Well - BUBBLEGUM! When your frozen food storage fails?!?

[The Heretic]

What do you do?

25 cubic feet of frozen food.

It is one thing if the power fails, but the chest freezer itself?

What to do?

Backup freezer? Costs twice as much and just sits there unused - or, full up and not usable as a backup.

Can't order/buy a replacement in time to save the food.

Cook it? Then what? Eat 25 CF of meat? Jerky? Not very likely to be able to jerk that much meat that quickly.

I saved the salmon and shrimp, but about 60% of the food can't be saved.

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[CRBMoA]

 

[The Heretic]

View attachment 897853

Cats first. Dogs are actually useful, even little foo-foos have ears and can bark

 

[Longwalkhome]

I have a smoker so I will cut the beef up, soak it in teriyaki sauce then smoke it. I always have a tank of propane for the BBQ so it will get hooked up to my smoker. Probably take a few days to get it all done.

 

[Martini_Up]

wrap the freezer with 2-3 inch rigid insulation, pack it with dry ice and don't open it until the replacement chest freezer arrives

 

[arakboss]

What do you do?

25 cubic feet of frozen food.

It is one thing if the power fails, but the chest freezer itself?

What to do?

Backup freezer? Costs twice as much and just sits there unused - or, full up and not usable as a backup.

Can't order/buy a replacement in time to save the food.

Cook it? Then what? Eat 25 CF of meat? Jerky? Not very likely to be able to jerk that much meat that quickly.

I saved the salmon and shrimp, but about 60% of the food can't be saved.

Bbq at your place. Party!!!!

 

[titsonritz]

wrap the freezer with 2-3 inch rigid insulation, pack it with dry ice and don't open it until the replacement chest freezer arrives

Have you tried to buy a major appliance lately? Months of lead time.

 

[arakboss]

Have you tried to buy a major appliance lately? Months of lead time.

I hear window ACs are tough to come by now too.

 

[titsonritz]

As to the OP, I'd have a massive BBQ and jerk everything else.

 

[Xaevian]

Not very likely to be able to jerk that much meat that quickly.

I literally lol'd when I read that.

 

[Knute]

A local butcher there may rent you a bit of freezer space…

 

[AMT]

What do you do?

25 cubic feet of frozen food.

It is one thing if the power fails, but the chest freezer itself?

What to do?

Backup freezer? Costs twice as much and just sits there unused - or, full up and not usable as a backup.

Can't order/buy a replacement in time to save the food.

Cook it? Then what? Eat 25 CF of meat? Jerky? Not very likely to be able to jerk that much meat that quickly.

I saved the salmon and shrimp, but about 60% of the food can't be saved.

Invite NWFA supporting members over for a BBQ. Heck, even encourage folks bring grills and smokers to help cook the food. Then take donations to cover cost of the food, then donate the rest to NWFA.

Seriously, there is nothing anyone can do to hedge against every single scenario. Check CraigsList real fast for ANY freezer that works. Then, when you get time, shop around for a nice new freezer.

It's good to hear that you saved a bunch of it, sorry it wasn't all of it.

 

[OldBroad44]

What do you do?

25 cubic feet of frozen food.

It is one thing if the power fails, but the chest freezer itself?

What to do?

Backup freezer? Costs twice as much and just sits there unused - or, full up and not usable as a backup.

Can't order/buy a replacement in time to save the food.

Cook it? Then what? Eat 25 CF of meat? Jerky? Not very likely to be able to jerk that much meat that quickly.

I saved the salmon and shrimp, but about 60% of the food can't be saved.

This happen to me once in Corvallis. I called around and found a friend with electricity and some extra freezer space. Did the same on another occasion when the freezer failed. I figure my resilience is only partly what I have and can do myself. My network of friends is part of my resilience, as I am of theirs.

 

[CRBMoA]

The Eugene Water and Electric Board and PP&L taught me to expect power outages at least twice a year growing up.

 

[The Heretic]

I had 4 power outages this year and several last year. I have a genset that will power the freezer and other appliances. The freezer itself gave up the ghost (I tried a different power source, flipped the breakers, used a VOM, reset the GFCI) - I even kicked the freezer and messed with the level dial to make sure.

 

[Yarome]

I would think the only viable option would be to do as another posted suggested. Insulating your freezer, loading it with dry or block ice and riding it out until a working unit can be lined up.

To be honest though... non functional upright freezers are not at all that well insulated and trying to circulate even cooling temps throughout that large of a space is darn near impossible without advancing planning and fan systems. It might be more practical to maintain even temperatures throughout your frozen goods to break them all down into smaller coolers with ice.

Shortest term... beg, trade or steal a bit of freezer space from multiple family, friends and neighbors to hold you over might be doable.

I would hesitate to recommend one of those rental meat lockers. They usually keep their freezers so low that, if not packaged correctly, can quickly lead to freezer burn. I learned that the hard way. Tried it at a couple of different locations but ultimately ended up loosing 100's of lbs of meat.

 

[titsonritz]

This is why all "empty" space in a freezer should be filled with water jugs. Freezer takes a dump or power is out you still have a big ol' ice chest to buy you some time.

 

[Yarome]

The freezer itself gave up the ghost

Yup. Gensets and solar battery banks won't do you no good when the machine decides to let out the blue smoke.

 

[CRBMoA]

Damn Global Warming

 

[Certaindeaf]

What do you do?

25 cubic feet of frozen food.

It is one thing if the power fails, but the chest freezer itself?

What to do?

Backup freezer? Costs twice as much and just sits there unused - or, full up and not usable as a backup.

Can't order/buy a replacement in time to save the food.

Cook it? Then what? Eat 25 CF of meat? Jerky? Not very likely to be able to jerk that much meat that quickly.

I saved the salmon and shrimp, but about 60% of the food can't be saved.

Go buy dry ice and a cooler. Now.