Homemade Food Dehydrator

[clarkshomestead]

Check out this link. I'm gonna try it, but with some plywood I have layin' around. http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/dehydratorstryder.htm

[nancy1340]

That's cool! Thanks for posting the link.

Be sure and let us know more about it as you go along.

[kberg]

Any Update??????

[mtwildflower]

Yeah? Update? Did you build it and if so, were you happy with it?

[Jimmy7114]

Okay, no update - I'm going to try and build one this weekend-no guarantees though - I have to make a dump run and fall a couple of trees.

[RueTheDay]

I have the Nesco dehydrator feom Wal Mart. Seems like it should be easy enough to make one - just a bunch of perforated trays with a heating element and fan up top.

[NCLee]

I took a look at the dehydrator in the link and have some concerns about it. Namely there doesn't appear adequate air circulation. Plus it doesn't sound like the fellow took temperature into consideration. While he said that it worked for his application, I doubt that it'll work very well for a variety of dehydrating situations. If the heat is too high, it'll case harden some foods. If the heat is too high, it'll destroy some vitamins and other nutrients. If the temperature in the box is too low, there's a real risk of mold and other pathogens contaminating the food.

Personally I'd be reluctant to store/eat foods, especially meats, from a dehydrator with those design limitations. It won't take a lot to improve the design -- adding a fan with in/out air circulation pattern -- adding a grill thermometer and adjusting the size of the light bulb to maintain the correct temp for the food being processed. Elevating the food off the pans with cooling racks so air circulation all all around each piece. And - making a light shield to block some of the light from the food.

FWIW, I started out with a Mr Coffee round dehydrator that didn't have a temperature control. Finally gave up on it because of the poor / unacceptable results. Today I have a 9 tray Excalibur with heat control and timer. It was well worth the investment. I haven't had to discard a single thing because it didn't dehydrate properly since I got it. And, because of the design it's a multitasker, too. Using it as a yogurt maker is just one example.

I'd like to suggest to anyone wanting to make a dehydrator, spend some time with google and study the various designs. Some are much, much better than others. Also, check amazon for a good book on dehydrating and/or study the web sites that cover the fine points of doing it well. Look for the how-to for each fruit, herb, veggie, or meat. Look for the info on safety issues. Proper storage methods, etc. There's a wealth of free info out there that'll get you the best results from all your hard work.

Hope these thoughts are useful.

Lee

[tomato204]

A much better one is here:
http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/soldehyd.htm
And it can use a couple improvements. Using plywood, as mentioned is one. Make the part labeled "box" into a short tower with several trays, so the warm air rises thru them all and exits around the edge of a solid top, instead of being open to the sky as this one is. Birds, ya know.

[Incoming]

Here is my homer that I made this past June out of some shipping crate materials I picked up off the side of the road. It has 14 trays that are 2'X2' and stands about 4' high so I can dehydrate a lot at one time. I covered it with some scrap 1/8" paneling I had in the barn and drilled 6 vent holes at the top and covered with screen and also a 6" screened over vent hole in the bottom that the heater sets over and had 6 old cabinet henges laying around for the doors. It is powered by a very small space heater with a 3 speed fan that I paid $2 for at a thrift store.

http://i30.tinypic.com/2pu05xj.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/2djqoty.jpg