Lessons leaned. Don't forget that cooling empty air is expensive. Whatever space you can fill with some sort of ice block will cut down on maintaining the temperatures.
I know it must have been tough to admit to all of these mistakes, but thank you. I was thinking of buying a cooler/freezer for a home I was looking at. After watching this, I am going to just buy a brand new freezer and save all the headaches with used or home-built.
Your method of speaking and information presentation reminds me a lot of Joel Salatin. I'm considering building a walk in freezer one day. This has been a good video with a lot of great info. Thanks subscribed.
I'm still debating whether to sell direct to the public or aim for the local tourist restaurants when I have enough stock to get into marketing them - probably both, so I will definitely need a commercial freezer. At least here we have enough sunlight to run things like this on solar, so after that up-front investment there is not an ongoing running cost for electricity.
Thankfully, I worked for a short time at a company that built the panels for wak in freezers. Step 1: earn to build a panel. This is a low tech process, but you have to get the hang of it. Its basic carpentry, and some rudimentary shhet metal work. Of course, any carpenter will tell you, making a square anything is what defeats most people. Make a 4x8 frame out of 2x4's. Actually, make a jig to align your boards first. It is absolutely critical that the dimensions and alignment of your panels is precise and accurate. Drill/route mounting holes aing the panel sides for camlock hardware. Also drill holes for injecting the foam. Skin your panels with whatever metal skin you can get at a low cost. Attach members across the back and front faces to brace them. Inject with high expansion foam. Stop and analyze what you did wrong - it never wotks the first time. Either the foam ushes the skin off rhe panel, or you end up with voids. Disassemble and salvage what you can - don't worry about minor skin defects - beat it flat and patch as necessary. Repeat the process until you get what looks like a perfect panel. Pull the skin off and verify there are no voids. Once you can make proer panels, you can proceed. You don't need a stick built frame or a slab. Proper panels, once joined with the camlocks, are incredibly strong. For the panels that will be the floor, skin them with a thicker sheet metal so holes don't get scuffed in them. We sent bundles to the arctic that were snapped together to form some pretty large structures, some 3 panels high - 24'. The same panels, again with more rugged skins to avoid damage from clumsy people, can be used to create your doors. Measure carefully, add hardware and sealing strips. Maybe $150 in materials for the door. The biggest trick again is learning how to shoot the panels so that they don't deform or have voids. If you can frame a new door and hang it without it turning into a 2 day ordeal, you already have the carpentry skills required. Skill with the foam requires practice. For liw production, you can remove the skin, fill small voids with a rattle can, and reinstall the skin. But if you blow out the panel, there isn't much you can do but start over. Or, you could skin one side, then use pour foam to slightly overfill your frame, then use a hot wire to slice off the overfill and then attach the other skin. Thats probably the fastest way to produce the panels in a low volume setup
make friends with someone that installs walk-ins. usually when someone is replacing one, the old unit goes straight to the dump even though they are often only in need of a little tlc and recharging the refrigeration unit. i'm planning on installing a coolbot in mine if it costs too much to reinstall the refrigeration unit.
I'm not a freezer guru, but did you consider using multiple freezer chests? The chests not in use could be turned off to save power. With large chests you could sort out your cuts/ meats types to keep things organized.
We have five chest freezers that we use to organize. The walk in is to handle all our pork right after processing. I turn the walk in off as soon as I can once it is empty to save on the power bill.
were I am there is so many old meat shops closed, due to wal-marts were they give whole complete units always just for taking it out, but man them cooling units are heavy an doors wow there piles every were for free
I noticed that your entrance to your freezer there's a fall the door the freezer door has a special unlocking mechanism so if you were to be locked into the freezer there's an emergency push button. That is connected to the outside of the door opening. So if the door was ever to be able to shut and someone was in there they would not be able to open this massive door because you have it covered with insulation from the original freezer box. Perhaps you need to get some type of emergency telephone or something.
Yes, the emergency release is blocked right now. I am in the process of cutting out that section of the wall so I can reach through to release it. Currently I use two different props including a large block of wood to keep the door from latching. I can text from inside the freezer so I have to keep my phone on me!
I'd imagine you've heard of Surryano Ham. Guy in Virginia. He became somewhat popular in DC a decade ago for his product. There's definitely room for growth.
Nice video! I’ve been wondering about starting pork production in a year or two, after I get my farmstead up and going. Watching this, made me wonder about just buying 2-4 used chest freezers.. don’t know how well that would work, though.
We have 4 chest freezers that we use when our inventory gets low enough. The cost of the walk-in to run is definitely more. Once you get over 4 freezers, then it makes sense to look at bigger options.
Just out of curiosity why didn't you just build the walls and roof of the box out of insulated panels you know the 1's that are 2 layers of sheet metal with foam in between them. they use them all the time in commercial kitchens here in Australia and we get rather high in the temperature
I needed a load bearing ceiling and walls to place the unit on top. It is a ductless system. Panels would have been MUCH easier but they aren't very available in this state. I had to go to a different state to even find the door.
Good informative video. I realize you're not looking to add to your cost but I wonder if just building a simple open pole shed using regular silver colored metal roofing to deflect heat would reduce your electrical cost. It sounds like your unit is pretty well insulated but a black roof does add to the equation and it increases the surrounding air temps making it harder for the freezer unit to dump the hot air.
Yes, we have talked about adding an overhead roof for that reason and to reduce weathering of the unit. The issue is the service panel comes off the top, so the roof would have to be much higher so it could still be accessible.
I am in the process of getting set up to raise pastured pork also and am about ready to get my first round of pigs. What breed are you raising? Do you buy piglets or do you breed your own? Thank you so much for the info, I am so glad I found your channel, it is one of the better informative channels I’ve seen!!
Don, I am raising Duroc and Hampshire mixes. I bought two gilts 5 years ago and have been breeding on farm ever since. We do AI. Check out episode 4 where we breed them. Good luck with your pigs. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for this video. Just wanted to make one comment on something I noticed. The button to open the big door from the inside is blocked by the wall on the walk in. Would it be possible just to drill a hole in the wall so you can open the door incase it closes on you?
I have been thinking about building a cender block room probably 10x10 and using something called a cool bot, now this is something I want so can raise and process my own beef as well as any large hogs or deer that I can't do in a given day just something to keep everything cool enough so flys and things won't get to it, now i told you all this to say what is your opinion on something like that keep in mind I live near Houston tx so it gets 103 or so here with 90 percent humidity it's like Satan's armpit here lol I plan to obviously try to butcher in what mild winters we have here to try to help the cooling but again just curious if you think it would be a good idea or not so much. Thanks for your video I'm officially a sub lol
Steven Lawrence I have heard great things about the coolbot. I understand that maximum low temperature is around 34 degrees so make sure you have a well insulated room. I can keep mine at 0 degrees even in 90 degree summer time. Thanks for watching!
I plan to do something similar in the future. One concern I had was losing power while I am away from the house. Possibly losing all the meat. Do you have an automatic generator connected to the freezer?
I do have a generator for it but it is not automatic. I have lost power three times since having the freezer and it takes about 12 hours for it to get above freezing inside (depending on the time of year and the amount of frozen items in the box). If it goes out, I make sure I am home to get the generator fired up within that time frame.
Let me ask have you ever thought of using a refrigerated trailer. I have seen short boxes for as little as $2k on up. Even if the refer unit didn't work you could install your unit on the box. Just wondering if it is something you had thought of or if it was possible in your area
We looked at several options but this one made sense at the time. A unit on trade I thought would be the most expensive part taken care of. I was wrong.
I have found that it is better to raise and sell live hogs and let the purchasers arrange for the processing, which makes it affordable, and easier as I don;t have to have inspections or licensing requirements as a food provider or the cost of electric and maintenance of the freezer
It is a huge drain when the compressor kicks on. I hate to think how much amperage it would require to power. It would also take quite a bit of battery to run overnight all night.
Good video. Thanks for sharing. I bought a used 16x12 .... partitioned...newer, brand new freezer compressor....gonna make large cooler room 10x12' into clean room for honey extraction/butchering. 6x12 freezer and adding on the other side for cooler. Cooler will be used for "free" livestock food storage (keep from freezing in winter, rotting in summer) I get lots of Brew grains, produce and food bank surplus. "Free" in quotes because it takes time and fuel to retrieve/manage. My hope is to help overcome operation cost by these food inputs. Also, advantage of on farm butchery. Gonna stick build an exterior over the cooler/freezer panels to super insulate. Hopefully that'll help with electric cost. Yes, also a small diesel gen outside for power outages.
no offense..would have been best to consult a builder.. my son and i build those all day long for 2500 to what ever..energy efficient..and made totally to customers needs.some we have built for as low as900.00..biggest expense is the cooler unit itself and the door
Hate to be "that guy" but you've created a potentially deadly hazard by framing the door that way. Now if the door swings shut with you inside the emergency door handle on the inside is walled in with stick framing. You'd be trapped inside with no way out. Even if you managed to avoid freezing to death, think about how long it would take someone to come check on you in your homestead location - and even if they did stop by and saw you not in the house or the barn or the shed or out in the fields - would have the wherewithal to check if you're trapped in the freezer. I'd guess far longer than it would take to die of dehydration and leave a frozen corpse. If you're gonna frame a smaller internal door, at least frame it so the door can be opened from the inside.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Daddy always said the best way to make a small fortune farming is to start out with a large fortune.
I reported this comment as "too funny".
That's correct I believe.
@@anonmas5290 that's truth.
Starting small doesn't work.
Lessons leaned. Don't forget that cooling empty air is expensive. Whatever space you can fill with some sort of ice block will cut down on maintaining the temperatures.
This is one of the big things that we all love you for--you tell it like it is and you give good real-life advice. Thanks.
Thanks!
I know it must have been tough to admit to all of these mistakes, but thank you. I was thinking of buying a cooler/freezer for a home I was looking at. After watching this, I am going to just buy a brand new freezer and save all the headaches with used or home-built.
Thank you! We have been looking for a used 8’x8’ unit. The thought had crossed my mind to build one but wasn’t sure of how.
Your method of speaking and information presentation reminds me a lot of Joel Salatin. I'm considering building a walk in freezer one day. This has been a good video with a lot of great info. Thanks subscribed.
I really like your solution to the large door problem! I didnt expect it at all when you first opened it up lol. Hey if it works it works!
"All bleeding stops eventually" goes with "Dust doesn't get worse after 3 years."
I'm still debating whether to sell direct to the public or aim for the local tourist restaurants when I have enough stock to get into marketing them - probably both, so I will definitely need a commercial freezer. At least here we have enough sunlight to run things like this on solar, so after that up-front investment there is not an ongoing running cost for electricity.
Interesting video, thanks for the info!
Thankfully, I worked for a short time at a company that built the panels for wak in freezers.
Step 1: earn to build a panel.
This is a low tech process, but you have to get the hang of it.
Its basic carpentry, and some rudimentary shhet metal work.
Of course, any carpenter will tell you, making a square anything is what defeats most people.
Make a 4x8 frame out of 2x4's.
Actually, make a jig to align your boards first.
It is absolutely critical that the dimensions and alignment of your panels is precise and accurate.
Drill/route mounting holes aing the panel sides for camlock hardware.
Also drill holes for injecting the foam.
Skin your panels with whatever metal skin you can get at a low cost.
Attach members across the back and front faces to brace them.
Inject with high expansion foam.
Stop and analyze what you did wrong - it never wotks the first time.
Either the foam ushes the skin off rhe panel, or you end up with voids.
Disassemble and salvage what you can - don't worry about minor skin defects - beat it flat and patch as necessary.
Repeat the process until you get what looks like a perfect panel.
Pull the skin off and verify there are no voids.
Once you can make proer panels, you can proceed.
You don't need a stick built frame or a slab.
Proper panels, once joined with the camlocks, are incredibly strong.
For the panels that will be the floor, skin them with a thicker sheet metal so holes don't get scuffed in them.
We sent bundles to the arctic that were snapped together to form some pretty large structures, some 3 panels high - 24'.
The same panels, again with more rugged skins to avoid damage from clumsy people, can be used to create your doors.
Measure carefully, add hardware and sealing strips.
Maybe $150 in materials for the door.
The biggest trick again is learning how to shoot the panels so that they don't deform or have voids.
If you can frame a new door and hang it without it turning into a 2 day ordeal, you already have the carpentry skills required.
Skill with the foam requires practice.
For liw production, you can remove the skin, fill small voids with a rattle can, and reinstall the skin.
But if you blow out the panel, there isn't much you can do but start over.
Or, you could skin one side, then use pour foam to slightly overfill your frame, then use a hot wire to slice off the overfill and then attach the other skin.
Thats probably the fastest way to produce the panels in a low volume setup
"But No...I didn't do that either" ... Sorry...that was funny!!
make friends with someone that installs walk-ins. usually when someone is replacing one, the old unit goes straight to the dump even though they are often only in need of a little tlc and recharging the refrigeration unit. i'm planning on installing a coolbot in mine if it costs too much to reinstall the refrigeration unit.
I'm not a freezer guru, but did you consider using multiple freezer chests? The chests not in use could be turned off to save power. With large chests you could sort out your cuts/ meats types to keep things organized.
We have five chest freezers that we use to organize. The walk in is to handle all our pork right after processing. I turn the walk in off as soon as I can once it is empty to save on the power bill.
were I am there is so many old meat shops closed, due to wal-marts were they give whole complete units always just for taking it out, but man them cooling units are heavy an doors wow there piles every were for free
I noticed that your entrance to your freezer there's a fall the door the freezer door has a special unlocking mechanism so if you were to be locked into the freezer there's an emergency push button. That is connected to the outside of the door opening. So if the door was ever to be able to shut and someone was in there they would not be able to open this massive door because you have it covered with insulation from the original freezer box. Perhaps you need to get some type of emergency telephone or something.
Yes, the emergency release is blocked right now. I am in the process of cutting out that section of the wall so I can reach through to release it. Currently I use two different props including a large block of wood to keep the door from latching. I can text from inside the freezer so I have to keep my phone on me!
Start at 2:52 to thwart some of the long wind. Better off buying used Restaurant Freezers
I'd imagine you've heard of Surryano Ham. Guy in Virginia.
He became somewhat popular in DC a decade ago for his product.
There's definitely room for growth.
Great info .
Grtz from Belgium europe
Thanks for the information 😊
Nice video! I’ve been wondering about starting pork production in a year or two, after I get my farmstead up and going. Watching this, made me wonder about just buying 2-4 used chest freezers.. don’t know how well that would work, though.
We have 4 chest freezers that we use when our inventory gets low enough. The cost of the walk-in to run is definitely more. Once you get over 4 freezers, then it makes sense to look at bigger options.
Just out of curiosity why didn't you just build the walls and roof of the box out of insulated panels you know the 1's that are 2 layers of sheet metal with foam in between them. they use them all the time in commercial kitchens here in Australia and we get rather high in the temperature
I needed a load bearing ceiling and walls to place the unit on top. It is a ductless system. Panels would have been MUCH easier but they aren't very available in this state. I had to go to a different state to even find the door.
Good informative video. I realize you're not looking to add to your cost but I wonder if just building a simple open pole shed using regular silver colored metal roofing to deflect heat would reduce your electrical cost. It sounds like your unit is pretty well insulated but a black roof does add to the equation and it increases the surrounding air temps making it harder for the freezer unit to dump the hot air.
Yes, we have talked about adding an overhead roof for that reason and to reduce weathering of the unit. The issue is the service panel comes off the top, so the roof would have to be much higher so it could still be accessible.
I am in the process of getting set up to raise pastured pork also and am about ready to get my first round of pigs. What breed are you raising? Do you buy piglets or do you breed your own?
Thank you so much for the info, I am so glad I found your channel, it is one of the better informative channels I’ve seen!!
Don, I am raising Duroc and Hampshire mixes. I bought two gilts 5 years ago and have been breeding on farm ever since. We do AI. Check out episode 4 where we breed them. Good luck with your pigs. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for this video. Just wanted to make one comment on something I noticed. The button to open the big door from the inside is blocked by the wall on the walk in. Would it be possible just to drill a hole in the wall so you can open the door incase it closes on you?
I have been thinking about building a cender block room probably 10x10 and using something called a cool bot, now this is something I want so can raise and process my own beef as well as any large hogs or deer that I can't do in a given day just something to keep everything cool enough so flys and things won't get to it, now i told you all this to say what is your opinion on something like that keep in mind I live near Houston tx so it gets 103 or so here with 90 percent humidity it's like Satan's armpit here lol I plan to obviously try to butcher in what mild winters we have here to try to help the cooling but again just curious if you think it would be a good idea or not so much. Thanks for your video I'm officially a sub lol
Steven Lawrence I have heard great things about the coolbot. I understand that maximum low temperature is around 34 degrees so make sure you have a well insulated room. I can keep mine at 0 degrees even in 90 degree summer time. Thanks for watching!
Thankyou for your video
Good advice!
The interior 'push to open' latch is blocked by the wall... What happens when the door slams shut, and you are inside?
Freeze to death. “I digress” 😅
thank you
Great advice, but how are you going to get out if that door closes behind you? The escape button is covered up by a wall! Scary!
I plan to do something similar in the future. One concern I had was losing power while I am away from the house. Possibly losing all the meat. Do you have an automatic generator connected to the freezer?
I do have a generator for it but it is not automatic. I have lost power three times since having the freezer and it takes about 12 hours for it to get above freezing inside (depending on the time of year and the amount of frozen items in the box). If it goes out, I make sure I am home to get the generator fired up within that time frame.
How do you open the door from the inside? The wal isn’t in the way?
Let me ask have you ever thought of using a refrigerated trailer. I have seen short boxes for as little as $2k on up.
Even if the refer unit didn't work you could install your unit on the box.
Just wondering if it is something you had thought of or if it was possible in your area
We looked at several options but this one made sense at the time. A unit on trade I thought would be the most expensive part taken care of. I was wrong.
What happens if the door gets closed while you are inside?
I sure like you videos.
Thanks!
Soooo how do you open the door from the inside ?
Can u rent some freezer space to your Neibor's , or friends .
Nice Video . Get more pigs to keep it filled
I have found that it is better to raise and sell live hogs and let the purchasers arrange for the processing, which makes it affordable, and easier as I don;t have to have inspections or licensing requirements as a food provider or the cost of electric and maintenance of the freezer
We do both. Each have their pros and cons with the biggest con being this dang freezer!
Eagle Camp Homestead SWFL what does a live hog go for? How much per pound? Cheers
Are you able to open that door from the inside?
With a pry bar I leave in there. Not the most safety conscious install for sure.
Tried driving to Columbus Ohio from Columbus Ohio in 2022 and the price of fuel cost me 1800 anyways 🤷🏾♂️
Pre assembled walls.... You should have had them install it... That's what they do...
I dont know where your at but if you have bears in the area they could peel the plywood off..
Not an issue where we are here.
Was wondering if it be powered by solar panels or/ using forklift batteries , they say they hold a lot of power?
It is a huge drain when the compressor kicks on. I hate to think how much amperage it would require to power. It would also take quite a bit of battery to run overnight all night.
I know it would be a huge expense up front but like 4 to 6 of the forklift batteries system but would pay for itself especially with the pork sales!
I think it would work where I’m at in Arizona sun year round not so much in snowy wheather
Was wondering if that unit is 220v or 120v? Thanks.
Robert Veronda it is 220
Good video. Thanks for sharing.
I bought a used 16x12 .... partitioned...newer, brand new freezer compressor....gonna make large cooler room 10x12' into clean room for honey extraction/butchering. 6x12 freezer and adding on the other side for cooler. Cooler will be used for "free" livestock food storage (keep from freezing in winter, rotting in summer) I get lots of Brew grains, produce and food bank surplus. "Free" in quotes because it takes time and fuel to retrieve/manage. My hope is to help overcome operation cost by these food inputs. Also, advantage of on farm butchery. Gonna stick build an exterior over the cooler/freezer panels to super insulate. Hopefully that'll help with electric cost. Yes, also a small diesel gen outside for power outages.
How do you make your cuts available for retail?
They are processed and packaged by a state or USDA inspected processor.
Start at 0:52
no offense..would have been best to consult a builder.. my son and i build those all day long for 2500 to what ever..energy efficient..and made totally to customers needs.some we have built for as low as900.00..biggest expense is the cooler unit itself and the door
OMG LMAO
but great advice God bless:)
Hate to be "that guy" but you've created a potentially deadly hazard by framing the door that way. Now if the door swings shut with you inside the emergency door handle on the inside is walled in with stick framing. You'd be trapped inside with no way out. Even if you managed to avoid freezing to death, think about how long it would take someone to come check on you in your homestead location - and even if they did stop by and saw you not in the house or the barn or the shed or out in the fields - would have the wherewithal to check if you're trapped in the freezer. I'd guess far longer than it would take to die of dehydration and leave a frozen corpse. If you're gonna frame a smaller internal door, at least frame it so the door can be opened from the inside.
We have since fixed the wall so a person can reach the release handle.