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Started By
Message
Storing Sacks of Crawfish
Posted on 4/26/23 at 10:08 pm
Posted on 4/26/23 at 10:08 pm
I’m getting 5-6 sacks of crawfish for a boil. I have to get them early morning (around 7), and we don’t start boiling until late afternoon. What is the best way to keep them alive? I know to keep them in the sack as long as possible.
Should I just stack them in my garage on a pallet and cover with sacks of ice? Should I put sacks of ice between the sacks of crawfish. Should I take the ice out of the sacks? Hose them off periodically with water? Definitely better to be too cold than too hot.
What’s the best way? It won’t be that hot this weekend, but I don’t have enough ice chests for 6 sacks of crawfish.
Should I just stack them in my garage on a pallet and cover with sacks of ice? Should I put sacks of ice between the sacks of crawfish. Should I take the ice out of the sacks? Hose them off periodically with water? Definitely better to be too cold than too hot.
What’s the best way? It won’t be that hot this weekend, but I don’t have enough ice chests for 6 sacks of crawfish.
Posted on 4/26/23 at 10:25 pm to pelicanpride
Keep crawfish in bags, in shade.
Keep them cool yet moist.
Cover with burlap or towel.
Hose down crawfish every few hours.
Get bags of ice, pierce bag with knife / ice pick so melted ice (water) can drain onto crawfish. Place ice bags on top of towels covering crawfish .
Make sure they DON’T dry out
Keep them cool yet moist.
Cover with burlap or towel.
Hose down crawfish every few hours.
Get bags of ice, pierce bag with knife / ice pick so melted ice (water) can drain onto crawfish. Place ice bags on top of towels covering crawfish .
Make sure they DON’T dry out
This post was edited on 4/26/23 at 10:27 pm
Posted on 4/26/23 at 10:48 pm to pelicanpride
For just half a day, as long as you don’t put them in the blazing sun you will be fine. Place them in the shade and wet the sack and roll on bud!
Posted on 4/26/23 at 11:09 pm to pelicanpride
Best way (if you have enough ice chests):
-Put ice chest in shady area
-Put whole sack of crawfish in ice chest
-Dump bag of ice on sack of crawfish
-Leave drain open on ice chest (crawfish cannot be submerged in water)
-Prop open ice chest cover partially so they get air
The melting ice keeps crawfish cold and wet while they still get air.
You aren't talking about keeping them long. Just make sure they stay cool and wet (but not submerged) and can get air.
-Put ice chest in shady area
-Put whole sack of crawfish in ice chest
-Dump bag of ice on sack of crawfish
-Leave drain open on ice chest (crawfish cannot be submerged in water)
-Prop open ice chest cover partially so they get air
The melting ice keeps crawfish cold and wet while they still get air.
You aren't talking about keeping them long. Just make sure they stay cool and wet (but not submerged) and can get air.
Posted on 4/27/23 at 6:58 am to Epaminondas
quote:
Leave drain open on ice chest (crawfish cannot be submerged in water)
I don’t know how to break this to you, but crawfish breathe via gills. Have you ever fished a crawfish pond? They are mostly definitely under water before they are put in the sack
Posted on 4/27/23 at 7:24 am to Epic Cajun
quote:
Leave drain open on ice chest (crawfish cannot be submerged in water)
I think the reason they die is suffocation, after removing all the oxygen from the water, like fish or crabs in a sealed ice chest or aquarium without an aerator to pump oxygen back into the water.
Keep the crawfish cool or cold, and don't let them dry out. You'll be fine
Posted on 4/27/23 at 7:34 am to Epic Cajun
quote:
I don’t know how to break this to you, but crawfish breathe via gills
While true the water needs to have enough oxygen in the water for them to breath. 1" of water in the bottom of a ice chest jammed pack with a layer of crawfish will deplete of o2 faster than you think.
If I am holding them for a while I leave them in the sack and will put something on the bottom of the ice chest to keep them above the bottom of the drainplug or tip it enough so there's little water sitting before draining out the plug and keep the sack out of that area if possible.
That brings me to another thought. Since crawfish live and breath in the water chlorine in the water may kill them I surmise, like fish. Maybe not as fast but I'd guess it knocks them down a notch. I notice when I use my crawfish washer they may not be as peppy after they are drained and waiting their turn. Just food for thought...
Posted on 4/27/23 at 7:47 am to pelicanpride
If it’s going to be a hot day you can use cardboard in addition to what’s already been said to create a cooler of sorts.
Posted on 4/27/23 at 8:09 am to pelicanpride
1/2 a day isn't hard.
Just keep them shaded and covered with a damp towel/burlap
If you need to keep them for a full day then ice on top may be appropriate.
Don't over think this.
Just keep them shaded and covered with a damp towel/burlap
If you need to keep them for a full day then ice on top may be appropriate.
Don't over think this.
Posted on 4/27/23 at 8:59 am to armsdealer
quote:
Don't over think this.
More or less this if only keeping for a day.
Even if you had them in a cooler covered in ice and lid closed suffocating them all they are still ok to eat IMO. I think the potential issue of eating dead ones in a fresh sack is you don't know how long they have been dead and if they have spoiled yet. Sitting dead in ice water and cold keeps them like any other seafood IMO.
Posted on 4/27/23 at 9:25 am to Jambo
quote:
I think the reason they die is suffocation
It is, all creatures breathe oxygen, they just breathe the oxygen from the water. I’ve kept a sack submerged in one of those “cowboy cleaners” for 8+ hours and none of them died.
Posted on 4/27/23 at 11:31 am to Epic Cajun
quote:OK. Put a crawfish sack in an ice chest filled or partially filled with water and tell me what happens.
I don’t know how to break this to you, but crawfish breathe via gills. Have you ever fished a crawfish pond? They are mostly definitely under water before they are put in the sack
Also, fish live underwater and breathe via gills. But unless it's a fish that needs very little oxygen like a beta or goldfish, it will die in an aquarium without aeration.
This post was edited on 4/27/23 at 11:39 am
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