List of materials:
- square pipes;
- sheet metal;
- polycarbonate sheet;
- two door hinges and a locking mechanism;
- screws, screws and more.
Tool list:
- welding;
- grinder;
- drill;
- marker and tape measure;
- scissors for metal;
- stationery knife;
- hacksaw.
Solar dryer making process:
Step one. We make the frame
It all starts with making the frame. The author used square pipes as material. Everything is assembled using a grinder and welding. As for the sizes, you can choose any, depending on the needs and availability of materials. The author was guided here by the size of the polycarbonate sheet.
You can see what shape the dryer should be in the photo, but you can come up with your own.
Step two. Making a door
The author makes the door metal; sheet metal and square pipes will be needed here. First, you need to cut off four pieces of a square pipe and weld a rectangle out of it, which should fit in shape under the dryer frame. The door must fit snugly against the frame, as gaps will reduce the efficiency of the appliance.
Well, in the end, the frame is sheathed with a sheet of metal. Here you can use self-tapping screws, screws with nuts, and so on. You can also weld the steel sheet. The door is installed after sheathing.
Step three. We cover the dryer
Before sheathing the dryer, you will need to make baking trays. For such purposes, you can use wooden blocks. You can fix them with self-tapping screws, or better with screws. In total, the author has space for 4 pallets.
Now you need to install such a thing as an absorber in the dryer. To make it, you need a sheet of metal. This sheet is installed at the very bottom of the dryer to heat the cold air there. The sheet should be painted black using heat-resistant paint.
As for the thickness of the metal, the thinner it is, the faster the dryer will start working when the best sun hits. It is better to use copper or aluminum as a material, as they conduct heat well, but steel is also suitable.
After installing the absorber, the outer skin can be assembled. It can be fastened with self-tapping screws or by welding. An important element of the dryer is the roof, it should be transparent, since it is through it that warm sun rays will pass. The roof can be made of glass, polycarbonate and other materials.
To prevent flies and other living creatures from flying into the dryer, the author attaches a masking mesh to the ventilation windows.
That's all, the design is almost complete. Now you just need to fix the door. There will be the necessary door hinges, a locking mechanism, and it will not be superfluous to attach a handle.
Step four. Making trays
Baking trays are needed here not the same as in conventional ovens. They must be well ventilated for the food to dry. They are very simple to do. To make them, you will need a metal mesh, as well as a wooden bar.
First, you will need to make frames from a bar. Well, then these frames are simply sheathed with a net. To make the trays convenient to install and remove, self-tapping screws are not completely wrapped in them on the sides, and the tray is held on them.
Step five. Testing the dryer
First of all, the dryer must be installed correctly. It should be such a place that there is the maximum amount of sun during the day. The sun's rays will enter through the cover so that the device is oriented accordingly.
Then the solar dryer will have to stand in the sun for at least two days. This is done so that all unpleasant odors and harmful substances come out of it.
At first, you need to put two trays with products in the dryer, if it cope with this task successfully, then the number of trays can be increased to three and four. The weather should be sunny and preferably no wind. Food should be cut as thin as possible so it will dry out faster and better.
You will need to put a thermometer in the dryer to monitor the temperature. For normal drying, it should be in the region of 50-55оС. If the temperature is lower, it can be increased by covering the lower inlet with a rag. So the air will circulate more slowly, but it will warm up more.
That's it, the dryer is ready. It can successfully dry leaves, meat, fruits, vegetables, fish, roots and much more.
Plot, then, as a rule, there is a problem, where to put the entire crop. Of course, a lot of things can be simply eaten during the season, and some can be preserved for the winter. But many other fruits and vegetables still have to be thrown away, because there is nowhere to put them.
The best way to stock up for the winter is by drying. So the maximum of vitamins is preserved in the products, and this process is much easier than canning. In addition, dried fruits and vegetables take up little space and are not heavy.
Today we'll look at how you can make a simple solar powered dryer. This will be especially convenient for those who like to save money, or for those whose house has been running on alternative energy for a long time, using the power of the wind or the sun. In addition, the construction of such a dryer will be much cheaper than buying an electrical appliance.
The basic principle of a solar dryer is to make hot air circulate inside the appliance. The more actively it circulates and the hotter it is, the faster and better the food will dry. The air in the homemade product is heated by a special panel, which is painted black with heat-resistant paint. Cold air enters through the bottom, then is heated by solar heat, expands and exits through the top of the dryer. It is important to correctly calculate the diameter of the inlet and outlet holes in order to obtain the desired temperature and air speed.
DIY materials and tools:
List of materials:
- square pipes;
- sheet metal;
- polycarbonate sheet;
- two door hinges and a locking mechanism;
- screws, screws and more.
Tool list:
- welding;
- grinder;
- drill;
- marker and tape measure;
- scissors for metal;
- stationery knife;
- hacksaw.
Solar dryer making process:
Step one. We make the frame
It all starts with making the frame. The author used square pipes as material. Everything is assembled using a grinder and welding. As for the sizes, you can choose any of them, depending on the needs and availability of materials. The author was guided here by the size of the polycarbonate sheet.
You can see what shape the dryer should be in the photo, but you can come up with your own.
Step two. Door making
The author makes the door metal; sheet metal and square pipes will be needed here. First, you need to cut off four pieces of a square pipe and weld a rectangle out of it, which should fit in shape under the dryer frame. The door must fit snugly against the frame, as gaps will reduce the efficiency of the appliance.
Well, in the end, the frame is sheathed with a sheet of metal. Here you can use self-tapping screws, screws with nuts, and so on. You can also weld the steel sheet. The door is installed after sheathing.
Step three. We cover the dryer
Before sheathing the dryer, you will need to make baking trays. For such purposes, you can use wooden blocks. You can fix them with self-tapping screws, or better with screws. In total, the author has space for 4 pallets.
Now you need to install such a thing as an absorber in the dryer. To make it, you need a sheet of metal. This sheet is installed at the very bottom of the dryer to heat the cold air there. The sheet should be painted black using heat-resistant paint.
As for the thickness of the metal, the thinner it is, the faster the dryer will start working when the best sun hits. It is better to use copper or aluminum as a material, as they conduct heat well, but steel is also suitable.
After installing the absorber, the outer skin can be assembled. It can be fastened with self-tapping screws or by welding. An important element of the dryer is the roof, it should be transparent, since it is through it that warm sun rays will pass. The roof can be made of glass, polycarbonate and other materials.
To prevent flies and other living creatures from flying into the dryer, the author attaches a masking mesh to the ventilation windows.
That's all, the design is almost complete. Now you just need to fix the door. There will be the necessary door hinges, a locking mechanism, and it will not be superfluous to attach a handle.
Step four. Making trays
Baking trays are needed here different from those in conventional ovens. They must be well ventilated for the food to dry. They are very simple to do. To make them, you will need a metal mesh, as well as a wooden bar.
First, you will need to make frames from a bar. Well, then these frames are simply sheathed with a net. To make the trays convenient to install and remove, self-tapping screws are not completely wrapped in them on the sides, and the tray is held on them.
Step five. Testing the dryer
First of all, the dryer must be installed correctly. It should be such a place that there is the maximum amount of sun during the day. The sun's rays will enter through the cover so that the device is oriented accordingly.
Solar Fruit & Vegetable Dryer
We found a description of the design of the solar dryer in the magazine "Dim, Garden, City" for July 2004. Changing something in his own way, but keeping the basic principle, the husband made a dryer. She passed the test yesterday.
The temperature inside the structure rose and stayed at + 85C for several hours. Put chopped corn stalks to dry. The stems themselves are very thick and juicy. Usually it took us three weeksfor drying them (we dry them for food in winter for goats, turkeys and ducks). In the solar dryer, a bucket of cut stems dried up in a day.
The walls and bottom of the dryer are three-layer: wood, insulation, solar radiation absorber.
From boards 2 cm thick (two boards 154 cm long and two end boards - 52 cm) they knocked down a box 25 cm high. The bottom of the box is made of plywood.
Foam sheets were placed on the bottom and walls of the box, the thickness of which was 20 mm.
The inner (third) layer of the dryer is a metal sheet (galvanized iron) cut and folded to fit snugly over the foam. It took a standard sheet of 2 mx 1.05 m.
After installation, the iron was painted with dark brown paint (it is better to paint it with black). Iron, covered with black paint, absorbs the entire spectrum of solar radiation, heats up and emits in the infrared range. To increase the heating of the structure, the outside of the dryer was also painted brown.
The top of the dryer drawer is covered with glass. Reinforced glass, 4 mm thick. (Maybe not reinforced, but thick, so that neither the hail, nor the fallen branch break it). The size of the glass should be such that it extends 3 cm beyond the edges of the box. This will prevent moisture from getting inside the dryer in case of rain. For a tighter fit of the glass, a foam strip is glued to the edges of the box (the one that is glued to seal windows or doors).
On the end walls of the box, 2 cm below the upper edge, holes are drilled (three on each) with a diameter of 0.5 - 0.8 cm. They must be tightened with a fly net. Through these holes, water vapor will escape into the atmosphere along with the air stream, which is evaporated when fruits and vegetables are dried.
Practice has shown that three holes in the ends of the dryer are not enough for drying fruits and vegetables with a high moisture content. Cherries, pears, zucchini, melons are first baked, as in the oven, and then dried. This changes the taste of the finished product. Therefore, we drilled three more holes. To prevent flies and midges from entering the dryer through these holes, they can be covered with a fly net.
The box was placed on stumps (you can on the table) with an incline to the sun of 15 -20 degrees. We put a thermometer inside (for saunas). By 12 noon the temperature in the dryer was + 85C. At the same time, the air temperature outside was + 36C.
We hope that both berries and vegetables (peppers, eggplants, carrots) cut into slices will dry well within 1 - 2 days.
The experience of July showed the following:
- two buckets of cherries were dried for 5 days;
- two buckets of apples - 3 days;
- two buckets of pears were dried for 4 days;
- eggplants (about 2 kg.) were dried for 1 day;
- melons (about 3 kg.) were dried for 2 days;
- zucchini (about 2 kg.) were dried for 2 days.
I want to note right away that to dry zucchini, eggplant and melons, you need to put a wooden grate or clean thin branches on the bottom of the dryer (I put thin corn stalks). Otherwise, the vegetables will stick to the iron bottom of the dryer during the drying process.
I cut the vegetables into slices 2-3 mm thick.
The photo shows a melon prepared for drying. In the same way, I cut and stack zucchini and eggplants. I just put the chopped apples, pears, cherries, gooseberries into the dryer.
For storage, I put the dried melon slices on a baking sheet in the oven for 5-7 minutes. The temperature in the cabinet is about 200 degrees; the oven door is ajar; after 1-2 minutes I mix the product. Thus, the finished melon will not burn, and with prolonged storage, a mole will not start. I store dried vegetables and fruits in cardboard boxes (boxes in which candies for wholesale are packed), gluing the joints with tape.
This is what dried melons and dried bell peppers look like.
A self-assembled dryer for vegetables and fruits will become an indispensable assistant for a summer resident during the harvesting and processing season. A global network and the expertise of craftsmen offer many such projects, a small part of them can be found here.
With the help of a drying machine, you can stock up on tasty and healthy preparations from meat, fish, mushrooms, herbs, vegetables and, of course, fruits for the winter.
Drying or drying fresh food is one of the oldest and still popular preservation methods. Since people first thought about storing food for the future, many drying methods have accumulated.
The first and earliest version of such a blank is the use of solar energy. Its main advantage is the minimum cost. You will need inexpensive baking sheet material and occasional stirring to keep the food from sticking together.
But there is a minus that largely devalues \u200b\u200ball the advantages of this method. Requires even, sunny weather, but there are not so many such days in our conditions.
A later, but also ancient method, the use of a Russian stove. Several bricks are laid inside, on which a baking sheet with herbs, fruits, berries, mushrooms, and other fruits is placed. Alternatively, the same products are hung in bunches near the stove. However, under current conditions, not every home has a stove.
With the advent of gas stoves, a similar conservation principle began to be used in city apartments. A baking sheet or grate is installed in the oven, the process takes place over low heat with the door open. With all the advantages, you have to pay for gas, it is not too expensive, but still a minus for the family budget.
A more effective option is a homemade dryer, assembled from available funds according to one of the proven schemes. With this method, a number of nuances are observed, without which it is impossible to preserve the nutritional properties of any product. In this case:
- an optimal temperature regime is provided, which removes moisture from fruits, meat or fish;
- conditions are created for the necessary circulation of air flows, which eliminate excess moisture inside the drying chamber;
- there is a rational organization of its internal space, which makes it possible to correctly place the maximum number of products;
- everything that is inside the structure is reliably protected from insects, dust, and other external factors that can negatively affect the contents.
Wherein most of the vitamins and nutrients are preserved, the risk of botulism, the bacteria of which multiply in a humid environment, is minimized, the risk of mold growth is reduced.
Features of drying devices
To provide the listed conditions and the desired result, a home-made drying unit must meet certain technical requirements:
- inside it, a temperature of no more than 70 ° C should be maintained, this will ensure maximum dehydration, but will not allow overdrying;
- the volume of the chamber should be calculated not only from the number of products intended for the workpiece, part of the space for free air circulation must be taken into account;
- the design of the device should allow you to adjust the drying time; with self-assembly, this can be achieved by simply moving the baking sheets closer to the source of heat or air flows.
If necessary and if possible, the device can be equipped with shades and thermostats, electric fans, and other equipment that will make its use more efficient and comfortable.
Types of drying chambers
Do-it-yourself dryers are classified in the same way as their factory counterparts. First of all, they need to be divided into devices using solar energy and electric apparatus equipped with shades and fans... The former are different
- simplicity of design;
- require a minimum of special knowledge and experience during assembly;
- economical in terms of materials required for assembly and subsequent operation.
With all the variety of such devices, their design is generally the same type. This is a cabinet of different sizes, usually made of wood, with vents, glass walls around the perimeter or on one side for heat. A more complex device is possessed by their counterparts using electricity. According to the principle of operation, they are divided into conventional electric dryers of convective or infrared heating and dehydrators, where the function of precise temperature control is provided, which leads to complete dehydration of the product.
Convective
In this embodiment, drying occurs with a directed stream of heated air. The design provides a ten, which can be located above, below or in a horizontal plane.
The easiest way to make such a device is to assemble the camera, install a heater and fan heater in it. However, the quality of processing becomes a victim of constructive simplicity. The fruit is dried outside, keeping moisture in the core. They are not suitable for long-term storage, as they quickly grow moldy and pose a risk of infection with botulism. This disadvantage can be minimized by a longer drying time, but this leads to the loss of a significant part of the useful properties and increases energy consumption.
Infrared
These devices use infrared radiation, the effect of which is as close as possible to the sun. The impact is more even, vitamins and microelements are better preserved. Drying results are better suited for long shelf life.
Low power consumption is a serious plus in favor of this variety. But here the risk of error, overdrying of products and their loss of useful properties is higher.
It is more difficult to assemble such a device, you will have to choose a suitable infrared emitter and choose a scheme for its correct placement.
In translation into human language, this type of installation is called a dehydrator. It is for the maximum elimination of moisture that the design of these devices is designed. Despite the fact that ordinary dryers are often called the same term, the difference between them lies in the presence of a thermostat that controls the temperature regime.
Thanks to these design improvements, drying takes place under optimal conditions within an admittedly short time. Such a device best for curing beef, pork or fish... Result: maximally free from moisture, evenly dried, able to maintain consumer properties until the next harvest and longer. But to assemble a dehydrator with your own hands, improvised means are not enough, additional equipment will be required.
Necessary materials
You need to start making your own drying unit with a drawing and preparation of the necessary tools. For the simplest designs, an approximate scheme is sufficient, more complex ones will require a detailed study of individual elements of the device. The set of tools also depends on the complexity of the project, but most likely the mandatory list items will be:
- hacksaw and plane;
- different types of screwdrivers and a hammer;
- drill and pliers;
- soldering iron;
- level;
- brush for painting.
Materials are also selected based on the project and the selected type of device. For the convective model, you will need:
- bars for the frame and plywood sheets for sheathing;
- the same materials are suitable for assembling trays;
- fine mesh;
- sash canopies and screws for fasteners;
- electric fans with shades or 150 W incandescent lamps;
- wire with a plug for connecting to the network.
For the body of an infrared device, the same materials are suitable, but instead of shades or lamps with fans, you will need to purchase:
- a film that is used to heat floors;
- terminals, clamps and eyelets;
- insulation in bituminous and PVC versions.
The simplest designs are assembled from a minimum set of components. These are all the same wooden materials for the case, in addition to which glass or polycarbonate is required.
Step by step construction of the drying cabinet
Since the solar and electric varieties of the dryer have enough structural nuances, the assembly sequence of each of them must be considered separately.
Solar
The simplest version of such a structure consists of a plywood case with glass doors and shelves inside. It is installed on the sunny side with an inclination so that the maximum effect of heat on the inner chamber.
- First you need to cut the plywood sheets according to the required dimensions. Ventilation holes are cut in the sheets that will be located above and below.
- Next, the cabinet is assembled, fixing the joints with self-tapping screws, which are twisted into bars. Outside, the racks are attached to the side walls, calculating the angle of inclination of the cabinet so that the sun covers the inner cavity as much as possible at noon.
- The back side is sewn up with a metal sheet, which will enhance the thermal effect. The ventilation holes at the top and bottom are covered with a mosquito net.
- On the side walls, from the inside, they screw the supports under the shelves with self-tapping screws. They must be fastened at a pre-calculated angle according to the position of the cabinet.
- When this stage of work is completed, the cabinet can be painted. The inner part is necessarily painted over with black, which accumulates heat. The outer is white, which is highly reflective.
- While the paint dries, you can start assembling the trays. Their frame is assembled from bars with a mandatory crossbar in the middle, which will strengthen the structure. The bottom of each tray is sewn up with a net, which will provide a free flow of heated air.
- For the front side, a frame is made, the dimensions of which must correspond to the perimeters of the cabinet. A polycarbonate sheet or glass is fixed on top of it.
When the outer frame is ready and locked in position, the dryer for fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and herbs is ready for use.
Electric
To assemble the electrical version, you do not need to assemble the cabinet from scratch. An old cabinet or a small cabinet of sufficient size is fine. Some craftsmen adapt old refrigerators for these purposes. Consider the option from the curbstone, as the simplest in terms of labor costs.
- Depending on the location of the fan, the upper or lower plane of the bedside table must be provided with holes, the more such holes, the better the air flow circulation. If its fixation is provided on the back side, ventilation holes are made in the door.
- In the next step, we cover the walls with material that will maintain the temperature regime.
- Then, from the inside, we fasten the guides on which the trays will be located. The latter are assembled from slats and sewn up with a mosquito net.
- On the back side we cut a hole with a diameter for a fan heater or a pair of holes for incandescent lamps. If an infrared heat source is supposed, we cover the back wall with a film prepared in advance. We take out the power cord from the mains.
- To make a dehydrator from a conventional dryer, add a thermostat to the circuit and bring the control elements out.
- You can close an impromptu dryer with an old door, if it is not there or it does not fit, we assemble a simple frame and sheathe it with plywood with a large number of holes. Do not forget to install a latch or hook so that the door does not open during operation.
- After that, it remains to place the assembled trays inside the chamber and the apparatus can be considered ready for testing.
As you can see, in order to build a dryer with your own hands, you do not need to make any special efforts, and there are many benefits from this device. You can make a dryer yourself from scrap materials without spending a lot of money. Use our tips and instructions and enjoy vitamins any time of the year.
A self-assembled dryer for vegetables and fruits will become an indispensable assistant for a summer resident during the harvesting and processing season. A global network and the expertise of craftsmen offer many such projects, a small part of them can be found here.
With the help of a drying machine, you can stock up on tasty and healthy preparations from meat, fish, mushrooms, herbs, vegetables and, of course, fruits for the winter.
Nuances when drying fruits, meat and fish
Drying or drying fresh food is one of the oldest and still popular preservation methods. Since people first thought about storing food for the future, many drying methods have accumulated.
The first and earliest version of such a blank is the use of solar energy. Its main advantage is the minimum cost. You will need inexpensive baking sheet material and occasional stirring to keep the food from sticking together.
But there is a minus that largely devalues \u200b\u200ball the advantages of this method. Requires even, sunny weather, but there are not so many such days in our conditions.
A later, but also ancient method, the use of a Russian stove. Several bricks are laid inside, on which a baking sheet with herbs, fruits, berries, mushrooms, and other fruits is placed. Alternatively, the same products are hung in bunches near the stove. However, under current conditions, not every home has a stove.
With the advent of gas stoves, a similar conservation principle began to be used in city apartments. A baking sheet or grate is installed in the oven, the process takes place over low heat with the door open. With all the advantages, you have to pay for gas, it is not too expensive, but still a minus for the family budget.
A more effective option is a homemade dryer, assembled from available funds according to one of the proven schemes. With this method, a number of nuances are observed, without which it is impossible to preserve the nutritional properties of any product. In this case:
- an optimal temperature regime is provided, which removes moisture from fruits, meat or fish;
- conditions are created for the necessary circulation of air flows, which eliminate excess moisture inside the drying chamber;
- there is a rational organization of its internal space, which makes it possible to correctly place the maximum number of products;
- everything that is inside the structure is reliably protected from insects, dust, and other external factors that can negatively affect the contents.
Wherein most of the vitamins and nutrients are preserved, the risk of botulism, the bacteria of which multiply in a humid environment, is minimized, the risk of mold growth is reduced.
Features of drying devices
To provide the listed conditions and the desired result, a home-made drying unit must meet certain technical requirements:
- inside it, a temperature of no more than 70 ° C should be maintained, this will ensure maximum dehydration, but will not allow overdrying;
- the volume of the chamber should be calculated not only from the number of products intended for the workpiece, part of the space for free air circulation must be taken into account;
- the design of the device should allow you to adjust the drying time; with self-assembly, this can be achieved by simply moving the baking sheets closer to the source of heat or air flows.
If necessary and if possible, the device can be equipped with shades and thermostats, electric fans, and other equipment that will make its use more efficient and comfortable.
Types of drying chambers
Do-it-yourself dryers are classified in the same way as their factory counterparts. First of all, they need to be divided into devices using solar energy and electric apparatus equipped with shades and fans... The former are different
- simplicity of design;
- require a minimum of special knowledge and experience during assembly;
- economical in terms of materials required for assembly and subsequent operation.
With all the variety of such devices, their design is generally the same type. This is a cabinet of different sizes, usually made of wood, with vents, glass walls around the perimeter or on one side for heat.
A more complex device is possessed by their counterparts using electricity.
According to the principle of operation, they are divided into conventional electric dryers of convective or infrared heating and dehydrators, where the function of precise temperature adjustment is provided, which leads to complete dehydration of the product.
Convective
In this embodiment, drying occurs with a directed stream of heated air. The design provides a ten, which can be located above, below or in a horizontal plane.
The easiest way to make such a device is to assemble the camera, install a heater and a fan heater in it. However, the quality of processing becomes a victim of constructive simplicity. The fruits are dried on the outside, keeping moisture in the core.
They are not suitable for long-term storage, as they quickly grow moldy and pose a risk of infection with botulism.
This disadvantage can be minimized by a longer drying time, but this leads to the loss of a significant part of the useful properties and increases energy consumption.
Infrared
These devices use infrared radiation, the effect of which is as close as possible to the sun. The impact is more even, vitamins and microelements are better preserved. Drying results are better suited for long shelf life.
It is more difficult to assemble such a device, you will have to choose a suitable infrared emitter and choose a scheme for its correct placement.
Dehydrator
In translation into human language, this type of installation is called a dehydrator. It is for the maximum elimination of moisture that the design of these devices is designed. Despite the fact that ordinary dryers are often called the same term, the difference between them lies in the presence of a thermostat that controls the temperature regime.
Thanks to these design improvements, drying takes place under optimal conditions within an admittedly short time. Such a device best for curing beef, pork or fish.
Result: free from moisture as much as possible, evenly dried, able to retain consumer properties until the next harvest and longer.
But to assemble the dehydrator with your own hands, improvised means are not enough, additional equipment will be required.
Necessary materials
You need to start making your own drying unit with a drawing and preparation of the necessary tools. For the simplest designs, an approximate scheme is sufficient, more complex ones will require a detailed study of individual elements of the device. The set of tools also depends on the complexity of the project, but most likely the mandatory list items will be:
- hacksaw and plane;
- different types of screwdrivers and a hammer;
- drill and pliers;
- soldering iron;
- level;
- brush for painting.
Materials are also selected based on the project and the selected type of device. For the convective model, you will need:
- bars for the frame and plywood sheets for sheathing;
- the same materials are suitable for assembling trays;
- fine mesh;
- sash canopies and screws for fasteners;
- electric fans with shades or 150 W incandescent lamps;
- wire with a plug for connecting to the network.
For the body of an infrared device, the same materials are suitable, but instead of shades or lamps with fans, you will need to purchase:
- a film that is used to heat floors;
- terminals, clamps and eyelets;
- insulation in bituminous and PVC versions.
The simplest designs are assembled from a minimum set of components. These are all the same wooden materials for the case, in addition to which glass or polycarbonate is required.
Step by step construction of the drying cabinet
Since the solar and electric varieties of the dryer have enough structural nuances, the assembly sequence of each of them must be considered separately.
Solar
The simplest version of such a structure consists of a plywood case with glass doors and shelves inside. It is installed on the sunny side with an inclination so that the maximum effect of heat on the inner chamber.
When the outer frame is ready and locked in position, the dryer for fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and herbs is ready for use.
Electric
To assemble the electrical version, you do not need to assemble the cabinet from scratch. An old cabinet or a small cabinet of sufficient size is fine. Some craftsmen adapt old refrigerators for these purposes. Consider the option from the curbstone, as the simplest in terms of labor costs.
As you can see, in order to build a dryer with your own hands, you do not need to make any special efforts, and there are many benefits from this device. You can make a dryer yourself from scrap materials without spending a lot of money. Use our tips and instructions and enjoy vitamins any time of the year.
We make a dryer for fruits and vegetables ourselves
Fruits are a source of pectins and vitamins, the consumption of which provides the body with essential nutrients. But fresh fruits are available only during the warm season. You can prepare them for the winter by means of a certain treatment, which involves two options. Vegetables and fruits are canned or dried.
A fruit dryer is an excellent device that you can build with your own hands with minimal financial costs.
Today the second way is preferable. A fruit dryer is an excellent device that you can build with your own hands at minimal financial costs.
General arrangement of the dryer
The principle of operation of the dryer is the effect of an increased air flow on the crushed fruit. As a result, the metabolic processes in the fruits are activated, the moisture leaves, and they dry out faster. There are three types of dryers, each with its own device.
The construction of a standard dryer consists of 4 main parts:
- fan;
- housing;
- tray for fruits and vegetables;
- electric motor.
The function of the solar dryer is based on the penetration of rays through the transparent material and heating of the sheet mounted on the back wall. This increases the temperature inside the appliance when the reading can reach 50 ° C.
Fruits and vegetables, being in such conditions, dry out. Thanks to good ventilation, moisture is removed to the outside, which prevents the formation of mold on the fruit.
A cold air stream enters from the lower side of the structure, it heats up in the body and exits through the upper opening.
Such a dryer consists of:
- wooden case;
- pallets for chopped fruits;
- transparent polycarbonate cover.
The infrared dryer is a multifunctional handy device. It can be rolled up. This will greatly facilitate storage of the device. It can also be easily transported if necessary. The potential of such a device is 58 ° C, which allows you to get high-quality dried fruits. This device will successfully cope with the heater function.
The structural elements of such a dryer are as follows:
- infrared film;
- case from the box;
- transformer;
- wiring.
Doubts may arise about the advisability of making a dryer After all, if the fruits are placed in an ordinary attic, after a certain period of time they will reach the required state. This option does not require effort and financial investment. But it also has a drawback.
In this case, vegetables and fruits will attract insects. It is impossible to prevent the occurrence of this situation, since constant contact with air is necessary for the complete drying of the fruits. Accordingly, they cannot be placed in airtight packaging.
Undoubtedly, you can treat fruits with a special composition so that insects lose interest in them. But the taste properties of the fruit change. In addition, after such processing, the fruits retain chemical components in their structure, and it is no longer possible to call them completely safe.
Required tools and materials
For the construction you need a professional tool
There are several options for manufacturing a structure. To get a conventional dryer, you need to prepare:
- materials for the body. It can be 60 cm x 80 cm plywood sheets or an old refrigerator;
- metal mesh;
- trays;
- fan with motor or 2 x 150 W incandescent lamps;
- self-tapping screws.
For an infrared dryer you will need:
- electrical wire with switch and plug;
- foil 100 cm x 50 cm, intended for warm floors;
- bituminous and PVC insulation;
- 2 terminals, 2 eyelets, 2 clips;
- soldering iron;
- metal bar.
The solar dryer is manufactured using materials and tools such as:
- wooden beams;
- a metal sheet;
- mosquito net;
- black paint;
- polycarbonate or glass;
- lining or plywood;
- brush;
- self-tapping screws;
- level.
DIY step-by-step instructions for making a dryer for vegetables and fruits
Each variation of the drying cabinet has its own characteristics, so making a choice in favor of a particular design is solely your right. Let us consider in turn the procedure for constructing each type of drying device.
Regular
For the construction of a conventional structure, it is first necessary to prepare the body. Next, you need to do the following manipulations:
Select the item from which the dryer will be made
Making ventilation holes
Instead of a bottom, a fine mesh metal mesh is used. It can be replaced with the grill grate by removing the handles. Or make the bottom out of an old door.
Inside, we trim the walls with insulating material.
We fix the guide rails on which the pallets will be fixed. They can be built with wooden battens and a mosquito net.
We fix the fans to the case
We connect the device and test the performance.
Infrared device
Infrared dryer assembly diagram
The process of building such a dryer is quite simple and does not take much time. Lavsan film is used as a heating element. You will also need two plastic crates. All actions are reduced to the following aspects:
Solar design
This version of the device makes it possible to use solar energy to dry the fruit. As a result of this natural process, the fruit retains all its beneficial properties. So, the construction of the structure occurs in this order:
Assembling the frame for the solar dryer
Installing shelves in a solar dryer
Covering the dryer with polycarbonate
Rules for using a homemade dryer
The rules for using a solar dryer are reduced to the following aspects:
Video: an alternative way to build a fruit dryer
It is common knowledge that fruits that have been exposed to heat will lose a significant portion of their nutrients. The method of drying fruits and vegetables will allow you to get the most useful products.
Thus, they retain their nutritional value at room temperature and take up relatively little space. We have told you how to make a device that will help to prepare fruits.
Use our instructions and enjoy vitamins even during the cold season.
How to make a DIY dryer for vegetables, fruits, meat, mushrooms, fish and herbs
Drying vegetables and fruits is a good way to preserve their beneficial properties for a relatively long time. To dehydrate food quickly and efficiently, you can purchase a suitable dehydrator at a hardware store.
In addition to preparing vegetables and fruits for the winter, with the help of such devices, you can also dry meat, fish, and cook homemade yoghurts. However, a store dryer is a relatively expensive pleasure. If you wish, you can save money by making a similar unit from improvised means with your own hands.
The article discusses options for dryers that you can do yourself with a minimum of costs.
For making a dryer at home, the main factor is the availability of suitable material for the unit body. An unnecessary refrigerator is well suited for these purposes.
Preparatory activities
The body of an old refrigerator is a good option for a homemade electric dryer. Capacious and stable, it will get a second life as the outer frame of home drying equipment.
To make a dehydrator, you first need to get rid of unnecessary parts: freezer, compressor and radiator. Dismantling should be done very carefully so as not to spill the working substance of the refrigerator. The refrigerant can be used, for example, freon, ammonia, SF6. These substances are unsafe for the human body.
Dryer assembly
After carrying out the preparatory measures, a fan of suitable dimensions is installed at the place where the compressor was installed. A device with a diameter of about 120-200 cm and a power of 18 watts is suitable. It can be purchased on purpose or removed from an old exhaust system. A feature of the installation is the fact that the fan must work to pump air masses into the dehydrator.
In the upper part of the refrigerator, you need to cut a hole for a pipe with a diameter of 10 cm.This can be done using a tool available at home, for example, a crown or a jigsaw.
This opening is intended as an outlet for humid air. On the roof of the refrigerator, a piece of metal pipe (with the corresponding diameter) or aluminum corrugation is installed into it.
The sufficient pipe length is 2-3 m.
For faster drying, a small hood can be installed at the upper end of the pipe. The top of the duct should be protected from insects by using a mosquito net or gauze folded in several layers.
In order to be able to load products for drying into the future dehydrator, wooden slats are attached to the sides of the refrigerating chamber body. Pallets will be placed on them. The distance between the slats is chosen 10-20 cm.
This is enough to accommodate various vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and herbs, both sliced \u200b\u200band some in general.
If it becomes necessary to dry larger pieces, it is enough to remove the extra trays from the refrigerator.
It should be noted that when using heating elements, it will be necessary to install an additional fan to speed up the exhaust. If these methods of accelerating drying are not required, then a simple fan can be dispensed with.
If desired, a homemade dryer can be improved with temperature sensors. Also, with the proper skill, you can equip the equipment with a timer and other automated means for your convenience.
Pallet manufacturing
The trays for the dehydrator should be selected or made to the size of the refrigerator, so that a gap of 2 cm remains between their edges and the door. The same gap should be provided between the trays and the rear wall of the cabinet. This is necessary for full blowing of food at all levels.
DIY drying cabinet
In the absence of unnecessary equipment with a suitable housing at home, the drying cabinet can be made by yourself. For work, you will need the following materials:
- plywood sheets;
- slats;
- corners;
- foil;
- electric heating device;
- conventional and fan heater;
- self-tapping screws.
First of all, the cabinet frame is mounted, then it is sheathed with plywood or other wood from all sides, except for the door. In the rear wall, you can pre-make holes for mounting fans. The door is made separately from the same materials and is attached to the body with hinges. Numerous holes with a diameter of 5-10 mm are pre-drilled on the door surface.
The cabinet is upholstered from the inside with aluminum foil and wooden slats for pallets are attached to its side walls.
Baking trays for fruits and vegetables are selected in the same way as when making a dryer from a refrigerator. Their dimensions must not impede the free circulation of air inside the dehydrator.
Both fans are mounted on the back of the cabinet: the fan heater is in the lower part, and the conventional fan is in the upper part.
Parallel connection of devices is allowed, thanks to which they will work from one switch. You can also equip your drying cabinet with light bulbs that will serve as visual indicators of its operation.
Solar Dehydrator Assembly Options
Solar dehydrators are dryers that use solar energy to operate. They work well for drying herbs, fruits or vegetables, even fish.
Such designs are more economical, however, they can be effectively used exclusively in hot sunny weather.
You can make a very simple design in the form of an ordinary box, or you can make a more "advanced" apparatus equipped with additional equipment.
Simple solar dryer
It takes a minimum of materials, tools and time to make a simple solar garden dryer. The assembly of the case is carried out by a method similar to the manufacture of a dehydrator in the form of a homemade cabinet. The exception is that there is no need to make holes for the fans and in the dryer door.
Small slots for ventilation are made in the upper and lower walls of the structure and are equipped with mosquito nets. Another difference is that the lower surface must be longer than the upper surface, thus the angular position of the door is achieved. The drying box must be placed on a stand made of wooden blocks, made like a stool.
The box door must be made of transparent material: glass, plastic, plastic wrap. It is mounted to the top like a frame.
Racks for trays are installed in the box. Their number is determined by the dimensions of the manufactured box. Do not leave a small distance between the pallets - this has a bad effect on the circulation of air masses.
In the end, all that remains is to select or manufacture pallets of suitable dimensions. Then you can put the homemade dehydrator in a well-lit place.
Collector device
The solar collector dryer is a more labor intensive option. The drying box is designed in much the same way as a simple dryer. But there are a number of significant differences. Such a dehydrator consists of 2 parts: an air heating zone (collector) and a product drying zone. Both areas should be covered from the front with transparent material.
Holes should be made at the bottom of the heating zone for free air flow. A black painted aluminum plate must be installed on the inner wall of the collector. Air, passing along this plate, will be heated and through an additional hole to enter the lower part of the drying zone. Rising up, it picks up moisture and goes out through the chimney.
For efficient operation of a dryer with a collector, it must be moved so that the collector is constantly directed towards the sun. To avoid this, the dehydrator can be upgraded with additional manifold devices on each side.
Version with fan and thermostat
To make a solar dryer with a fan and thermostat, you should prepare the following materials:
- glass or plastic;
- plywood;
- corners, bars, slats;
- castors with a diameter of 40-80 mm (for the convenience of moving the unit);
- aluminum sheet;
- small fan (120 mm diameter, 12V);
- thermostat;
- voltage stabilizer with a microcircuit KR142EN8B;
- solar battery 12 V;
- mosquito net.
For ease of assembly, you should be guided by the drawing showing the dimensions of the parts of the product, which is presented below.
The first step is to assemble the body of the product from the beams and plywood and seal it. Then, wheels are mounted on the bottom of the dryer. With their help, the product will easily turn towards the sun. The rear door of the dryer is made of transparent material (glass or plastic).
If you follow the dimensions suggested in the drawing, then 7 pallets can be installed in this dryer at a distance of 7 cm from each other. For this purpose, wooden slats are mounted in the body. It is appropriate for pallets for such a design to be made of mesh material and support rails.
A black painted aluminum sheet is mounted on the manifold. A fan is mounted in the upper part of the box and, in accordance with the diagram, an electrical circuit is assembled from a fan, a solar battery, a voltage stabilizer and a thermostat.
When connecting the elements of the electrical circuit, one should be guided by the diagram below.
To maximize performance, the assembled solar powered dehydrator must be positioned with the collector and battery facing the sun.
Infrared dehydrator
A good drier for herbs, nuts, mushrooms and fruits can be made using an infrared lamp. For work, you need the following materials and tools:
- wire with a diameter of 5-8 mm;
- small cardboard box;
- foil;
- metal grid;
- lamp holder with mountings;
- thermometer;
- infrared lamp with a power of 60 W;
- screwdriver, knife and awl;
- self-tapping screws, adhesive tape.
The box is pasted over with foil from the inside and mesh shelves are prepared according to its size. On one of the walls at the bottom, a hole is made for the wire and a cartridge with an infrared lamp is fixed there. A thermometer is attached to one of the inner walls of the box.
Holders of mesh pallets are made from pieces of wire. To do this, you need to pierce the walls of the box, thread the pieces of wire and secure their ends with tape.
With a thermometer, you can monitor the temperature inside the device. It is recommended to dry vegetable products at a temperature of 40-50 degrees.
If the temperature inside the dryer exceeds the norm, you can turn off the light for a while or leave the box lid ajar.
This product can be made more convenient for operation by installing temperature sensors. Which will turn off the lamp themselves when it overheats.
Drying chamber for meat and fish products
Protein products can also be processed in a dryer. This process is called drying. A dehydrator for meat and fish can be made from a plastic box with a suitable lid.
For manufacturing, you need a fan, a piece of pipe or couplings, threaded studs, washers and nuts. There are a number of videos on how to make your own cabinet for drying meat products.
A very simple assembly option is presented in the video below.
Making your own food dryer with the right parts is a relatively easy process. There can be many more options for assembling than considered. It all depends on imagination and possibilities. Also, any self-made model can be automated so that the drying process is as little hassle as possible and practically does not require personal intervention.
Do-it-yourself electric dryer for vegetables and fruits from improvised means
In rainy weather, when you need to dry the crop, what could be better than a do-it-yourself electric dryer for fruits and vegetables? After all, dried fruits are so good in winter! You can cook compotes and chew like that. We share our experience on how to make an electric dryer with our own hands. This is a very simple design that can be used to dry vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms.
Simple do-it-yourself electric dryer for vegetables and fruits
Fall! Apples and pears ripened. But drying in the sun is no longer possible. It's cold, and at night the dew still falls. What dried up during the day, absorbed again during the night! We tried to dry it over a gas stove, but the volumes are not the same. Therefore, they began to select available tools for a homemade dehydrator.
And what do you need for drying? Warm air and blowing to blow off vapors. We also need pallets for laying out fruits and a fan heater.
First, 5 existing vegetable boxes 400 × 300 × 90 were taken as pallets (trays). There are large cells at the bottom, so they shot a mosquito net with a furniture stapler:
Warm air through the boxes should go from bottom to top. Therefore, the side walls of the boxes must be sealed. Some of the boxes were covered with cling film:
Then they cut the film at the ends and fastened it with simple tape:
We cut the fruit, dried it ...
... and realized that there weren't enough pallets, we decided to add another 5. They were covered with parchment paper from the inside, also shot with a stapler:
That is, they used for these purposes the material that was found at home. We install the boxes in a stack so that the air does not escape between the boxes:
At the very bottom of the stack we put a fan heater with a jet upwards and provide air access to it from below. A fan heater was found in a store with a capacity of 1000 watts.
After several dryings, we came up with the following technology:
- Cut vegetables and fruits into slices no more than 5 mm.
- We put fruits and vegetables on the pallet not very tightly so that air can pass through.
- We rearrange the boxes periodically (once an hour):
- 1 2 3 4 … 9 10
- 10 9 8 … 2 1
- 1 3 5 … 8 10
- 10 8 … 3 1
- The total drying time is 8 - 10 hours.
- We stop the dryer when the fruits are slightly damp, they become dry when cooled.
- Loading 6-8 kg, output 0.7-1.0 kg. It all depends on the quality of the fruit.
Previously, we managed to dry about a kilogram of pears. They are late autumn with us, they do not lie for a long time (Talgar beauty). And this year we have dried as much as 15 kg. They dried so that they look like chips. Grandchildren are happy to eat them and demand pear chips! So a hand-made electric dryer for vegetables and fruits helps us out a lot.
How to make a dryer for fish, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and berries with your own hands
For long-term preservation and preparation of food products for future use, they resort to various methods of their processing - salting, smoking, drying, drying, etc.
In most cases, processing processes involve air drying. Some products containing a lot of water are subjected to heat treatment, that is, they are dried at a high temperature in the oven (some fruits, melons, etc.)
Most of the products are dried in the sun or in the wind (salted meat, ham, poultry, fish, many fruits).
There are certain difficulties and inconveniences associated with the drying process. It often happens like this: as soon as you put the food out to dry, the sun suddenly hid or the wind died down, otherwise it suddenly began to rain, and all the work goes down the drain. But the biggest evil in the summer is associated with flies, they swarm around the displayed product and can very quickly lay their eggs on it.
Flies are malicious carriers of infection. Contact of flies with food is unacceptable. That is why, before hanging meat and fish preparations in the wind, some wrap them with gauze, but this does not always provide a reliable guarantee of isolation from flies, and in a weak wind it complicates the drying process.
Fishermen experience particular difficulties.
After a successful catch and salting of the caught, it is unrealistic to wrap each fish in cheesecloth for drying, and the likelihood of damage by flies is very high, especially if the fish is plastered.
But there is a way out.
After a series of experiments, an excellent solution was found.
We made a dryer with our own hands, resembling a matchbox in shape, or rather, the lid of this box, but only several tens of times larger.
Dryer operating principle
The device and the principle of operation are very simple. A frame in the form of a parallelepiped is made from the slats, placed on the edge (matchbox gray down).
Both side, as well as the top and bottom edges are sheathed with solid material (plywood, cardboard, roofing felt, oilcloth, etc.), and the top edge is a hinged lid (like a piano lid). The end faces are covered with fine mesh or gauze.
Inside the dryer, wires are stretched along the side walls for hanging the product. On the one hand, inside, directly at the gauze, a desktop room fan is installed, and its conductive wire is passed through the gauze without leaving a free passage in it and is led out to an electrical outlet.
Foodstuffs are put on metal hooks and suspended from tensioned wires. After carefully checking and driving the flies away, close the lid and turn on the fan.
The generated intensive air flow ensures a fairly quick drying of the product in compliance with sanitary requirements.
The drying time is determined empirically. It depends on the temperature of the ambient air, its humidity, as well as on the size of the dried product, its moisture content and the required final moisture content.
Homemade dryer dimensions
The dimensions of the dryer are arbitrary and depend on the amount of product to be dried. In order to save electricity, it is advisable to use fans with several operating modes, which will also allow changing the ventilation mode in the dryer.
You can install the dryer on a balcony, on a veranda, in a barn, under a canopy, even in the open air. It is best to load food in the early morning or evening, when there are no flies. It is advisable to first hang larger parts of products closer to the fan, later they can be interchanged.
Long-term use of such a dryer has made it possible to comprehensively investigate its operation in various conditions.
Excellent results were obtained for drying mushrooms, drying hams, boiled sausages, salted ducks and chickens, drying bunches of parsley, dill, low potatoes, churchkhela, fruits, pastilles poured into baking sheets, etc.
The useful work of the dryer when drying fish is simply difficult to overestimate.
I think many will be interested in such a dryer, because the material used for its manufacture is actually junk, the work is simple, there is a fan in almost every home, the power consumption is low, and the benefits are great.
Homemade dryer drawing
About drying apples ...
Some readers argue that when apples are dried, neither vitamins nor useful microelements remain. Is it so? Yes, during drying, something is destroyed, in particular, vitamin C.But most of the nutrients are preserved: potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc.
Apple chips
As a child, I spent every summer with my sisters at my grandmother's in the village, there was a large farm: three cows, three calves, pigs, chickens. horses. And the vegetable gardens were more like collective farm fields.
The carrot bed is 30 meters long! We did everything that we were told - and weeded, and watered, and collected Colorado beetles, but we did not understand why.
Laughter laughing, but only at the age of 33, thanks to articles from "My Beautiful Dacha", I learned why to spud potatoes ... When my husband and I bought a dacha, my mother-in-law gave me a stack of books about a vegetable garden.
We got the dacha with several apple trees; the harvest is so big that you can't even take it to the city.
DIY mushroom dryer
For long-term storage and preparation of food products for future use, various methods of their processing are used - drying, drying, smoking, salting. Often processing processes are associated with air drying.
Some products, which contain a lot of water, are heat treated, that is, they are dried at a rather high temperature in the oven (melons, apples, some fruits). Many other products are dried in the wind or in the sun (fruits, fish, poultry, ham, salted meat).
A great alternative to such methods is a do-it-yourself mushroom dryer, which can also be used for preparing other products. Consider how convenient such a device is and how you can assemble it yourself.
Procurement difficulties
Certain difficulties and inconveniences are associated with the drying process.
It often happens like this: as soon as you put the food to dry, suddenly the wind has died down or the sun has hidden, or even it rained, and all the work goes down the drain. But the greatest evil in the summer is associated with flies.
They rush in a swarm around the exposed product and before you blink an eye, they will lay their eggs in it. In this case, a do-it-yourself mushroom dryer will save you.
Special difficulties arise for fishermen, because after a good catch and salting of the caught, it is simply unrealistic to wrap each fish with gauze for drying, and the likelihood of damage to the product by flies increases significantly, especially if the fish is plastered. But still, there is a way out.
After many experiments, a wonderful way was found - to make a mushroom dryer with your own hands, resembling the shape of matchboxes, more precisely, the lid of this box, only several tens of times larger.
Dryer option No. 1
The dryer device and its principle of operation are quite simple. To perform such a dryer, you should:
Device application
Food should be put on metal hooks and suspended from taut wires. After a complete check and the expulsion of all flies, the lid is closed and the fan is turned on.
As a rule, the duration of drying in a mushroom dryer with your own hands is set empirically. It will depend on the humidity of the ambient air, its temperature, as well as the size of the dried products, their moisture content and the required final moisture content.
- The dimensions of the dryer can be arbitrary and depend on the amount of product to be dried.
- In order to reduce energy consumption, it is recommended to use fans that have several operating modes, which will make it possible to change the ventilation mode in the dryer.
- You can install such a dryer almost anywhere: on a veranda, balcony, under a canopy, or even on the street.
- It is better to load food in the evening or early in the morning when there are no flies.
- It is better to hang larger parts of food first closer to the fan, and then they can be interchanged.
Dryer option No. 2
Let's look at another option, how to make a do-it-yourself mushroom dryer over a gas stove. So let's get started:
- For work, we need aluminum corners of various lengths and a wire mesh.
- First, measure the dimensions of the slab in order to make a dryer, which can later be placed on its surface.
- Drill the holes in the corners with a drill or electric drill so that you can fasten them with bolts and nuts.
- Now it came to the grid on which the mushrooms will be placed. Cut it out to the dimensions of the slab and the frame itself, with a margin.
- In order to fix the mesh to the frame, use the same aluminum corner, but in a smaller size. It should turn out so that from below the mesh fits onto the platform from the frame, and from above it is pressed against the overhead plate.
- Also attach the plate to the frame with screws threaded through the pre-drilled holes.
- The height above the fire should be determined independently, you can approximately 60-70 cm (just saw off the legs of the required length).
- Lay out the mushrooms, turn on the gas and that's it, the process has begun.
Video
The useful work of a do-it-yourself mushroom dryer is very difficult to overestimate. Surely, many will be interested in such a dryer, the material that is used for its manufacture is actually waste, the work is completely simple, the power consumption is small, the fan can be found in almost every home, and the benefits are enormous.
Drying (dryer) for mushrooms, fruits, berries, herbs, herbs from the old refrigerator. How to make drying. | DoSam.Ru
Several years ago I made myself a simple dryer for mushrooms, apples, etc. harvest and it still serves faithfully. But its effectiveness all the time seemed to me insufficient, or rather, I wanted to make it even more effective.
And then the other day an old refrigerator fell into my hands. And I decided to make a drying cabinet out of it with forced ventilation, which will make the drying and drying process very fast, effective and safe (in terms of getting rid of flies and wasps that tend to visit the processed products).
They are known to not tolerate drafts.
First of all, you should free the refrigerator body from all internal contents. We only need the body itself, usually metal. The only thing that should be left is the seal on the door.
Be careful when removing the refrigerator insulation, as it will most likely be glass wool. So that your hands do not itch afterwards, you should wear thick clothes and gloves, preferably disposable plastic or rubber gloves, stretched over cloth. A respirator or simply a scarf tied around the mouth and nose will not be superfluous.
The inner body - "trough" can be used in some way in the future (for example, as a trolley body), although there are a lot of holes in it. And we only have a metal cabinet.
We cut a conventional exhaust fan into the niche where the refrigerator compressor used to be. True, in this case it will work as an injection one. Generally speaking, here I ran into some dilemma.
Formally, it is better to use an exhaust fan for drying, which will create a slight vacuum in the drying chamber. The lower the pressure, the faster the drying.
But when installing an exhaust fan, you lose the ability to use a fan heater (which dramatically speeds up drying), you would have to put two of them or install a separate air heater.
Therefore, for now, I settled on a blower fan with a diameter of 125 mm (productivity is about 180 cubic meters of air per hour, 18 W of power).
Maybe later, when the "drying season" begins, I will try to rearrange it on the hood and compare the results.
I specifically installed the fan off-center, so that later I could install either a second fan, or embed a fan heater (for example, from drying an old washing machine).
In the roof of the refrigerator, I cut a hole for a polypropylene pipe and glued it in with hot glue. It can be extended upwards by installing a pipe 2 meters high or an aluminum corrugation stretched up to 3 meters.
At the top, it will be possible to install a Volpert-Grigorovich exhaust deflector and then the draft (and draft) will be achieved by themselves, without a fan. This option will be useful to those who have tight electricity in the country.
By the way, I painted the body of the refrigerator (as long as the spray can last) with matte black paint. Now, when the sun appears, the case heats up significantly and even with the fan turned on, the air temperature (in the outlet pipe) is 5-8 degrees higher than the surrounding one (I measured it with an electronic thermometer in a remote sensor).
So that the door of the refrigerator - drying was securely fixed, I attached a regular hook to it. The kind that is usually used on the doors of utility rooms or wickets. I bent the tip of the hook a little and made a notch on it with a file.
Now, when closing on the hook, the drying door is, as it were, additionally attracted to the body, sealed, and is fixed in this position. (I didn't bother with different magnetic latches or clamps.)
By the way, this option for solving the problem of closing the old refrigerator (present) can be useful if it lets air under the worn out door seal.
The insides of the dryer are "standard". This is a shelving unit with pull-out flat drawers. The bottom of the boxes is mesh, made of fine mesh. I made the shelves for the drawers from a narrow board. I had to make a cutout under the protruding edge of the refrigerator.
For the drying process to be effective, the design should be made so that all air passes exclusively through the bottom. Shelves are fastened directly to the walls of the refrigerator with self-tapping screws.
Having marked the outside of the wall, I drilled holes in it, through which I fixed the shelves with self-tapping screws with a head in the form of a press washer.
I must say that here I was a little too clever. You just had to close the recess in the door with a sheet of plywood or plastic. Those. make the door just flat so that when closed it is flush with the front wall of the refrigerator.
I decided to make curly shelves so that the drawers almost rest against the door and the air flows through them. At the same time, the volume of the drying cabinet increased by the thickness of the door, and the work - by an extra hour or two ... In addition, there were certain difficulties with opening the door - the seal was clinging to the shelves. I had to file them figuratively.
But what's done is done. If someone repeats the design, this should be taken into account.
I was completely satisfied with the tests of the dryer from the refrigerator. A bunch of green dill wilted for winter storage in less than a day. I even withered some meat (for beer).
The meat (beef, cooked-smoked), cut into long strips and rubbed with salt and pepper, wilted to a "rubbery" state in just a few hours. It turned out something like a biltong or sujuk.
So for the mushroom - apple drying season - ready!
So if you get your hands on a case from an old refrigerator, spend half a day and you will have a great dryer for mushrooms, apples, berries, herbs and all kinds of medicinal herbs.