Dry ice

Steelheadhobo

Steelheadhobo

Member
Spending some time in Nootka this July, and I'm wondering if anybody uses dry ice to keep there fish cold?
Some people say it works great, some say it not worth it, just asking for some opinions.
 
Campbell River @ Boat Land
Courtenay/Comox @ Aqua Tec Seafoods Comox
French Creek Seafoods @ French Creek Parksville/Qualicum

All on your way to Nootka
 
Tip......If you ad a handlefull of salt and some sea water to your salt ice you can nearly freeze your fish in your cooler. Dress your fish and put them into fish bags. Remove all of the air possible. I like to drunk it into the water at the side of the dock then tie a knot in the bag. Stick the fish in the salty ice and water mix and by the end of the day it will be near frozen. It's kind of like making home made ice cream.
 
Back in the 80's and early 90's, I would fish in C.R. and then have to drive back to Calgary with my catch. Using Dry ice and an Igloo cooler, the Dry ice never made it all the way back, I would have to stop along the way and buy regular ice.
Now, using Salt ice, I can fish on the WCVI and make it back to east of Edmonton without a problem.
Maybe the coolers have improved a bit, all I know is that I don't need to spend the extra money on Dry ice that didn't really work out.
 
Hey, can anyone tell me if mills landing has their salt ice machine working yet?? Or is there a place in bamfield to but some?? Thanks
 
Warning: dumb question coming. What is "salt ice"? Ice made out of salt water? Flaked or crushed ice? If it is salted, won't that make it melt faster, as salt lowers the freezing point of water?
 
Great thread. I have always used cubed ice with a couple of blocks for longevity on a 3 day weekend. I think I will head into Ukee (just around the corner from Salmon Beach) and fill the cooler with flaked salt ice for cheap. I like to clean my fish on board shortly after catching them and put them on ice right away to cool them. I like the bag over board suggestion and makes sense to get all the air out. Thanks FA for that suggestion. I always have a couple of rolls of those fish bags. I tie the ends with some wire after cutting to size etc. Helps keep them out of the slime/ fish blood in the bottom of the cooler.

I have though about building a small rack out of stainless or aluminum about 2 inches high to fit in the bottom of the cooler to keep them above the fish blood mix and might do so this year.
 
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Sculpin said:
Great thread. I have always used cubed ice with a couple of blocks for longevity on a 3 day weekend. I think I will head into Ukee (just around the corner from Salmon Beach) and fill the cooler with flaked salt ice for cheap. I like to clean my fish on board shortly after catching them and put them on ice right away to cool them. I like the bag over board suggestion and makes sense to get all the air out. Thanks FA for that suggestion. I always have a couple of rolls of those fish bags. I tie the ends with some wire after cutting to size etc. Helps keep them out of the slime/ fish blood in the bottom of the cooler.

I have though about building a small rack out of stainless or aluminum about 2 inches high to fit in the bottom of the cooler to keep them above the fish blood mix and might do so this year.
Click to expand...


Great idea Sculpin I bet you could sell a few to cover costs. Should you decide to PM me.
Thanks
H.E.H.
 
Salt ice is actually made from fresh water, in which they add salt during the freezing process. If you ask, the different ice companies will probably let you tour their process? I know Zeballos let us!

The salt not only lowers the freezing point of the water it also makes the ice more stable and unless you change something it melts much slower. If you add sugar, alcohol, or any type of salt it will lower the freezing point, which also melts the ice. It is called "phase transition"! If you add enough sugar, alcohol, or any salt to any ice; you can you can lower the temperature to a maximum of -21.1°C. So yep, you will not only be able to make ice cream - with enough ice, you can freeze your fish. If you think about doing that... I hope you have lots of ice, you will need it! :)

As mentioned salt ice does not melt as fast as fresh water ice. If you have a cooler full of fresh water ice, it might last 3 or 4 days. If you have the same cooler full of salt ice it will last a good 7-10 days, as stated.

As far as the fish, I just bag them (in fish bags), push the air out, tie a knot in the bag and stick them in the cooler. I make sure the tied end of the bag doesn't set in any water. I do recommend sealing the bags if you can, and keeping any un-bagged fish from setting in ANY water in the bottom of the cooler. Once any fish, crab, or prawns go in the cooler, I open the drain plug to keep them out of water. You won't need any type of rack in the bottom of the cooler, as long as you have a drain plug.

Once you start using salt ice, you probably will never go back to using any regular or dry ice, except for your drinks. :D

Forgot... Want to have some fun. On your next trip make everyone some "Ice Cream in a Baggie"! :D:D
http://www.sci-experiments.com/ice_cream/saltwater.html
 
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Hey Charlie I understand all the chemistry that goes on with the salt ice-I make my own fresh water ice between trips-what do you think about the chances of bumping the water with sugar or salt during the freezing process. I make 2 gal blocks-any idea how much salt or sugar to add and at what point in the freezing process
 
I also make my ice between trips. I use (used) one gallon freezer ziplock bags that I wash to freeze the ice into 1 gallon blocks, which last longer then the bagged ice. I have thought about doing just what you are considering! I didn't save the recipe for adding salt to make salt ice, but it was found online and is easy to do. You might be surprised on just how much salt you have to add though?

Here is why I didn't pursue that. I carry 296 gallons of fuel along with a generator, basically only used to heat the water in the hot water tank. I don't use paper plates (don't like the trash or bags associated with that). I carry bottled water to drink. The only thing I ever run short of between refueling - is none other than fresh water for dishes and showers. Hence, my CLEAN thawed out 1 gallon bags of water find their way to my water tank for dishes and showers! No, I don't use that not so clean water out out of the cooler! :)

First, I have a small onboard freezer, so I do have the ability to make and/or re-freeze some small amount of ice as it melts. My trips are usually a week and is well beyond the limits of fresh water ice (including block). Usually end up with just a cooler of cold water.

I carry two coolers, one (smaller) is for food and drink, the other (larger) is for "cleaned" fish. I also have two very large built-in insulated fish boxes, which both have water plugs and actually set below the water line. Pull the plug and they will fill up with fresh nice cool seawater, also makes cleaning them out very easy. One box is used for the catch - freshly caught fish goes there and is bleed and gilled right in the box. The other is used for the salt ice. Works just as good as any cooler and is great. Catch fish, put in fish box, bleed and gill. Clean fish on the large cleaning table on the stern, bag them, put in fish cooler, cover fish in layers with salt ice, as added to fish cooler. The salt water ice box is only opened when ice is needed to cover fish.

Clean up at end of day is actually easy - Pull plug in fish box and clean all blood and gills out of that box, pump water out. Use raw water wash down pump to rinse blood off deck, stern, and engines. :)
 
BTW... FYI... for those processing their fish, the most important thing for quality is the fish should be both bled and gills removed. The fish should be cleaned and frozen either in a pre- or post-rigor mortis, otherwise when the fish is flexible. If during rigor mortis there will be tissue damage and reduced quality. That is what causes all those bruises and gaping in the meat you see.

And, if one doesn't cut into the meat anywhere (e.g. just bleed and gill them) they can be kept either on ice (or even in cold fresh water), without bagging them! Once the meat is exposed, you got to protect that meat from any water, that is where problems begin! :)
 
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