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relsseS
Moving back and forth


Registered: 08/06/13
Posts: 180
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How to tell when they're properly dry?
#21912203 - 07/07/15 10:05 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Hey guys. I dried my first batch (yay me, pics to come) in a food dehydrator. The caps seemed to dry much faster than the stems so I took the caps out and stored them. But now a few hours later, the caps went from cracker/bone-dry to being slightly rubbery again. Does this just mean they weren't actually completely dry and require more time in the dehydration chamber? I know it's a dumb question but couldn't find an exact answer in the search engine for this.
I mean, the caps still feel DRY, but they went from being rock-hard and crispy/flaky to the touch, to where I feel like I could crumble it into dust, to being still dry but soft to the touch, squishy. They need to stay rock-hard and crispy/crumbly right?
-------------------- I'm just here to learn.
 
Edited by relsseS (07/07/15 10:10 PM)
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ULTIMAH
Stranger

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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: relsseS] 1
#21912255 - 07/07/15 10:14 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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I myself dry the stems again if i have had them lying around after i have dried them cracker dry.
They tend to suck moisture from the air if you dont pack them immediately after they are dry.
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Icon
Bloomer


Registered: 05/15/14
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: ULTIMAH]
#21912334 - 07/07/15 10:33 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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 I think when they come out of the dehydrator warm they reabsorb some moisture from the air as they cool down to room temp. They usually stay crispy though if I seal them in a bag right after drying.
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36fuckin5
Alchemycologist


Registered: 08/11/03
Posts: 12,079
Loc: Diving into Mystical Territori...
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: Icon]
#21912344 - 07/07/15 10:36 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Dry them again. They should turn to powder and fibrous shit easily in your hand if you crush them. The way to test is to take one of your biggest fruits and break the stem. If it breaks with 0 bend, then wiggle the cap. If it wiggles at all, you need more time. Sometimes the stem will snap when it's not 100% dry, so always wiggle the cap.
You can leave them out warm, that's not problem. I wouldn't leave them out for more than about 12 hours though. They won't rehydrate much from the air, they'll just get sort of leathery like the mushrooms most people sell instead of cracker dry.
-------------------- Redd Foxx said: If you're offended I don't give a shit and don't come see me no more. Pat The Bunny said: A punk rock song won't ever change the world, but I can tell you about a couple that changed me. bodhisatta said: i recommend common sense and figuring it out. These are the TEKs I use. They're all as cheap and easy as possible, just like your mom.
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Toadstool5
A Registered Mycophile



Registered: 01/22/15
Posts: 1,359
Loc: The Golden State
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: 36fuckin5]
#21912367 - 07/07/15 10:43 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Do the snap test like 36fucking5 suggests and make sure you store them with some type of desiccant so that they cant reabsorb moisture. 
Silica and mag sulfate are the most commonly used.
-------------------- If you do not know where the mushroom products you are consuming are grown, think twice before eating them. - Paul Stamets AMU Teks Stro's Write Ups
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36fuckin5
Alchemycologist


Registered: 08/11/03
Posts: 12,079
Loc: Diving into Mystical Territori...
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: Toadstool5]
#21912378 - 07/07/15 10:45 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Storing them with a desiccant is very overkill unless you want them to last years. If you do a good monotubs and you're the type to eat mushrooms 2-3 times a year by yourself, yeah use desiccant. Mine have never lasted anywhere near that long.
-------------------- Redd Foxx said: If you're offended I don't give a shit and don't come see me no more. Pat The Bunny said: A punk rock song won't ever change the world, but I can tell you about a couple that changed me. bodhisatta said: i recommend common sense and figuring it out. These are the TEKs I use. They're all as cheap and easy as possible, just like your mom.
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Toadstool5
A Registered Mycophile



Registered: 01/22/15
Posts: 1,359
Loc: The Golden State
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: 36fuckin5]
#21912852 - 07/08/15 12:19 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Very true but i imagine someone in florida or a very humid environment would benefit from it. I'm a beef jerky lover so its second nature to add a desicant to anything dried
-------------------- If you do not know where the mushroom products you are consuming are grown, think twice before eating them. - Paul Stamets AMU Teks Stro's Write Ups
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36fuckin5
Alchemycologist


Registered: 08/11/03
Posts: 12,079
Loc: Diving into Mystical Territori...
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: Toadstool5]
#21914503 - 07/08/15 11:17 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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I live in a very humid environment. It doesn't make a difference.
-------------------- Redd Foxx said: If you're offended I don't give a shit and don't come see me no more. Pat The Bunny said: A punk rock song won't ever change the world, but I can tell you about a couple that changed me. bodhisatta said: i recommend common sense and figuring it out. These are the TEKs I use. They're all as cheap and easy as possible, just like your mom.
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sisomsO
Luigi



Registered: 06/05/14
Posts: 449
Loc: Purgatory
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: 36fuckin5]
#21914557 - 07/08/15 11:32 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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My food dehydrator has it's lowest setting at 95°F and it turns my white boomers into a dark blue hue and I don't like that. I don't want them to lose potency by oxidizing. Good question/timing for me OP. Would an old fashion fan method eventually be just as effective as a food dehydrator?
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FreeWorldOrder


Registered: 12/24/13
Posts: 2,002
Loc: Indiana, USA
Last seen: 8 days, 12 hours
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: sisomsO]
#21914879 - 07/08/15 12:44 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
sisomsO said: My food dehydrator has it's lowest setting at 95°F and it turns my white boomers into a dark blue hue and I don't like that. I don't want them to lose potency by oxidizing. Good question/timing for me OP. Would an old fashion fan method eventually be just as effective as a food dehydrator?
The faster they are dried to cracker the better. Once cracker dry seal them in an airtight bag or container for storage.
My dehydrator goes up to 160F.... I crank it up all the way so they dry quicker.
You don't have to worry about thermal degradation of actives until over 300F.... which is hotter than any food dehydrator that I have ever seen will get.
The only time I had fruits lose potency is when I didn't have them sealed well while being stored.
-------------------- "They who can give up essential liberty, to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin Lets Grow Mushrooms Videos PastyWhyte's Easy Agar TEK Agar's Liquid Inoculant TEK
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relsseS
Moving back and forth


Registered: 08/06/13
Posts: 180
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: FreeWorldOrder]
#21935942 - 07/13/15 02:33 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thanks a lot guys. Ironically, I followed all of your advice on a whim without going onto the Shroomery for a few days. I dried again, and tested them by breaking a few in order to weigh out a few eighths. Cracker fucking dry! I love this food dehydrator. The shrooms just felt dry the first time but I just took them out too early. The little parts dried faster than the large ones obviously, so I plucked the early ones out. This thing sure beats desiccant, although I would store any large batches in vacuum-sealed bags with a packet of desiccant laying around. It couldn't hurt right? By the way here are a few pictures.



45.8g dry for my first time, not bad. That doesn't include a giant 85g wet mushroom that grew early that I ate fresh. It was potent.
-------------------- I'm just here to learn.
 
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: relsseS]
#21936181 - 07/13/15 06:54 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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If you put them in an air tight jar after complete drying then you need no descant.
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Th3Issu3
Stranger Danger


Registered: 12/30/14
Posts: 671
Loc: fucktown
Last seen: 1 month, 23 days
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: bodhisatta]
#21936200 - 07/13/15 07:10 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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I have the same dehydrator.
What I do is every two hours while its running I look over the trays and see if I can snap the bottom or where ever is thickest. If I can, I take the ones that are cracker dry / snapable out. Than I will leave the ones that aren't in. I also try to move them down farther and farther by taking away dry trays.
Hope this helps.
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oontribe

Registered: 01/14/15
Posts: 3,570
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: Th3Issu3]
#21936234 - 07/13/15 07:33 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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I stored few mushroom that werent cracker dry in a air sealed bag with a descant after 2 days they they were still the same and after opining the bag there was a heavy mushroom smell! No discoloration but still an unpleasent myshroom smell and not decaying one. well i placed em again in to dehydrate.
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Psilosoulful

Registered: 09/05/14
Posts: 7,205
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: oontribe]
#21936464 - 07/13/15 09:01 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
oontribe said: I stored few mushroom that werent cracker dry in a air sealed bag with a descant after 2 days they they were still the same and after opining the bag there was a heavy mushroom smell! No discoloration but still an unpleasent myshroom smell and not decaying one. well i placed em again in to dehydrate.
What temp did you set the dehydrator to? I used to use 95F to dry them out, but that took like 24+ hours before fully dry, and even then the stems were a bit squishy. Just use a higher heat setting(~130F) and they should be crispy to the touch in a few hours.
And I always store my cracker dry fruits in a mason jar with a silica gel pack just to be on the safe side.
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bodhisatta 
Smurf real estate agent


Registered: 04/30/13
Posts: 61,889
Loc: Milky way
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: Psilosoulful]
#21936878 - 07/13/15 11:26 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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I use 160f and it takes no less than 12 hours for smaller fruits.
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Darkhome
•Shaman•N•Training•



Registered: 07/10/15
Posts: 517
Loc: United States
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: bodhisatta]
#21936897 - 07/13/15 11:31 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Awesome info... I've been drying at 95 degrees F...I was afraid to turn up the heat...now I know...and the more you know...
-------------------- “The shaman is not merely a sick man, or a madman; he is a sick man who has healed himself.” ~Terence McKenna~ "NOTHING"...I post or say is "TRUE"...Any pictures are taken from the Web and any conversation is just research for a fictional character. That being said; He is constantly seeking knowledge and evolving.
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oontribe

Registered: 01/14/15
Posts: 3,570
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: bodhisatta]
#21936902 - 07/13/15 11:32 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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yea they dont take alot of time when using a high temp. when i use oven drying tek, placing the fruits in a top rack, temp range 110 - 150, door is cracked and a fan pointed at the oven, they take something like 6 hrs. sometimes less.
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relsseS
Moving back and forth


Registered: 08/06/13
Posts: 180
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: oontribe]
#21938672 - 07/13/15 06:46 PM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Food dehydrator is fucking badass. $30-38 at Wal-Mart unless you wanna opt for the $75 fancy digital one. But this thing really fucking helps. I feel like desiccant is just outdated now. A dehydrator is a permanent investment, like a pressure cooker. Isn't technology fucking badass? Although you could make a homemade dehydrator... the idea is simple enough. Heat. Fresh air. Boom. Nice dry shrooms.
-------------------- I'm just here to learn.
 
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Th3Issu3
Stranger Danger


Registered: 12/30/14
Posts: 671
Loc: fucktown
Last seen: 1 month, 23 days
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Re: How to tell when they're properly dry? [Re: relsseS]
#21945990 - 07/15/15 06:22 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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man for 40 $ fuck spending the time to make anything. Ive had mine for probably 6 months or more and shes still rocking as good as new. Just remember to clean it out every 4-5th cycle or when you are getting some build up on it.
edit: You can also buy more trays for it off the walmart website or maybe in the store!
Edited by Th3Issu3 (07/15/15 06:22 AM)
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