Cold beers/dry ice
Discussion
With only 3 weeks to go before we depart my mind wonders to the usual problem of keeping the beers cold. We have always just used coolboxes and regular trips to the supermarket to ensure that we have enough ice, but was considering getting some dry ice this year as we don't have car space for a fridge.
Looking for a bit of advice please so does anyone use this for Le Mans and any ideas where to get if from? We live in Oxford.
How effective is it and will it last the 5 days so we don't have to make a supermarket run on race day morning?
Lastly, am not really looking to get CO2 poisoning so I assume it's not safe to use with the meat?
Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions.
Looking for a bit of advice please so does anyone use this for Le Mans and any ideas where to get if from? We live in Oxford.
How effective is it and will it last the 5 days so we don't have to make a supermarket run on race day morning?
Lastly, am not really looking to get CO2 poisoning so I assume it's not safe to use with the meat?
Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions.
This is not really a safe thing to do !!!
Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide which boils off into a gas put in simple terms. Any leakage from the container it is stored in will fill the car or van you are carrying it in with Co2 gas which will poison or suffocate you, as co2 is an asphyxiant exposure can also result in death in approx 9% concentration in air.
You could get away with it in a van which has a cargo area totally separate from the passenger compartment, but dont walk in without ventilating by leaving the doors open first.
In addition to that dry ice will freeze the beer if it is in contact with the bottle or can for any length of time.
Oh and it wont last 5 days and watch out for cold burns so wear cryogenic gloves.
Apart from that its a great idea !!!!
Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide which boils off into a gas put in simple terms. Any leakage from the container it is stored in will fill the car or van you are carrying it in with Co2 gas which will poison or suffocate you, as co2 is an asphyxiant exposure can also result in death in approx 9% concentration in air.
You could get away with it in a van which has a cargo area totally separate from the passenger compartment, but dont walk in without ventilating by leaving the doors open first.
In addition to that dry ice will freeze the beer if it is in contact with the bottle or can for any length of time.
Oh and it wont last 5 days and watch out for cold burns so wear cryogenic gloves.
Apart from that its a great idea !!!!
Edited by chrisemersons on Tuesday 28th May 16:15
Edited by chrisemersons on Tuesday 28th May 16:15
1/ Go to Costco.
Buy a 7 day ice cooler. (It's much better than the 6 day cooler )
Fill with ice & beer
Enjoy.
2/ Buy an Engel fridge ( designed for transporting medicine in Africa - will go down to -18c and run off a leisure battery )
Fill fridge with beer
Enjoy
Those are 2 of the most successful ways I have used without mains electricity.
Buy a 7 day ice cooler. (It's much better than the 6 day cooler )
Fill with ice & beer
Enjoy.
2/ Buy an Engel fridge ( designed for transporting medicine in Africa - will go down to -18c and run off a leisure battery )
Fill fridge with beer
Enjoy
Those are 2 of the most successful ways I have used without mains electricity.
Edited by Troubleatmill on Tuesday 28th May 18:11
We've been taking dry ice for the last 6/7 years. Don't let people worry you too much. Nobody in our group has died yet.
Just keep a window in the car open and you'll be fine. All you need is one large cool box to keep the ice and another for beers. Fill the beer box with water and your favourite beverage, add the dry ice, stand back and admire the show (as per below) and in 10 minutes you have ice cold drinks !
Just google dry ice suppliers near where you live. You shouldn't have any difficulty in finding somebody.
P.s If you do decide to go for it then remember to pick it up as close to the time you leave as possible. It will melt in a domestic freezer so you have no way to really keep it before its used.
Just keep a window in the car open and you'll be fine. All you need is one large cool box to keep the ice and another for beers. Fill the beer box with water and your favourite beverage, add the dry ice, stand back and admire the show (as per below) and in 10 minutes you have ice cold drinks !
Just google dry ice suppliers near where you live. You shouldn't have any difficulty in finding somebody.
P.s If you do decide to go for it then remember to pick it up as close to the time you leave as possible. It will melt in a domestic freezer so you have no way to really keep it before its used.
As above, we've been taking dry ice for a number of years and we've all lived... As long as you handle it with decent gloves, you won't get frost bite either. It usually comes in 10kg blocks or pellets, we use the pellets as they're easier to spread around.
It gets delivered in a polystyrene container and that goes in the car boot. The company we use is called Chillistick and they claim their ice is "food grade". We also use Igloo Maxcold coolers as they're tip top in the insulating department.
Over the last 12 or so years we've tried everything, and this is by far the best way to keep your beers cold. It is hugely better than lugging a geni and fridge. Estimate on using 10kg per day you're there.
It gets delivered in a polystyrene container and that goes in the car boot. The company we use is called Chillistick and they claim their ice is "food grade". We also use Igloo Maxcold coolers as they're tip top in the insulating department.
Over the last 12 or so years we've tried everything, and this is by far the best way to keep your beers cold. It is hugely better than lugging a geni and fridge. Estimate on using 10kg per day you're there.
Put it this way , i've worked in the gases industry for 24 years and i wouldnt carry 4 days worth (40kgs)of dry ice in a car or van that i was travelling in, it may not have killed you but it very easily could!! It is actually a pretty dangerous thing to do.
Not sure about the legality of carrying that much dry ice on the channel tunnel or ferry either !
I wouldnt advise leaving dry ice in the tent either when you are sleeping !
Not sure about the legality of carrying that much dry ice on the channel tunnel or ferry either !
I wouldnt advise leaving dry ice in the tent either when you are sleeping !
Interesting comments and thanks for all the info.
Thinking we will probably give it a go but maybe just plan on using it for the saturday morning as there is no chance we will be heading to the Super-U before the race starts. I take it 10kgs will last 4/5 days in the polystyrene packaging if left unopened without fully melting and us being thoroughly disappointed?
Cheers
Thinking we will probably give it a go but maybe just plan on using it for the saturday morning as there is no chance we will be heading to the Super-U before the race starts. I take it 10kgs will last 4/5 days in the polystyrene packaging if left unopened without fully melting and us being thoroughly disappointed?
Cheers
BUY SEVERAL CHEAP BOTTLES TABLE WATER FROM TESCO 20P A BOTTLE FOR 2 LTRS EMPTY A BIT OUT FREEZE FOR A WEEK WRAP IN POPWRAP OR MATES SLEEPING BAG. THEY TAKE AGES TO DEFROST AND YOU CAN REPLEN WITH CAREFULLY WRAPPED SPARES SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE TEAMS CARS. WHEN DEFROSTED YOU HAVE ICE COLD WATER FOR THE HANGOVER! OR SUPERSOAKER! TOP UP WITH BOUGHT ICE IF YOU MAKE IT TO THE SUPER U. USE DECENT COOLBOXES AS MENTIONED OR IF NOT DO SOME LOCAL INSULATING (MATES SLEEPING BAG AGAIN)
THIS IS THE POSH METHOD YOU COULD ALWAYS GO BUDGET AND USE YOUR OWN REUSED COKE BOTTLES WITH TAP WATER OR GO ULTRA POSH AND USE EVIAN. THE BIGGER THE BOTTLE THE SLOWER DEFROST. NEVER DO THE ADD WATER TRICK TO THE COOLBOX AS THIS ACCELERATES THE DEFROST TOO QUICK, TRY TO GET SOMEONE TO STAY SOBER ENOUGH TO REPLEN THE BEER BEFORE GONK TIME. WORKS FOR US EVERY YEAR! GOOD LUCK
THIS IS THE POSH METHOD YOU COULD ALWAYS GO BUDGET AND USE YOUR OWN REUSED COKE BOTTLES WITH TAP WATER OR GO ULTRA POSH AND USE EVIAN. THE BIGGER THE BOTTLE THE SLOWER DEFROST. NEVER DO THE ADD WATER TRICK TO THE COOLBOX AS THIS ACCELERATES THE DEFROST TOO QUICK, TRY TO GET SOMEONE TO STAY SOBER ENOUGH TO REPLEN THE BEER BEFORE GONK TIME. WORKS FOR US EVERY YEAR! GOOD LUCK
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