Freezer alarm going off - problem?

copperpennykids · #1 08/31/13, 04:04 PM

We just finished butchering a batch of meat birds and now have about 40 birds in the bottom of a very large chest freezer.

This freezer has been off/defrosted/cleaned for about 2 months and last week we turned it on and froze 20 gallon milk jugs of water (to cool the birds down as we butcher). Took the frozen milk jugs out and subsequently replaced them with the warm birds.

Is the alarm going off because the freezer can not keep up with the demand to freeze so many birds? I did turn the freezer off and the alarm stopped. As soon as I turned it back on, the alarm started again.

Your prompt responses would be most welcome!

gwithrow · #2 08/31/13, 04:16 PM

my guess would be that the large number of birds at one time has raised the temperature and that the freezer is just not able to keep up....we always put our birds in the frig for 24 hours before freezing so they go into the freezer pretty cold...but if it were me I would just take the alarm out for a few hours and see, if once the birds get cold or almost frozen, the alarm will stay off

Alice In TX/MO · #3 08/31/13, 04:20 PM

Ditto on too much non-cold stuff at once. Also, if they are all in there together, they are going to freeze SLOWLY, and grow bacteria the whole time. Ick.

retire2$ · #4 08/31/13, 04:49 PM

Yes, to many birds at one time. If possible keep the jugs of ice in with the birds. If this is not possible put some birds in the refrigerator, some in coolers with ice. Put the birds in the sink with cold water. Take some to a neighbor to put in their refrigerator. Goal is to cool the birds as rapidly as possible.

copperpennykids · #5 08/31/13, 04:50 PM

Well, we have redistributed the birds to other freezers ( a girl can NEVER have too many freezers ;0) and we are taking readings on the suspect freezer.

The freezer with the majority of the birds now has ice bottles, ice bags etc to help with the cooling.

I'll let you know...

Thanks y'all!

RJMAcres · #6 08/31/13, 06:13 PM

Lots of those alarms and temp sensors run off a battery.
When the battery is getting old, it sounds the alarm.

copperpennykids · #7 08/31/13, 06:35 PM

We have a nifty trifty digital lazer thermometer so have been taking readings:

Problem freezer: 5 degrees. Added 10 birds and in 1/2 hour it was 20 degrees.

2nd freezer: With 20 birds was at 40 degrees - so as good as any refrigerator and getting cooler all of the time.

The other freezers with a few birds each - maintaining, although the frozen meat in the freezers reads 5 degrees, the meat birds register 42 degrees. Guess we just have to give all of the freezers time to make those birds into frozen bowling balls!

So grateful we don't have to go out and buy another freezer. Thanks to all.

MO_cows · #8 08/31/13, 07:26 PM

Our freezer has a "flash freeze" setting we use when we've had the door open a long time loading it up. Probably the alarm is sounding because you put over 100 pounds of warm birds in there and it hasn't caught up to the load yet. But monitor it closely and make room in your frig just in case!

ufo_chris · #9 09/01/13, 04:33 PM

I took some to a small Mennonite place for butchering and they said u HAVE to have them completely cooled in ice water bf freezing.
I was going to take them right with me ,but decided its easier to let them cool them down.
u did say they were warm when u put them in ,so both bad for bacteria and freezer.

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anniew · #10 09/02/13, 10:39 AM

My older freezer instructions say not to put in more than 5 percent total of unfrozen stuff.

Rustaholic · #11 09/02/13, 03:47 PM

I have put 200 pounds of pork in my 1940s Hotpoint chest freezer around 11 AM and when I checked it before heading to bed it was all frozen hard.
I could make a lot of money if I had 100 of these old freezers to sell.
I have tested it and it uses half the power to freeze twice as much as a new "Better than Energy Star" one another feller bought and was bragging on.