Homemade dehydrator

[cowgirl8]

Got it finished. Trying it out on some cilantro, vinegar and some jalapenos, plan to make a salsa mix.


I'm using window screens as my shelves. I had a bunch ratholed. i cleaned and put in new screen. Looks like they will work great. I will clean out my greenhouse for the summer and put this in there.

 

[Jogeephus]

That looks nice. Is it enclosed with vents at the bottom and vents at the top to create the airflow?

 

[cowgirl8]

I used a down draft off a jenn air cook top. It pulls air down through the top. Those are air conditioner filters on top.. I made a diffuser that sits on the bottom for the fan to suck through so that the air gets evenly, as much as possible, through all the things i want to dry. Its going to go in my greenhouse, thats what i'm going to use for heat.

 

[Jogeephus]

I see. I looked at plans for a barrel dehydrator that used the heat from the sun to heat the barrel then upper and lower vents would create a natural draft. I've heard these work really well and imagine the same principle could work in your setup. Nice job. I made a bunch of jerky Sunday and sold every bit of it yesterday. I think I need to think big if sales continue.

 

[cowgirl8]

When it gets hot, and i know eventually it will, i'm going to make jerky. I'll hang the pieces from rods instead of using my screens.

 

[TN Cattle Man]

Cowgirl... looks great! As someone who makes a lot of jerky (with a conventional dehydrator), my question to you is will your system allow you to maintain a specific and constant heat (temp)? Not sure about veggies and fruit... but with meat, consistency and control is the key!

 

[cowgirl8]

Cowgirl... looks great! As someone who makes a lot of jerky (with a conventional dehydrator), my question to you is will your system allow you to maintain a specific and constant heat (temp)? Not sure about veggies and fruit... but with meat, consistency and control is the key!

I have no idea. I know my greenhouse gets up to 160 if not higher for most of the day. I have a meat slicer so i plan to do it on hot sunny days with meat that will do in a days time. Not doing it to sell, just for ourselves. My main plan is to dry herbs and sundried tomatoes. Maybe dry shredded potatoes, depending on what kind of crop i get and how much i can up. I also plan to dry okra chips. My thinking is i'll put a timer in the plug and have the dryer turn off at night. But with meat, i'll try to get it done in a day.

 

[cowgirl8]

Dehydrator in its home. Got my greenhouse all cleared out, needed to get water barrels out anyway since most leaked. We bought that shop flooring at a auction for almost nothing. Saw it at the last minute and had an idea of putting it over the floor to keep the small rocks and plastic beads from clogging up my sliding door. Also pilfered a boise d'arc log from my husbands log stash that had one side cut already. He said he couldnt use it anyway because it had set too long and would be too hard to saw. Worked perfect as a step and a boundary. The flooring worked and had almost enough, i can buy more. They are 12x12 tile that click together and water can flow right through them.
Put some cilantro in the dehydrator and dried quick. SO, now i need to find something else to dry, the things in the garden arent quite ready..

 

[cowgirl8]

Its 160 in my greenhouse and put my first load of jerky in...Got a very late start, next time i'll get it in before it hits 170 in there..lol

 

[Jogeephus]

That should be about perfect.

 

[cowgirl8]

It all finished. I got a late start, but it was done at around 4 hours. I made the mistake by leaving it sitting out and almost all of it was eaten.
I used my meat slicer and was able to slice it pretty thin, i think that if i had to hand cut it i would have to take it out and put it back in the next day...
What is the best cut of beef for jerky? Next calf we take to be processed, i want to leave that cut whole. What cut should i tell the butcher to leave whole?

 

[Jogeephus]

Any of the roast should do. Just tell him what you are wanting to do and ask for whole roasts - not sliced. Any of the roast from the hind leg will slice some nice large pieces for jerking.

 

[hillsdown]

Round makes the best for jerky as it is very lean .