"kuvasz guy" > wrote in message
ps.com...
>I only received 1 reply over on r.f.equipment, so I thought I'd take a
> shot here...
>
> I've recently acquired an equi-flow unit.... This is a square shaped
> dehydrator with 10 shelves. It must be about 20 years old and it
> appears the company is no longer in business.... It seems to have
> some similarities with the excalibur.
>
> I don't have any owners manuals or other documentaion on how to use
> this dehydrator. My primary interest at the moment is making beef
> jerky. Can anyone point me to online docs for this unit or give me
> some tips on getting started wih it?
>
> ..fred
>

The primary thing in using a dehydrator is allowing for humidity in your
geographic area at certain times of the year and humidity on the day you are
drying. Fresh herbs are usually dried at lower temperatures such as 95-110
deg, Veggies like bell peppers are dried at a higher temperature and get
leathery rather then brittle. Meats like jerky require an even higher
temperature, around 145 deg.
The excalibur website sells their books that can guide you as to what you
are drying and for how long and at what temperature. I assume your equi-flow
unit has a temperature guage?
I am not familiar with your unit, but the one thing that makes a dehydrator
work the best is 'air flow'. Does the unit have a fan in the back? Some
units have a fan only at the bottom and you stack the food racks 10 high, so
the air doesn't get to the top layers efficiently. So the bottom stuff dries
fine and the top stuff may get mushy.