19 replies to this topic

[Kirk]

Last year I dried my herbs in the garage, it was a little damp and the stuff didn't dry as fast as it should. Slow drying kills the chlorophyll.
Drying inside in an air conditioned room is good.
An ex-baker gave me a bun raising box, it's a box 6 foot high 4 foot wide and 3.5 foot deep, it has rails to slide trays of buns in for raising or cooling.
I got a room de-humidifier and set that in the bottom with a drain tube going to my garden. I made trays from 1"X2s and vinyl screen. I put the trays in the box
with an hold humidity meter. The meter read %70 when I put it in, 2 hours later it was below %40.
De-humidifier: Free
Bun box: Free
Fast dried herbs: priceless

[Crosby]

You said bun box.

[Le Gimp]

The dehumidifier also raises the temperature by about 40F (about 1.4KW dissipation I would guess).

That would help dry the herbs as well.

[Kirk]

Yeah, I worked on it all weekend but when I went to check it after setting it up it scared me because it was heating up. All I had to do is back the setting down from "high" and the condenser kicked off, this morning it was just a little warmer than ambient, I haven't measured it but it's not a lot. I don't know how to vent the heat, do you?

[Louched Liver]

You?
You vent all the time.

[Louched Liver]

Kirk sez-
"...gave me a bun raising box...it has rails."

Would this be a device for having sex w/Butty?

Edited by Louched Liver, 12 June 2006 - 07:57 AM.

[Stroller]

[greeneyes]

'Course. It's what he rode her out of town on.

[jaded prol]

I don't know how to vent the heat

If there's enough heat to need venting, cutting a small hole and screening it may be good.

I think Gimpy's the one to help you out with this though.

Edited by jaded prol, 12 June 2006 - 03:43 PM.

[Crosby]

Gimpy's the man. Just look at the motorcycle he built.

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[AndrewT]

I noticed when I left some leaves in the car, they got completely dried out overnight. I didn't realize that slow drying is best. Maybe I should dry all my herbs in the car.

[greeneyes]

If there's enough heat to need venting, cutting a small hole and screening it...

Trephination time — come on!

[TheGreenOne]

I have trepidation about trephination and prefer the traditional trepanation.

[jaded prol]

I need that like I need a hole in the head.

[Kirk]

If I cut a hole it will let in damp air from outside, I don't want that.
I was thinking of taking apart the condenser and putting the coils inside the bun box with the motor on the outside.

[Hans Conried]

A guy I knew in school directed this, and "Urine in Good Health", guess what that one's about....

And Kirk, the plants are thriving.....

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[Hans Conried]

You know, he seemed like a nice kid in school, grows up to be an award-winning director of some very controversial and against-the-grain documentaries (Mad Dog Films). I was a closet anti-establishment freak, and me, well.....let's just say you never can tell how people will turn out.

[CelticGent]

both his documentaries look like fun, though.

hehehe i said CUM

[Le Gimp]

Yeah, I worked on it all weekend but when I went to check it after setting it up it scared me because it was heating up. All I had to do is back the setting down from "high" and the condenser kicked off, this morning it was just a little warmer than ambient, I haven't measured it but it's not a lot. I don't know how to vent the heat, do you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wouldn't worry about it until it got above 120F. Even 140F is not hot enough to really hurt the herbs, but you might loose a little aroma at that temp.

I suggest installing a thermometer, and adjust the control accordingly. Try to keep it around 120F when drying herbs.

A little heat does good along with the low humidity.

[Kirk]

I put an old humidity gauge and thermometer in it.
It's staying around %35 and it hovers at 85 - 90F. I imagine it will be hotter when the weather warms up.