Buying a side of beef is one of the best ways to keep quality beef on hand, but there’s one practical question you want answered before pickup day:
Do I actually have enough freezer space?
It sounds simple, but it’s easy to underestimate how much room a larger beef order takes once everything is cut, wrapped, and ready to come home.
At Triple JC Ranch, we’d rather help you plan for it ahead of time than have you standing in the garage reorganizing a freezer while your beef waits in the truck.
How Much Freezer Space Should You Plan For?
For a side of beef, we recommend planning for approximately:
17.5–18 cubic feet of freezer space.
That gives you enough room to organize the different cuts without having to pack everything in so tightly that you can’t find what you’re looking for later.
The exact amount of space you need can vary based on the animal, your cut sheet, packaging, and how full the freezer already is.
So think of 17.5–18 cubic feet as a practical planning target, not a guarantee that every side will fill the exact same amount of space.
Why Does the Amount of Beef Vary?
A side of beef is not a standardized box coming off an assembly line.
Every animal is different.
The amount of packaged beef you ultimately receive can be affected by:
- The size and condition of the animal
- Hanging weight
- Bone-in versus boneless selections
- How much trimming is requested
- Steak and roast preferences
- Ground beef selections
- Specialty cuts
- Bones and organs you choose to keep
That’s why we talk about freezer space as an estimate.
The goal is to make sure you have more than enough room, not calculate it down to the last package.
Upright Freezer or Chest Freezer?
Either one can work.
The better choice usually comes down to how you want to organize and use your beef.
Chest Freezers
Chest freezers are great for maximizing usable space and can hold a lot of beef efficiently.
The downside?
If you don’t organize them well, that package you want always seems to be underneath everything else.
Bins, baskets, or simple dividers can make a huge difference.
Upright Freezers
Upright freezers make it easier to see and organize your cuts.
You can create shelves for:
- Ground beef
- Steaks
- Roasts
- Brisket and ribs
- Specialty cuts
They’re convenient, but the shelving and layout can reduce some of the usable interior space.
Neither option is automatically better.
The important part is having enough dedicated room before your beef arrives.
Don’t Count Every Cubic Foot in a Partially Full Freezer
This is where people get caught.
If you have an 18-cubic-foot freezer that is already half full, you do not have 18 cubic feet available for beef.
Before deciding you have enough room, take an actual look at what’s in there.
That usually means getting rid of:
- Old freezer-burned food
- Half-empty boxes
- Forgotten leftovers
- Ice buildup
- Things you’ve been “saving” for two years
A side of beef is a good excuse to clean the freezer anyway.
How Should You Organize a Side of Beef?
You don’t need an elaborate system.
You just need a system that makes sense when you’re trying to find dinner six months from now.
We like keeping similar cuts together.
For example:
Ground Beef
Keep ground packages in one area so they’re easy to grab for weeknight meals.
Steaks
Group steak cuts together and separate them by type if you want to get more organized.
Roasts
Keep larger roasts together so you can quickly see what you have.
Specialty Cuts
Brisket, short ribs, stew meat, bones, organs, and less frequently used cuts can have their own section.
A few labeled baskets or freezer bins can turn one big pile of beef into something you’ll actually enjoy using.
Why Buying a Side Takes a Little Planning
When you buy beef from a grocery store, you’re normally buying what you need for the next meal or two.
Buying directly from a ranch changes that.
You’re planning ahead.
Instead of deciding what meat to buy every week, you’re building a supply of beef that can feed your household for months.
That means thinking about things like:
- Freezer capacity
- The cuts your family actually uses
- Ground beef package sizes
- Steak thickness
- Roast sizes
- Bone-in versus boneless preferences
Those decisions are part of the ranch-direct experience.
And once you’ve done it once, the process becomes a lot easier.
What If a Side Is More Beef Than You Need?
A side of beef is a substantial purchase, and it isn’t necessarily the right fit for every household.
Maybe you don’t have an extra freezer.
Maybe your household is smaller.
Or maybe you simply want to try ranch-direct beef before committing to a larger order.
That’s why Triple JC Ranch is also working toward smaller beef-box options as inventory becomes available.
There should be more than one way to buy good beef.
Make Room Before Pickup Day
The biggest piece of advice we can give is simple:
Don’t wait until your beef is ready to start thinking about the freezer.
Know where it’s going.
Clear the space.
Get it organized.
Then when pickup day arrives, all you have to do is bring the beef home and put it away.
Know Your Ranch. Know Your Beef.
Buying a side of beef takes a little more planning than buying a few steaks at the store.
But in return, you get a freezer stocked with beef from cattle you know more about, raised by people you can actually talk to.
At Triple JC Ranch, we want the entire process to feel straightforward — from understanding hanging weight and choosing your cuts to figuring out whether you have enough freezer space.
Thinking About a Side of Beef?
Triple JC Ranch offers Colorado-raised beef by the side, custom-cut options, and additional beef offerings as inventory becomes available.
Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll let you know what’s currently available or coming up next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much freezer space do I need for a side of beef?
We recommend planning for approximately 17.5–18 cubic feet of available freezer space.
Can I use my regular refrigerator freezer?
A standard refrigerator freezer is unlikely to provide enough dedicated space for a full side, especially if it already contains other food. A separate freezer is generally the more practical option.
Does every side of beef take up the same amount of freezer space?
No. Animal size, processing selections, packaging, and the cuts you choose can all affect the final amount of packaged beef.
What if I don’t have room for a side?
Triple JC Ranch is developing smaller beef-box options as inventory becomes available, giving customers another way to purchase ranch-direct beef without committing to a full side.