Have you ever made a deer cooler/locker

**RangerClay** · 05-14-2008, 07:39 AM

I'm building a shed this summer and I'm going to add a small deer chiller/cooler on the end. I'm looking for ideas as for what to use for a chilling unit. One guy here at work has made one before and he used a cheap air conditioner for a chiller. Have you ever made one and what did you use for a chiller?

**wtnhunt** · 05-14-2008, 08:22 AM

Think it would probably work Joe, if you have the walls well enough insulated. Have considered using an old fridge here for a cooler to hang quarters in.

**beagleboy** · 05-14-2008, 09:34 AM

My father made a cooler where he lives in Florida. Since there are no basements and cool areas to store his homemade wine, he made a cooler in his two car garage and put in a climate controlled air conditioner and it works beautifully. He framed, insulated, sheetrocked with greenboard and put in frp panels and it lookes like a walk-in cooler.

b&c191 · 05-16-2008, 12:35 PM

Just make sure the room is well insulated and a small air conditioner will work fine.

**Mathews XT Man** · 05-19-2008, 11:13 PM

we have an exterior mounted compressor and a ceiling mounted condensor in side of a truck van type body 8x16 with rails and roller type meat hooks just like they use in the locker plant. the rail extends outside where we have a crank type boat winch to get the deer hung up and skun out. Then we roll it into the unit and turn on the compressor, which is set at 42 degrees. Going to put the unit on a wagon running gear this summer.

**stevebeilgard** · 05-23-2008, 09:48 PM

look for an auction of a going out of business restaurant. you can pick up a real cooler for cheap. but i did make one. i used sip panels,(structurally insulated panel) same as for building a house. then, just add a cooler. check out eagle panel systes, or jdeck.

**ntrout** · 06-01-2008, 12:12 PM

My dad and I built one a few years back. We just built a 8 by 10 building and had closed cell foam sprayed in it and put an average size ac in it and it would stay about 40 to 45 in the hot part of season. we still use it to this day.

**smallac** · 06-09-2010, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by b&c191

Just make sure the room is well insulated and a small air conditioner will work fine.

Don't forget, Ceiling (and roof) insulation is usually associated with attic insulation. Even if that insulation demands lifting the roof, it may be a deserving task and investment. The benefits can be huge.

**JimT** · 06-12-2010, 09:20 AM

A big a/c in a small well insulated room is all you need...

**ildrhntr** · 06-13-2010, 12:53 AM

That is exactly what my neighbor did he insulated a small room in his shed and put in an AC unit works great! You can by that spray on foam insulation and it works great.

**AaronS** · 06-15-2010, 04:06 PM

I'll admit Joe, I've always heard differently from what I'm reading here. I've always been told that an a/c unit will freeze up before it gets the cooler cold enough. I guess it depends on how cold you really want it.

I have a friend that built one into his pole barn when it was built. It's about 8'x8', insulated to the max, floor drain in the middle, and he bought the cooling unit (I believe he called it a "reefer" unit) from a refrigerated semi, and had a plumber hook it all up. He has a digital thermstat set up on the outside, and he can literally freeze something solid in it if he wants. Definitely more costly than a window a/c unit, but you get what you pay for.