[Dave King]

My wife just bought a Dehydrator and Jerky Maker.  It's got 4 trays, and will reportedly heat to 95F.  I normally hoist hops on window screens up into the garage roof rafters for drying my home grown Cascades and Fuggles, but the dehydrator might work.  I'm wondering if it's 4 trays are not much room.  Anyone have experience with one?   --  Dave

[thirsty]

I've been drying my hops in one for years. It works great and it's fast.

[Dave King]

So Thirsty, do you think it retains the light oils we want for dry hopping?

[denny]

Dave, I've been using one to dry hops for 10+ years.  I've found it works well, but you have to experiment with time and temps and how much to put in it.  My biggest problem with it is capacity.  I bought some extra trays so I've got 6 now, but I harvested 27 lb. of wet hops last year.  It takes a while to get them all through the dehydrator.  I pick enough to fill it up every day for about 2 weeks.

[Dave King]

OK, thanks Denny.  I'll just have to try the dehydrator.  I usually pick mine over a few weeks, too.  My garage rafter setup works pretty well, and without any electricity, so if the weather cooperates, I'll probably rely mostly on the garage rafter setup, but if it's rainy, the dehydrator sounds like a good option. 

[Will's Swill]

Any reason not to just freeze them and use them whole?  (I'm sure there is, or y'all wouldn't be drying them...)

[Dave King]

The "Big boys" tell me, it's best to dry them before freezing, for best storage.

[thirsty]

The other thing I've noticed is that each dehydrator is slightly different so what works time wise on one will not work on another. I've used the hops I've dried on them for dry hopping many times and it seems to be fine.