See how an onboard Deepchill® system used as an advanced fish chiller, helped McCarthy’s Fisheries improve their fish refrigeration system efficiency.
Since 1984, we have installed numerous Deepchill® systems onboard trawlers, seiners, long-liners, and large factory vessels. Our fully automated systems are simple to operate and require minimal maintenance.
Acting as an advanced onboard fish chiller solution, Deepchill® keeps your fish colder and fresher for longer, enabling you to get the most out of your fishing trips. Deepchilling maximizes the freshness of your catch, from the sea to shore, making it an ideal fish chiller for vessels that prioritize quality, so that your clients can enjoy a truly “Ocean Fresh” quality seafood.
Higher quality, longer shelf life, even more efficient operation – every advantage that you can seize for your fishery helps enhance your profitability. Deepchilling is a highly advanced fish cooling and preservation process that can help you improve your onboard processes and harvest the greatest profits from your catch.
Deepchill® slurry completely surrounds your fish from top to bottom of the container or hold, resulting in fast, uniform cooling and consistent quality throughout. This rapid cooling delays the start of rigor and prolongs shelf life by providing the rapid chilling performance expected from a modern fish processing chiller.
Deepchill® suspends and protects your fish, preventing surface damage which contributes to better fish freshness preservation throughout the trip. There are no sharp edges like conventional ice that can bruise or damage the fish surface, nor is there any intense agitation as with Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW).
Deepchill® is free-flowing and can be pumped anywhere, making it easy to distribute and to quickly handle large catches with a limited crew, saving labour.
Deepchilling’s superior preservation allows for extended time at sea making it valuable for operators needing an industrial fish chiller with performance standard. This means a higher yield per trip while still maintaining the quality of your fish until processing.
Each individual Deepchill® crystal already carries cooling energy needed, giving it a significant advantage over a traditional fish refrigeration system and allowing Deepchill® to rapidly chill and maintain sub-zero temperature of the fish without external refrigeration.
When warm fish enters pre-chilled RSW water, the temperature rises significantly, and as a result it takes many hours for the RSW system to cool the fish to ~2ºC. The system must also continuously run to keep water chilled. This continuous and intense circulation of RSW may cause damage to seafood products.
Source: Independent study by The Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland.
For boats that land fresh unprocessed fish, Deepchill® offers the ideal fish cold storage cooling and preservation system to chill large quantities of fish quickly, uniformly and efficiently. Whether you store your catch in stacked containers or keep the fish in bulk in the fish hold, Deepchill® helps you maintain peak freshness for longer, maximizing the length of your trip after catch without compromising quality.
1. Harvest
Deepchill® is generated and ready to be applied as soon as fish is harvested to stop deterioration of fish
2. Deepchilling — containers
Deepchill® is pumped directly into containers, providing rapid, uniform cooling. Fish is homogeneously mixed with Deepchill®.
3. Storage
Deepchill® inside containers fully surrounds the fish and packs the container, maintaining fish at the ideal temperature to preserve it throughout the trip. Deepchill® protects the fish from drying, retaining its moisture.
2. Deepchilling — fish hold
Fish are deposited into the hold partly filled with Deepchill®. Fish is homogeneously mixed with Deepchill® and uniformly chilled.
3. Storage
Deepchill® fully surrounds fish maintaining it at ideal temperature to preserve and protect from damage throughout trip. Unlike RSW, the enormous cooling energy stored in Deepchill® can keep large amounts of fish at sub-zero temperature without external refrigeration.
1. Harvest
Upon harvest, fish is pumped into tankersor insulated totes containing DeepChill®, rapidly cooling the fish to stop deterioration and maintain consistent quality. DeepChill® crystals suspend the fish protecting it from damage during transportation.
2. Reception
After transport, fish can be temporarily stored in DeepChill® until processing — this extends the processing window and enables better handling of peaks without loss of quality.
3. Process
DeepChill® can be used in different stages of processing to stow and maintain temperature of the fish — allowing smoother operation and avoiding bottlenecks. DeepChill® is automatically pumped where needed, simplifying process and reducing labourious ice handling tasks.
4. Freezer
(in the case of frozen products)Freezing capacity and efficiency is improved sincefish is now pre-chilled to 0ºC before entering freezer. Faster freezing results in higher quality fish.
5. Packaging
(in the case of fresh products)Fish is packaged in Styrofoam boxes, which are then filled with DeepChill® —this prevents fish from drying and maintains consistent low temperature.
Whether you freeze your catch at sea or process onboard, Deepchill® allows you to cool large quantities of fish rapidly and uniformly, acting as an efficient fish cooling system before processing or freezing. Deepchill® preserves your fish in the best condition while increasing the speed and efficiency of your processes.
1. Harvest
Deepchill® is generated and ready to be applied as soon as fish is harvested to stop deterioration of fish.
2. Pre-chill
Deepchill® is pumped into HeliX DeepchillerTM or holding tank to rapidly chill and preserve the fish in the best condition before processing.
3. Temporary Storage
Deepchill® can be used in different stages of processing to stow and maintain temperature of the fish – allowing a smoother operation and avoiding bottlenecks.
4. Freezer
Processed fish is stored in the optimal form of Deepchill® to maintain fish at sub-zero temperature, and prevent mechanical damage or contamination. In case of frozen-at-sea fish, freezing capacity is increased up to 20% since fish is properly pre-chilled before entering freezer.
1. Harvest
Upon harvest, fish is pumped into tankersor insulated totes containing DeepChill®, rapidly cooling the fish to stop deterioration and maintain consistent quality. DeepChill® crystals suspend the fish protecting it from damage during transportation.
2. Reception
After transport, fish can be temporarily stored in DeepChill® until processing — this extends the processing window and enables better handling of peaks without loss of quality.
3. Process
DeepChill® can be used in different stages of processing to stow and maintain temperature of the fish — allowing smoother operation and avoiding bottlenecks. DeepChill® is automatically pumped where needed, simplifying process and reducing labourious ice handling tasks.
4. Freezer
(in the case of frozen products)Freezing capacity and efficiency is improved sincefish is now pre-chilled to 0ºC before entering freezer. Faster freezing results in higher quality fish.
Success Story
A Deepchill® system installed onboard their new vessel helped McCarthy’s enhance their operations and their bottom line.
The Deepchill® system offers flexible layouts and modular configurations sized and designed to fit your onboard operations. Systems are fully automated, easy to operate and simple to maintain.
Modular Deepchill® systems can be installed on retrofit or new vessels, and can be fitted all in one location or designed to be split into multiple locations across multiple decks if necessary.
Let us help you determine the best solution to achieve greater cost-savings and profitability for your business.
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