How to use desiccants?

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I bought desiccants along with my oxygen absorbers but am not sure how to use them. The oxygen abs. work great. Do the desiccants require anything being done to them to activate them like pre-heating first or anything? Do I drop them into the mylar bag with the oxy. ab. before sealing? Any advice is appreciated. Mary

-- Mary Howe (doesnotmatter@thistime.com), December 17, 1998

Answers

If they came in a sealed pack you ought not have to toast them. Check at glitchproof.com and I'm sure they can answer you.

CR

-- Chuck a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), December 17, 1998.


Mary.

I throw about 6 tablespoons of dessicant into a personal size envelope and seal it up. Complete the sealing with some tape on the ends of the flap to make sure the grains can't leak out. Cook them in a dehydrator or oven until you can see that the dessicant is blue. I just hold the envelope up to the window or light and look through it. Throw them into a bucket or freezer bag as is. You can crack open the container or bag every so often and slip them out to check their color. If needed, cook them again.

BTW Mary; from you posts, it sounds like you and I are neighbors. I'm happy to find another local in this forum, if that is the case. If you feel ok about it, maybe we can share some "local" tips on sources, people to see, and things to do in W.N.Y. For intro and reference purposes, I'm the person in charge of the Canadiana restoration effort. :-)

I got y2k a couple of months ago and have been working at it since. We've gotten few neighbors into preparing and have made a fair amount of other progress. Please send me an email.

Me.

Floyd Baker fbaker@wzrd.com

-- Floyd Baker (fbaker@wzrd.com), December 17, 1998.


WARNING * DANGER * WARNING

Do not use dessicants that are not food-grade. Some people have recommended using bulk dessicants from flower shops, used to dry flowers. This stuff releases a nasty, poisonous, metallic salt into your food. It is NOT the same stuff as food grade dessicant. DON'T USE IT!

The number I have for food-grade dessicant is "Royco," 1800.677.6926, though I'm sure there are others if you look.

E.

-- E. Coli (nunayo@beeswax.com), December 17, 1998.


E. Coli

-- Mary Howe (doesnotmatter@thistime.com), December 17, 1998.

E. Coli I did get my desiccants from Royco!! Can I ask you a question? Did you heat them in the oven first before using? And did you use them in mylar bags with an oxy. ab. also? Thanks Mary

-- Mary Howe (doesnotmatter@thistime.com), December 17, 1998.


All's well then. There have been recommendations on other forums to use non-food-grade floral dessicant, so I thought it was worth alerting people (didn't mean to scare ya). I nearly wasted a large batch of food by following this advice; but my wife took to drying flowers with the unused product, so it wasn't a total waste.

One thing you can do with food grade bulk dessicant is get a small plastic bottle, like a vitamin bottle, then take an awl (or any pointy metal thing) and heat it in a candle flame. Then poke little holes in the bottle small enough so the dessicant can't get out. Put your dessicant in, screw on the top, and you're set. If you heat dessicant in a 250 degree oven for about four hours, it should be dry as a bone and ready to absorb for you.

E.

-- E. Coli (nunayo@beeswax.com), December 17, 1998.


I don't use mylar bags; I just make sure my plastic buckets are food grade and pour it right in. Mylar probably gives you extra milage, though.

E.

-- E. Coli (nunayo@beeswax.com), December 17, 1998.


I helped a lady pack some grains in buckets the other day and noticed that she had used non scented kitty litter in a cloth as a desiccant. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

thanks ww

-- WAYNE WITCHER (WWITCHER@MVTEL.NET), December 18, 1998.


"Canadiana" (-5 sp) Would that hapen to be docked under the acursed bridge that is Rt 17? Or maybe at the other end of the lake?

cr

-- Chuck a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), December 19, 1998.


Food storage FAQ recommended those dessicants from Walmart, did say they're poisonous but said it was okay to put them in a container with paper barrier to food... Anybody know if this works okay? (That was my plan until seeing this thread, now will call Royco, hope they can ship before my grain gets here.)

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), December 20, 1998.


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