COLD ROOM ON-SITE FOR COOLING SLAUGHTER GOATS

What do you do when you slaughter a goat and have no place to hang the carcass for cooling? That was the predicament at Onion Creek Ranch when a local meat market owner advised that a surprise USDA inspection of his facility meant that he could no longer let Onion Creek Ranch goat carcasses chill overnight in his cooler. The solution was to build a Cold Room onto the Vet Building. This Cold Room is not a refrigeration room. It is meant solely for cooling freshly--slaughtered carcasses prior to cutting them for cooking.

A concrete pad was poured level with the Vet Building's foundation, creating Cold Room interior dimensions of approximately 91 inches deep, 70 inches wide, and 90 inches tall (exclusive of the roof gable). Walls and door opening were framed with wood. Galvalume metal siding was used for three exterior walls and the pitched roof. The back (fourth) side was the exterior wall of the Vet Bldg. An insulated metal door was installed. A concrete ramp was formed to fit the width of the room and was poured from ground level sloping upward to the metal door. The ramp was tapered from room level height of 14 inches to 4 inches in height at ground level. The ramp was finished with a rough surface to prevent slippage when entering and leaving the Cold Room.

The heaviest-available batt insulation was placed between the wood studs inside the room and one-half inch thick contractor-grade plywood was installed over the insulation. A hole was cut as high as possible in a side wall and framed to fit a window air conditioning unit. A 110v electrical outlet was installed below the opening for the window a/c unit. Every nook and corner was sealed with caulk at all joints and seams, as well as at roof and slab levels.

The largest window air conditioning unit that runs on 110v electricity (as much as 15,000 BTU's) was purchased, installed, and securely sealed on all sides. The goal was to avoid having to install 220v electrical power. A 110v air conditioning unit can be sufficiently effective, both in terms of cost of operation and temperature achieved, when used under these short-term conditions. A metal pipe was installed the width of the room at a height permitting the hanging of unbroken carcasses. Hooks were made out of non-rusting aluminum ties (salvaged from bundles of fence panels) to hold goat carcasses while cooling. A thermometer was hung on an interior wall to monitor temperature. Locking hardware was placed on the door.

This Cold Room was not built for refrigeration purposes but rather for chilling goat carcasses to about 42º F under optimum outside weather conditions. Goat carcasses occupy the room no more than about 15 hours before they are broken for freezing for future use or immediate cooking.

The author, Suzanne Gasparotto, hereby grants to local goat publications and club newsletters, permission to reprint articles published on the Onion Creek Ranch website under these conditions: THE ARTICLE MUST BE REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE AUTHOR'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND CONTACT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPRINT. We would appreciate notification from any clubs or publications when the articles are used. (A copy of the newsletter or publication would also be a welcome addition to our growing library of goat related information!)

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