The purchase of meat in bulk is a fantastic option to ensure efficiency and freshness. However, we don’t usually consider how and where to keep the beef. The size of the freezer is essential; if you don’t know how to store a half cow, you’re likely to need to figure out ways to consume it quickly.
If you’re trying to determine what size freezer you require in 1/8, 1/4,1/2, or a complete cow, locate the appropriate size upright freezer or chest on the following table.
When I was looking for my chest freezer, I thought that I would be buying about one-quarter of an animal every six months and about 20 chickens in a whole every 3 months. Therefore, I chose the 7 cu cu ft chest freezer with seven cu feet of space – 200 liters storage capacity.
Looking for the perfect freezer to keep your beef in can be an overwhelming task. I spent a lot of time browsing through Amazon comments, forums, and listings and then narrowed the options to find the most effective one. If you’re as I am (a mom of three children) and are looking to purchase a lot of meat, look through the top freezers listed below that meet your requirements.
What size Upright Freezer do I need to use for 1/4, 1/8,1/2, or the Whole Cow
The same concept applies to all freezers, but upright freezers provide a degree of organization that’s better. If we’re thinking smart about it, we can store an entire cow in just 10 cubic inches.
Steel freezers made of stainless steel are excellent for beef storage, and one-door freezers are enough to hold half a cow. But, bigger 2-door (or three-door) upright freezers with a capacity of 35 cubic feet or greater can easily keep an entire cow.
Quarter Beef
If you order one-quarter of beef, you’ll get between 100-130 kg of Christensen Ranch freezer beef. It is recommended that you have 10 cubic feet of freezer space to store the freezer beef.
Half Beef Half
The amount you receive is approximately 220 to 220lbs of beef when purchasing a half-beef. The freezer beef you receive will need a minimum of 20 cubic feet of freezer space.
Whole Beef
There will be at the very least four deep freezers once you buy a whole hog. With 440 and 520lbs of beef in freezers, it will require at least 40 cubic feet for freezer storage.
How much freezer space do I need?
The best rule of thumb to think about should be 1.5 cubic feet in freezer storage for each person within your family. So a family of four is required to have at least a six cubic feet freezer. Select a freezer that’s neither too big nor too small but is just enough. Your freezer should be full to 2/3 or more for maximum energy efficiency.
What happens if I don’t have an existing freezer?
If you don’t own a freezer, you could be surprised to discover they’re pretty cost-effective. I’ve purchased Frigidaire upright 22 cubic foot freezers at Lowe’s for less than 600 dollars. Small freezers that can accommodate your quarter Share can be found at Lowe’s and Home Depot for under $200! We discovered the 5.1 Cubic Ft. Freezer on Amazon for just $135! The choice of either an upright freezer or a chest freezer is up to you.
What size freezer do I need to store 1/8, 1/41/2, or a whole cow
It is more straightforward that half a cow usually is 300 pounds (136 kg) of beef. Thus, 1/4 is 150 pounds (68kg) 1/8 is about 70lbs (32kg) according to the part you’re receiving.
This is how I make my 1/4-inch beef in bulk. You can tell various cuts require additional processing.
There is a consensus that to fit a half cow inside a comfortable freezer would require between 24 and 28 cubic feet. It’s about 1 cubic foot for 28 pounds (12,7 kg) of meat, a rule of thumb that’s worth keeping in your head. Standard chest freezers with 7 cubic feet (200 liters) are large enough to hold around 1/4 of the cow’s weight.
The majority of deep freezers that are heavy-duty can’t hold the entire cow as they don’t go as large as 28,5 cubic feet. However, you can locate chest freezers with approximately 22 cubic feet. They are ideal for storing the bulk of the cow’s weight and only some pieces that require refrigeration elsewhere.
The Perfect Size Freezer Chest for Half a Cow
It is easy to determine the size of your chest freezer you require once you are in a position to estimate the quantity of beef you get from a 1/4 1/2 or a complete cow. A cubic foot of freezer is enough to hold about 35 pounds of wrapped and cut meat from a cow.
It is estimated that the amount of beef that you can get from a quarter of a cow is around 100 pounds. After you’ve removed the excess fat and bones and grinding, a small portion of the meat will yield about 80-90 pounds.