I've been tempted to go in on a quarter of a cow... I have a 14.6 cf freezer that I use for my fermenting... Maybe stock up on bottles for a few months and bite the bullet on commercial beer for a while?
I'd love to do that but both my chest freezers are at fermentation temperature. Sad, I'm looking at getting a 3rd for a cheese cave. It's a lot of insanity, isn't it?
My chest freezer is in deep freeze mode now with local pork and apples/rhubarb that should be wine by now. My fermenting chamber was an old Sears 1972 monster that gave up the ghost a year or so ago. I haven't been brewing for a while so I have not missed it. We have all the gear (un-assembled) to start 1bbl batches. I hope to find an upright (maybe a commercial 1 or 2 door unit) for the conical when I get around to that.
Definitely buy the beef and more chest freezers if you need them. I have bought a few 1/4's (local grass-fed) in the past and nothing can touch it. I am drooling now thinking of those rib steaks. Same for the pork I have now.
Nice to hear from you Dan!