Suggestion Making ICE (from Water)

We are getting more and more of the locals buying Ice from us and are finding it hard to keep up the demand as the Freezer we bought when refilled with Ice takes around 3 to 4 days to freeze solid. We are using the Tubes which are around 12 inches by 2 inches in size and pack them in tight, we have tried laying them length ways (hard to extract unless you use a chisel to pry them apart) and crisscrossing them (still hard but have noticed more tubes during freezing break using this method)

Our Freezer is around 4 feet x 2 feet and about 3 feet deep at the deep end. IS there a BETTER way to freezing Ice as we would like to be able to supply the needed 100 to 200 tubes per day rather than selling out 1 day then having to wait another 4 days with the Freezer screwed to maximum trying to freeze the next batch.

I am thinking of buying a another Freezer but feel it will also be the same where we will need to wait 3 to 4 days before we can sell a frozen tube. Suggestions?

 

You may be Packing them Too tight and the Freezing is conductive through the Wraps rather than Air freeze, we find leaving a small air Gap between the wraps helps a great deal, also try and Lay them all the Same way and try and get them to the lay in the Joint of the wraps underneath where they meet as if laying Bricks, We get ours in 2 days some days quicker

 

Good point, the wife has been laying them in the 'valley' meaning no air flow... She has told me this is easier as they will distort when trying to lay on top of each other to lave a gap and she told me her way means less broken tubes... I thought laying them crisscross would allow air to flow between and freeze quicker but we ended up with half a block of ice (twice) in the bottom of the freezer before going back to laying them all the same way. Problem also is how fragile the tubes are, we try not to disturb them during the freezing process unless absolutely necessary but so often many will split the plastic no matter how gentle you are with them.

I did look at a large upright glass door freezer at Imperial, but I think those would be very heavy on electricity usage with the glass door...

 

I have a used Sharp freezer model FRV -120
4 cu.ft for sale. Lining is slightly damaged but repaired, outside looks like new. Need flushing and new gas what will cost P2,700. Will sell "repaired" for P 6,000.
With a bit of luck the Sharp repair shop will deliver for free or very little.
If interested I will send pictures.
Also for sale a Sharp refrigerator , 6 cu,ft model
SJ-30N-SL. 5 years old, looks and cools like new. P 7,000.

 

There is no easy or really cost effective way to produce Ice for sale in a Domestic freezer Box but what my girls have been doing Lately is putting some in the Fridge First to Cool Down.

 

Thank you for the offer mate but I am thinking of going for a much larger freezer next time around where we can also store a full Pig (or 2) along with cut Chicken so we can also sell frozen meat... (DON'T tell any of the M****m Customers where we store our ice okay) hehe

 

Just to inform you mate; I watched something on one of the channels here recently about Food hacks and was SURPRISED To find out that BOILING Water Freezes FASTER than COLD Water... They tested it and it proved that Boiling water freezes faster and at the end they said "Don't ask me why but it does"... Go figure...

Why You Should Use Boiling Hot Water for Faster Ice Cubes « Food Hacks Daily

 

Well I am certainly not going to try and Tie off the Tube full of Boiling Water, That is of course if the Tube held up to that temperature, Can't see any of my Girls trying it either

 

We pump the water, it is extremely clean and I also drink it with out ever experiencing any side effects as it is filtered through the sand before it enters the well via the hollow block walls, we then fill the tubes directly, tie the end with a double knot, freeze, then sell for 2 pesos each... (Locals are selling for 2.5/3p ea) IF we could full fill the required amount of Ice tubes needed/asked for daily here, we could easily pay our current monthly electricity Bill 6+x over as we know of 2 guys asking for 100 tubes a day each... of course, add another Freezer = added running costs, but asawa is happy she is doing something that can earn her more a day than when she was working 12 hours a day at the Internet cafe, "Happy Wife = Happy Life"...