Cold drying of dried meat. How to make a DIY fruit and vegetable dehydrator Simple solar dryer

Drying vegetables and fruits is in a good way preserving them useful properties for a relatively long time. To dehydrate food quickly and efficiently, you can purchase a suitable dehydrator in the store. household appliances... 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 can be made independently with a minimum of costs.

Homemade dehydrator from an old refrigerator

For making a dryer at home, the main factor is the availability suitable material for the unit body. For these purposes it is good an unnecessary refrigerator will do.

Preparatory activities

Old refrigerator body - a good option for 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: freezers, 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.

Important! It is also necessary to remove the casing and insulation from the refrigerator, which will decompose during heating and release substances harmful to health. The rubber backing on the refrigerator door is not removed.

Advice! During the preparatory work it is recommended to use a respirator, gloves and goggles.

Dryer assembly

After the preparatory activities in the place where the compressor was installed, a fan of suitable dimensions is mounted. Suitable device with a diameter of about 120-200 cm and a power of 18 W... 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 hole is intended as an outlet for humid air... On the roof of the refrigerator, a segment is installed into it metal pipe (with the corresponding diameter) or aluminum corrugation. The sufficient pipe length is 2-3 m.

For faster drying at the top end of the pipe, you can install a small hood... The top of the duct should be protected from insects by using a mosquito net or gauze folded in several layers.

For the possibility of loading into the future dehydrator of products for drying on the sides of the body refrigerating chamber are attached wooden slats ... Pallets will be placed on them. The distance between the slats is chosen 10-20 cm. This is enough to place various vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and herbs both in sliced \u200b\u200bform, and some in general. If it becomes necessary to dry larger pieces, it is enough to remove the extra trays from the refrigerator.

Important! To increase productivity homemade unit it is recommended to use a fan heater. There is also an option using electric heating elements. Installed on the back of the refrigerator, they will significantly speed up the drying process.

It should be noted that when using heating elements, it will be necessary installation of an additional fanto speed up the drawing. 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.

Advice! As drying trays for vegetables and fruits, you can take oven trays, grill grates, metal sheets, mesh shelves. Suitable structures are easy to make from wire, plywood and other improvised means.

DIY drying cabinet

In the absence of unnecessary equipment at home with a suitable housing, drying cabinet you can make 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 thing 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.

Cupboard lined with aluminum foil from the inside and wooden slats for pallets are attached along 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 mounted on the back of the cabinet: fan heater to the bottom, and a conventional fan to the top.

Allowed parallel connection of devices, 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 are used to operate solar energy ... 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. Can be done at all 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 fans and in the dryer door.

Small ventilation slots 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.

Important! The back wall of a homemade dehydrator should be sheathed with metal sheet. Heating it will provide a temperature of 40-50 degrees inside the box. Also, the inside of the structure must be painted black to ensure a higher temperature.

The box door must be made of transparent material : glass, plastic, plastic film. It is mounted to the top like a frame.

In the box slats are installed for trays. 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 pick or make matching pallets... 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.

At the bottom of the heating zone, make holes for free air flow. A black painted aluminum plate must be installed on the inner wall of the collector. The 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 exhaust pipe.

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, you can improve the dehydrator by using additional collector devices from each side.

Version with fan and thermostat

To make sunny dryer with 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 a drawing with an indication of the dimensions of the parts of the product, which is presented below.

The first step is to assemble from beams and plywood product body and seal it. Then, the wheels are mounted on the bottom of the dryer. With their help, the product will easily turn towards the sun. Made of transparent material (glass or plastic) backdoor dryers.

If you follow the dimensions suggested in the drawing, then this dryer 7 pallets can be installed 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 this 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 electrical circuit is goingfrom the fan, solar battery, voltage stabilizer and thermostat.

When connecting the elements of the electrical circuit, one should be guided by the diagram below.

For improving productivity the assembled solar-powered dehydrator must be positioned with the collector and battery facing the sun.

Infrared dehydrator

Good dryer 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.

Advice! Instead of a light bulb, a heating element used when installing warm floors is quite suitable. A piece like this will be enough films of 50 × 100 cm (you need to proceed from the size of the box). Its power will be approximately 110 watts.

Box from the inside covered with foil and the 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.

Pieces of wire make mesh pallet holders... 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 bulb 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. Dehydrator for Meat and Fish can be crafted from a plastic box with lid suitable size... 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 drying cabinet. 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 assembly options 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.

The best electric dryers

Dryer Diva Lux SSh-010 on Yandex Market

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Scarlett SC-FD421010 Dryer on Yandex Market

got a new toy - made a dehydrator.
"What the hell is this?" you ask. Ooooh, that's the thing!
If you say in Russian and in plain language, then this is an ordinary dryer. These are freely sold on the Internet and hardware stores.
How it works - air is forced from the room into the drying chamber, which then comes out of a special hole, taking with it particles of liquid from the product.
Dried mainly fruits, berries, mushrooms, thin slices of meat and even fish.
The most widely known device in Russia - "Sukhovey" - in many families there is one. But what I got is a truly universal thing!
I must say right away that the idea is not mine! I have LJ friends who are capable)) King of sausages and cheesecakes. I remembered the idea, and then for some reason I constantly stumbled that something needed to be dried, but nothing.
No, before I calmly used the oven for these purposes - I turned on convection without temperature. Or if you wanted to quickly - a confection, minimum temperature and a slightly open door.
Now, hehe, I whine again - I don’t have an oven (temporarily, temporarily, for six months already and when it appears). So it's really necessary to make a drying box.
The second magic pendel in favor of the dehydrator happened from the Hare - I periodically, and everything would be fine, but the picnic-and-garden season has begun - there are regular guests in the house and a refrigerator always filled with pots and bowls. I simply don't have the opportunity to allocate a whole shelf for jerky.
So that's it, guys, I've put together a dehydrator! On the knee, pink tools and women's hands right in the middle of the living room)))
The hare performed feats with the fence and did not give me a normal screwdriver in my hands - he needed it himself, so he helped me only at the very end.

What nnada:

• plastic container or box to lid
• threaded rod for M6 or M8
• nuts and washers suitable for the diameter of the rod
• ventilation grill
• forced draft fan

All this stuff cost me a little more than a thousand rubles: 516 rubles a huge box on wheels and 700 rubles accessories (4 kg of nails for a suddenly fallen fence). A forced draft hood can be found cheaper, and you won't need so many nuts.

The forced draft is located below - we mark the place. The ventilation grill is located as far from the hood as possible - ideally on the lid of the drawer, but my cover was uneven, so the space for the grill will be on the wall opposite from the hood at the top. We also mark the place for the hole. (if anyone is interested, I drew this with a special pencil for glass, but you can use a marker or scratch with something sharp).

Cut out the holes for the hood and ventilation grill... Actually, the easiest way to do this is with a special circular saw-crown - the largest diameter is 10 cm, just for all built-in hoods and gratings this size. BUT! The screwdriver was busy, but I was ashamed to take the drill. There was an idea to use a jigsaw - I was afraid that the plastic might crack. I went in a longer, more labor-intensive, but accurate and accurate way. With an ordinary hand drill and a thin drill, I made holes around the perimeter of the circle (I put a piece of rubber under the bottom so as not to spoil the floor, and a piece of paper to better see the boundaries).
And then I cut the jumpers between the holes with an ordinary kitchen knife. If you heat the knife with a lighter, it will be much more fun.
We insert the ventilation grill into place, we also install the hood, it still has special holes for fasteners. (Dada, in the frame man's hands - The hare came to look at the process, distribute valuable advice and mock the pink pliers.)

Glue masking tape on the side of the box along the top and make markings for the holes for the rod. We drill (yeah, with an electric screwdriver much faster).

It remains to cut the threaded rod to the desired length. The shortest bar in the store is one meter. I would just cut it in half, but Hare suggested not to leave the long ends sticking out. While I was thinking about going to a neighbor for auto-dismantling and asking for help with a grinder (for thanks, of course), the Hare sawed everything with a hacksaw for metal.

It remains to insert the rods into the prepared holes and secure them with nuts and washers. Alternatively, instead of the usual nuts, you can screw the wing nuts - so it will be more convenient to remove the rods if you have to dry something voluminous.

That's it, the drying box - the dehydrator is ready!

How many loves dried meat? Probably faced with the problem of how to make it at home in an apartment. Today we will solve your problem and tell you how to assemble a dryer for meat and food with your own hands. In it you can dry fish, fruits, mushrooms, socks, as well as various other usefulness.

To begin with, we will purchase a box with a lid, a threaded rod for M8, a grill for an exhaust hood, nuts, washers and a fan.

We glue adhesive tape along the top of our box and make markings for the holes.

We drill holes with a diameter of 9mm.

We cut the bar into 5 pieces and install it in the holes. Fasten with nuts and washers.

Trying on the grill for the hood in the far corner of the lid.

And we cut it.

But we replace the fan from the old computer with a fan for forced extraction. It was possible from a computer, but the power is too small and I don't really want to mess with the power supply.

Cut out a hole for the fan and drill holes for the fasteners.

We fix the fan.

And at the output we get just such a structure.

You can dry whatever you want in it. Do you need heating? Add a reptile heating mat to the structure. You feel hot? Freeze in plastic bottles water, fill a box with them and an air conditioner is provided for you at night. Dry mushrooms - Replace the rods with removable grates.

It turned out to be a very useful pot. In time, the assembly took a couple of hours. In terms of money, it turned out to be 1300 rubles, but it can be cheaper.

It's no secret that I make almost all the workpieces in the Vigor electric dryer.

It is equipped with a heating element, fan and rheostat. When the rheostat is triggered set temperature the heater and fan are turned off.

In the case of the minimum set temperatures, switching on occurs too rarely, and many types of recipes must just dry at room temperature.

It just takes too long to dry in the breeze, so I decided to assemble my own dryer from the available tools.

The main elements of the future dryer were: a plastic container and a fan lying around in the garage.

A hole is cut in the edge of the container to fit the fan.

The fan is fastened by friction. Additional reinforcement made of silver tape.

Holes are cut under the container lid into which I inserted pieces of round glazing bead - these are the crossbars to which the meat will then be hung.

The future basturma is hung on ropes in front of the fan. Then the top is closed with a lid. I closed it loosely with foil, leaving a hole for the air to escape.

As a result, we get a closed volume with constantly circulating air. Moreover, such a fan works very quietly and can be driven around the clock. The drying time for basturma is significantly reduced, and various insects and animals will not get to the meat.

At the same time, there is no heating, and therefore the meat does not dry out. This is especially true for sausages from which fat is melted when heated.

In principle, if there is a desire to dry something with simultaneous heating, the dryer can be supplemented with a 50 watt incandescent lamp.

Here's a dryer that is quite simple to manufacture.

In the following articles, there will be recipes for basturma from beef and dry-cured sausage dried in this dryer.

Finally, I assembled a chamber for drying / drying delicious meat and sausages. A kind of result of love between a hedgehog and a snake.

The task was to strictly maintain the temperature and humidity in the chamber where sausages and other balyks are dried / dried for a long time. Although in our Geyropy meat is a thousand times safer and more reliable, botulism and other mold does not sleep and tries to get through with Aeroflot flights.

He was taken:
Outdated refrigerator
Temperature control device STC 1000 (Amazon € 20)
Humidity control device DHC 100+ (Amazon € 50)
Orbegozo humidifier - Ultrasonico (Amazon 40 euros)
Toilet extractor fan (Amazon 20 euros)
A pair of boxes for wiring and sockets for a couple of euros in a building store
And like everything

The temperature device adjusts to the desired temperature fork with any step (for example: from 12 to 18C) and will keep it in the chamber. If it falls less than necessary, it will turn on the heating element (rug, lamp for reptiles, etc.) In my case, it is not necessary, in the most severe winter in the garage there is no less than + 10C.

The temperature rises - the refrigerator will turn on.

The humidity control device works according to the same principle: it turns the humidifier on and off, i.e. keeps the desired humidity plug in the chamber.

Gadgets the size of a pack of cigarettes. I cut them into electric boxes, screwed sockets on the back, everything about everything - an hour of work.

I checked for 4 weeks on sausage drying, setting the camera with several third-party temperature / humidity meters, everything worked like their native Chinese - for days, without noise and dust.
The sausages hanging in the photo lost 45% of their weight in 19 days and were destroyed orally. All are alive, and even slightly well-fed.

Well, my hands were scratching to break something ... I cut two holes of 10 cm from the walls of the refrigerator. In one he inserted an exhaust fan, and the other a beautiful net he flies.

In the absence of a product for compound drying, the chamber can be used as a drying chamber. (aesthetically - dehydration).

An air flow of 97 liters per minute dried 6 chickens, after wet salting for smoking in 45 minutes. dried a piece of beef tenderloin (sunzhuk) in 2 days.