Maintaining food products like meat, produce, and seafood cold on ice helps to maintain their freshness and prevent dangerous bacteria from endangering consumers. What some consumers and companies do not realize is that ice is considered itself a food, and it must be treated as carefully as food. Utilizing high quality and safe ice is critical to keeping your products safe. At SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC, we manufacture and install industrial cooling systems like ice makers to help maintain food safety and freshness. This article with outline three tips for safely displaying consumable iced products.

Tip #1: Make Sure That The Water Going Into Your Ice Machine is Clean

The quality and safety of your ice is as good as the input water used in the process. If you would not drink directly from the input line to your ice machine, redesign your process to properly filter or clean water. When you are not sure if your water is clean, send some of the water to a laboratory company to test it for pathogens or chemicals. Consider setting up a regular process to test for water quality so that you will be alerted if there is an issue in your process.

Also, consider utilizing an in-line filter to make sure that the water going into your ice machine is clean. Although others might consider extra controls excessive, you can have the peace of mind knowing that your process will be safe even if the water company sends contaminated water.

Tip #2: Clean Out the Ice Machines and Bins Regularly

Your ice machine and bins should be frequently cleaned according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Whether you have a new or older SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC system, feel free to contact us at SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC to review recommendations for unit cleaning. This protocol should outline the cleaning steps, the frequency, the tools and how to verify that cleaning is effective. Including pictures and easily accessible equipment will help you or employees complete the process. Additionally, verifying completeness of cleaning with a checklist will help you to show regulatory officials that you completed the task correctly each time.

Here is a sample list of steps for cleaning an ice machine:

• Shut down and lock out the ice machine so that it will not activate during cleaning.
• Clean and shine the outside surface of the machine.
• Remove any residual ice in the machine.
• Clean the inside of the machine using a suitable chemical approved for cleaning food contact machines.
• Carefully clean the inside of the door and the gaskets with the approved sanitizer.
• Rinse thoroughly to remove sanitizer chemical.
• Check and service in-line water filter if needed.

Tip #3: Create Sound Systems For Safely Handling Ice

Any ice used to cool produce must be treated as a food, even if the ice is not directly consumed. The ice will come in contact with the food and thus must not contaminate it. Even if you have a clean machine to produce ice, the following guidelines can help you and your employees maintain safe ice utilization.

• Before handling ice, wash hands completely with soap and warm water.
• Utilize clean hands or clean gloves before removing ice. Remember that dirty gloves are just as bad as dirty hands.
• Ice bins used to transport ice must be clean whenever used and should never be placed on the ground.
• Utilize clean and undamaged scopes for ice.

Taking the time to create and utilize procedures that keep your ice clean will help protect your customers from food-related illness. Remember that consistent practice of the right procedures will make food safety simple.

While at first glance it may seem like the amount of ice used to cool something doesn’t need to be precise and can just be approximated, that is not true at all! Using too little ice will result in inadequate cooling that could completely compromise the quality and integrity of the product. Meanwhile, using too much ice will needlessly raise costs, reduce efficiency, and could also potentially result in incorrect cooling. Thus industrial ice scales and weighing equipment are a fundamental part of cooling and freezing system. Let’s take a look at what they are and what factors go into selecting the best one for a given system.

What Are Ice Scales?

Ice scales are weighing equipment that measures the weight of ice. SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC has a full line of high quality, dependable ice scales and weighing equipment. We have two main series: the Batch Scale (BS) series and the Concrete Batch Scale (CBS) series. Each series has two different sizes:

• BS-150: The BS-150 weighs up to 150 pounds of ice in its hopper. The delivery rate is approximately 25 tons per hour.
• BS-300: This scale weighs up to 300 pounds of ice in its hopper. The delivery rate is approximately 45 tons per hour.
• CBS-800: This scale weighs up to 800 pounds. It operates with a right hand and left hand discharge.
• CBS-2000: This scale weighs up 2000 pounds. It also operates with a right hand and left hand discharge.

These different scales are used to reliably measure out desired amounts of ice as needed for a particular cooling project.

Why Are Ice Scales Important?

As stated above ice scales and weighing equipment play a crucial role in any cooling and freezing system in which they are found. They are important because they ensure that food products such as produce, fish, and meat, etc. stay at the safe, correct temperature while they are being stored and transported. Meanwhile many other applications such as concrete cooling and other project requiring ice also require relatively precise amounts for best results.

The ice scales work by allowing users to select a predetermined weight. Once the scale reaches that weight it starts a chain reaction. A series of timers start shutting down all related equipment within the system. This allows the system to go into a clean out mode to make sure that there is no ice left in the delivery system.

All of that boils down to one thing. The machines measure out the appropriate amount of ice, and then that ice gets delivered where it is needed. In that way ice scales and weighing equipment form one of the most crucial parts of the entire system.

How to Get the Right Equipment for Your Needs

Now that you know what they are, why they’re important, and how they work, you may be wondering how you can get the machine that is right for your business. SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC helps clients select industrial ice scale and weighing equipment that best fit their own particular needs. Our systems are fully customizable and can tailored to best reflect the demands of a client’s particular business. Please contact us for more information.

If you work in an industry that needs to produce a large volume of snow, ice, or slush for any application, then you know how important it is to maintain your ice crushers and ice blowers properly. These important pieces of equipment are the lifeblood of your operation, whether they are helping you to cover a hillside in snow or setting up for an event that requires a heavy application of cold weather comfort. Manufacturers like SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC understand that your needs vary a lot from job to job, and we also understand that you want to get the most out of your investments, which is why we provide detailed maintenance instructions and other pillars of support that help you to get the most out of your ice crushers and blowers over their lifetime.

Ice Crusher Service and Support

The most important step in maintaining any industrial equipment is setting up your service plan so that you know you’re getting the maintenance you need. This includes both establishing a regular routine that allows you to get preventative tune-ups and regular replacements for parts that have definitive limits on their recommended useful life. It also positions you to have the best possible knowledge of any issues that might be developing in your ice crushers. Working with a regular service provider recommended by a manufacturer like SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC means that your repair records will also be more complete, allowing each new technician you work with the opportunity to review the history of the work done on your equipment.

Working with your manufacturer’s suggested network of service technicians also means that you won’t need to worry about whether the technicians you hire are certified for the exact models and manufacturers that you use, so it helps to streamline your selection process when you are first searching for service. That pays off when it’s time for repairs, because you won’t have to worry about where to go or who will do the repair. As an alternative, you can always hire your own on-site technician, which is really helpful for companies whose inventory of ice crushers and blowers or other related industrial equipment is large enough to require full-time service and maintenance. It is important to hire only certified technicians who have trained on the machines you purchased, though, so if you do decide to go for an in-house maintenance specialist, you still do need to ensure that they have the right credentials for your SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC machines.

Maintain Manufacturer Recommendations

Once you have a clear plan for service, it is essential to budget for the time and materials outlined in the individual equipment manual for each of your ice crushers, ice blowers, and related machines. Depending on the use, capacity, and exact function of your machines, there might be a wide variety of regular checkups and operations needed across all of your equipment, and having a ‘one-size-fits-all’ plan for tune ups and other regular inspections can result in some pieces slipping through the cracks. When that happens, it is more likely that you will miss early signs of some problems as they develop, and that can cost you money in repairs.

Plan the Work, Work the Plan

The only way to get the most out of your ice machines is to keep to a plan that acknowledges all of your equipment needs, parts, and other supporting resources. That way, your machines will always be able to crank out the right amount of ice and snow for any occasion. Properly maintained equipment that is held to a schedule brings a variety of benefits, including:

• More predictable expenditures
• Advance warning for unforeseen expenses, allowing better staging
• Reliable, quality maintenance from a provider you trust
• Better use of each machine’s maintenance history in assessing and repairing ongoing issues
• Longer peak performance lifetimes for your machines

SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC and other ice crusher manufacturers don’t make these maintenance recommendations lightly. Since poor maintenance and inexperienced service can lead to problems that further damage your machines or even injure your workers, it is vital to be sure that your service plan is comprehensive, and that it follows all the right guidelines. If you need assistance with maintenace and repair issues please contact us so that we can help.

Ice is a resource that is used more than many people realize. In addition to any ice that a homeowner uses around his or her house, ice is necessary in the transportation and storage of all kinds of food. Where does it all come from? It depends on the company, but with all the different kinds of ice that are available, it’s safe to say that most ice comes from a machine that received a package from a bulk ice company. Industrial-sized machines designed to distribute huge amounts of ice quickly are designed slightly different than the ice machine you’re likely to run into at the grocery store or gas station. Many of these industrial machines have a part not always found on smaller machines: an ice rake. It might not seem like much at first glance, but rakes are a crucial and beneficial part to creating and maintaining sanitary and affordable ice for all kinds of uses.

What Are Ice Rakes?

Ice rakes are often found in bulk ice storage systems. Although there may be slightly different types depending on the bin being used, most are similar in appearance and function. The rakes are spaced between motorized components to move endlessly over the length of a bin, or at least until the bin registers as full. Even when described in detail, many people envision these rakes as being fairly small. However, the bin itself is usually the size of an entire room, and the rake is designed to span the length of the bin, and often the width, as well.

How They Are Used

Large ice bins and rakes are usually reserved for use by the packaged ice industry, operations involving large food service, or for poultry and seafood. Those businesses that need the ability to quickly package and ship ice to customers benefit most from a bin and rake that can produce tens to hundreds of tons of ice quickly. The bin itself is used for the storage of the ice until it needs to be packaged. The ice rake helps to distribute the ice evenly so the bin does not become uneven. In addition to assisting in the filling of a bin, this helps to distribute ice out for easier packaging. Many systems are designed to expose only a certain amount of ice at a time so that bins do not become overloaded or overflow once the doors are opened. Best of all, rakes automate the packaging process, which allows the ice to be packaged much quicker than if it were all completed by hand. This saves time and money, leading to a more affordable product for the end-user.

Benefits to Ice Rakes

There are many different kinds of ice machines, so what exactly are the advantages of using a machine with an ice rake? First of all, a rake automates the ice delivery process so that it can transported directly to wherever it needs to go. The continuous design means that it will work for as long as a business needs it to work, or until the bin becomes full.

A second benefit to these rakes—and probably the most important—has to do with sanitation. Each part is carefully designed to prevent the buildup of mold and other problems associated with ice storage. Because it also automates the packaging and transport of ice, there is no need for human hands to touch the ice until it is delivered to the point of use. This basically keeps the ice pure and clean until it needs to be used.

A third benefit to ice rakes is their durability and dependability. Most rakes are made out of high-quality parts, self-leveling abilities, and sensors. From galvanized components to heavy-duty chains, these rakes are designed to move ice for as long as you need to and not cause hang-ups. Many rakes will even automatically shut off once they sense that a bin is full.

Why Are They so Important?

What is so crucial about ice rakes? Do they even matter? If you take the rakes away, you slow the ice packaging and distribution process down considerably. There are many different businesses that depend on a daily import of ice in order to keep their goods fresh for their customers. Ice rake and bin systems are often responsible for the storage and preparation of up to 400 tons of ice. What happens when 400 tons of ice need to be distributed by human hands instead of an automated machine? The ice does not get packaged as quickly, which ends up taking more time and, ultimately, more money. This then translates to a higher price the end-user must pay for the product. If that end-user is a business, it also means that the business must now charge their customers extra for their products because their overhead costs are higher.

Ice rakes keep ice moving quickly for efficient packaging and delivery to customers or the point of use. This also helps to limit the number of hands that are coming in contact with the ice before it is used, which assists in keeping it sanitary.

Ultimately, ice rakes are an essential component of the bulk ice industry. It keeps the ice moving for easy packaging and delivery directly to the point of use, in many cases. When you are moving hundreds of tons of ice every day, it’s important to move it efficiently and in a manner that keeps the ice clean. After all, much of that ice is likely to come in contact with food that people will be eating. Ice rakes and bins basically save the ice industry time and money, which translates to savings to the end-user. Rakes are one of the most important pieces of bulk ice production that most people don’t often think about.

In past articles we have discussed the advantages of using ice to cool fish, as well as the different factors that affect seafood cooling rates. In today’s article we will turn our attention to how to calculate the amount of ice needed to properly chill fish to 0°C (32°F). In addition to the basic formula and rule of thumb for calculating ice amounts, we will also take a look at a couple of additional factors which may influence how much ice is needed for the trip.

The Importance of Correct Estimation

Accurately estimating the amount of ice needed for a fishing trip is crucial and walking the line between having too much and having too little may be difficult. Space is at a premium on most fishing vessels. If the fishermen bring too much ice they may not have enough space for fish and other cargo and they will incur needless extra expenses. On the other hand if they do not bring enough ice it may all melt before they can return to shore or it may be insufficient to cool the caught fish to a safe temperature. This can result in spoiling and a completely wasted, expensive trip. These problems can be avoided by considering the following.

Basic Formula and Rule of Thumb

The following chart shows the amount of ice needed to lower 10kg (22.04lbs) of fish to 0°C (32°F) for various starting temperatures of the fish.

• 3.4kg (7.5lbs) of ice for 30°C (86°F) fish
• 2.8kg (6.2lbs) of ice for 25°C (77°F) fish
• 2.3kg (5.1lbs) of ice for 20°C (68°F) fish
• 1.7kg (3.8lbs) of ice for 15°C (59°F) fish
• 1.2kg (2.7lbs) of ice for 10°C (50°F) fish
• 0.6kg (1.3lbs) of ice for 5°C (41°F) fish

Thus for 10kg of fish at 30°C it will require 3.4kg of ice to lower the temperature to 0°C. These same formulas can be adjusted for different amounts of fish. For example if the weight of fish caught is 100kg and the fish are at a temperature of 30°C then it will call for 34kg of ice. This works out to roughly a 3:1 ratio of fish to ice.

However, it is crucial to note that the amounts of ice given by the calculations above are only to lower the fish to initial temperatures of 0°C. They do not take into consideration the amount of ice needed to maintain that 0°C for the duration of the trip. Nor do the calculations account for ice that will be lost to melting. These circumstances will vary based on the circumstances in play for a given trip and boat. Instead a loose rule of thumb for calculating how much ice will be needed is to assume about a 1:3 ratio of fish to ice (the opposite of the previous 3:1 fish to ice ratio) if the fishing expedition is taking place in a tropical climate.

Consider the Size of the Fish

Another important consideration to determine the amount of ice that will be needed for a fishing trip is the size of the fish that will be caught. Naturally as shown above the more fish caught the more ice will be needed to safely cool them. However, besides the pure weight of fish itself, the size of the individual fish is also a factor. That is because it requires more ice to cool larger, thicker fish because the fish themselves do not cool as quickly and efficiently as smaller, thinner fish.

Consider the Length of the Trip

A fishing trip that lasts a day or two is quite a bit different than one that lasts more than a week. Naturally the longer the vessel is out to sea the more ice is needed on hand to compensate for melting. Likewise longer duration trips may yield more fish which would require more overall ice to cool. Along the same the lines a trip that goes further out to sea may need more ice than a closer-to-shore trip since it will be more difficult to cut a long distance trip short if capacity is met early or if something else happens.

Consider the Storage Conditions

Finally, the storage conditions on the boat are also a crucial factor for calculating the amount of ice needed. If the storage hold is well insulated and double lined it will hold in cool temperatures and keep out warm temperatures vastly more effectively than a non-insulated hull and will thus not require as much ice to get the job the done. The type of ice being used is another important factor.

SEMCO/SEMCOLD LLC understands how important it is to have a trustworthy and reliable cooling system in place on board fishing vessels. We manufacturer and install industry-leading systems and equipment that can be customized to fit the space considerations, capacity needs, and other specs of our clients. We are committed to providing outstanding ice and cooling systems.