We Built A GIGANTIC Solar Powered Food Dehydrator Machine!

This is the giant solar powered food dehydrator that we built. It includes a primary heater for dehydrating foods that require a higher temperature, a small solar panel and a small solar powered 12 volt fan. In this video we show how we built the dehydrator as well as a few of the food items that we have successfully dehydrated in the unit including blueberries and sun dried tomatoes.
WATER STRAWS: amzn.to/3Pgmxap
SOLAR PANEL & FAN: amzn.to/48irloG
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[@JohnWilson-cs7iq]

If you line the bottom of your hydrater with a dark colured corrugated iron it will absorb heat & radiate it back up under the produce. Also, if you cut the legs at one end so the table is on an angle & the vent holes at the top high end the hot air will rise up to the top creating a natural hot air circulation over the produce increasing the drying effect & no fan required. John from New Zealand :)

[@Freedom_Half_Off]

Passive designs have the advantage of less stuff to break when you really need it . Powered can do the job a little quicker . Given the fact that passive always work I prefer those . I am not against adding a fan though ...

[@rotimiadeoye7382]

What if you use mirror instead of corrugated iron to buffer the heat?

[@lawaldanladi9129]

Dark is not COLOUR

[@zzzzxxxx9808]

@@lawaldanladi9129he didn’t say dark is a color. He said dark colored. Sky blue is a color and navy blue is a color. Navy blue is dark sky blue is light.

[@ruthcaskenette8854]

Another great idea Dave and Amanda, and when your not using it to Dehydrating you could use the table as a outdoor harvest table.

[@Wilderstead]

Thanks Mom! Come for thanksgiving and we'll eat at the harvest table! lol

[@mywildholm]

Hey guys!! Fellow Canadians here - we bought a 62 acre island on a lake in British Columbia! We are also building a homestead in our own little 'country'... Love watching your channel... lots to catch up on. We welcome you to check our story out too 💚 This dehydrator!!! WOW!

[@-whackd]

Cool, consider hosting a community for homesteaders and permaculturalists some Day

[@williammaxwell1919]

If you are using a fan to move the air through the dehydrater, consider adding a "pre-heat chamber" to "pre-heat" the air so that asthe air is drawn though the drying chamber, it is at a higher temperature so should speed up the dry-time... and then you showed the "black box", silly me :-)

[@williammaxwell1919]

The pre-heat chamber be similar to the drying chamber (glass over box), but painted matt-black. Also adding ridged insulation to the outside of the box improves preformance. Another option is to add thermal mass (such as buildind the chambers out of brick and adding insulation to the outside) as this will provide heat after sun has gone down (unless you take the drying produce in each night.)

[@breaking_bear]

If sunlight is a problem for drying herbs, can you try using a white or black(depending on outside temperature) wooden or plastic lid, instead of the beautiful glass lid you're using?

[@raincoast9010]

Very nice addition to the homestead.

[@Wilderstead]

We think so too!

[@carolkantner1770]

Nice job... you two are good engineers ,designers and builders

[@Wilderstead]

Thanks 👍!

[@stacywilson3374]

We have raccoons, skunks, squirrels, deer, ants, ground bees, german wasps…. How does your dehydrator stand up to these animals and insects?

[@bloodlove93]

idk about skunks ants,try a fine mesh between fan and vent deer, wire fence around it. everything else should be solved by those or the already existing design.

[@Sirtigereg]

By the looks of it, it stands on all four

[@s.l.wilson1921]

Huh??

[@simardeepkaursandhu9974]

Lock it properly

[@ronelsmith6906]

@@bloodlove93 for the Ants you can place bricks in a tub of water and stand the frame on the bricks in the water ants cant get to the food

[@Primitivemycology]

I love this, I'm transitioning from a small hobby mushroom farm to a year round operational business focusing on dried mushrooms, extracts, and a small amount of fresh this year. About to break ground on a new building next month and I've been wincing at the cost of a commercial dehydrator. Thank you you so much, I think a stackable version of this is in order

[@brianblocker9831]

Wow, I am just an upstart worm farmer, and now I am looking at how to do this and experiment with feeding my worms. Thank you so much for this video, and explaining the how's and why's did these things.

[@unmeaninglessly143]

Just cut open any side to make the tray as a drawer. Add some rollers too. It might take a bit of effort but its worth it. No need to lift the heavy glass.

[@homesteadaquarius]

That is some awesome off grid solution to saving the harvest and one more use for zucchini! Well done folks!

[@Wilderstead]

Yes indeed!

[@stuartsbartlett3829]

Thank you for sharings, Greetings from South Africa

[@ConservatreeNZ]

I'd suggest hinges on the cover, with a suitable prop to hold it open. 10 minutes of work will save you a lot of lifting and the need for 2 people.

[@michaelmichi8587]

Great Inspiration! Thanks from a german in Switzerland

[@dimaesb]

when drying fruits and vegetables, they should not be kept in direct sunlight, it is correct to dry only with warm air with purging. Hello, Dima from Moscow

[@Keelarr]

I am planning on making one. My neighbor just gave me 2 shower doors and 2 double paned sliding glass doors! Yayyy. I am going to add a thermostat and 2 fans for cooler dehydrating. The main fan can run continuously for air flow, but when the temp goes above 125, and I want a cooler dehydration, the secondary fans will kick on. I think I will also add a battery

[@gartengeflugel924]

Hi, this is a very satisfying build. Clean and a nice concept. For the herbs you mention at the end I imagine you could actually use your current setup with the preheated air and instead of the transparent cover you could lay an opaque, maybe black material on top.

[@lavendereyesgal1125]

I would line the inside with aluminum which will produce heat without adding all the other stuff and paint the outside black.

[@varietasVeritas]

A black cloth or tarp would keep the sunlight off of your herbs. Also, a few 4x8 sheets of plywood covered in mylar would increase the temperature for higher speeds and cooking/disinfecting.

[@mynorthernfarm7324]

great idea ,I have been dehydrating 3 days a week my zucchini for the last 2 to 3 weeks and and a ways to go.

[@Wilderstead]

This thing is pretty efficient too. Can't wait to use it for a full season next year!

[@trevor5290]

(this is Trevor's wife) My husband built a solar heater box which looks similar to your dehydrator to warm up the house and it works well for a few degrees up. This dehydrator will be another welcome addition to our place.

[@Wilderstead]

Yes! We are actually starting a build on another solar heater box very soon to keep our water in the barn and chicken coop thawed (hopefully!)

[@trevor5290]

@@Wilderstead I'm wondering if it's enough heat to warm up the greenhouse in winter for cool weather crops like lettuce. We are in the Napanee area (or will be quite soon on acreage) and I can't wait for a greenhouse and chickens and maybe a goat lol

[@Wilderstead]

@@trevor5290 your greenhouse will heat up enough during the day that it won’t need a solar heater. Night is when you need heat and a solar heater box will not do anything when the sun isn’t shining. Have you seen our winter greenhouse videos? We’ve experimented with just about every heating possibility that you can imagine.

[@trevor5290]

@@Wilderstead thanks - will look for them

[@DanniD-s2e]

Well done you’ve inspired me to build my own now. If you cover the produce inside the top with a porous black membrane fabric surely that will prevent the bleaching affect of the sun on the produce. Thanks 😊

[@devashishmandal33]

Ome improvement i would suggest. Instead of preheating air intake why not dehydrate cool air with reusable desiccant silicone pads. And add slope to glass sheet as the droplet will run down on its own and improve efficiency

[@elliottmackay4650]

Awesome idea and thanks for the tip on dehydrating herbs. I didn't realize that the sun would bleach them,

[@Wilderstead]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rodhobbs4855]

Great idea....but instead of a bucket to per heat the air,check out the sode can heater....those things crank out some pretty high temps.

[@Wilderstead]

They sure can. We built one a few years back. There’s a video on our channel about it.

[@lukedominicodonnell2347]

Why are you using a white mesh? Black would surely work to your advantage! Also if you put another raised black drum on the outake side and have a meter high chimeny you can get rid of the solar fan.

[@spacecentergames]

I would try a screen door and a glass door ☀️

[@LJones-uu4xy]

A couple saw horses to set the heavy glass door on would save the back instead of having to bend way down when removing or replacing.

[@LJones-uu4xy]

Just discovered your channel. Good concise info.

[@l0I0I0I0]

Great idea! Thank you. Zucchini flour sounds perfect!

[@Wilderstead]

We have videos showing the process if needed 😉

[@kampbadam295]

Also you should buy a mandolin. Would make the slicing much much faster and more fun.

[@lostcreekcabin2021]

Im experimenting with a somewhat similar set up but with the pop csn solar heater and a removable dark cover for light or dark drying , including mests .It is built as part of and an addition to my old and well used smoker .

[@kampbadam295]

You should have one fan to blow fresh air in and one fan in reverse to suck the damp air out. That would be more effective. Or only have one fan strong enough to suck air out of the box and only have a whole on the other side of the box... that would make the process faster

[@az55544]

Fiberglass screen is better for food processing. Check that your wire screen isn’t galvanized and leaching zinc into your food - especially the acidic tomatoes.

[@Wilderstead]

Its stainless steel screen.

[@az55544]

@@Wilderstead awesome. an expensive treat!

[@Wilderstead]

Not really. Found at the restore - 5$ for a 20 foot roll if I remember correctly.

[@21Swayzee]

We were just saying we need to get a dehydrator...but that solar one is brilliant!!!

[@vk081064]

You can install a steel sheet on the inside of the tray and a black colour non-absorbent cloth or anything as it'll attract heat and the steel sheet will help in retaining it. The circulating fan would do rest of the job. I believe this would negate the chore of turning over the tomatoes. Hope this idea works. Just came across your phone informative channel. Take care

[@Wilderstead]

The tomatoes stick to the screen. They need to be flipped to make removal easier when they are finished.

[@psocretes8183]

Hi from England. That was great. I have just got a small dehydrator and have my first batch drying now. It's nice to see a traditional way of dehydrating. I use mine for prepping meals for camping. All the best.

[@qaz120120]

Hi, to increase the effect of your hedydrator significantly, please try 2 things: Have some black colored cloth sitting in the bottom of the dehydrator to generate the heat and insulate it. Have a little chimney at the outflow end to improve circulation. Afterwards, you should not need the black barrel any more.

[@MsCaterific]

You guys are so smart!

[@Wilderstead]

Thanks!

[@debrabrooks6138]

A new subscriber here going over your videos! I love this idea, I was thinking of a standup unit with about 6-8 racks with fans underneath it, but basically the same idea just set up differently! Great idea thanks for sharing! I would love to learn more about your zucchini flour! I have a Excalibur dehydrator too!

[@Wilderstead]

We have videos on the zuccini flour process and uses in our recipes playlist. Thanks for joining us!

[@GardeningWarrior]

WOW! You go! That is awesome.

[@Wilderstead]

Thanks!

[@acdcacres]

Ooo, great idea to use up the old patio doors I have hiding behind the garage!

[@northstarprepsteader]

Genius!! Love the mass production, too.

[@Wilderstead]

Much appreciated! It's definitely been a big help!

[@JimDockrellWatertone]

That's brilliant!

[@Wilderstead]

Thanks Jim!

[@JoeCoxJodo]

You could use it for dehydrating your herbs.... Put a black cloth or a tinted perspex sheet over the patio door - 😁👍

[@LokiOdinssnn]

This is really great (: i had an idea if you have too much time on hand lol, is to have each 1/3 section of the floor(the food layer) into a "tray" that you can pull out(maybe even with "legs" that fall out so it can stand right there when pulled out).

[@trollforge]

Sweet! I need one of those!

[@Wilderstead]

This thing works awesome Tim! Lol - I just watched your cabelas fan fix up video. We have the same one and I'm sure we'll need to give it a tuneup soon enough. Cheers dude!

[@Legend0222]

Great idea!

[@volt8399]

Thank you for making this

[@fins5150]

Maybe try getting an ESP32 board and temp prob to automate ur fan... I know 'its a little techy though.

[@MTHomestead]

What a smart idea, thanks for sharing with us and this is going to help lots of people.

[@alfblack2]

fantastic! totally didnt think of that. awsome.

[@kjsensei]

just a thought on the herbs bleaching, tinted glass, or blacked out? seems black might heat up even more, but no uv damage to the herbs

[@bonilsson3161]

Really nice project !! I am pretty sure I will copy this quite soon. Your brainstorming meetings (or however your process is) are really productive, lots of nice ideas from you. I really like how you thought of ventilation and temperature control. When I dehydrate my mushrooms I like to keep temperature to about 50 celsius, maximum 60 since they almost get cooked if temp is higher and thats not what I want.

[@Wilderstead]

Yes, the fan and the pre heater really help with maintaining whatever temperature you might want to run the unit at.

[@mikemosc3254]

adding a hydraulic lifting system, to the ends of this for lifting thr glass might not be a bad idea. also, ading a secondary screen to just have to flip the drying rack rather than flipping EVERY single tomato or dried fruit that needs to be flipped is another suggestion i would make. you also say herbs are better off dehydrating in a regular dehydrator, but why not just make a completely black plastic cover for the glass? protect the inside from the uv light and also probably raise the temperature.

[@martinmenke604]

i'm think a bout a similiar concept only that. would suck in cold air. i will try burry a hose undeground for x meters to let the air cooldown so that the relative humidity is lower when you heat the air up. i guess this will speed-up the drying process

[@homesteadaquarius]

This is AWESOME!

[@daneking1209]

blackout window curtains could help you dehydrate the herbs. Block out the sun and just use the warm are from your barrel 🤔

[@beardedgiantsmomplohr5535]

Excellent. Enjoyed the video a great deal.

[@Wilderstead]

Awesome, thank you! Say HI to the Beaded Giant for us please!

[@beardedgiantsmomplohr5535]

@@Wilderstead will do. He is doing well.

[@nanchesca3950]

How clever!👍🏻

[@Wilderstead]

Thanks!

[@sandybroderick2932]

Great video!!! Thank you ❤

[@Wilderstead]

Thanks for swinging by Sandy! Cheers!

[@rodjendrysik3444]

Cool design

[@davechhakchhuak6150]

It’s really informative But I don’t understand how the moisture goes between the pane of glass

[@joemiller8029]

Thanks so much for your informative video! Curious about a few things. One, we have just started growing food, and grow very little. My thought is that if you have to buy store food to dehydrate, you probably aren't actually saving any money unless the store is practically giving it away? We live in an arid climate - hot and dry in the summer. Your video shows a lot of greenery in the background - what kind of climate are you in? Thanks again so much for your video!

[@gardeninginthedesert]

I live in West Africa, similar climate to you. I grow a lot in containers because it preserves water. I keep adding containers when I can. I felt like I started small but it also feels like it's growing fast. I'm now looking into making a dehydrator. Perfect for our hot and sunny weather.

[@s-c..]

Amazing! 😊

[@heathermorrison6983]

What a fantastic idea!! Do you just leave them in the dehydrator overnight until the sun comes up again??

[@Wilderstead]

Yes, as long as we are expecting good weather for dehydration we just leave them in the unit.

[@glendalivingston6236]

Some very impressive tinkering to make this machine! I wonder if the evening air moisture or dew would re-enter the veggies when you have to run the system for many hours? Also, that's a lot of blueberry picking!!

[@Wilderstead]

The evening moisture doesn't seem to have much impact.

[@bharatkukreti8449]

This can be tackled by maintaining the chamber airtight at slightly negative pressure.

[@jackmcjoint678]

mega idea !!!

[@MeG-yp8ul]

If you put a net same as the one the food sits on over the top. You could turn the whole thing rather than flip each piece individually..

[@Wilderstead]

Things tend to stick to the screen and need to be picked off.

[@theoakwoodguy]

Great video! So, does the tomatoes (or whatever) stay in there day and night? And it looks like you store them dry in jars?

[@abdullahitanimuahmed2491]

How do you control moisture from the food that will build up on the glass

[@sherylh4780]

Really nice idea.

[@Wilderstead]

Thank you! 😊

[@PWDlife]

what kind of glass is that, also does the fan to remove air in the box or to add air in the box?

[@kodak49]

If the bottom is plywood and plywood is scrap wood and glue, wouldn't the plywood (and if the frames are made with treated wood) be offgassing potential VOC's as part of the heat/cool cycle?

[@Wilderstead]

You think that’s air you’re breathing now?

[@jakesimon1908]

I like to know more how to make dehydrator

[@talha425]

What is they net material ? Is fan exhaust from dehydrator or flowing in ? How much temperature required for lemon sliced Cause temperature out side usually 35 to 40 degrees minimum we have

[@Larkz0717]

that is amazing!!! that was a door for the lid? and what mesh.. was it stainless? galvanized? or just screen window mesh?

[@Wilderstead]

Stainless window screen

[@Bennix]

Can it get the moisture level to less than 12% ?

[@Wilderstead]

You could get anything as dry as you want

[@nolansmith99]

What kind of metal mesh is that? Galvanized metal might start to react with the acidic tomatoes.

[@Wilderstead]

Stainless steel

[@scott75046]

For herbs could you place a plastic sheet over the glass to stop the sun reaching them? Also does it even matter if they bleach apart from the appearance?

[@Wilderstead]

Maybe.

[@wingnutbert9685]

Yeah, I was thinking that might work too. Black vapor barrier plastic or maybe ground/weed barrier cloth.

[@gardeninginthedesert]

I've been looking at dehydrating eggs. Would it be possible to do it in this? Obviously it would have to be done on baking paper.

[@Wilderstead]

You could try but it would probably end up cooking them rather than dehydrating them. We have an egg dehydrating video if you haven’t seen that one yet. An electric dehydrator is going to be more accurate and easier to control temp and airflow than this.

[@jasoncallaghan3084]

Genius

[@shepfc1962]

Very nice I like it

[@StephanParry]

Hi, great build! How long does the zucchini 'flour' last for? How do you store it?

[@Wilderstead]

We usually make enough to last a year. We store it in mason jars in the pantry. We have squash flour videos showing the whole process.

[@cidgeband]

Hi! have you tried a lettuce to make it chips? thanks

[@Wilderstead]

Kale chips yes. Lettuce, no.

[@AllGoodsTrade]

Can you also put salted fish in it to drie?

[@Wilderstead]

I’d probably want a dedicated unit to dry fish in….

[@guysanders4407]

what keeps ants and bugs out?

[@harshrungta247]

Sun

[@parthiban517]

Good one❤... But don't go more than 70 deg celcius to avoid nutritional loss.

[@Wilderstead]

What if we cook what we dehydrate later? 😵‍💫

[@unmeaninglessly143]

Preferably for the ones that are eaten raw

[@TheCatFan21]

Have you all considered adding pneumatic hinges to the door frame? Would that help or do you all find that the setup works as-is? Regardless, we're definitely doing this on our homestead. Two videos in and you all are speaking my and my wife's language! As a side, do you all have sassafras trees up where you live? The leaves can be dehydrated and powdered into a seasoning called filé. It's a popular seasoning in Louisiana but could make a nice addition to your spice cabinet alongside bay leaves and other vegetal/bitter-ish/spicy things!

[@Wilderstead]

Welcome to the Wilderstead! We considered hinges, but the old patio door is very heavy, and we worried about it crashing down and smashing, or possibly tipping the entire unit over if opened all the way. Also - having a hinged top that might not open all the way hinders your ability to easily access the entire inside of the unit when working with what you are dehydrating. We don't have any Sassafras trees growing here. Our climate is a little too cold in the winter for it to survive. It's a nice seasoning, though.

[@bjdaxom9555]

very smart 👌🏻...cheers from india 🙏🏻🤘🏻

[@LoveYourGround]

Have you done any meats in here?

[@Wilderstead]

Not yet. I’m sure it would work as long as you timed it with sunny days.

[@CC-nt4zi]

What kind of mesh for the trays?

[@Wilderstead]

Stainless steel

[@offgridwanabe]

I love this idea and it is cheap to run lol.

[@Wilderstead]

Very cheap. hahaha. Cheers bud!

[@Anu_Fathima]

Can we add extra layers.???

[@Wilderstead]

You could do that

[@msubhangee]

wow

[@amparomartinezamoraga1330]

Si pudierais traducirlo al castellano, sería estupendo. Parece tan estpendo🎉

[@breezywilson760]

wire mesh? is it stainless?

[@Wilderstead]

Yeah

[@426superbee4]

Have to make it slant so the water runs down the glass sides and not drip down on the food

[@Wilderstead]

Inside the unit stays dry.

[@426superbee4]

@@Wilderstead glass always have moisture, so how can it stay dry?

[@dement3djoker]

​@426superbee4 did you not watch the video? The moisture is in between the 2 panes of glass

[@Wilderstead]

The moisture in the unit is removed with airflow provided by the fan. Maybe you need to watch the video again to understand the concept of a dehydrator?

[@426superbee4]

@@Wilderstead i under stand > THAT YOU GOT WATER DRIPPING!

[@danielthompson3205]

Sitting here watching vid.. Then saw you milling your own timber for the project. Yerp I'm jumping in to like and say, hell yes.

[@psychogore]

Maybe, for herbs and things sensitive to light, it would be possible to replace the glass by a black, opaque top, thin plywood or plastic.