Deer Farmer

ANTLER VALLEY · Nov 28th 2011, 04:34 AM

Been meaning to post this for two years...finally got a picture of it in action. This is my homemade dehydrator. It holds approximately 30 square feet of meet, and was built for a little over $50. The racks were bought on Ebay from a bakery in Wisconsin (I think). I have run three or four deer through it, and it works pretty good! I used to have one of those little round dehydrators...took waaaay too long!

allenb · Nov 28th 2011, 05:07 AM

Great !! How do you heat it, and how do you circulate the heat? Love that jerky.

ANTLER VALLEY · Nov 28th 2011, 06:08 AM

I put a ceramic cone-shaped heating element in a light socket in the bottom, pointing upward. The heat is a little uneven-I think an oven element would work better, maybe even a stovetop element. I drilled a 2" hole in the top and a half a dozen or so 3/8" holes around the bottom, and as the air is heated by the element, it naturally rises out the hole in top, and draws in new air from the bottom. I had a blower fan in it but had it in the wrong place. I took it off and it actually dried meat better without it. I have to move the trays around and turn them (front to back) to get it to dry evenly. It will dehydrate about 1/3 of a deer per day...

lilcheeps · Nov 28th 2011, 09:27 AM

Phillip

You are making me think if I pull the racks out of my 20,000 egg incubator I could convert it.

Smoking_44 · Nov 28th 2011, 05:19 PM

20,000 egg incubator. wow, thats huge

lilcheeps · Nov 28th 2011, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smoking_44

20,000 egg incubator. wow, thats huge

That is my smallest one I have two others 3 x that size I had a hatchery before our great President decided he wanted to put more corn into that worthless green fuel. That and our electric went so high I had to close my hatchery ( I do have my freezer full of pheasants, Quail, and Partridge.)

ANTLER VALLEY · Nov 28th 2011, 08:18 PM

I don't know why it wouldn't work-I've never tried jerky with chick down, though!

Saline Creek Whitetails · Nov 29th 2011, 06:21 PM

What type of lumber did you use Phillip?

ANTLER VALLEY · Nov 30th 2011, 05:57 AM

I just used treated plywood, maybe 7/16", was all I had, then the shelf holds are 2x2's.

Chuck in Ks. · Dec 9th 2011, 08:35 PM

Phillip, How about drilling 3 or 4 3/4" holes spread around the top

instead of 1 2" hole. Do you think it would dry more evenly?

Chuck