Solar Food Dehydrator From Beer Cans (how to)

This is how I constructed my Solar Food Dehydrator out of soda and beer cans, scrap and recycled wood, using a solar furnace design.
This is a remake of a video first published on 27 April 2010.
And yes, I realise I spelt 'dehydrator' wrong on the video

[@az55544]

PVC offgasses a beast!

[@BaerbelBorn]

Brilliant! As summers gettig hotter and food plus energy more expensive this idea is needed. 12 years after your made it. Good ideas never get old

[@rickvanman]

So true! 🙂

[@4468]

12 years?! Wow I remember it from back then, amazing if a little scary how time flies and how things change. Always great to see a video from you Rick :)

[@radum4]

Back in the days of Rick starting the allotment videos. Quite some time passed, indeed. :)

[@darthslackus499]

Good thing you added that last bit at the end. The engineer in me was questioning 'What about the exhaust vent?'

[@jacqulinetheis]

I love this idea, Rick. I’m going to give it a go…with the help of my brother! Thanks for sharing!

[@Triharyanto1968]

That's awesome. Thank you.

[@josiethornton7049]

Great timing, my elactric deydrator has just packed in. Fabulois thank you.

[@Steve-Owens]

Love this one Rick, Classic Rick.. 👍

[@dragoncarver287]

Thanks. Been thinking about one of these for a few years now. I better get with the program. Things are not looking good for the future this year.

[@Rabbitunderground]

Top work. Love this idea.

[@rickvanman]

Thanks so much!

[@supamat]

Fantastic rick

[@ShotgunAndAShovel]

I remember the old video. i think it was that one that made me wanna make this. TY for the new upload-we are going to upscale your design for use on our farm. ty very much for getting to the point!

[@FranLuckyflute]

That is amazing well done. Clever man.

[@Karen-up8xo]

I saw this video! Good info!❤❤❤

[@seanjamescameron]

Great idea. I was thinking about this video after reading about something similar in a newspaper last week.

[@Deanrwp]

Hi Rick, Absolutely brilliant video you are extremely talented, I love all of your videos they are great! 😊👍

[@connorpinzon]

Love the rose jacket rick

[@WASDsweden]

This was relaxing to watch. I think I might remember it too :)

[@Duchess_of_Cadishead]

What a great idea.

[@hulqen]

Great design and nice video! One question though: I'm a little worried about the adhesive you are using to hold the beer cans together, since the produce you are drying will be infused with the air flowing through the cans, and taking any gases/fumes of the adhesive with it. Is there a "food safe" adhesive you would recommend?

[@stevegraham6745]

Exactly my thoughts, with heat glue gases off nd this will enter the food. Avoid this design at all costs.

[@user-fb1yu1er3x]

Yep! Waited for the ventilation air release hole demonstration?

[@supamat]

Fantastic I'm going to try this

[@toryalaihart1882]

Pondering if in a developing world country with more 'sun-hours' per day, if the cans could be secured into place and air-sealed with a fine layer of cement / tar / clay -- assuming that they had been tightly fitted into place beforehand. Could greatly reduce labor intensiveness of can assembly process and the cost of the adhesive, and perhaps the need to paint the cans black (local availability another consideration). While the encapsulation of the 'tubes' may initially slow the heat capture rate of the collector, might it add some stability to the air temperature and flow / speed through the dryer, or even extend it's operation for longer in the day through thermal energy mass storage? Either way, thanks for taking the time to craft such a clean demo of your design, and for documenting it so clearly - very neat!

[@Beeautifullifefarm]

Cans aren't needed really, but it's nice to see people making small changes to one of the more proven designs.

[@andreodinot9950]

Rick you are top!

[@Patsagilitybits]

That's a great idea. It's quite a bit bigger than my little electric dehydrator, but if electricity gets any more expensive it might be the way to go. ☺

[@rickvanman]

Totally agree!

[@mshahidfarooqui]

Excellent technology good idea of using of Beers can.Karachi Pakistan

[@ZsOtherBrother]

Nice one, thanks.

[@normatrodd6666]

Facinating to watch but I wouldn’t have the patience. I am however forwarding the vid to my younger son who’s very keen on anything that helps the planet 😃 I’m sure he will make one x

[@katcankan7129]

Brilliant thank you.

[@keithl6249]

Time flies. I remember you building that. The good old days when masks were just for painting 😁

[@ladimilsonbarbosa3587]

Adorei seu projeto e vou fazer um similar sendo que com chapas de metal, pois pra mim fica mais facil de conseguir e tambem eu acho que deve aquecer um pouco mais rapido. Gratidão.

[@andreodinot9950]

Am going to Cap Verde for an ong and keep you inform of the introduction of your doityourself dehydrator

[@JenGrobler]

Awesome!!!!

[@paulsprunken]

Thanks for sharing Rick, exactly what I was looking for. Question: is the drying time still the 2-3 days for eg. tomatos (you have 12 years of usage experience; any other fruits/vegs. you have some numbers for?) And is there any difference based the number of filled trays? Should wetter bits/pieces like tomatoes be on the bottom layer or do you apply eg. parch paper to avoid dripping moisture in the beginning of the process? Would be great if you would have some time sharing the actual usage expierences (incl fails perhaps?) Thanks much in advance and have a sunny day

[@amosp2]

got to make this

[@jeddiajones4570]

Great design, but you need to watch the temp in these solar dehydrators or you end up killing off a lot of nutrients. To preserve the maximum food value, it is recommended the temp never exceed 115 F.

[@myridian4516]

hii! thank you for sharing this video. would this work well in tropical humid climates? i live in southeast asia and i want to utilize the hot weather we have here but i am not so sure if this design would work well in very humid air. any advice?

[@OurSmallFootprint]

What could be an alternative to using beer cans, does it need to be metal, or would like PVC pipe painted black work ?

[@rickvanman]

It's an interesting idea, perhaps worthy of experimentation.

[@OurSmallFootprint]

@@rickvanman we don’t drink anything in cans, so I’m still figuring out what to do!

[@DavidD6969]

What is the temperature it gets up to ?

[@Susten.agrisol.250]

I would like to watch it functioning with drying Crops

[@Liofa73]

Probably great in a post apocalyptic world, but I would think this might attract mice and plenty of bugs inside. Mice can get into a hole the size of a 5p, or chew their way it. Nice idea though.

[@josiethornton7049]

Metal mesh.

[@rickvanman]

rodent mesh and fly screens over any gaps could probably omit any issues

[@wwShadow7]

no mesh on the intake to keep the bugs out???

[@goonluv]

Jesus rick i can remember watching this lol

[@rickvanman]

Yep, 12 years ago - scary isn't it?

[@goonluv]

@@rickvanman deffo m8 lol

[@jeffreygrebe3328]

What would happen if your drying box was see through. A glass case?

[@rickvanman]

I'm guessing it could get too hot?

[@professorengineermuhammads5556]

Why do you prepare hot air separately and then pass it through the dehydrating chamber Saleh Sheikh, Larkana.

[@rickvanman]

How would you do it?

[@p5kplamps591]

so after drilling hole how much time it take

[@Dug_Out]

How I missed the original video is beyond me? Great idea. I've actually been thinking about dehydrating certain foods for my wildcamps. Bit of beef jerky, anyone?

[@arthurvandijk2316]

Did you know that wolmanized wood secretes poisonous gases? you must remove the original paint from the cans, which is also toxic at high temperatures