worse than trying to cut up a frozen deer.

https://www.storeitcold.com/build-it/ac-selection/

Hmm very interesting! I have a dedicated refrigerator I use for quarters but elk are not in the equation obviously.... I can fit 2 deer and that's plenty for my needs
I'll follow along to see how you end up Beaver10
FRP board is what you might want for wall covering

Before ac there were ice houses. It takes a lot of ice to keep a cooler temp down but it naturally holds temps for hanging meat. Backs up electricity. Allows rapid cool down in hot weather of quarters. Depending on your weather, you can make your own ice in 5 gallon buckets during overnight hard freeze and store in freezer till needed.

Thank you everyone! Really great information to assist me on my build.

You suggestions will reduce the “Oh, I wish, or I should have done this or that” after the fact.

I will tag this as I move along for anyone’s curiosity.

😎

My buddy built one, I donated an extra ac unit I had. Hung an antelope for a few days at 36 degrees using a cool bot.

He just insulated all sides (floor, roof, and walls).

Definitely want to use the coolbot to control the air conditioner to get it down to 36-38 degrees

https://www.amazon.com/Store-Cold-LLC-Controller-conditioner/dp/B003VSLTAI

Without a doubt!

I did a refrigerator I gutted at my old house and made a rack I could hang meat in there separated and added a fan to circulate the air. Worked like a champ as well. Wasn’t too bad to skin and quarter and hang the parts and pieces. Was much better than to process after hunting all day!

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

B,
Very clever and ingenuous. That’s just getting it done.

Bud, we’re going big time now. Keep us updated as you progress on your cold room.

😎

I believe interior wall cover Brad referenced is FRP (fiberglass refinforced panel). We've used it in commercial apps; waterproof, easily cleaned, sanitary. I'd invest in a true refrigeration unit, install high on wall, hang rails and buy stainless trolley hooks. Install lighting, and a floor drain with removable grate. The weak link is usually your door seal, if site built.

Good luck !

Good stuff...Wife thought I should go with a type of commercial refrigeration unit instead of a window shaker unit. She’s kind of a smart girl. 😎

Just installed a coolbot for a cider maker who has retail bar area and the manufacturing area behind it. Throws kegs in the coolbot with taps running Into the bar.
They work damn good.

Pour the desired slab with drain and build it out of ICF ...You can put whatever exterior you want on it and nothing will compete with it . Should save a bunch on electricity.


Link to one manufacturer of ICF there are a lot out there

A 12k a/c is more than enough for my 8x8 room. It'll keep it down to 35 with no problem. A 10k would probably have done it but Storeitcold recommended a 12k for my room size. If your insulation is good and air leakage kept to a minimum, it doesn't take as much a/c as you might think. Most a/c's are set to shut down at about 65F. The Coolbot controller replaces the a/c thermostat and keeps it running down to just above freezing or wherever you set it.

Someone mentioned using blue board. When I built mine 3 years ago, the pink board was considerably cheaper here than the blue. You can cover the interior with whatever you like depending on how fancy you want to make it look. I just foamed the seams, smoothed them off and painted it all white. Nobody but my wife and I ever see it so I'm not picky about the looks.

I built a door using 2x6" and 4" of foam board between 2 layers of plywood. It takes time to build it to exactly fit the door opening so take your time and measure carefully. I used foam strips to seal the tiny gaps I had left. It'll be heavy so make a solid door frame and use lots of hinges so it won't sag and drag.

About those cargo containers - They do work great if you properly set up and insulate them but the swinging doors can be a real pain to open and close. Many come to you nicely bent so it takes strong arms to work the latch levers. If yours is that way, you might find it easier to remove 1 or both of the container doors and build one to fit the hole that will open easier.

A couple tips on the insulated box:

Minimize the size and quantity of any framing that displaces insulation.

Minimize the number and size of any air gaps.

Minimize the number and size of any piercings, and use expanding foam to fill any gaps.

Maximize the thickness and quality of insulation.

Install a vapor barrier and infrared reflector beneath the outside skin.

Pard has a air conditioning unit and a coolbot, works damn good. Insulation is the silver coated 2" panels.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zHUM_voEFhA

Pretty good video on the subject

Refrigerated Truck Body add an AC unit and Coolbot.

Probably the hardest air leaks to fill will be around the a/c unit. You can see a lot daylight through one. About all you can do is seal it around the outside of the cabinet. You don't want to be shooting foam inside the cabinet around the unit itself.

Minimize the size of the box's interior.

Here is a container van insulation option that does away with the hassle of attaching studs.

https://www.insofast.com/insulation-panels-for-shipping-containers.html

I can tell you some things that DIDN'T work out well for mine. I't's 12' x 12' wood frame cement slab construction, used a window type AC unit with a commercial temp switch wired in. All that seems to be adequate, if not maybe a little overkill. The big problem...putting a fresh, hot skinned carcass into the pre-cooled room, within 4 hours the cold side fins and coils turn into a solid block of ice from the evaporation off the carcass. Tried fans etc., never found a solution other than drying the carcass to get a hard "skin" before putting it in the cold room. A retired reefer guy told me I needed to duct fresh dry air from outside the room thru the cooler, and vent an exhaust out on the opposite side of the room. I lost interest and went back to hanging the carcass in the breezeway and butchering it in 3 or 4 days.

https://www.storeitcold.com/build-it/insulation-selection-installation/

Cool or has some tips and education.

Reefer vans work fine IF it doesn't cost you a fortune to get it moved to your location and set in place.

IMP-insulated metal panels. MetlSpan is one manufacturer. https://www.metlspan.com/ This is what the vast majority of industrial coolers are made out of. 1”, 2”, 4”, 6” thicknesses. Foam interior with vinyl coated metal exteriors. Hose them down with no issues.

All you need is a buddy that owns an installation service and the “drops” from a few jobs and you’ll be in business.

I’m in process of installing one right now. 30’ wide, 140’ long, Dual pallet conveyors in and out. 17 degree glycol coils the full length. 36 7.5 hp fanmotors. Might be overkill for a few deer and elk though....we bought it used at auction for a couple hundred thousand. Will have a bit over a million in it when reinstalled and running and think we got a bargain.

In the process of building a 6’x10’ x 8’6” high. Planning on using a cool bots and window AC.
2x6 walls
concrete floor
Spray foam insulation
Floor drain
8’ tall steel insulted door
Electric hoist on track outside
Ceiling rail and trolley hooks inside

I’d like to hear more about the proper way and timing to put game into the cooler to avoid the icing of the AC unit.

I had mine ice up just once but I didn't have any meat in it, just fruit we hadn't canned or dried yet. I figured it was moisture from the fruit but I don't know that for sure. The meat I've put in it has always been skinned a while before it gets there so it's crusted over.

Would a size bigger ac unit not work as hard and lessen the chance from ice up. Or is just plain moisture related

This sounds about the right size, scale, and price for my hunting needs. 😂
Lucky for you, you have both commercial and play cooling needs covered. Congrats! 😎

Hey Mark,

Deb & I are planning on doing something like this on the new place !!

We are going to utilize one end, of one side of an existing shop structure. Slab & 3 uninsulated walls & 9' uninsulated ceiling already there.

Not sure that we need the A/C, as typically I'm trying to not let the carcasses freeze, during rifle season. Would be the dux nutz for archery season though !

Been a couple of threads here, on it before too.

I'll see if I can locate.

Caribbean next week !

Caribbean, Paul? Good plan!

Wifey just told me we’re going to Hawaii. She felt left behind with my travel hunts. Girl has a point. Off to an island for us.

I sure wouldn’t think you and Deb would need cooling during your winters as you said...But, for your archery months, makes sense.

I’m torn at the moment between going solid foundation or a mobile unit. If I sell the place, which will eventually happen. Is it worth my costs to have the unit trucked to a different State, or just build another unit at a new location?

Decision...Enjoy the Caribbean with Deb!

😎

Will do Mark, thank you.

When you guys planning on heading to the big island ?

I considered a mobile when I build our cooler. I finally went with a built-in one. I figured that we won't be moving until I'm too old to hunt anyway. I'm 71 and have no plans on going anywhere until the old carcass gives out.

If you use sheet foam the iso-thermal or "I" foam is about three times more efficient than the standard foam. The cost difference is minimal and will be off set by the energy efficiency savings the first year. Even if you use spray foam or panels each inch of the I foam will add an R-15 value so good to add a layer inside and out, one inch would be enough to cut down any convection from the studs.

Go bigger than you think you need on the cooling unit as the larger unit will have to work less. Get a unit that is also a dehumidifier or you will have problems. The prefab insulated panels with either the metal/vinyl or fiberglass facings look like the way to go. A foam interior would be easy to damage.

Also add a radiant barrier to the roof. This is just a layer of mylar and an air gap but it will add another 10-15% efficiency depending on your climate. Also bump up the R value for the cieling.

If possible insulate under your slab and put a moisture barrier down or sometimes odd things will happen like gas or water intrusion. If you can't insulate those rubber mats will help but one more thing to clean up. There are more thermally efficient concrete mixes with vermiculite or other air trapping material but I am not up on these products, something to look into.

The ICF foam building panels are really easy to build with and eliminate most of the framing. They already have an R value of R-25+ when finished and are almost monolithic. Then add whatever paneling you want inside and out and your done except for the roof. One friend built this way and it is so efficient we have to open the windows to have a fire inside or it gets too hot.

Post photos of the build, please.

Has anyone done a cooler/smoke house or is this a bad idea?

My sister and BIL have a small walk-in cooler. Paper specific questions I can maybe get you an answer from them. They bought theirs at a sale from some small grocery store going out of business and got it that way and reassembled and put it back together so to speak at home

My dad and I are building one right now. We are using the last 10 feet of an insulated Conex box. He bought a special compressor unit and the fan assembly sits up against the ceiling with 2 large fans to circulate the air. We plan to keep it about 35 F.

The panels you want to use inside are called FRP panels (fiberglass reinforced plastic). They are bonded to a substrate and they come with special trim that goes between and along corners. The door is the toughest thing. I'm not sure what we are doing for a door yet. Will probably fab one and spray foam it about 5" thick.

A regular wall unit AC will probably not do what you want- too much heat loss through the unit when not running.

Yes it will and it will do it well. If it's going to be off for a while in the winter, just hang something over it a/c unit to block heat loss.

Not in my climate it won't been there and tried it.

I didn't read the whole thread and somebody might have suggested this.
Get a "reefer box" off of a straight truck. They are about 10-20' long x 8- 8,5 wide x 7.5' hi. I can see the height being a problem if you want to hang an elk w/o it touching the floor. The floors are S/S with drain holes in the corners. You can plug the drain holes until washout. The reefer unit will maintain any temp from -10 to 80. It burns diesel and will make noise, if your neighbors are close. Once set ( at a slight angle to allow drainage), you will need to call out a service truck if it needs on the spot maintenance. You'll need access for a service truck and it can get spendy if you lose a compressor.

Chem-lite is the poly dimpled material you are looking for if you go stick built. It is spendy as I priced it for a chicken coup. I ended up getting large remnants of linoleum and covered the coup walls with it. It is peck proof and hoses out nicely.

Dennis, Appreciate the confirmation on the wall panels being FRP.

As some have pointed out the door can be a challenge...I working with design ideas now, since I’m in the middle of Coastal Storm season for the next several weeks.

😎

If you want to go Diesel this might be a reasonable priced unit-
https://billings.craigslist.org/grd/d/laurel-thermoking-reefer-deisal-motor/7063977797.html

Use Structurally Insulated Panels (SIP). If you don't pull a permit you can make the panels yourself. Use milk house 4x8 panels with seams and corners covered for interior walls. Outside can be any covering you need to match other buildings. SIPs have a very high R value and very easy to build with for even amateurs.