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venomx
psi·lo·cy·bin


Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 89
Loc: Down Under
Last seen: 1 year, 4 months
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Drying Mushrooms
#9093173 - 10/17/08 06:49 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Hi,
I have been reading around and learning about drying out mushrooms after harvest and when I start growing I will probably have them under a fan for 24 hours then move them into a container with (some)desiccant.
I have read that damprid is good, but I still need to check the local stores and see if they have any. I also read that people use silica gel? If so, does this work as good? I was looking on eBay and saw this.
Would this work? This would be really handy because it can be reused over and over by placing it in the oven:
Quote:
When the blue silica gel beneath the inspection window turns pink, reactivate as follows: Place the unit in a vented 300 degree F oven for at least 3 hours (or until the silica gel turns blue again).
Cheers, VenomX
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Cascadian
Feel like a Stranger



Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 1,130
Loc: Cascadia
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: venomx]
#9093212 - 10/17/08 06:57 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Damn, that is some fancy desiccant. That should work beautifully.
To prolong the life of your desiccant so you don't have to dry it out so often, you might leave your goomers in front of the fan for more than 24 hours. If you live in a place with high humidity, it might take longer than 24 hours for them to give off most of their moisture. Fans are better for getting lots of moisture off fast, desiccant is great at getting those last little drops out that your fan would never reach.
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N8Martinez
Stranger
Registered: 10/17/08
Posts: 40
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: Cascadian]
#9093258 - 10/17/08 07:09 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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If you leave them out next to a fan or were there is good air exchange and movement. In a dry palce it take 24 hour for the smaller fruit but the monsters can take days. Make sure you rotate them from time to time by the fan. This speeds things up a bit. if you need to speed things up or have monsters, remove the caps, or split down the middel to increase the surface area.
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SkekTek
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Registered: 03/21/08
Posts: 287
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: Cascadian]
#9093262 - 10/17/08 07:11 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Yeah, I keep mine in front of the fan for about 48 hours, then it's into the desiccant chamber. Works perfectly and they get cracker dry.
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crazyeddie
Swimmer withouta pool



Registered: 01/15/08
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: SkekTek]
#9093358 - 10/17/08 07:36 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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That's a nifty Product, I want one.
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venomx
psi·lo·cy·bin


Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 89
Loc: Down Under
Last seen: 1 year, 4 months
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: venomx]
#9093552 - 10/17/08 08:10 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks for all the comments and tips! They will definately help me out when I get my grow going and (if)when the time comes to dry them.
Ok, so I recon I will leave them in front of the fan for 24hrs MIN and see how they are going and when I think that they are done as much as possible I will move them to the desiccant chamber.
Heh yeah, I was looking on eBay for the little silica gel packs, and found that! I think I might go ahead and grab one of them now.
Cheers, VenomX
Edited by venomx (10/17/08 08:15 PM)
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blackclw
on the way to the Red Queen

Registered: 06/04/08
Posts: 69
Last seen: 11 years, 1 month
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: SkekTek]
#9093715 - 10/17/08 08:41 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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I made my drying chamber from what I`ve found around the house heh. And I took some silica packets at footwear shops for free Also made some simple instructions http://bayimg.com/KALfbaAbi
Edited by blackclw (10/17/08 08:46 PM)
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mushroomhunter10
Jack-Of-All-Trades


Registered: 10/04/08
Posts: 3,360
Loc: Midwest
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: blackclw]
#9093908 - 10/17/08 09:19 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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They make desiccant cans that you can reuse over and over.
If you know anybody that works with lots of computers or electronics then you can ask them to grab you every desiccant bag they find. Technicians that are always swapping-out components and hardware can get TONS of desiccant packs.
Good Luck
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IcAnFeeLthErain
How ya like your Chang's Sauce?



Registered: 05/24/08
Posts: 331
Loc: Bright Side of the Road
Last seen: 13 years, 7 months
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I've had great success with Drierite. You can get a single jar for like 5 dollars on their website. www.drierite.com
They also have the indicating (changes from blue to pink) kind. I just got the regular. I think I'll be able to tell when my buddies are feeling blue 
EDIT: I fan dry my harvests for 24 hours prior to using my desiccant chamber.
-------------------- "We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness" -Thich Nhat Hanh
Take your sweet time, everything is a once in a life time experience.
Cakes? No Thanks.
Edited by IcAnFeeLthErain (10/17/08 11:06 PM)
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Buckeye Oysters
From Zero to Hero



Registered: 08/09/08
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Nothing works faster really than putting a space heater on low behind a box fan blowing across the mushrooms placed on a screen suspended off the ground. It wont make too much heat.
-------------------- Evolution is Lamarckism in disguise. Adaptation never creates a new species or trait, but rather the new species/trait always existed within the parent DNA until circumstances allowed it to be activated. For instance, every wolf has the DNA for poodles, but that DNA would never be revealed without man selectively breeding for it.
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Libertycapper
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Registered: 11/13/04
Posts: 688
Loc: British Columbia
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: SkekTek]
#9094455 - 10/17/08 11:21 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
SkekTek said: Yeah, I keep mine in front of the fan for about 48 hours, then it's into the desiccant chamber. Works perfectly and they get cracker dry.
This is me too with the same results!!!
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venomx
psi·lo·cy·bin


Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 89
Loc: Down Under
Last seen: 1 year, 4 months
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: venomx]
#9094683 - 10/18/08 12:09 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks to everyone for all the good ideas 
@mushroomhunter10 - yeah I went through all my hardware boxes and got a few packets from them.
Would a Tupperware container be good when using the desiccant? Cheers,
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Cascadian
Feel like a Stranger



Registered: 09/13/08
Posts: 1,130
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: venomx]
#9095083 - 10/18/08 02:59 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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You want something to keep your goomies off the desiccant. My friend uses a salad spinner with his goomies where your lettuce goes, and the lower level covered with cheesecloth with desiccant on top. (holes are naturally in the bottom of the spinner for the runoff from your arugula)
The spinner is then put on top of a bowl to catch the drips.
That desiccant stuff is weird and it shouldn't be touching anything you want to eat!
I'm sure there are equally easy and cheap to construct desiccant chamber ideas, but that works just fine for my buddy.
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SkekTek
Lurker


Registered: 03/21/08
Posts: 287
Loc: South Florida
Last seen: 15 years, 5 months
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: venomx]
#9095443 - 10/18/08 08:11 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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A tupperware container will work perfectly for a desiccant chamber, just make sure it's big enough. And if you want alot of desiccant for cheap just go to Lowes or Home Depot and look for Drie-rite. (Pronounced Dry-Rite)
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venomx
psi·lo·cy·bin


Registered: 08/12/08
Posts: 89
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Last seen: 1 year, 4 months
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: venomx]
#9095490 - 10/18/08 08:49 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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@Cascadian - Hm thanks, that is a very interesting way to do it 
@SkekTek - Ok, cool. Yeah, I will get a fairly big one.
I will think of something that I can use to suspend the mushrooms from the desiccant. (String,wire,etc)
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yeahbuddyyyyyyyy
Stranger


Registered: 08/17/08
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: venomx]
#9095531 - 10/18/08 09:14 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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I skip the fan and just put them in with the damp rid. The only downside is you go through a lot more damp rid.
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IcAnFeeLthErain
How ya like your Chang's Sauce?



Registered: 05/24/08
Posts: 331
Loc: Bright Side of the Road
Last seen: 13 years, 7 months
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You gotta do the fan drying, I think that's just a necessity. It dries them almost to the point of being brittle, and at this point the desiccant can achieve absolute dryness. Mind you this is the best way to preserve our fruits. Fruits dried to this degree can last in the freezer for years without loosing any potency.
-------------------- "We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness" -Thich Nhat Hanh
Take your sweet time, everything is a once in a life time experience.
Cakes? No Thanks.
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SkekTek
Lurker


Registered: 03/21/08
Posts: 287
Loc: South Florida
Last seen: 15 years, 5 months
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: venomx]
#9095647 - 10/18/08 10:02 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Wire screen works best - also from Lowes or HD. You can buy a small roll of it for cheap.
Edited by SkekTek (10/18/08 10:05 AM)
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SkekTek
Lurker


Registered: 03/21/08
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Loc: South Florida
Last seen: 15 years, 5 months
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Quote:
yeahbuddyyyyyyyy said: I skip the fan and just put them in with the damp rid. The only downside is you go through a lot more damp rid.
Yeah, that's a huge waste. You have to fan dry first to get rid of the excess moisture. Desiccant is mainly used as a finisher to cure it until it's "cracker dry". Otherwise, you're wasting time and money because it also takes longer without the fan.
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IcAnFeeLthErain
How ya like your Chang's Sauce?



Registered: 05/24/08
Posts: 331
Loc: Bright Side of the Road
Last seen: 13 years, 7 months
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Re: Drying Mushrooms [Re: SkekTek]
#9095664 - 10/18/08 10:08 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
skektek said Yeah, that's a huge waste.
Yeah, what he said.
-------------------- "We are here to awaken from the illusion of our separateness" -Thich Nhat Hanh
Take your sweet time, everything is a once in a life time experience.
Cakes? No Thanks.
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