What kind of refrigeration do I need to make a room cool down to approx 38 dgrees?

Question

Here on the farm we want to make a stand alone block room 8'x8'x8' to chill our beef to approx 38 degrees for fifteen days after butchering. What kind of refrigeration unit would I need to do this? This would enable us to process our beef at any time of the year instead of waiting for late fall and hoping that the weather would be cool enough for us to hang it outside and not freeze it.

Answer 1

I'm sure a commercial HVAC company can give you the ton/btu rating you want. Ask for a bid - the equipment may actually be cheaper installed than a patchwork setup with a huge window unit.

You will want to insulate that block building somehow to cut down on the expense - block has a R2 rating at best, and a R25 insulated house door will be a waste of money with all the rest of the heat soak coming in. Paint the exterior walls white and minimize full sun as much as possible.

Figure a lead time of 24-48 hours to get all the concrete down to temp before hanging, it will not be an instant change the day you butcher.

Answer 2

I would suggest a built up walk in unit or a do it yourself application.

I know of a company that has it all.

They have a do it yourself section also.

BUSH REFRIGERATION  has a web sight too!

Answer 3

It depends almost exclusively on how well the room is insulated.  Talk with your local heating/ac guy.  Are you going to need to keep it warm?  (i.e., does the local ambient temp get below 38 deg. when you might be cooling meat?)