Meat storage/freezing?


 
I'm happy with the chest freezer I bought a few months ago, and I've found if I only put very well sealed food in it, it doesn't frost up as bad.

temps are very stable. 2 to 3 degree swing max over a month.

When I measured temp swings on my side-by-side freezer it was -12 to +18 range over 48 hours or so, and the gauge was in the bottom basket away from the heating element.

I think freezer burn is a combination of unsealed packaging and temp swings. If packaging is vacuum packed then I think the temp swings become less of an issue, but not eliminated.
 
From start to finish, first pic to last, according to the time stamp on the pics it took 26 minutes. I checked after 10 minutes and the bulk of the ice had fallen...all it took was a light push to knock the rest of it down. Then scoop it up into a bucket and wipe it down.

15cf Sears chest freezer we've had since 1988. It was a scratch and dent floor model, as I remember...we didn't go looking to buy a freezer that day but they made us a deal on this one. We've gotten good use out of it.
 

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I don't dispute that conventional wisdom says a manual defrost is technically better in, I guess, all ways.

But - I have to live in "my" world - where things are not always ideal. The bottom line for me, was "Will I really get out there
and defrost those things religiously?" Answer: Not likely.
The auto-defrost units have worked really well for me. I think using a vacuum sealer helps a lot. And they are almost always full.

My disagreement is with the idea that it's manual or nothing - with no room in the middle. I still maintain that frost-free freezers
are viable options for some people.

After the catastrophe with my first upright, I tend to believe the remote thermometer is more important than the type of defrost. ;) YMMV
 
Yeah, have had my unit for close to 2 years now. Tiny bit of frost build up but certainly not enough to warrant emptying it and defrosting. Defrost need is based more on how often it's entered and for how long. At the rate for my own, I think it will be 3 years old before the need comes. And it's in a humid location (my basement). Though not excessively warm. In really warm/humid weather I run a dehumidifier in the basement and also my new HVAC system has a dehumidify function. So it can slow way way down and only pull moisture out
 
Brenda T said:
I don't dispute that conventional wisdom says a manual defrost is technically better in, I guess, all ways.

But - I have to live in "my" world - where things are not always ideal. The bottom line for me, was "Will I really get out there
and defrost those things religiously?" Answer: Not likely.
The auto-defrost units have worked really well for me. I think using a vacuum sealer helps a lot. And they are almost always full.

My disagreement is with the idea that it's manual or nothing - with no room in the middle. I still maintain that frost-free freezers
are viable options for some people.

After the catastrophe with my first upright, I tend to believe the remote thermometer is more important than the type of defrost. ;) YMMV
Click to expand...

I don't claim that one is any better than the other (manual defrost vs auto)...if this one would have been auto defrost when we bought it, it wouldn't have made any difference to me. I just don't know enough to have an opinion as to which is better.

We are constantly in and out of this freezer...at least once per day, every day. She's probably going to want me to take some ground sirloin out for burgers tonight, for instance. We live in an area of low humidity and the freezer has always lived in the garage. I don't know how often I defrost, but it's not an arduous task, other than having to bend over the side of it to wipe the bottom...that seems to be getting harder as I get older! We keep everything organized in plastic shopping bags so unpacking/packing goes pretty quickly. Now that I have a record of it on TVWBB I'll be able to track it next time, see how often I defrost.

We have a mini-fridge in the house for beer and soft drinks and I have to manually defrost that too, same process, only takes a few minutes with that one.
 
Rich Dahl said:
I'm sure Larry is correct that a non frost free freezer is more economical as is a chest freezer vs. an upright, but for the connivence of the frost free and ease of access is well worth the minuscule cost of a 15 minute defrost cycle every 72 hours. When you have to defrost your freezer what do you do with all the frozen food in it while you defrost it. My last freezer wasn't frost free and it was a PITA to defrost.
Click to expand...
Rich, I defrost mine in the winter on any day it is below 0 C (32 F) and I sit the food on the deck in laundry baskets. 😆

Had this freezer for years. Not sure what I will get when it dies.
 
26 minutes isn't bad. But it would take me longer than that to empty it first. And even longer to put everything back, 'cause
I gotta organize it just so, and make sure the inventory lists are still accurate, etc, etc :rolleyes:. Oh yeah, and beforehand, I had to climb up
in the attic and get down all those old ice chests that are stored just for this purpose.
As you mentioned, all this stuff gets harder every year. LOL

In case anyone is interested, this is the thermometer I really like.


One of these days, I'm going to make a post about the death of my first freezer. I have pics, but they are not on my phone;
I'll have to figure how to make all that work. Not easy for an old Luddite. LOL
 
This is the freezer alarm I have, also an AcuRite, for comparison. I don't know which one is better.


Notice the fine print:
Lithium batteries are recommended for use in sensors for temperatures below 4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius).
 
Please don't tell my wife but if I were concerned about pinching pennies I would stop buying smokers and grills and numerous gadgets; those are my money hogs--not electricity.

We own freezers that require a manual defrost and those that are self-defrost (see what I mean, lol?). We are busy enough that I'm not at all a fan of manual defrosting and from what I hear we'll become even busier after retirement. And perhaps regrettably, we're not picky enough to distinguish foods stored between each type of freezer but we live in a rural area that--for our schedules--necessitate we freeze a considerable amount of our food.

I sometimes wish I were a refrigeration expert but for my own limited knowledge I'm not convinced that a self-defrost freezer is horribly detrimental to food quality. I'm guessing when I say the defrost sensor is tied to measuring the coil temperature rather than the freezer cabin temperature and our coil is external.

I, too, have WiFi thermometers in some of our freezers but the batteries are dead in all of them and I don't have access to historical temp data to prove that I think none of our self-defrost freezers ever climb above ~15*f. Nor can I speak to the duration that they stay in that range nor to scientific data showing the effect on food. I can only say that none of us in our household are smart enough to say "this beef is fresh from the market" vs "that beef has seen a self-defrost freezer."

But to the thread question I have never bought mass quantities of meat but I personally feel it's important that long term food storage utilize a vacuum seal.

And now to Amazon to order batteries :)
 
Rich Dahl said:
I disagree with the frost free being an issue. I've never had any issues with the meat going bad or the vacuum bags opening. We just cooked a ham and a few days later a tri tip both had been in the freezer for well over a year. We've cooked a lot of steaks that have been in the freezer for 10 months to 15 months that were just as fresh as when we froze them.
I have a remote freezer monitor in the kitchen that watches both freezers in the garage. It has a low and high temp reading on both also current temp. Both freezers never get more than 34-35 degrees and only stay there for about 15 minutes before starting to cool down again, certainly not long enough or warm enough to defrost anything or open a vacuum bag.
Click to expand...
Same here. We have a smallish chest freezer and a large frost-free side-by-side. I store meat in both. mostly in either Cryovac or vacuum sealed at home. I've had absolutely no problem with anything stored in the side-by-side. Vacuum packages do not lose their seal due to temperature changes, or anything else, in a frost-free freezer if they are properly sealed. I had this problem in both freezers before I replaced my old FoodSaver. Still use the same bags/rolls and no problems since.
 
Ed P said:
This is the freezer alarm I have, also an AcuRite, for comparison. I don't know which one is better.


Notice the fine print:
Lithium batteries are recommended for use in sensors for temperatures below 4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius).
Click to expand...
Looks like maybe that is a newer version?
Mine has the same fine print, so I complied. The batteries do seem to last a long time.
 
The old mini fridges use more energy than the big units.
Use the best vacuum sealer and bags.
Manual.
Temp probes with time/temp record.
Be careful not to poke a hole in bags when grabbing stuff, or cleaning.
Keep record of everything, so you use it and save money.
Buy all you can bc (before covid)
Daryl, what are the winning.....
 
Rich Dahl said:
I have this model it's still available. I've had it for a few years battery life on the receiver is short, but it comes with an A/C adapter.
I use alkaline batteries in the transmitters, and they last at least six months or more.

Click to expand...

PSA:

Alkaline batteries perform poorly in the winter because they have water-based electrolyte and cold temperatures lead to reduced chemical reactions that provide electrical power to the battery. Sometimes, alkaline batteries burst and leak in the cold weather.

Rechargeable batteries don’t perform that well either. That’s because they aren’t hardwired for extreme temperatures, and are typically operating at lower charges.

When it comes to superior batteries, the best is lithium-ion. They perform better in higher drain devices, and they can withstand drops in temperature more effectively than alkaline batteries.

www.upsbatterycenter.com

Batteries in the cold

Batteries greatly diminish in the cold weather and there are ways of preserving them that can make your next trip less stressful.
www.upsbatterycenter.com www.upsbatterycenter.com
 
Brenda T said:
"Also a manual defrost unit is far more energy efficient and will keep things frozen longer in a power failure"

I don't understand this statement. If the power's out, then both units will effectively be non-defrosters, right? :unsure:
Click to expand...
The manual has a big buildup of ice on the inside of it..... Of course you can't get to your food until that stuff melts.
 
LMichaels said:
Here is what I do. I buy primals from Costco (or Sam's if/when they have them). I cut them down to what types and sizes I want. Wife vacuum seals them, labels them and they go into the standup/stand alone freezer. Word of caution. Do not try this if you have a frost free or self defrost freezer. The constant defrost cycles cause really bad issues. It will actually cause vacuum sealed packages to unseal and be ruined as well. Another lesson I learned. If you want to freeze burner patties, shape them and freeze them on a tray opened on parchment or such. Once frozen then vacuum seal them. Otherwise they squish and deform
Click to expand...
Spot on Larry!!!!!
 
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