Dry Ice

[Jerry Bruette]

Anyone here ever use dry ice to keep meat frozen for a couple days while transporting it?

We'll be going to New York later this month and I'll be bringing about 40# of frozen meat to my son. I plan on keeping it frozen with dry ice, any advice?

[Zachary Hoyt]

We used dry ice once to keep a chest freezer cold during a long summertime power outage before we had a generator. We met someone at a highway exit who was on his way by making a delivery to a bar up north, so that saved us an hour each way to go to the distributor. It worked, but that experience was what inspired us to buy a generator.

[Christopher Herzog]

Dangerous stuff, please know what you are dealing with ahead of time. Gloves would be #1 and do keep kids out of the cooler. Won't be a good place to try and breathe.

Take care,
Chris

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I used dry ice to keep meat for 3 days while I set up an elk camp, setting the tent, cutting firewood and scouted waiting for my brother and our Mom's husband to arrive to hunt. After about 3 days, I packed the cooler in a snowbank near the camp.

[Rob Luter]

Yup. Works great. Omaha Steaks uses it to ship frozen meat too. Use gloves and assure good ventilation.

[Lee Schierer]

The main problem with dry ice is finding a source, Not many places are left where you can buy it.

[Ronald Blue]

It's been several years but we did that with some frozen food. As I recall at that time you could get it at Wal-Mart. I think we sealed the cooler with duct tape or so it seems.

[Frank Pratt]

Seal up the meat well. Dry ice can carbonate foods with the high CO2 levels in the cooler. Stuff like carbonated grapes taste great. Meat, probably not so much.

[Rob Luter]

The main problem with dry ice is finding a source, Not many places are left where you can buy it.

Try Welding Supply stores or search for Continental Carbonics. It may be scarce in Peshtigo but there are at least three places in Green Bay.

[Stan Calow]

Gloves for sure. I've had meat products and full meals shipped 2-3 days from distributors on dry ice. It seems to last just long enough to get here. I'd check it periodically on the way, and if it starts disappearing, just replenish it somewhere on the road. Here in KC many larger grocery stores carry it.

[Brian Elfert]

It's been several years but we did that with some frozen food. As I recall at that time you could get it at Wal-Mart. I think we sealed the cooler with duct tape or so it seems.

Only some Walmart stores carry dry ice. They don't have it in the Midwest, but I have purchased dry ice at a Walmart store near Reno, Nevada.

[Ronald Blue]

Only some Walmart stores carry dry ice. They don't have it in the Midwest, but I have purchased dry ice at a Walmart store near Reno, Nevada.

I got mine in Macomb Illinois. Looking online it no longer appears that they have it.

[Jerry Bruette]

Seal up the meat well. Dry ice can carbonate foods with the high CO2 levels in the cooler. Stuff like carbonated grapes taste great. Meat, probably not so much.

Never heard of that. The meat is double wrapped in freezer paper. I'll put the meat on the bottom of the cooler and then put a cardboard divider in and the dry ice n top of that.

We found a Fresh Thyme store in Green Bay that has the dry ice, it's right on our route so we'll get there when the store opens and pack the cooler. I've checked our route and there are some Fresh Thyme stores along the way.

My biggest concern is when the dry ice sublimates and the car could fill with CO2. I'd love to find a way to hook a hose to the cooler drain and vent it outside the vehicle so we don't pass out and crash and burn. Can't put it in the trunk we drive a Honda CR-V.

[Bill Dufour]

Bought some this year at local save mart. It was $4.00 a pound. Fridge went out. I am not convinced it was cheaper then water ice for equal cooling power. Wrap cooler in old blankets etc.
Bill D

[Bryan Lisowski]

Your driving, if you have a well insulated cooler, I would just use regular ice. You can easily refresh along the way.