  
Krytos (Krytos)
| | Posted on Sunday, September 30, 2001 - 05:54 pm: | 
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I found a dehydrator at walmart today for $20 bucks, its a very basic model, but its super cheap!
Only thing is that it doesnt have a temp setting, just on/off. Gotta test out whether it uses too much heat or not....Ill let you know soon.
Krytos
Drying Question : Drying Teks : Cap-em-Quick : Shroom Glossary |
George W. Bush (Xatomichristx)
| | Posted on Sunday, September 30, 2001 - 07:23 pm: |
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i got one from walmart too...if you know anything about electronics, then open it up and disconnect the heating element...if you don't, find someone to do it for you. And it'll work great! |
fungis amongus (Fungisamongus)
| | Posted on Sunday, September 30, 2001 - 08:40 pm: |
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so are you guys using a dehydrator with a fan only setting? I had the same idea, but I think I'm going to build a setup to dry them with desiccant. I think it may preserve more potency to dry them that way, rather than just with air.
let me know how it works out.
peace |
Lzmaryann (Lzmaryann)
| | Posted on Monday, October 01, 2001 - 01:30 am: |
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Ok, well how do you disconnect the heating element. I been looking for a dehydrator for a while now and most of them have an undesirable temperature range. What was the model of the dehydrator you purchased at Walmart?
The only one I found at Walmart locally was a big ass Sunbeam and it wasn't cheap! |
Nanook of the North (Nanook)
| | Posted on Monday, October 01, 2001 - 03:12 am: |
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Open the sucker up and clip one of the wires going to the heater element...
Personally I made a dryer. I took a 5 gallon bucket, cut a hole in the bottom and mounted a $5.00 surplus high CFM chassis fan in the bottom blowing upwards. I screwed some wooden legs to the bottom to keep it off the floor, and made some stacking screen trays out of some old wire and a roll of plastic screening from the hardware store. Total cost $8.79 plus a couple of hours to build. Works like a charm. |
Lzmaryann (Lzmaryann)
| | Posted on Monday, October 01, 2001 - 04:07 am: |
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Ok, well I understand that, unfortunately the same power that feeds heating element also feeds the fan in plastic encapsulated assembly. That's why I asked which model.  |
Krytos (Krytos)
| | Posted on Monday, October 01, 2001 - 06:42 am: |
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I dont know which model, but the wires were connected as you say, but it was just a matter of connecting the fan directly to the power, rather than going through the heating element. Took me 5 min. to figure out. Wish I could draw a diagram for ya, because I dont really know what I am talking about, just that I know how to do it......sorry, not much help.
Krytos |
Nanook of the North (Nanook)
| | Posted on Monday, October 01, 2001 - 06:45 am: |
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There are two basic electrical circuit types: series & parallel. What you describe is the fan in series with the element???
That means the fan turns off when the element is not heating... But dehydrators have the fan running all the time (at least every one I have played with). The wiring on every dehydrator I have looked at is in parallel... Yes they are all connected together, but the fan circuit shunts around the heating element... Cut the element out of the circuit and the fan runs and runs... But no heat.
If you don't understand how these circuits work and are wired, don't mess with it at all. Ask someone with some electrical wiring experience... Because if you cut the fan out accidentally, the element can overheat and pop the safety circuit, disabling the dehyrdator.
Nan |
Lzmaryann (Lzmaryann)
| | Posted on Monday, October 01, 2001 - 11:51 pm: |
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Righto! Nan. I do understand series and parallel wiring. If they are typically wired in parallel then the fan would keep running. Guess I'll have to tinker around. The models I've looked at have all the components encapsulated in a plastic which is a real hassle. I'll keep looking but thanks that helps. |
jim brown (Shrhobbyist)
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 10:20 am: |
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If you disconnect the heat, isn't it just a fan that holds your mushrooms over it? If so, why not just get a fan? Is their a third drying element to these contraptions? |
Nanook of the North (Nanook)
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2001 - 12:38 pm: |
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You don't want any heat, it steals the magic. Dry them at room temp in moving air until they are firm, then move them into a sealed container with desiccant to finish the job to "cracker" dryness.
A fan works just fine, people like the dehyrdrators because they have stacking trays that allow easy drying in the moving air...
Personally I made a dryer. I took a 5 gallon bucket, cut a hole in the bottom and mounted a $5.00 surplus high CFM chassis fan in the bottom blowing upwards. I screwed some wooden legs to the bottom to keep it off the floor, and made some stacking screen trays out of some old wire and a roll of plastic screening from the hardware store. Total cost $8.79 plus a couple of hours to build. Fan dry 48-72 hours then pop em over Desiccant in a Desiccator. Works like a Charm.
Nan |
jim brown (Shrhobbyist)
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2001 - 09:44 am: |
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I understand that heat is bad for our shrooms but my question is; how is a heatless dehumidifier better/different than a fan, besides for being easier to secure the shrooms in the right position? |
Liberty_Caps (Liberty_Caps)
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2001 - 07:17 pm: |
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ok I've got some really big well 5" hawwians now ready to pick it has a huge cap and a pretty thin stem. my mom is going to be hear today so I think I'll have to use the fan instead of the hudimidfier so does anyone have any tips on drying, so they get cracker dry?? or is thier anyway to make the shrooms look better so after drying they dont look like poop? dumb post i know ps. my pf shrooms never get to tall thier always really fat and short are they supposed to be like that all the time? thanx |
Hatcher Milburn (Hatcher)
| | Posted on Thursday, October 04, 2001 - 06:26 am: |
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Got my dehydrator off Ebay for $30.00, Mr. Coffee model. Once you get thru the two tamper-resistant screws, snip both wires coming from the heating element, and you're set. Ebay, Mr. Coffee. |
jim brown (Shrhobbyist)
| | Posted on Friday, October 05, 2001 - 01:03 pm: |
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Thanks N O' N. I can't recommend Desiccants enough, beats the hell out of fans for drying. I wonder if putting shrooms on one of trays of a desiccator and putting some Damp-rid, folded in a paper towel like a huge tea-bag, on the tray above would work faster. I don't have a desiccator to try, if someone can and does, let me know how it works. It might not help, though.
Shroom Glossary |
sean williams (Mynarsean)
| | Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2001 - 08:02 pm: |
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i believe that cool drying is the way to go. but is it a bad thing to use a dehydrator? do they was too much heat? cause i'm running thin on drying room. four full containers and there are still more growing.
how often are you guys\gals getting dried fungi, from cool drying? |
jim brown (Shrhobbyist)
| | Posted on Saturday, December 01, 2001 - 11:56 pm: |
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What do you mean by "how often are you getting dried fungi..."?
You should do cool drying always. Any heat is bad for potency. If you are running out of chambers you can put them on a screen in front of a fan to get them started. That or I would recommend getting another tupperware drying container. |
Snoopy (Snoopy)
| | Posted on Sunday, December 02, 2001 - 12:33 am: |
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Yup I would recommend what jim said. Throw them in front of a fan for 18-24 hours. Pressed between 2 screens, and then stick in a container full of damp-rid or any such drying agent until ready for consumption. |
sean williams (Mynarsean)
| | Posted on Sunday, December 02, 2001 - 05:51 am: |
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yea, i've got damp rid in four containers now. and they are full.
from when you put them in to dry, how long does it take to get dried ones. mine seem to take forever.
cool dry is the way to go. i was just looking for some short cuts.
thx |
jim brown (Shrhobbyist)
| | Posted on Sunday, December 02, 2001 - 10:08 am: |
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It depends on how many mushrooms total are in the container and (I think) how "fresh" the damp-rid is. Either way, play it safe and leave everything in for a minimum of 4 days. Also, don't put freshly picked shrooms into a container with half dry shrooms. |
Nan (Nanook)
| | Posted on Monday, December 03, 2001 - 07:26 am: |
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How hot is too hot?
PF says no heat. We recommend cutting out the heater element from the Dehydrator
That's my 2 cents |
Dr. Cubesis III (Newbieshroomer)
| | Posted on Monday, December 10, 2001 - 11:42 pm: |
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Went out to the swap meet and found me one of those food dehydrators. Seems the old lady bought it but never used it, and it even came with extra
trays.
BUT, after I was all excited about it, I read that the way it dehydrates is fan forced heat.,
Which goes against virtually everything I have been taught here... I have heard that heat kills psilocybin. But I have also heard that dehydrators work great. Would appreciate if someone could help set me straight on this issue.
Do I:
Give the dehydrator to my girlfriend for fruit snacks?
or
Load it up full of shrooms to dry them out?
Advice as always is sincerely appreciated!! |
Dr. Cubesis III (Newbieshroomer)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 12:56 am: |
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Anyone? |
hippie3 (Hippie)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 01:07 am: |
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i tried my dehydrator early on, and here were my conclusions.
1. it's fast, and you can dry really large amounts in a single day.
2. the fruits will still be potent enough, but not as strong as if dried properly.
some people disconnect the heating element and just use the fan, which is a good idea anyway, to dry by a fan b4 using dessicant to finish, if needed/desired. |
Dr. Cubesis III (Newbieshroomer)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 01:13 am: |
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Thanks Hippie!
Thats all I was looking for....
I think I will stick to just drying them in the collander over the hepa machine, they dry clean and nice that way. I finish them in an upside down margarita shaker, makes a neat dessicant holder Don't really wanna compromise potency.... |
Patrick (Valence)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 01:29 am: |
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You could disconnect the heater element and then it would make a nice enclosed fan unit for drying out the shrooms. Or if it has different temp setting, use it with the lowest setting. Or to check the actual temp. Throw in a thermometer and check it a different times to see what temp it is. Or you could check the archives. Every answer you could ever want is in there.
dehydrators |
Lzmaryann (Lzmaryann)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 01:42 am: |
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Yes, Disconnect the heating element. The fan and heater are wired in parallel so snipping the heating element lead will not interfere with fan operation. After the leads are snipped use some heat shrinkable tubing to secure any exposed wire. I had doubts that this modified version of the dehydrator would work, but It really worked great! |
Patrick (Valence)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 02:04 am: |
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You could, if you had a little experience with trons, connect a variable resistor in-line with the heater, then you can control the heat and keep it around 80 to 90 degrees. Then it will work great. I would enlist the help of someone knowledgeable in trons if you are not. Can create a fire hazard if you do it wrong. I like this idea so much that I am going to go out looking for a dehydrator for myself. |
Kaijan (Kaijan)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 02:45 am: |
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Idealy you do not want to use any heat what-so-ever.
kai. |
Nan (Nanook)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 03:24 am: |
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I second you Kai. No heat. Fan dry. Then dessicant. Brush off dried casing and/or verm from the bases with a toothbrush once shrooms are cracker dry. |
jack cracker (Cptcracker)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 04:16 am: |
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and a third. i just put a piece of black tape in between the points on the temp setting and voila! no heat whatsoever.
run the dehydrator in a cool, well ventilated spot and potency will not be compromised. |
Dr. Cubesis III (Newbieshroomer)
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 11, 2001 - 10:08 pm: |
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Wow!!!
Thanks everyone, wasn't expecting so much help.
On my way to the thoughtfully provided dehydraor link... And since I have so many mushies, I do think I will end up clipping or blocking the heating element wires.... Pretty cool
I think that the no-heat way is the way to seeing as virtually everyine here agrees with that.
I have noticed something else as well, I have forsaken the shroomery all together as of late.
Lots and LOTS of people there, but the quality
of the advice here is immeasurable....
And patrick, good luck with your modifications!
I would love to know how that goes!
Hey thanks again everyone! |
jim brown (Shrhobbyist)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2001 - 07:35 am: |
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Keep in mind that if you buy a dehydrator and disconnect the heating element you are left with a fan. So if you own a fan, the dehydrator is not a worthwhile investment. Just devise some sort of a thing to secure your shrooms in front of the fan and they dry incredibly fast. |
Dr. Cubesis III (Newbieshroomer)
| | Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2001 - 04:55 pm: |
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Good call jim,
In my case I bought it for four bucks, and
with all my flushes all those trays come in handy.
But also keep in mind, " The first time I dried some of my shroomys, I used a fan I THOUGHT was clean in a room I THOUGHT was clean... And when I looked at them closely they were covered in cat hair, dust and other crap. I am using a collander/hepa now after learning that, but the trays will come in handy + food deydrator is cheap. |
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