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Mr. Magic



Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 1,951
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???...
#20617793 - 09/25/14 03:45 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I've got a shit load of mushrooms coming in its almost non-stop!! lol well this is how i am attempting to dry them.

I have gotten a few to be cracker dry as needed but this particular batch is being stubborn as hell!! I've just got the mushrooms laying out on the bottom of the box with that fan set on high all day and night...and i have some mushrooms that have been in there for 5 days!! My other batch before these i didnt even have this big a fan and they dried much faster! It seems like theyre stuck where i can still just bend them but not quite completely dry...any suggestions??

I wanted to add this pic for fun cus i thought it was cool lol these are tiny compared to others i have harvested...i've had many with really thick stems and heads. Also once i think theyre ready ive been moving them into a container with desiccant but they still wont dry??
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Ghatti
Totally not a Federal Agent

Registered: 06/23/14
Posts: 1,733
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Mr. Magic]
#20617799 - 09/25/14 03:46 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Buy a dehydrator.
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Mr. Magic



Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 1,951
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Ghatti]
#20617812 - 09/25/14 03:48 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I'm really tight on money right now do you know of a place where i can get a really cheap on that still works?...Yes i cant even blow 50$ on one lol
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ant707
not a puppet


Registered: 07/26/14
Posts: 579
Loc: northeast florida
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Ghatti]
#20617813 - 09/25/14 03:48 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Ghatti said: Buy a dehydrator.
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kmetric



Registered: 08/23/14
Posts: 140
Last seen: 8 years, 10 months
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: ant707]
#20617844 - 09/25/14 03:55 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I've found used dehydrators from people on craigslist for like $15.
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Mr. Magic



Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 1,951
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: kmetric]
#20617856 - 09/25/14 03:57 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Cool alright i guess ill have to look into it....do you guys think what i'm doing will eventually work though? I dont want them to start rotting or anything is my concern.
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mushmallow88
Stranger

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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Mr. Magic]
#20617882 - 09/25/14 04:00 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I usually place them in front of my box fan for a night or more, then into the dehydrator. Before the dehydrator I would put in front of fan for a couple days, then into a closed container with some desiccant. If they haven't dried in that long of a time in front of the fan, you could try slicing them in half or quarter to help them dry easier.
- Mush
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Maito
Stranger



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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Mr. Magic]
#20617899 - 09/25/14 04:02 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
Mr. Magic said: I'm really tight on money right now do you know of a place where i can get a really cheap on that still works?...Yes i cant even blow 50$ on one lol
If you don't mind having someone else's old dehydrator, you could always check your local CL ads.
In the meantime, that fan and box method doesn't look like it would offer too much airflow as-is. Maybe put some holes in that box you have your mushrooms in and maybe some sort of racks so the mushrooms will be more spread out. Seems to me you'd be better off just letting the fan blow over them in a shoebox or something.
-------------------- You can't spell 'healthcare' without 'thc'
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Ghatti
Totally not a Federal Agent

Registered: 06/23/14
Posts: 1,733
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Maito]
#20617980 - 09/25/14 04:15 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Goodwill. You will find 7736748 of them.
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Harribomb
0_,o

Registered: 08/30/14
Posts: 65
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Maito]
#20617985 - 09/25/14 04:15 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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just bought a new dehydrator for 30 something..looks pretty fancy. it is on sale now (Half price)..at Canadian Tire..any chance u live in Canada then u can check it out
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,915
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Harribomb]
#20617989 - 09/25/14 04:16 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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personally I would never ever do it the way you're doing. a Dehydrator is a prerequisite to deal with harvested shrooms
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lighthouse09
Stranger thats mr. stranger



Registered: 03/16/13
Posts: 699
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Maito]
#20618012 - 09/25/14 04:21 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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^^^ as he said i think you need more airflow like holes in the sides of the very bottom of that box. In the past i used a rack with a paper bag with the bottom cut out and a fan blowing through and it worked great.
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<--This fuckin guy
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Schmendrick
Last of the Red Hot Swamis



Registered: 08/04/13
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Loc: HagsCrag, TLU
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: lighthouse09]
#20618101 - 09/25/14 04:41 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I put mine between two layers of paper towels and place them on top of the intake filter for my home A/C system (it draws air in from the top). Cracker dry in no more than 2 days. Doing it this way, you can stack them pretty high as well.
Being in texas during the summer, my A/C stays on most of the time, so there is always a strong airflow at the filter. Your situation might be different... you might need to tell the system to stay on (but fan only) or something.
Edited by Schmendrick (09/25/14 04:46 PM)
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PinPornProducer
Buy the ticket, take the ride



Registered: 08/23/14
Posts: 9,981
Loc: Rocky Point R.I
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Mr. Magic]
#20618118 - 09/25/14 04:47 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Mini greenhouse dehyrator
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Mr. Magic



Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 1,951
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: PinPornProducer]
#20618426 - 09/25/14 05:36 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I will probably get a dehydrator soon but for now ill try cutting the bottom out or running holes down across the bottom. It has worked in the past for me i just dont get why these wont dry! lol If i put my hand above the box i can feel all the air being shot out the top...seems like its alright.
So it would help to suspend them in the air then instead of being on the box itself? I split them all in half after i harvest them i never leave them as a whole mushroom.
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mushpunx
Fungus Punk



Registered: 04/20/14
Posts: 13,394
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Mr. Magic]
#20618570 - 09/25/14 06:06 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Before my dehydrator I used window screen stretch across a frame as a drying rack, I would elevate a box fan laying flat across two cinder blocks and have the fan suck the air down through the rack
Like a cold dehydrator
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Amateur Mycologists United
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spacechildo
proletarians rise up



Registered: 01/24/13
Posts: 19,243
Loc: Babylon
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: mushpunx]
#20618655 - 09/25/14 06:22 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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use your big ass dehydrator that you already have in your kitchen until you can buy a proper dehydrator!
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Mr. Magic



Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 1,951
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: spacechildo]
#20618727 - 09/25/14 06:37 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I thought about doing that but have seen mixed feelings about it? Idk i've just seen "no heat" always said before i even started growing them so im nervous to try that.
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Mr. Magic



Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 1,951
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Mr. Magic]
#20618754 - 09/25/14 06:42 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Will this help or is this just as effective as before? haha
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PinPornProducer
Buy the ticket, take the ride



Registered: 08/23/14
Posts: 9,981
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Mr. Magic]
#20618808 - 09/25/14 06:56 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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That will work alot better, you want air flow on all sides.
 Here is what I use for big flushes, I now have a heater at the bottom of the greenhouse to keep the temp at around 95 deg and can dry 12oz in 2 days
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Mr. Magic



Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 1,951
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: PinPornProducer]
#20618964 - 09/25/14 07:24 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Cool nice to hear!! lol and holy shit nice i dont have nothing near no 12oz! haha i wouldnt even know what to do with that many shrooms!! Me and my girlfriend trip together but ive offered some ppl some for free and its just not a thing around here ig cus nobody wants to try them! Which doesnt make since because i could name about 15 ppl from my town that are stoners and im not even friends with them theyre just open about it...and that doesnt count friends who also smoke but wont try them lol Mushrooms are way beyond weed but idk they just must be scared to see shit like
Nooooooooo make it stop!!!!!
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Mr. Magic



Registered: 07/13/14
Posts: 1,951
Last seen: 2 months, 25 days
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Mr. Magic]
#20618971 - 09/25/14 07:26 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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So the 95 degrees hasnt shown to affect potency in any way then?? Because i mean if i can be convinced then i would try my oven. lol
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PinPornProducer
Buy the ticket, take the ride



Registered: 08/23/14
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: Mr. Magic]
#20619015 - 09/25/14 07:35 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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No, 95 deg will not hurt potency at all. Before I used this set up I fan dried them for a day and used a dehydrator that would get well over 120 deg to finish them and did not notice any potency loss. I wouldn't leave them in for long periods at a time though, like dry them for 15 min then let them cool for 15 min. Repeat until cracker dry. If you fan dry them for 24 hrs then the oven or dehydrator should only take a couple hours to finish the job. I would still go that route but have to many at a time so I had to come up with something bigger.
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PinPornProducer
Buy the ticket, take the ride



Registered: 08/23/14
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: PinPornProducer]
#20619053 - 09/25/14 07:43 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
PinPornProducer said: No, 95 deg will not hurt potency at all. Before I used this set up I fan dried them for a day and used a dehydrator that would get well over 120 deg to finish them and did not notice any potency loss. I wouldn't leave them in for long periods at a time though, like dry them for 15 min then let them cool for 15 min. Repeat until cracker dry. If you fan dry them for 24 hrs then the oven or dehydrator should only take a couple hours to finish the job. I would still go that route but have to many at a time so I had to come up with something bigger.
Oh and if you oven dry them, keep the oven door open a little.
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spacechildo
proletarians rise up



Registered: 01/24/13
Posts: 19,243
Loc: Babylon
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: PinPornProducer]
#20619332 - 09/25/14 08:37 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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yep, door slightly open/cracked so the moisture can escape, up to 200F is perfectly safe psilo isn't broken down until far past 300F! point a fan into the oven if you dont have a hot air function on it.
heat is boss for drying shrooms, you want them to go to cracker dry as fast as possible!
I can vouch for the oven but dehydrators are way easier. and more practical as you dont occupy your oven..
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elasticaltiger
Like Tigers in Coitus




Registered: 06/24/13
Posts: 8,438
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: spacechildo]
#20619400 - 09/25/14 08:45 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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If you lack a dehydrator...
Fan dry for 24 - 48 hours until 90% to cracker dry.
After that throw them in a desiccant chamber for 24 - 48 for the final drying.
Any super fat stems should be split for fan drying (absolutely not necessary for dehydrator but it really speeds up the fan drying in my opinion but again, not COMPLETELY necessary)
Store in a mason jar preferably with a desiccant packet but again... not necessary for the packet.
I basically dried shrooms like this for 8 months before I broke down and bought a dehydrator.
-------------------- First time growing cakes? DON'T make a Shotgun Fruiting Chamber
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spacechildo
proletarians rise up



Registered: 01/24/13
Posts: 19,243
Loc: Babylon
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: elasticaltiger]
#20619495 - 09/25/14 09:03 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I sometimes give them a few (maybe up to 6) hrs under a fan before turning on the stove because I'm a cheap bastard and usually too stoned and lazy to make anything but frozen pizza for dinner.
but I dont like the mess of a desiccant chamber or the fact you have to get them pretty dry before the desiccant is able to take in the remaining moisture. total drying time is what kills potency.
heat drying FTW
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cronicr



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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: spacechildo]
#20619505 - 09/25/14 09:06 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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-------------------- 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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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,915
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: cronicr]
#20619602 - 09/25/14 09:23 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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as long as you keep the heat under 400 you'll be fine. put them on the lowest setting and put a fan by the oven or buy a dehydrator and put it on its highest setting usually 165F
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tchyted
miestro
Registered: 09/03/01
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Loc: WA near seattle
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: elasticaltiger]
#20619692 - 09/25/14 09:41 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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my preferred method does not involve a store-bought dehydrator. i take a lot of crap about my method, because it flys in the face of convention and intuition.
the thing to remember about drying shrooms is that while you are trying to remove the water, the water is acting as a vehicle for enzymes that break down the active indoles at lower temps. there are a few things to consider in this enzymatic reaction: time and temperature, along with ambient relative humidity, which seems to be your problem. dehydration should happen quickly if your dehydrator has a heat source, since the rate or reaction is directly proportional to temperature.
particularly if your shrooms are whole and un-split, they can stay leathery because the moisture can only be stripped away into the air from the surface. the leather itself tends to both prevent oxygen penetration, but it slows moisture migration to the outside.
just like the air conditioner method, i use mechanical refrigeration to produce a stream of cold dry air, rather than a heated one. i take it to the extreme and use a freezer.
any freezer will do if it has a fan in it, even if you have to put your own fan(s) in. all frost-free freezers that work, have a fan in them.
so, no purchase needed, simply pop them into the freezer section of you kitchen fridge near the ice maker or where the manufacturer would put it. that is where the coldest driest airflow is strongest.
after initial freezing and shrinkage occurs, you can stack them up. for production volumes, more freezer space may be required. the ones on top tend to dry faster, so keep turning them every day.
oh did i mention the drawback for my method? it requires something you learn in this hobby, patience.
nonetheless, i'd prefer to use my method, despite the days it requires, because compared to any other drying method i have found, nothing matches up in quality in terms of dryness and potency. this is rather subjective unless you have an experienced user who can compare shrooms dried by each method under scrutiny. anyhow, according to Stamets, as much as 40 percent or so of active indoles is lost through sloppy drying methods. other than repeated empirical tests and after-reports how is one to know how much is lost without sophisticated equipment?
those who do this empirical testing don't want to be identified for legal reasons.
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,915
Loc: Milky way
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: tchyted]
#20619736 - 09/25/14 09:49 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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Everyone worth their salt in the last decade uses a food dehydrator for a reason. Stamets shit is mostly old news
us using dehydrators was "flying in the face of conventional wisdom" and now it's just accepted as the best way out of many many many ways tried.
Edited by Trusted cuItivator (09/25/14 09:50 PM)
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tchyted
miestro
Registered: 09/03/01
Posts: 526
Loc: WA near seattle
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: tchyted]
#20619810 - 09/25/14 10:08 PM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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the convention and intuition i speak of is the idea that 'well, i see that turning up the heat makes the water evaporate faster, so i'll keep applying more heat, mo-fasta, mo-hotta'.
i own three of Stamet's books. i still learn from them. there's more pages there than the bible, not counting the pictures. okay, he's not God. i'm a long way from having someone pay me for writing that much though.
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mushpunx
Fungus Punk



Registered: 04/20/14
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Re: Could i be drying my mushrooms in a better way???... [Re: tchyted]
#20620395 - 09/26/14 07:23 AM (10 years, 3 months ago) |
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I wish I knew you could use an oven before.
Basically if you are blowing air over the mushrooms they will dry. But it was always hard for mine to get cracker dry, it took close to a week sometimes on a drying rack with fan on high
I would have to put them in a container with damp rid. Then they would dry up nice
I hated having tons of racks around, I've been able to fit 8 + oz in my dehydrator. Thats the way to go
The misinformation about heat is still rampant
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