Food dehydrator help please

[hoosierlogger]

I was making 10 pounds jerky today and I am getting a little frustrated with my cheapo Harbor Freight ones. They take too long, hold very little meat, and do not dry evenly. Well the only time I make jerky and sausage is in the fall and winter. So I got to thinking about making my own since a large cabinet type commercial jobbie is out of the question. I thought I would ask the large community of resourceful tight wads here to help me out a bit.

I have a wood fired boiler that I use to heat the garage and house. I have a self contained radiator type heater in the garage that I could use for a heat source. When fully opened up I can get 190 Degree water flowing through it, which should be sufficient to heat the inside of a homemade box up to temps needed to dry meat. The idea in my mind is a box on a stand that will fit tightly against the heater so the warm air can enter the bottom and a vent out the top.

I was considering making the box out of the foil faced foam insulation board with a wood frame. The only thing that would be the major expense would be the racks to put the meat on that would provide enough air flow to ensure consistent drying. That is where I need ideas or suggestions for materials for the racks.

So help me if you can. If you think it is a stupid idea then say it I am open to all suggestions, you might have a better idea than I do.

[markinalpine]

Make frames with screen door spline, the wood strips used to cover the edges of the screen after it has been stapled to the screendoor, and use fiberglass screen fabric for racks.

Mark :coffeecom

[hoosierlogger]

Yes that is a good idea. I suppose aluminum screen would be the ticket. Another problem I faced was when using the jerky gun, if you hold the gun at too steep of an angle the meat gets pushed into the holes in the plastic trays and it is hard to get the meat to come off of them. The smaller holes in the screen should effectively prevent that.

[oneokie]

If you do use aluminum screen for the racks/trays, keep a close eye on them as the acids in the marinade can cause the aluminum to deteriorate.

[kbstenberg]

I would be careful about useing Styrofoam insulation. Doesn't that give off poisonous gasses if heated too much? I could be wrong!!

[hoosierlogger]

I would be careful about useing Styrofoam insulation. Doesn't that give off poisonous gasses if heated too much? I could be wrong!!
Thats why I was thinking of the foil faced stuff. Since there will be an endless supply of hot air going into the box, the insulation properties of the foam probably will not be needed. May just use 1/4" plywood

[leadeye]

I would be interested in how your project works out, we are planning on doing dehydration when we complete out move.

[MT Gianni]

From "The Quick and easy art to smoking food" pg 13 homemade smokers. "Whatever you use should be able to resist salt. Avoid the aluminum racks found in refrigerators. salt will corrode the metal and that will taint the food. Better to use the stainless steel racks from an old stove."
I think 1/4" mesh steel would work if it wasn't galvanized. 1/4" hardwood dowels could make a rack if you needed to. Food grade equipment is expensive because poor materials can make you sick. Make sure that you vent it well even at the expense of loosing heat you are wanting to remove moisture.

[oneokie]

Do a Google search for Homemade Dehydrators. Some good, low budget ideas out there.

[dominicfortune00]

Alton Brown on 'Good Eats' made a jerky dehydrater from some new furnace filters and a box fan.

He put the meat on the filters, used bungee straps to hold the filters to the out blowing side of the fan, and started the fan and let it run.

He used the fan to dry the jerky to avoid using a dehydrator with a heater that would cook the jerky.

You can stack the filters maybe 4 or 5 filters tall on the fan with the meat in between the filters.

Don't remember offhand how long it took to dry jerky this way.

[Gee_Wizz01]

I made my own racks out of 1x3" wood and used nylon screen I got from a surplus dealer. I just stacked the racks on the metal roof of my shed and let the sun do the work. I placed aluminum foil on the roof before I set the racks on the roof. I covered the racks with another piece of screen to keep the insects off.

G

[hoosierlogger]

Do a Google search for Homemade Dehydrators. Some good, low budget ideas out there.

I searched around a little last night before I posted this thread and saw the ones made out of cardboard boxes and furnace filters. I am looking for something a little better than that though. I want to be able to dry at least 10 pounds of jerky at a time.

[hoosierlogger]

Better to use the stainless steel racks from an old stove."
I think 1/4" mesh steel would work if it wasn't galvanized. 1/4" hardwood dowels could make a rack if you needed to.

I have some heavy 1/8" stainless mesh but not very much of it. My father inlaw had it in his garage and he was going to throw it away, so I rescued it. I have been using it to dry my water quenched boolits, so it is out of the question for food use.

[hoosierlogger]

I would be interested in how your project works out, we are planning on doing dehydration when we complete out move.
I will keep you posted.

[NoDakJak]

Last summer I purchased two Excalbur dehydrators at a yard sale for a dollar. The heating element and fan was burnt out on both units but that was okay as I wanted the trays. I built a plywood box 16" x16" and 15" high. The bottom was left open. I screwed two layers of
1/4" plywood to the top. The lower layer had a round hole cut into it that had a radius slightly smaller than the trays while the top layer had a radius that was slightly larger and allowed the trays to sit down in it and be centered. I sit this over one of the outlet ducts of our forced air furnace. Works great! This unexpected freeze left me with five rows of sweetcorn frozen solid. I can pick a five gallon bucket of corn, slice it off the ears and have it dried rock hard in twelve hours. The key is to slice it off the cob. I have a dozen ears that I've tried drying by using a fan to blow warm air across them. After five days they are about the consistency of jelly beans. I have tried using some of the dried corn in a stew that I made a couple of days. Worked well and tasty. My next prokect is to try parching some of them and see how it works.
I tried drying a fist sized turnip. It had been frozen solid in the ground. I let it thaw about half way and sliced it into 3/8" slices. It dried to about the consistency of harness leather but passed the taste test. Slightly sweet with a mild turnip taste. The taste reminded me of a fresh Rutabaga. They shrink enough that my coffee mug would hold at least a dozen fist sized turnips. I have two fifty foot rows of turnips that need to be preserved and two more of red beets. I don't know what the beets smell like while drying but the turnips will run you out of the house. Good luck. Neil

[WickedGoodOutdoors]

I have an Excalbur 9 tray dehydrator

http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/cabelas/s7_514186_imageset_01?$main-Medium$



that I bought mail order for $250. before Cabelas opened up down the street from me. It works well but Im thinking of getting a larger one as it is too small for big jobs. I have dried Beef/Venison Jerkey in it and just dried up this years harvest of Parsley leaves, Thyme, Scallions, Mint, Basil and Oregano. It works great for just about any Herbs.


I would go for this model next.http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/cabelas/s7_515819_949_01?$main-Large$


The thought crossed my mind to build a "SmokeHouse" into my Garden Shed/Wood Shed that I will be constructing. Just put a woodstove in the basement and run the chimmny into a diverter pipe when you want to smoke meats, fish and Lobster, Mussels,Clams and Poltry.

Thats the way to go. the smokehouse room should be lined with natural unfinished roughsawn Ceder with Stainless Steel Grates obtained almost Free from appliance dealers whom take old ovens in trade.

[Gussy]

I built one out of a 3/4 size fridge. An old one with steel interior except for the door. I put a flat galv sheet on the door. I put 1/4" peg board down each side (I'll get to why soon) and pop riveted tin angles a few inches apart to hold shelves. In the bottom is a small electric heater which is ducted into a pipe. In the pipe is an inline furnace fan (used to push heated air in long duct runs in a house) this runs all the time and circulates the air when the heater is off. The heater/fan is ducted into one side of the peg board which gives a fairly even flow about all the way up. It cross flows over the trays in into the other side. On the "intake side of the fridge, I cut in a regular electric light box for fresh air. I put a swinging cover over it to regulate intake. I made trays out of expanded metal (flat expanded on angled) with tin around the edges to keep it flat. 18 full trays (approx 18"X18") with a lot of room between and a couple of small trays at the bottom where the box is smaller.

It will hold 20+ pounds of jerky or a box of apples for drying. One tip on drying jerky: If using a shooter, I shoot onto the plastic side of butcher paper. this prevents shooting through the mesh. After a couple of hours, I dump the jerky right on to the trays as it is set up by then. I do rotate the trays 180 at least once to insure even drying. I did this on a small unit I once had.

I usually run the temp at 125. DO use a preservative in your jerky for safety. Look up "the sausage maker" co it's in NY I think. They have evrything you would need.

[pmeisel]

I haven't done it yet, but I have a write up somewhere on using an old fridge like Gussy describes, with expanded metal for the trays. Don't remember where I got it and I can't find it right now.

[dsmjon]

We built one years and years ago out of 3/8" plywood, window screen, and (4) 60W lightbulbs. I think the idea/schematics came from some old Boy Scout media. (Boys Life issue I think???)

The Foxfire set of books from before my time had some great ideas as well..

[hoosierlogger]

Wow gang there are some great ides in here so far. I think I will try the window screen on a couple of trays before I make 20 or 25 of them. Now I just have to find time to build it.

[MT Gianni]

! This unexpected freeze left me with five rows of sweetcorn frozen solid. I can pick a five gallon bucket of corn, slice it off the ears and have it dried rock hard in twelve hours. The key is to slice it off the cob. I have a dozen ears that I've tried drying by using a fan to blow warm air across them. After five days they are about the consistency of jelly beans. I have tried using some of the dried corn in a stew that I made a couple of days. Worked well and tasty. My next prokect is to try parching some of them and see how it works.
I tried drying a fist sized turnip. It had been frozen solid in the ground. I let it thaw about half way and sliced it into 3/8" slices. It dried to about the consistency of harness leather but passed the taste test. Slightly sweet with a mild turnip taste. The taste reminded me of a fresh Rutabaga. They shrink enough that my coffee mug would hold at least a dozen fist sized turnips. I have two fifty foot rows of turnips that need to be preserved and two more of red beets. I don't know what the beets smell like while drying but the turnips will run you out of the house. Good luck. Neil

My wife has used a dehydrator for over 25 years. I have dries corn, green beans, peas and potatoes from the garden and they make a great backpacking stew. Add jerky also. I boil water heat a cheap plastic large top thermos with the water for 2-3 minutes then dump that water back into the pot. I add the meat and veggies with spices then fill it with water. I do this after breakfast and it is ready to eat and hot at 5:00 PM. Long spoons work best but it saves cooking at the end of a hike or ice fishing.

[NoDakJak]

MT Gianni, Good information. I have tried filling a wide mouth thermos half full of wheat and then filling it with boiling water. Wrap in towels or blanket and breakfast is waiting when you wake up. I think that it is more satisfactory with cracked wheat but my neighbor prefers the whole grain. Neil

[MT Gianni]

That is how you cook breakfast, Jak. I use a mix of wheat, pearled barley, cut oats, coconut, pumpkin & sunflower seeds and some dried fruit. I make it all in a wide mouth plastic thermos from Wal-Mart for $7.

[Idaho_Elk_Huntr]

I would go for this model next.http://images.cabelas.com/is/image/cabelas/s7_515819_949_01?$main-Large$




I went with this. I got the large model from Cabelas. They run both on sale for $100 off. The most jerky we have done at once was last year we put 76 lbs of moose on it. Still had empty trays. If you can afford one of these they are great

[NoDakJak]

Mt Gianni That rercipe sounds great. I'll have to give it a try. Neil

[tcrocker]

I just use the oven put tooth pic in one end of the meat and hang on a rack. Line the bottom of the oven with foil real gooood, set the oven at it's loest setting and put a wooden spoon in the door just to keep the door ajar. Start it when you go to bed and when you wake up it's done and the house smells good:grin:

[fourarmed]

Pending realization of all these designs, you can speed up sliced jerky making in your cheap electric dehydrator by putting jerky and marinade in a pot and bringing it to a simmer before moving it to the dehydrator. This will cut the drying time about in half compared to drying meat cold from the refrigerator.