Oven drying log....

[Lazlo]

Here as of late i've been drying my fungus in the oven at the minimal setting. The results are quite nice. Very fast drying and very potent fungi. At first i've been wedging a table spoon in the door so the humidity doesn't get high. I keep the spoon in the door for about 2 hours or so. Just until the majority of the moisture has been dried up off the fungi. I didn't want the humidity to have an ill effect on the drying process. Then after the fungi start to wrinkle up, I then close the door so the heat builds up nice and so the element or gas will level out and maintain it's temperature setting. I open the door for a few minutes every hour or so to let the built up moisture escape from the oven. This is just a log, not advice. The time started 20 minutes ago. Let's see how long it takes with these fatties....

[vrooota]

yeah...........trip reports on my oven dried B+ have been.........."not as good as the other ones man" diff strain then normal and diff drying process so I dunno............I thought of one thing though doesn't natural gas produce a little h20 when it combusts? I should look it up, but I think we'd be better off using electric ovens

Nice oven log.......I wonder what warm temp. is? Did you put a thermometer in there just so you'd know the temp.? Can't wait to see how long it takes. I hate running the fan in the cold months lol. I bet just a regular dehydrator with the heating element in but turned down to lowest setting would be about the same thing? Lazlo, can't wait to see more!

[kinetic]

I installed a regular household lighting dimmer switch in my dehydrator, it was 7 dollars. If you know what wire runs to the heating element you should be able to wire it in, I just drilled a hole in the side and the knob holds the switch in place. So far I've dried stuff from my garden and some shrooms... Without the dimmer everything gets slighty cooked and turns dark, now that I can turn the heat down a bit everything keeps it's natural color and dries way faster than no heat. I usually don't run it unless I'm home however, I'm a bit paranoid about it... but it is way more useful for me now!

[Lazlo]

I know several people that use the American Harvest Snackmaster dehydrators that have the temperature setting of 95 degrees for fungi drying. They love'em. 2 days and they're cracker dry with no loss of potency..

With this technique the temperature is up to 145-155 and is working nice. But now that I think back, the fungus was put into the oven after an overnight dry first. I just used the oven to speed up the process and it worked in as little as few hours and was effortless. That's quicker than 2 days by far.

I yanked them out for an overnight dry first and then i'll start to use the oven in the morning for the finish up. They were harvested at 12:30 today. So tommorrow i'll start the oven dry at 12:30 also. These fruits are nice and fat too, so I want to do this the same way I did the previous 2 runs that were successful. Don't want to waste my fruit with a mistake.

[Lazlo]

Originally Posted by vrooota

yeah...........trip reports on my oven dried B+ have been.........."not as good as the other ones man" diff strain then normal and diff drying process so I dunno............I thought of one thing though doesn't natural gas produce a little h20 when it combusts? I should look it up, but I think we'd be better off using electric ovens

Hey! Did your fruit show bad signs of oxidation? Blueing? You don't want that at all. On these 2 runs the fruit were nice and white as they were after harvest. They were extremly dry and potent as hell like fresh ones right off the substrate.

These were starting to oxidize also, so I pulled them out quickly and i'll allow them the same time to dry up a bit as the other 2 runs.

[Lazlo]

If these are still nice and potent after the slight oxidation or cooking, i'll be very happy and convinced it's ok to do this after a 24 hour room temperature dry first. I'll see tommorrow...

[Lazlo]

OK. Back in at 4:00pm. Directly on the rack with no pan...

[gema]

keep away from using heat to dry cubes. that's what fans are for.

[Lazlo]

Sorry, but I disagree. The previous crops that were dried from 150+ degree heat were exceptionally nice. Nice is an understatement actually....Anyone care to try it?

[Lazlo]

The mushrooms were done completely drying at 10:30pm with the exception of 4 mushrooms in which were done 1 hour earlier due to size. The total drying time in the oven is 6.5 hours at a max temp of 162.2 degrees. No loss of potency @ 162.2 degrees.

Not a bad way to go Lazlo. They look nice and they don't look bruised or blue really. Take a ride and let us know how you fly

[Lazlo]

Actually, those are bruised quite a bit compared to the other 2 drying runs. I made a mistake by putting them in a tray for drying. The tray gets hot and steams the mushrooms were they're touching the hot tray. See the mushroom to the right of the marker? I ate 4 that were similar and even the heavily bruised mushrooms buzzed me well. The previous 2 drying runs went perfectly and the fungus was just as potent as it is when it comes off the substrate.

When the mushrooms were dried at this temperature using only the oven rack to dry them, they didn't bruise at all and hadn't lost any potency what so ever that I could see. The max temp got to 162 degrees. If you decide to try this technique for drying, i'd recommend doing 20 wet grams first and then you can see for yourself. I'll do this technique from now on for sure. I'm going to try 180 degrees after vacation to see how that high of a temp goes so I can see how much the margin of error is.

I have 2 mushrooms drying now and wait till you see how pretty they are.

[Lazlo]

I forgot to mention that the mushrooms on the left of the firtst pic are from the first to drying runs. They're perfect IMO.....

I wonder if venting the oven or leaving the door cracked the whole time would make a difference in lowering temp. Also, I wonder if gas or electirc ovens make a difference. I'll try a little amt. later maybe as something fun to try. Flush came in so 20 fresh isn't much of a loss. Thanks lazlo, glad you had success at it.

[Lazlo]

I haven't vented the oven at all with the exception of the first 2 runs. And that was only for the first hour or 2. I don't think it's necessary really. I've always used electric ovens, but I bumped the power so the temps would maintain around 110-120. If anything, i've proved to myself that 160 degrees will not effect the potency of cubensis strains at all. If you decide to give it a try, don't use a pan. Use screen on the rack or the rack itself.

I think cubensis strains are more durable from heat drying than we always thought....

[Lazlo]

I should add if you decide to give it a try, don't use vinyl screen if you're going to use screen. Use metal screen. And if you're doing several ounces (which is highly unlikely for your first time), i'd open the door every hour or so for the first 3 hours to release any RH that's built up. Just in case...

[Lazlo]

Here's 2 more that were done in 3 hours and 45 minutes @ 160 degrees. I just did these to level out the bag of VEA's (vacation enhancing apparatus') for my vacation. They look nice and i'll bet there's not one thing wrong with the potency of these doggies...

VEA's.....Nice!!!!

good going...makin drying mushrooms easy
damn....makes things go alot faster without
all the time...good going man..:grin:

[kilgore_trout]

i dont think heat in drying is detremental (spelling?)

think about it, you lose psilocin anyways because it is so unstable. Thats the only thing that heat effects. the psilocybin is rather stable and withstands heat in excess of 200 degrees (boiling water, ie shroom tea). if you are drying and storing in the first place you should plan on losing anything the heat would destroy in the first place.

That said, the oven is probably i good way to go. the only thing is it would be better to get wire racks like for making jerky or make them yourself out of window screen, so that you can use the space as effeciently as possible since oven racks are farther apart than needed for drying shrooms.

[Lazlo]

Man, i'll tell ya that the mushrooms are good! Very good! Another thing I like about this process is that the mushrooms have no flavor at all. It's sorta like eating paper or something. Weird! But so far I can honestly say there's no loss at all in potency. In fact, i'd go as far to say they're much better than my old ways of drying without heat. The weekend trip was insane to say the least. I tripped on top of a 1200ft. needle overlooking Las Vegas that has the most scary and intense rides one could ever imagine. I've got cool pics that i'll share tommorrow...

[~Hippie3]

i surely would not dry my stuff in the oven again.
the heat does affect the potency, i've done enough
testing to become convinced of that.
i suspect folks who seek such fast bulk drying methods
are less concerned about quality than quantity.

[Lazlo]

Hmm. So far so good here at a top temperature of 162. I don't know....

[Lazlo]

Originally Posted by Hippie3

i surely would not dry my stuff in the oven again.
the heat does affect the potency, i've done enough
testing to become convinced of that.
i suspect folks who seek such fast bulk drying methods
are less concerned about quality than quantity.

Same here. Don't try it. There's too many differentials in this drying process....

[kilgore_trout]

dude, did you go on the rollercoaster thing on the top of the needle? thatd prob send you freaking so fucking quick, id never do it even not on shrooms.

[Lazlo]

No. I didn't ride anything. I had good intentions, but quickly changed my mind when we got to the top. lol

Originally Posted by Lazlo

Man, i'll tell ya that the mushrooms are good! Very good! Another thing I like about this process is that the mushrooms have no flavor at all. It's sorta like eating paper or something. Weird! But so far I can honestly say there's no loss at all in potency. In fact, i'd go as far to say they're much better than my old ways of drying without heat. The weekend trip was insane to say the least. I tripped on top of a 1200ft. needle overlooking Las Vegas that has the most scary and intense rides one could ever imagine. I've got cool pics that i'll share tommorrow...

I stayed in that hotel for 5 nights when I was in Vegas for Vegoose... The Stratosphere!!

[jrogers311]

In the winter time I open the door of my electric stove to its first stop-about 6" and turn it as low as it will go 150 F. Then I set my shrooms in a single layer in a wire screen type colander that sits in the open gap between the door and the top of the stove. Overnight drying though I use a fan i the summer. 2cent fee to be charged later!

[~Hippie3]

Originally Posted by Lazlo

Same here. Don't try it. There's too many differentials in this drying process....

so you changed your mind,
decided there was a potency loss ?

[Lazlo]

Is what i meant to say is; the oven's temperature varied to much to maintain a constant 150 or below. But heat drying is fine, but you've got to stay under 150 or more. I use an American Harvest snack master dehydrator now, leaving me with great, cracker dry mushrooms. It has a setting of 95 degrees and they're done, ready for storage in 2 days.

[Lazlo]

Dehydrators fit for psilocybe's. http://search.ebay.com/search/search...tor&category0=

If you get one, make sure it has the minimal setting of 95 degrees on it. A great tip from Mycota I should add.

[~Hippie3]

eh, i'm not convinced it's worthwhile unless one is drying large amounts.
a 2 day drying cycle isn't much faster
than using a fan to dry in a low humidity setting at room temp.
the RH and the airflow are more critical than high temps
for fast drying.
check out this dehumidifier-
http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...ductId=1366933

[Lazlo]

Originally Posted by Hippie3

eh, i'm not convinced it's worthwhile unless one is drying large amounts.

True, true.

[~Hippie3]

and for truly massive crops
a room equipped with a dehumidifier and a fan
will dry alot more weight
than a dehydrator.

[Lazlo]

I wonder how that rig works at Ace not using batteries or wires? That would prolly be a nice addition for tight cannabis grows in small areas.

[~Hippie3]

i don't know,
generally dehumidifiers are fairly pricey toys,
that one is so cheap
here are some more cheap ones-
http://www.nextag.com/dehumidifier-dry-eva/search-html

some are electric
that first one linked above, model 300, uses desiccant-

needs no power to operate - no batteries or power cord. Fits in a closet or any other small enclosed space. Indicator window with ""moisture meter crystals"" that change from blue (when dry) to pink (when wet) to indicate when the unit needs to be ""renewed"". ""Renewed"" by simply removing the unit from where it is absorbing moisture and plugging it into a power outlet. Absorbs approximately 8 to 10 ounces of moisture in 3 to 8 weeks, depending on humidity levels. Absorbing gel is odorless, non-toxic and completely safe

[Cryingblackoil]

Wheeee, I already have a dehumidifier. I am gonna build an enclosure. Thanks for the mental cattle prod guys