unwanted fermentation

[pixiepolar]

been experimnting loads with cookies, pizzas and burger buns in my dehydrator recently and noticed that anything I do with grains starts to smell funny after a few hours in the dehydrator. Wonder if anyone had the problem and solved it. Or is it maybe normal and ok? I'm not keen on the smell and it puts me off the finished food quite a bit.

[Rawkinlocs]

You have an Excalibur? If so, it's been said by Excalibur and Dr. Gabriel Cousens that with some foods (such as things with grains, breads, etc.) that you should turn the dehydrator up for the first 2 hours to about 145 degrees and this will NOT affect the food by cooking it because though the air reaches that temp, during those first couple of hours, the food does not. Thereafter, you can turn it down to more "normal/raw" temps and it's fine.

I started doing this after many failed attempts at making rye bagels, the calzone, etc. due to the same problem and I haven't had this problem since!

[pixiepolar]

thanks a lot! Will try next time. I don't have an excalibur, so I guess that might be one of the problems since I know they are the best. But I can certainly put the temperature up on my swiss model (stöckli) and see how it goes.

[Green Life]

I have experianced this with my Exclibur. I even gave up the idea of dehydrating foods because of it.

Maybe the air reaches 145, but how does one check to know for sure the food isn't that hot, also? Maybe by using a food thermometer in the food?

Any ideas?

[pixiepolar]

I've been wondering that too. Does anyone know? I read in a recipe 2 hours at 125, now Rawkinlocs says 145 even. I will try it anyway cause in any case it's better than giving up on the raw diet and I'm fairly new to it. Only been doing 100% raw for three and a half weeks.

[Rawkinlocs]

Yes, if you're not sure you can use a candy or meat thermometer to check. I didn't...just kinda took their word for it as THEY did the testing of the food innards.

[pixiepolar]

if they tested it, thats good enough for me too. thanks. god a bit disheartened with the whole dehydrating process, but will try again soon. the pizza was too yummy anyway to leave out of my diet:)