What size chest freezer for big bull

[kentrek]

It's my experience that you can get at least 40 lbs of frozen meat in a 48 qt cooler.  That translates to about 26 lbs per cubic foot or so.  A humungous bull might need a bit more that 10 cubic feet I would think.  I've owned both, but I can get more meat per cubic feet in a chest freezer than an upright.

Alot of my bigger bulls are around 300 pounds boned out...but between the chest freezer, the freezer beneath the fridge Id think youd be good to go

Unless you got the money and space...then go with one big stand up..or three 

[BigTines]

I have a 14 cubic foot and an elk fills it up. I wouldn't go any smaller.

[Bob33]

A general rule of thumb is that one cubic foot will hold about 30 pounds of meat, depending on how you store the meat in the freezer. That means 300 pounds of meat should fit in a 10 cubic foot freezer.

Getting a larger freezer allows for more food to be stored, but having dead space in a freezer will increase your electricity costs.

One other point: for long term storage you are better getting a manual defrost freezer. They're harder to find, but will keep your food fresh longer because the auto defrost models go through a warm-up cycle to remove frost. I've kept meat in manual defrost freezer for more than two years with virtually no degradation.

Put one of the wireless thermometer sensors in the freezer, and put the remote readout unit where you can easily see it. Keep the meat at or below zero for best storage.

[Stein]

A general rule of thumb is that one cubic foot will hold about 30 pounds of meat, depending on how you store the meat in the freezer. That means 300 pounds of meat should fit in a 10 cubic foot freezer.

Getting a larger freezer allows for more food to be stored, but having dead space in a freezer will increase your electricity costs.

One other point: for long term storage you are better getting a manual defrost freezer. They're harder to find, but will keep your food fresh longer because the auto defrost models go through a warm-up cycle to remove frost. I've kept meat in manual defrost freezer for more than two years with virtually no degradation.

Put one of the wireless thermometer sensors in the freezer, and put the remote readout unit where you can easily see it. Keep the meat at or below zero for best storage.

  Good advice, I have a manual defrost and set it way cold.  Every year or two I clean it out defrost and load the stuff back in.  If you do it in the summer it only takes a couple hours to unload, hose the ice out, dry in the sun and get back running.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Upright freezer with manual defrost!

[King Krok]

I just this year purchased a 21 cf upright, I had a 21cf chest and hated it. It takes up way to much room, much happier with my manual upright. It holds the big bull I got perfectly.

[jrebel]

20 cubic feet min.....Upright or Chest whatever you like.  I have a 21 cf chest and will be buying a 21 cf upright this year.  I will use both for different applications.  I like having two in case one fails.