DIY Chiller

[FISH BOY]

Finally got round to getting a chiller sorted;

18 month old second hand tall fridge of flea bay - £80
Tenderum chiller kit from Bushwear - £35
Couple of child locks to keep my kids out - £5
Couple of digital thermometers from Amazon - £10.

For £130, well chuffed - just need to put something in it now....

 

[FISH BOY]

Mate recons I need a fan.

What do you think?

 

[deerstalker.308]

Yep, domestic fridges don't circulate air and remove moisture. You will find carcasses getting wet and mouldy if just hung in there as it stands for any length of time, fine for a day or two but not much more.

 

[Yorric]

Yep, domestic fridges don't circulate air and remove moisture. You will find carcasses getting wet and mouldy if just hung in there as it stands for any length of time, fine for a day or two but not much more.

Just a thought or two. Maybe try a dehumidifier in there - Less than a £1 each. Use & dispose. Plus if you want a fan, it would be easy to mount an old computer psu fan inside the fridge.

Ian

 

[deerstalker.308]

https://www.bushwear.co.uk/tenderum-game-fridge-fan-346953.html this would overcome the fan issue but wouldn't remove the moisture.....

 

[FISH BOY]

https://www.bushwear.co.uk/tenderum-game-fridge-fan-346953.html this would overcome the fan issue but wouldn't remove the moisture.....

Thanks - thats where I got the chiller fitting kit from. Didn't think I needed one, but will invest now.

Just out of interest - I take it that these fans don't run all the time- Just a few minutes every hour on some form of timer?

 

[Alantoo]

You can also just open the door a few times a day to get rid of the moist air...just the air change won't alter the temperature of the carcass.

Alan

 

[deerstalker.308]

Thanks - thats where I got the chiller fitting kit from. Didn't think I needed one, but will invest now.

Just out of interest - I take it that these fans don't run all the time- Just a few minutes every hour on some form of timer?

No idea, but a call to bushwear would answer that question, they're normally very helpful

 

[Alantoo]

Yep, domestic fridges don't circulate air and remove moisture. You will find carcasses getting wet and mouldy if just hung in there as it stands for any length of time, fine for a day or two but not much more.

Most domestic fridges we have had in the past have a drip collecting gutter across the back inside and hole out through the back to another gutter beside the heat exchanger where it is evaporated off.

Every now and then they get blocked and we would get a puddle under the door.

Our current 10 year old Bosch Logixx has it.

Alan

 

[Essex stalker]

I think mine runs all the time

 

[deerstalker.308]

Most domestic fridges we have had in the past have a drip collecting gutter across the back inside and hole out through the back to another gutter beside the heat exchanger where it is evaporated off.

Every now and then they get blocked and we would get a puddle under the door.

Our current 10 year old Bosch Logixx has it.

Alan

So did mine, but even when totally clear the moisture is still sitting in the fridge, perhaps with a fan it would be better, just not as effective as say a chiller which is properly circulating cold air all the time....

 

[Essex stalker]

It's important to keep the air moving across the cooling fins on the evaporator, the coldness off the fins causes the moisture in the air to condense, it then normally drips onto a drain tray, this has the effect of lowering the RH

 

[FISH BOY]

Cheers

Not sure I need a beer fridge... so I take it you don't keep the fridge and fan running when its empty. You just turn the chiller and the fan on say the day before a stalk to get it down to temperature?

 

[reloader54]

Most domestic fridges we have had in the past have a drip collecting gutter across the back inside and hole out through the back to another gutter beside the heat exchanger where it is evaporated off.

Every now and then they get blocked and we would get a puddle under the door.

Our current 10 year old Bosch Logixx has it.

Alan

yes, and a length of plastic strimmer cord is ideal for clearing the pipes without damaging it.

 

[deerstalker.308]

Turn it on when you get back after a successful outing, a small fridge like that will be down to temperature within half an hour.

 

[Alantoo]

yes, and a length of plastic strimmer cord is ideal for clearing the pipes without damaging it.

Yes, there is one coiled up on top of it!

Alan

 

[Freeforester]

If you fit a fan in such a wee chill, the carcass will dry out very quickly, esp around the tenderloins. Better just to open the door a couple times a day to inspect all is well. Make sure it is relatively cool before puttin in in the first place also. Happy 'filling'!

 

[ChrisWill184]

For what it’s worth. I have a larder fridge and drilled/inserted a rail in it for roe. Fits 2 comfortably and 3 at a push. I have had 2 roe in that fridge many times for over a week. Often a single roe will sit in there for over 2 weeks depending on when I can get round to butchering it. There is no fan in the fridge and I don’t get any issues. After 2 weeks a bit of mould will start to build in the cavity but that’s fairly understandable. As said above, I tend to open the fridge to release any moisture but this is maybe once every day/ 2 days/ when I remember. Thought about a fan at one stage but really don’t need it.

Also, is turning the fridge off and on every few weeks not a method to shorten the life of the fridge or is that an old school thing?

 

[Norfolk Horn]

You can also just open the door a few times a day to get rid of the moist air...just the air change won't alter the temperature of the carcass.

Alan

I have an under counter fridge which I have used for the last couple of years to keep odd muntjac and roe in when to warm to hang in the store shed. I have never had a problem with mould and all I do is open the door each day. I have a remote state to monitor the temperature.
I just did a muntjac for seven days and that was fine. The one thing I have found is if you let the deer touch the rear chiller panel you will end up with a frozen section of carcase.

 

[simonl]

Also, is turning the fridge off and on every few weeks not a method to shorten the life of the fridge or is that an old school thing?

Rapid cycling shortens lifespans significantly, so it's not entirely old school myth, however a fridge or freezer typically has a thermostat which kicks in & out many times per day, so turning off every week or two is irrelevant.
If not being used, turning it off will save you power & probably prolong the life of the fridge. Or it might make it stink of course