different way to dry things

[jmatterhorn]

i am just wondering if anyone may have watched the show good eats. alton brown has worked out the easyist drying system. cellulose furnice filters and 20 inch fan. just seeing if anyone tried it

 

[ak1]

What exactly are we drying?

 

[meateater]

I'll stick to me Nesco for now.

 

[desertlites]

not much of an Alton fan but yes filters and a fan will work on drying certian things-I have a couple dehydrators that I have used-also living in the climate I do allows me to use drying racks and let the sun do it.air circulation is the key to most all your drying-heat is a close second.IMO.

 

[cuclimber]

Making beef jerky. You lay the strips of beef in the creases of the furnace filters, then stack the filters over a box fan and strap em down. After seeing Alton Brown do it, I thought I would give it a shot. The results were mediocre. The cut of meat wasn't as lean as I wanted, so it was a little chewy. I think I used flank, so next time i'll use top round or something similar. I have a few issues with this method. First, the filters do not allow enough air to pass through them if your using a cheap box fan. A high powered fan might work better, but rather than those filters, I would use metal mesh or grating attached to 2x4s or other frame. I have seen that done elsewhere. Second, the filters tend to leave bits of fuzz attached to the meat. Not a lot and not a huge deal, just an annoyance. Thirdly, all told, I probably could have bought a cheap dehydrator for the same amount that I spent on the fan and the three filters. I couldn't find the two $ ones he was talking about. They are more like six. If you want to do the cold-dry box fan method, I would suggest the mesh or grates to the filters for better air circulation.

 

[herkysprings]

I did this, and it works GREAT. The only issue is you really want to have uniform slices, and trim the fat.

Otherwise you will want to remove the thinner slices when they are done, and leave the thicker ones on longer.

I've made 3 batches with this method, and it seems to be fine!

Oh dont get fiberglass filters either. ;)

 

[reichl]

Fan drying works up to a point. When I used to fan dry I would finish the drying process on a rack over some desiccant (closed box). Just make sure the food doesn't actually touch the desiccant.

 

[mballi3011]

Yes I didsee that episode of Good Eats and Alton Brown is alittle off his rocker but the dude has a degree in science something and is a real chef too. He just lost a few screws along the way. PS. I still watch it from time to time.