Loading deer in to drinks chiller

[Woodsy]

No, I haven't done it using a repurposed drinks fridge, but I can imagine a couple of possible ways it could be arranged.

Thats what I am having trouble with - coming up with a simple solution. My double door chiller is in a small stone outbuilding. Any sliding rail leading to it would need to be retractable so the glass doors can shut and ideally would need to serve both doors/both sides of the chiller somehow. Tim’s suggestion above of a pole resting on the hanging rail seems possible. I have a steel grid rather than a rail which my gambrels hang from by carabiners. But I could rig up a hanging rail instead.

I’d love to hear your ideas though!

 

[baguio]

This, back legs, backstraps, fillets and neck meat off.

Leave the rest.

Not really an option if you have brought it back from an evening stalk though is it? The venison is much better IMO is it's been hung for a couple of days to relax too!
Post #10 has nailed it anyway. Hang from the pelvis with the winch/hoist which will bring the legs up to the height for a hook and gambrel through the legs onto the rail. No lifting required at all.

 

[Tim.243]

Thats what I am having trouble with - coming up with a simple solution. My double door chiller is in a small stone outbuilding. Any sliding rail leading to it would need to be retractable so the glass doors can shut and ideally would need to serve both doors/both sides of the chiller somehow. Tim’s suggestion above of a pole resting on the hanging rail seems possible. I have a steel grid rather than a rail which my gambrels hang from by carabiners. But I could rig up a hanging rail instead.

I’d love to hear your ideas though!

I used an ally ladder which I split on the rung and added a bit of box to get the right width on the top shelf moulding like a big H side on just find an old bit of builders ladder and make a bar from that.



The difference is I have to make fix things quickly for a living so look at it in a different way. And they don't break.

 

[VSS]

Thats what I am having trouble with - coming up with a simple solution. My double door chiller is in a small stone outbuilding. Any sliding rail leading to it would need to be retractable so the glass doors can shut and ideally would need to serve both doors/both sides of the chiller somehow. Tim’s suggestion above of a pole resting on the hanging rail seems possible. I have a steel grid rather than a rail which my gambrels hang from by carabiners. But I could rig up a hanging rail instead.

I’d love to hear your ideas though!

The part of the hanging rail that extends out beyond the doors doesn't need to be retractable. It could be removable. That would be particularly handy if you wanted to hang two carcasses in there at a time, assuming you have two rails in the fridge - you could just swap the removable section across from one rail to the other. Obviously your rails would have to run front to back in the fridge, rather than side to side, but that would be easy enough to arrange if you had them fixed to an internal framework rather than to the fabric of the fridge itself. A piece of metal pipe could then be slipped onto the end of the rail, with the bulk of the weight carried by a hook or chain at the other end attached to the roof timbers of your shed. Use the winch to lift the carcass onto this rail, slide it along until it's into the fridge, remove the rail extension, shut the door, job done.

You would be able to bring the carcass out again the same way, and transfer it back to the winch for skinning. Being able to raise and lower it while skinning does make the job easier.

 

[RM100]

I use a manual ratchet type jobbie (similar to the Napier) and hang off the middle rail with a mini gambrel. This big buck’s neck is a bit bent, but it’s going to the dog, in any case (the neck, that is).

I don’t lift at all: car, drag in tray to garage, winch and up. No bear hugs required (it’s Covid, no huggies ).

 

[RM100]

I use a manual ratchet type jobbie (similar to the Napier) and hang off the middle rail with a mini gambrel. This big buck’s neck is a bit bent, but it’s going to the dog, in any case (the neck, that is).

I don’t lift at all: car, drag in tray to garage, winch and up. No bear hugs required (it’s Covid, no huggies ).
View attachment 229858

 

[Alantoo]

Clarke CFC100 1 Tonne Folding Workshop Crane - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

Sealey 900kg Static Mounted Crane - Machine Mart - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

 

[VSS]

Clarke CFC100 1 Tonne Folding Workshop Crane - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

Sealey 900kg Static Mounted Crane - Machine Mart - Machine Mart

www.machinemart.co.uk

That one on wheels would be the business!

 

[Tim.243]

The part of the hanging rail that extends out beyond the doors doesn't need to be retractable. It could be removable. That would be particularly handy if you wanted to hang two carcasses in there at a time, assuming you have two rails in the fridge - you could just swap the removable section across from one rail to the other. Obviously your rails would have to run front to back in the fridge, rather than side to side, but that would be easy enough to arrange if you had them fixed to an internal framework rather than to the fabric of the fridge itself. A piece of metal pipe could then be slipped onto the end of the rail, with the bulk of the weight carried by a hook or chain at the other end attached to the roof timbers of your shed. Use the winch to lift the carcass onto this rail, slide it along until it's into the fridge, remove the rail extension, shut the door, job done.

You would be able to bring the carcass out again the same way, and transfer it back to the winch for skinning. Being able to raise and lower it while skinning does make the job easier.

Get your welder out Tim...none of these bailing twine fixes ..

 

[Tim.243]

That one on wheels would be the business!

It is 240 quid FFS lol

 

[Tim.243]

I use a manual ratchet type jobbie (similar to the Napier) and hang off the middle rail with a mini gambrel. This big buck’s neck is a bit bent, but it’s going to the dog, in any case (the neck, that is).

I don’t lift at all: car, drag in tray to garage, winch and up. No bear hugs required (it’s Covid, no huggies ).
View attachment 229858

Is that a drinks chiller like the OP has?

 

[VSS]

Get your welder out Tim...none of these bailing twine fixes ..

Honestly, I wasn't suggesting baler twine!
I had fully intended to weld up a frame just as I described to fit my small chiller, but that's now redundant anyway. The new chiller has an overhead rail that extends out the back, with the winch over the top of it. I can reverse a vehicle right under the rail, so no manual handling required at all at the larder.
(Getting them into the vehicle in the first place is a whole nother issue....)

 

[Tim.243]

Honestly, I wasn't suggesting baler twine!
I had fully intended to weld up a frame just as I described to fit my small chiller, but that's now redundant anyway. The new chiller has an overhead rail that extends out the back, with the winch over the top of it. I can reverse a vehicle right under the rail, so no manual handling required at all at the larder.
(Getting them into the vehicle in the first place is a whole nother issue....)

Put up pictures then people get ideas and no engine hoists will be harmed...

What did the advert say, “we won’t make a drama out of a crisis”​

 

[Woodsy]

I used an ally ladder which I split on the rung and added a bit of box to get the right width on the top shelf moulding like a big H side on just find an old bit of builders ladder and make a bar from that.



The difference is I have to make fix things quickly for a living so look at it in a different way. And they don't break.

Thanks Tim, sounds good. I don’t have top shelf mouldings. I’ll take a photo of the chiller so you can see how I hang deer currently.

 

[Woodsy]

The part of the hanging rail that extends out beyond the doors doesn't need to be retractable. It could be removable. That would be particularly handy if you wanted to hang two carcasses in there at a time, assuming you have two rails in the fridge - you could just swap the removable section across from one rail to the other. Obviously your rails would have to run front to back in the fridge, rather than side to side, but that would be easy enough to arrange if you had them fixed to an internal framework rather than to the fabric of the fridge itself. A piece of metal pipe could then be slipped onto the end of the rail, with the bulk of the weight carried by a hook or chain at the other end attached to the roof timbers of your shed. Use the winch to lift the carcass onto this rail, slide it along until it's into the fridge, remove the rail extension, shut the door, job done.

You would be able to bring the carcass out again the same way, and transfer it back to the winch for skinning. Being able to raise and lower it while skinning does make the job easier.

That sounds ideal. If I made an internal framework would the inside base/floor of the chiller be robust enough to take the weight of the framework with three fallow hanging from it? I’m not sure..

 

[Woodsy]

This is the inside of the chiller. Currently the steel grid at top is supported by the small tabs which click in to the holes down the side. The look small but seem to be designed very well as this set up has held three fat prickets with no sign of being overloaded.

To rig up a system with sliding rails as described by Tim above I’d need to have two hanging bars, front to back rather than side to side. One at each side of the chiller.

If I can work out how to make an internal frame to support those bars then that’s what I’ll do.

 

[RM100]

Is that a drinks chiller like the OP has?

Yes, it’s a Lucozade one!!!

 

[TomT3]

Reading this thread with interest, I’ve started on the fallow and at present have two larder fridges as per below, the one with unistrut can take a decent size pricket side ways. The problem I have is that the ceiling in my larder is only 2m with a little box section between the rafters with the bar in that. Arranging something to go from the hanging area into a larder fridge would make it a lot easier. I use the Napier auto lift too- I would certainly recommend them.

 

[baguio]

This is the inside of the chiller. Currently the steel grid at top is supported by the small tabs which click in to the holes down the side. The look small but seem to be designed very well as this set up has held three fat prickets with no sign of being overloaded.

To rig up a system with sliding rails as described by Tim above I’d need to have two hanging bars, front to back rather than side to side. One at each side of the chiller.

If I can work out how to make an internal frame to support those bars then that’s what I’ll do.

This is what I had made for me by a welder friend. Add another 100mm to the height. I’m after some long S hooks so that I can hang from the pelvis and utilise the height even more.

 

[Woodsy]

Perfect! Thank you. That looks like the way to go for me then. With some hanging bars welded front to back just below the frame at each door to the chiller.

I can see a way forward! My back thanks you all!

This is what I had made for me by a welder friend. Add another 100mm to the height. I’m after some long S hooks so that I can hang from the pelvis and utilise the height even more.