We are building a new house so I’m going to build me a Walk in Cooler and Skinning Shed. I’m going to build the skinning shed the same as the one at my old house but I’ve never had any experience with building a walk in Cooler. I’m debating on building it out of cinder block or stick framing it and insulating it really tight. Any pros or cons would be greatly appreciated

A buddy of mine bought one off gov deals. He uses a window unit with a controller he bought off line to get it cold. It works really well.

I would just buy an old fridge. It will work to hang meat you just got to quarter it up.

be ready for your power to go up good bit..i can get u in touch with someone that buys out equipment there in st Clair co

The window unit controllers work well but are a bit pricey. I've seen a few online built by pouring a slab, framing with 2x4s and insulated with foamboard.

About $10 a month to run a old fridge. $100 for initial cost. Hang meat for at least a month and you have every tender venison.

I appreciate the refrigerator ideas but I’m not doing it for a single deer. I caught 198 hogs last year so I’m gonna need more room.

Here what you need to run a window unit ac. https://www.storeitcold.com Buy an 8x8 storage shed, set in on a slab with a drain and insulate the crap out of it. Cover insulation with something that can be washed down and you are good to go.

I thought it was for personal use. What do you do with 198 hogs per year if you don't mind me asking.

You don’t have to build it out of cinderblock to get a good freezer. You can stick frame around a prefab cooler and get better R-value than cmu would give. You want vacuum insulated panels whatever you do.

I give most of them away. I try not to waste them but that is hard to do in the summer time hunting a hour away from home so since transporting them alive isn’t legal some get wasted unless I have someone close by to give them to

Cost analysis for sure. A walkin cooler is nice.

Call some restaurant equipment dealers that sell used equipment, you can probably pick up a used walk in pretty cheap that way.

There are YouTube videos of building walk ins and using window unit AC to cool them. The ones that I have seen - seem reasonably easy to build and cool.

Let me add on to this^^

If you frame and install additional insulation around one, you need to make sure it’s well vented so it won’t sweat.

You can buy the cool bot that goes on a window unit from cabela's. It works well, but I've only seen it on 6x6 or 8x8 coolers.

I like this idea.

That’s what I’m gonna use. Was just wondering if anyone had any pros/cons to cinder blocks vs. stick frame.

It won’t work for me. I’m looking at something to hang up to 10 hogs at a time in.

I made one out of an Ice box. The box that bags of ice come in at gas station. I changed the thermostat to one that would keep it at 38*. The box I bought had been bumped by a car and dented but it worked fine. I made a rack inside to hang stuff from. After gutting and I would cut the front shoulders off and hang them separately. The box was not tall enough to hang a whole deer so I did it in 2 pieces.