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cinderblock
Failed Conformist
Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 866
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Desired features in dehydrator?
#20565900 - 09/14/14 11:57 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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According to all the posts, you want a dehydrator that comes with a thermostat that can be adjusted down to 95 degrees.
I looked it up on Amazon, and there are several models that offer thermostats that can get down to 95.
Are there any other features that I should look for? Like the level of trays? The height? The wattage? BPA-free?
What do you think of these?
http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-FD-61WHC-Snackmaster-Dehydrator-All-In-One/dp/B0002WSQHU/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1410716335&sr=1-2&keywords=american+harvest+dehydrator
http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-Snackmaster-Food-Dehydrator-FD-75A/dp/B0090WOCN0/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1410716334&sr=1-5&keywords=american+harvest+dehydrator
Edited by cinderblock (09/14/14 11:58 AM)
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,915
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: cinderblock]
#20565938 - 09/14/14 12:08 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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you want a dehydrator that can dry at at least 160F turn the thermostat all the way up the actives don't break down till well over 300F you want to dry them fast use heat and forced air. that's why dehydrators are the no1 recommended method 95F is much too cool and will take you at least 24 hours to get cracker dry.
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Sanguin3
Optimist

Registered: 10/19/13
Posts: 2,273
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? *DELETED* [Re: cinderblock]
#20565942 - 09/14/14 12:09 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Sanguin3
Reason for deletion: .
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,915
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: Sanguin3]
#20565957 - 09/14/14 12:14 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Sanguin3 said: You don't need one with an adjustable thermostat. The actives don't break down until much higher temps than dehydrators reach, anything that claims you shouldn't go higher than 95 degrees is BS. I use a cheap presto from walmart and I've seen a few pics of others using the same one.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Presto-Dehydro-Electric-Food-Dehydrator-06300/20924338
35 bucks, that's all ya need. Might even be a little cheaper on amazon

Quote:
Sanguin3 said: anything that claims you shouldn't go higher than 95 degrees is BS.
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cinderblock
Failed Conformist
Registered: 07/13/14
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: bodhisatta]
#20567291 - 09/14/14 04:53 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks guys I'm glad I checked. All the past threads were recommending 95. Egad how times change.
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tchyted
miestro
Registered: 09/03/01
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: cinderblock]
#20567373 - 09/14/14 05:14 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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well, my best answer to this is not to use a dehydrator in the first place. the desirable indoles break down by reaction with oxygen, forming a simpler inactive indole that is blueish in color. the rate of reaction is directly proportional to temperature. the reaction uses water as an intermediate, so it comes to a standstill once the mushrooms are dry. decomposition temperatures in the hundreds of degrees are relating to dry samples. the ambient temp inside a dehydrator may be significantly lower than surface temps.
but after all, you asked what kind of dehydrator to use, and by far the best way to dry shrooms is in a frost-free freezer. at temps below freezing, the water intermediate in the reaction is once again eliminated, because it is trapped in frozen crystals.
numerous bio-assays and side by side empirical tests indicate that potency is significantly higher when freezer dried.
it only takes a few days to freezer dry to cracker-dry
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Sanguin3
Optimist

Registered: 10/19/13
Posts: 2,273
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? *DELETED* [Re: tchyted]
#20567545 - 09/14/14 05:57 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Sanguin3
Reason for deletion: .
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,915
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: tchyted]
#20567975 - 09/14/14 07:20 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
tchyted said: well, my best answer to this is not to use a dehydrator in the first place. the desirable indoles break down by reaction with oxygen, forming a simpler inactive indole that is blueish in color. the rate of reaction is directly proportional to temperature. the reaction uses water as an intermediate, so it comes to a standstill once the mushrooms are dry. decomposition temperatures in the hundreds of degrees are relating to dry samples. the ambient temp inside a dehydrator may be significantly lower than surface temps.
but after all, you asked what kind of dehydrator to use, and by far the best way to dry shrooms is in a frost-free freezer. at temps below freezing, the water intermediate in the reaction is once again eliminated, because it is trapped in frozen crystals.
numerous bio-assays and side by side empirical tests indicate that potency is significantly higher when freezer dried.
it only takes a few days to freezer dry to cracker-dry
check your sources and make sure they were not published in the 70s
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Mdahmer
Aloysius devadander abercrombie



Registered: 04/05/14
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: Sanguin3]
#20568248 - 09/14/14 08:07 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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im pretty sure if you freeze a wet mushroom it will just turn to mush when you thaw it, but im not nearly as scientific as that guy so maybe hes taking about some sort of flash freezing something or another apparatus. a normal freezer though...not for drying mushrooms
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Kizzle
Misanthrope


Registered: 08/30/11
Posts: 9,870
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: tchyted]
#20568380 - 09/14/14 08:32 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
tchyted said: well, my best answer to this is not to use a dehydrator in the first place. the desirable indoles break down by reaction with oxygen, forming a simpler inactive indole that is blueish in color. the rate of reaction is directly proportional to temperature. the reaction uses water as an intermediate, so it comes to a standstill once the mushrooms are dry. decomposition temperatures in the hundreds of degrees are relating to dry samples. the ambient temp inside a dehydrator may be significantly lower than surface temps.
but after all, you asked what kind of dehydrator to use, and by far the best way to dry shrooms is in a frost-free freezer. at temps below freezing, the water intermediate in the reaction is once again eliminated, because it is trapped in frozen crystals.
numerous bio-assays and side by side empirical tests indicate that potency is significantly higher when freezer dried.
it only takes a few days to freezer dry to cracker-dry
And have you actually tried freezer dry them?
The ambient temperature in a dehydrator is higher than the temperature of the mushrooms due to evaporative cooling, you got that backwards.
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supernewfie
some fella


Registered: 09/24/13
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: Kizzle]
#20568495 - 09/14/14 08:52 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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I have heard of freeze drying things before, but you dont use a regular freezer, also I dont think it would be worth buying the piece of equipment to do the job of drying mushrooms when a dehydrator could do it at more than likely a fraction of the price and for all you know just as well
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supernewfie
some fella


Registered: 09/24/13
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: supernewfie]
#20568496 - 09/14/14 08:53 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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azur
God of Fuck



Registered: 04/21/12
Posts: 28,103
Loc: Daid
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: supernewfie]
#20569024 - 09/14/14 10:59 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Kizzle
Misanthrope


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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: supernewfie]
#20569032 - 09/14/14 11:03 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Freezing fresh mushroom may be fine for potency testing but their no longer going to be mushrooms in a saleable sense at least even after they're dried.
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cinderblock
Failed Conformist
Registered: 07/13/14
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: Kizzle]
#20570311 - 09/15/14 10:58 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Interesting stuff. Maybe freeze drying mushrooms will catch on in the future, but it seems really expensive. Maybe they'll come up with cheaper technology a decade from now.
As far as potency goes, I think the standard measuring stick has always been dehydrating or air drying, so assuming freeze drying is superior to dehydrating and you do end up freeze drying your shrooms as a perk of working for a company who has this setup, you'd have to adjust the hero dose.
Also, I'm sure there are a lot of studies on nutrient retention of dehydrated fruit vs freeze dried fruit, that you can use to compare with what you think the effects will be on mushrooms.
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cupkek
The Frosting


Registered: 05/14/14
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: cinderblock]
#20574216 - 09/16/14 07:47 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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I have an Excalibur dehydrator. 4 trays for about 100$ worth every penny. it's thermostat can be set to 95. good to treat all your hardware like good investments like AA.
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Sanguin3
Optimist

Registered: 10/19/13
Posts: 2,273
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? *DELETED* [Re: cupkek]
#20574779 - 09/16/14 10:43 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Sanguin3
Reason for deletion: .
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azur
God of Fuck



Registered: 04/21/12
Posts: 28,103
Loc: Daid
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: Sanguin3]
#20574792 - 09/16/14 10:47 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Sanguin3 said: I'd rather spend the same amount of money and get 3 dehydrators
fixed
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Sanguin3
Optimist

Registered: 10/19/13
Posts: 2,273
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? *DELETED* [Re: azur]
#20574794 - 09/16/14 10:48 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Sanguin3
Reason for deletion: .
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azur
God of Fuck



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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: Sanguin3]
#20574877 - 09/16/14 11:10 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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tchyted
miestro
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: azur]
#20583890 - 09/18/14 02:05 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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gee, i thought freezer drying was common knowledge here. well: here's how it works, you harvest your shrooms. if they are fatter than about a quarter inch, then you split the stems down end to end. you sorta cut them a little and then tear them the rest of the way. they are at this point all washed and ready as though you will eat them. i use a dinner plate,(s). the shrooms are placed so that until they freeze, that they won't stick together.
at this point, yes, if you take them out of the freezer and thaw them, then all you will have is a plate full of blue mush. no, you leave them frozen at all times until they are dry. didn't i mention the reason for this in my post?
okay, once they are frozen, you can pile them up on top of one another, but the point here is how does freezer drying work? there is a fan in every frost free freezer that delivers very cold, but very dry air into the freezer. warmer air then goes into the fridge and back again. in this trip, moisture is picked up directly from the surface of the mushroom from a solid to a gas. google sublimation.
edit, it is best to place the mushrooms where the stream of air is blowing, this is usually near the ice maker of most fridge-freezer combos.
edit, on a production scale, one need only ramp up the size of the freezer and mushroom stacks. it may be necessary to add fans on the shelves. small computer-fans hung from the racks work.
Edited by tchyted (09/20/14 12:19 AM)
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Sanguin3
Optimist

Registered: 10/19/13
Posts: 2,273
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? *DELETED* [Re: Sanguin3]
#20584094 - 09/18/14 02:56 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Sanguin3
Reason for deletion: .
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,915
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: Sanguin3]
#20584815 - 09/18/14 05:33 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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you can't freeze dry in a regular freezer. freeze drying requires a special setup or everyone would freeze dry things for fun in their freezer. Don't listen to this troll. Things will slightly dry in a freezer. Ice cubes slowly sublimate in a freezer extremely slowly.
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Kizzle
Misanthrope


Registered: 08/30/11
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: bodhisatta]
#20585230 - 09/18/14 07:09 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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The major flaw in your theory here is that although this is true, and it's only completely true at cold temperatures I might add:
Quote:
the reaction uses water as an intermediate, so it comes to a a standstill once the mushrooms are dry.
This is not:
Quote:
at temps below freezing, the water intermediate in the reaction is once again eliminated, because it is trapped in frozen crystals.
It's kind of funny that you would even suggest such a thing when in the same argument you actually mention that frozen water can spontaneously sublime.
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tchyted
miestro
Registered: 09/03/01
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: Kizzle]
#20591112 - 09/20/14 12:03 AM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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well, the original posters question was about what is the best dehydrator. i gave an answer that allows him to avoid buying an unnecessary piece of equipment, based on my personal experience. all the sudden, i am attacked by a whorde of flamers who clearly haven't even put what i suggest to the test. what gives?
at this point, it has degraded into a pissing contest that i refuse to participate in any longer, it's off topic.
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azur
God of Fuck



Registered: 04/21/12
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Loc: Daid
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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: tchyted]
#20591124 - 09/20/14 12:07 AM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
tchyted said: well, the original posters question was about what is the best dehydrator. i gave an answer that allows him to avoid buying an unnecessary piece of equipment, based on my personal experience. all the sudden, i am attacked by a whorde of flamers who clearly haven't even put what i suggest to the test. what gives?
at this point, it has degraded into a pissing contest that i refuse to participate in any longer, it's off topic.
I didn't flame you. I also don't have a frost free freezer. I read an article saying you can dry them in any freezer if you put them in a paper bag. I tried. They turned dark blue and shriveled up
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cronicr



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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: azur]
#20591138 - 09/20/14 12:11 AM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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the only time you should use a freezer to dry is if you already fanned dried them first, you can use the cold air to draw the remaining moisture out, and i don't see anybody flaming here unless i missed it
-------------------- It doesn't matter what i think of you...all that matters is clean spawn
I'm tired do me a favor
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Kizzle
Misanthrope


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Re: Desired features in dehydrator? [Re: cronicr]
#20591571 - 09/20/14 03:31 AM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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No one has ever suggested drying in the freezer before. Was just trying to develop an opinion and ask you some questions about it while I still had the opportunity. I know "It's kind of funny that you would even suggest such a thing when in the same argument you actually mention that frozen water can spontaneously sublime." isn't worded as a question but I thought you might have some kind of explanation.
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