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Things to Remember:

October 2008 Most herbs and roots are sold dried.


Good quality dryers preserve herb quality.
Clean thoroughly between crops to avoid adulteration.

An Introduction to Herb Dryers


Most medicinal and culi-
nary herbs are sold dried.
When drying large quanti-
ties of herbs for commer-
cial sale, growers should
use a forced-air dryer to
preserve their color, fla-
vor, oil content, and me-
dicinal properties. To
achieve this, good air cir-
culation within the dryer
is important, as it reduces
drying time and allows
the use of lower tempera- Colorful Celosia flowers, for demonstration, are supported by screens shelves in
this herb dryer.
tures, both of which can
Dryers for Commercial Herb Growers:

prevent the degradation of air flow and the plant mate- ers, however, do not have
chemical constituents during rial dries evenly. The access to forced air tobacco
the drying process. There- shelves should be con- dryers based on the agricul-
fore, dependable temperature structed of food grade tural history of the area. In
control and the ability to screens or covered with an this case, a dryer can be
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

provide high air flow acceptable food grade mate- constructed from a new or
throughout the plant mate- rial. The dryer should be existing shed outfitted with a
rial is important. Drying free of dust, dirt, insects, and heater, fan, and dehumidi-
temperatures and times differ rodents. Evidence of any of fier. Additionally, a grower
by plants, plant parts, and these in the final product can may choose to construct one
ambient conditions. In gen- lower its value or render it from scratch.
eral, most herbs should be unmarketable.
dried at low temperatures, The dryer should be able to
ideally around 90-100 F. hold an entire harvest and
A Construction Guide

When outside conditions are dry it fast enough that the


hot and humid, however, it crop does not spoil. Effi-
may be necessary to raise
Whats Inside?
ciency and economic con-
temperatures to as high as cerns must be taken into
130F. consideration to ensure the Introduction to Herb Dryers 1
The size of the dryer should cost-effectiveness of its op-
be based on the herb produc- eration.
tion area and how much will Small Dryer Guideline 2
Many different kinds of
be harvested at one time. For commercial herb dryers are
example, we found that available for purchase and
slightly less than one-fourth can be fairly expensive, rang- Large Dryer Guidelines 5
acre of skullcap herb ing from $15,000 used to
(foliage) required 700 ft2 of $30,000 new. In eastern
flat drying space. The dryer North Carolina, existing Drying Methods 7
should have well-spaced forced air tobacco dryers
racks to ensure that all sides (kilns) can be used to dry
of the plant receive sufficient herbs. Most mountain farm-
Page 2 DRYERS FOR COMMERCIAL HERB GROWERS:

Small Indoor Dryer Guidelines

The design of this dryer is


based on a prototype origi-
Materials: nally created by Anita Hay-
den of Native American
4 by 8 Plywood sheets
Botanics for use in her re-
(5/8 thick)
search on medicinal herbs.
1x1 lumber for
This dryer was designed to
framing the structure
serve relatively small-scale
and framing the shelves
growers. In 2006, this dryer
Screws
cost roughly $300 in materi-
Hinges (3 by 1
als, labor not included.
weather resistant
hinges, 3 on each roof) The dryer is constructed of
Aluminum window plywood framed by 1x1
screen lumber. It is 8 long, 4
4 personal fan wide, and 4 tall. It has a
Figure 2: Baseboard heater with chord
Large plastic staples floor lifted a few inches off
(1/2, 12.7 mm) for the ground with framing
attaching fan inside unit lumber, three stationary
sides, and one removable side bled and hinged on one side the exterior with a high qual-
Electric baseboard
serving as an access door (see for easy access when load- ity primer/sealer, and paint
heater ( $60 Honeywell
Low Profile Silent Figure 1.). The roof is ga- ing and unloading. Prime it with an exterior semi-gloss
Comfort Heater,
latex paint. Cut a 34 by 5
portable electric rectangular hole 5 from the
baseboard heater with bottom of the removable
cord, model number HZ- side to serve as an air intake
515) vent. Position another small
Gutter guards for vents hole (5 diameter) several
(5 Gutter World snap-in inches from the top of the
gutter filters costing dryer on the left side. At-
approximately $9.00 tach a small electric fan to
total - Lowes item the inside of the unit, facing
number 179783) outward. This serves as an
Staples for attaching the exhaust vent for moist air
gutter guard & screens during the drying process.
Thermometer ($10) Mount the fan with plas-
Outdoor outlet with tic staples or something simi-
timer ($21 Heavy duty lar. Both vent holes, as well
outdoor timer with 6 as the roof gable, should be
receptacles. Intermatic. covered with plastic gutter
15 amps. From Lowes.) filters cut to size. Place a
Primer and paint (Kilz portable electric baseboard
premium primer-sealer- heater in the bottom of the
stainblocker interior/ unit as a heat source (Figure
exterior water-base,
2). The heater should be pro-
and white exterior SIDESECTIONVIEW tected from above with a fine
semigloss latex paint)
1SCALE screen to prevent introduc-
Fine screen (to protect
tion of dried material into
baseboard heater)
Figure 1: Schematic depicting the front view of the small dryer the vents. Position wooden
(Illustrated by Agatha Grimsley)
Page 3

Small Indoor Dryer Guidelines (cont.)

stops on the floor of the aluminum shelving has not


unit to keep the heater safely been noted as a contaminant
away from the walls of the problem in this industry.
dryer. A thermometer with a Visit
temperature range up to www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
120 F should be mounted tfacts22.html for more infor-
inside the unit (Figure 3). mation about the safety of
An outdoor outlet box fitted aluminum shelves. You may
with a timer can be used to also line the aluminum
plug in both the fan and the screens with another mate-
heater . The outlet box is rial, such as cheesecloth to
keep the herbs from being in Figure 3: 120oF Thermometer mounted inside
then plugged into a regular the drying unit..
110 outlet. Alternatively, the contact with the screening,
fan and heater can each be or you can research alterna-
plugged into a regular 110 tive screening to use in your tact with buyers to be kept
outlet. dryer. Finally, growers informed about as new regu-
should maintain good con- lations and standards emerge
Three or more levels of re-
movable shelves can be con-
The small herb structed inside the unit (See
dryer is not Figure 4 & Figure 6) to
weather-proof. provide a flat surface for dry-
ing the plant material. Two
Remember to store
shelves sit side by side on
it indoors or under each level to allow for easy
cover. loading and removal. Alumi-
num window screening can
be used to line each shelf to
allow air flow around the FRONTSECTIONVIEWSHOWINGFLOORAND PlanViewofOneRemovableRack
plant material as it dries. To RIDGESUPPORT,FRAME,ANDSHEATHING 1Scale

the best of our knowledge, 1SCALE

Figure 4: Schematic of small dryer front and schematic of a small dryer removable
rack.

PLANVIEWSHOWINGFRAMEAND
BRIDGESUPPORT,WITH1/4PLY
WOODSHEATHING.

1SCALE
Figure 5: Schematic depicting the top view of Figure 6: Completed small dryer with herb material (Photo courtesy of Anita Hayden)
the shelf for the small dryer
Page 4 DRYERS FOR COMMERCIAL HERB GROWERS:

Materials: Large Exterior Dryer Guidelines (10 x 16 walk-in building)


Building: 10 x 16 utility
building - about $2,500.
Duct work: Custom fabri- This dryer will accommodate (Figure 7). You can use an
a higher volume of plant mate- existing structure if it meets
cated duct work -about rial (approximately 800 fresh the requirements, or build one
$780. pounds of aerial parts) than to suit your needs. (Figure 7).
the small dryer. Accordingly, The building should be roofed
Fan: Dayton Tubeaxial
the construction of this dryer and painted with severe
Fan, Model 7F951, about is much more involved and weather paint.
$690.00, Blade Diameter expensive than the small
dryer. In 2006, this dryer cost
18, Fan Speed 1719 RPM, Framing the shelves Con-
approximately $5,000, includ-
Motor Power Rating HP. struct four levels of frames for Figure 7: Converted 10 x 16 utility
ing labor. However, commer- building..
cially available herb dryers can the shelves on each side of the
Includes other components
cost over $25,000. Thus, dryer, allowing an aisle to
such as a HP motor, V span the length of the building
building your own dryer may crop is in place on the drying
Belt, and Sheave. still afford a significant cost (Figure 8). The frames should shelves (Figure 10). This
have one center support and 2 forces the air through the crop
Heating element: Two savings.
front and end supports
on the shelves.
for each unit. Vulcan model (2x4s). The supports are
The Building Before starting framed with 2x4s approxi- Shelving Construct four levels
FTH30B-B 3000 Watt Finned
any construction process, mately 4 long. Shelf frames of shelving. Each level should
Tubular Heater Element, consist of two shelves which
check with your local zoning are about 12 apart. Adjust the
240 Volts, length 17 7/16 office to see if permits and/or distance between shelves to fit together run the length of the
inspections are required. You your crop: for example, you dryer, yielding a total of 16
inches. About $106 each.
will need a free-standing, can increase the number of shelf pieces. Rip 2x4s in half
Window: small window length-wise to make 2x2s for
wooden, weather-proofed util- shelves if you anticipate dry-
with roll out panels - $40. ity building to serve as the ing more root crops than ae- the shelf frame. Brace the mid-
dryer unit to be modified ac- rial crops. Finish the frame by dle of the frame. Shelves
Thermostat: Honeywell should be 3 wide. Cover the
cording to these instructions. horizontally attaching 2x4s
model T675A1425 Remote Utility buildings, such as the to the 4 support boards to frame with galvanized steel
Bulb Sensor Range 55-175 10x16 building pictured allow plywood sheets to slide hardware cloth attached with
above, are widely available into the aisle area once the staples. The hardware cloth
F, about $114. allows for air to flow through
Thermometer: Ashcroft the shelves, maximizing flow
Bimetal Thermometer around the plant material as it
dries. Galvanized steel is not
item# 50 Ei60R-180-0/200. recommended for use with
Rear connection, 18 stem high-acid material, so growers
length, degrees Farenheit who want to dry such prod-
ucts should consider covering
range 0-200. Approx. $63. the shelves with an alternative
Air switch: Columbus Insert a picture here show- material.
Electric Air sensing switch ing how the duct work To maximize space, consider
looks on the back of the installing an additional set of
model GRH3AD, about $32. dryer removable shelves (8) down
Snap Disc Control: the central aisle of the build-
approximately $20. ing. If space is not needed,
simple pieces of plywood
should be placed across the
aisle to force the air through
Continued next page the plant material. (Figure
Figure 8: Unfinished frames with Figure 9: Duct work and access doors
shelves installed. housing heating elements and fan
10). Only position the mate-
Page 5

Materials (cont.):
Large ExteriorDryer Guidelines (10 x 16 walk-in building)
Shelving Materials:
cont.
Lumber: (Measurements
may vary depending on the rial to be dried onto the back of the building. At the
size of the dryer building). shelves with the hardware points where the ducts are
cloth. attached to the building, vents
Enough 2X4s to frame and
Duct Work and Electrical Com- should be cut to the appropri-
construct shelves. ate size and the seams sealed
ponents Sheet metal ducts are
Hardware cloth: Galva- necessary for housing and pro- (Figure 11). It is important to
tecting the main electrical keep the fan/motor and heat-
nized Hardware Cloth. 6 rolls
components (fan/motor and ing coils protected from mois-
of 25 foot length, 36 inch heating coils) on the back side ture.
height, inch mesh, 20 of the building and for direct- Install the fan and motor sev-
gauge. Each roll costs ap- ing air flow from the top of eral feet above the heating
the building, over the heating elements inside the duct work.
proximately $25.
coils, and into the bottom of The fan will then draw air
the building (Figure 9). A through the return (upper)
local sheet metal company vent in the building, forcing it
should be able to custom- down over the heating ele-
fabricate the duct work. The ments, and back into the
duct work attaches to two building through the lower
points on the outside of the vent. The heated air will be
Figure 11: Upper and lower vents. These
are the two points where the ductwork
connects to the rear of the building. Air
circulates into the shed via the lower vent,
and back through the heating ducts via
the upper vent.

forced up through the plant


material and then recirculated
back to the fan or exhausted
out the front vent. Install the
heating elements underneath
the fan in a way that maxi-
mizes air flow over them. The
air velocity will be greatest
near the blade tip. For in-
stance, it is not a good idea to
install them directly in the
middle of the duct, as this puts
them in the calm eye of the
air flow. Install a thermostat
on the inside of the building
to control the temperature of
your dryer. You may also
install the thermostat on the
outside of the building, but
keep in mind that it needs to
be protected from the weather
in some way. Placing a ther-
mometer (18 stem) with the
face visible outside of the
Figure 10: The interior of a modified utility building. Note the four levels of building allows for monitor-
shelves on either side of the center aisle. Plywood spacers span the aisle to
direct airflow up through the material on either sides of the aisle. ing internal temperature with-
Page 6 DRYERS FOR COMMERCIAL HERB GROWERS:

Large Exterior Dryer Guidelines (10 x 16 walk-in building)


cont.
out opening doors, saving en-
ergy.
Accessories Several modifica-
tions to the building are neces-
sary to make it functional. A
small window with a screen
(or other suitable product)
should be installed on the
front of the building (Figure
12). The window is very im-
portant, as it serves as a vent
for the dryer, and can be ad-

Figure 13: Fuse box with different switches for fan, heat, light, and main.

with tie-downs or some other mostat control. When the


materials. Lastly, the fan belt temperature inside the build-
may need to be adjusted to ing reaches the setting on the
achieve higher temperatures. thermostat, then the heating
We experienced a few cases of coils should turn off. The fan
the temperature only reaching should continue running to
around 80o F in the dryer. keep air moving over the dry-
Decreasing fan speed by ing product. This unit requires
lengthening the belt on the a 220 volt electrical capacity
motor allowed us to increase (Figure 13). Additionally,
the temperature inside the wiring diagrams for the fan
building. motor, the heaters, and the
Electrical Wiring thermostat were commis-
sioned by an electrical contrac-
Hire a licensed electrician to
tor. James Myles, Jr. prepared
install the wiring for your
the schematics, available in
Figure 12: Window with screen and crank. Adjusting the opening of this dryer. Be sure your electrician
Figure 14.
window regulates the ventilation in the dryer. understands that the air flow
needs to be downward, so air
justed by a hand crank to is taken into the fan from the Energy Conservation Energy
regulate how much ventilation top of the dryer and heated air conservation is a leading na-
is provided at a particular is forced back into the dryer at tional concern. As many
time. As the material dries the bottom of the building. growers are tackling energy
and there is less moisture be- When the power is turned on issues on their own farms,
ing released, the vent may be to the unit, the fan must be herb dryers may also be exam-
closed gradually. The duct able to remain in the on ined from a conservation per-
work housing the fan and position regardless of whether spective. Adding insulation to
heating elements will have to the heating coils are energized. the structure is recommended
be sealed thoroughly to pro- In other words, the heating to reduce energy use and cost.
tect from rain. Depending on coils are the only components Additionally, consider pur-
your area, you may be re- that should be tied to the ther- chasing a fan with a higher
quired to anchor the building
Page 7

Large Exterior Dryer Guidelines (10 x 16 walk-in building)


cont.
CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute)
output, or consider installing
high R-value windows on the
southern side to increase the
incoming solar heat. The win-
dows would need to be
painted to protect the herbs
from UV radiation. Finally,
look into solar energy op-
tions. Using passive solar de-
sign and energy would allow
A B for placement of herb dryers
directly beside the field from
which the herb material will
be gathered. This would re-
duce the amount of time be-
tween harvest and drying
which is an important factor
in post-harvest processing.
There are some models of so-
lar greenhouse dryers available
online. Another benefit of
using solar energy is that the
unit does not have to be lo-
cated adjacent to a power
source, nor would the addi-
C tional costs of connecting to a
Figure 14: Wiring diagrams for the fan motor, the heaters, and the thermostat were commissioned by an electrical contrac- more distant power source be
tor.
incurred. Converting a green-
house to a dryer would be

Drying Methods

Drying Methods Once you have estab- tain chlorophyll. This will be less impor- out more slowly. Depending on the
lished your herb dryer, some general tant for roots or other low-chlorophyll plant, some roots may need to be cut
instructions for drying are in order. parts. Start with higher temperatures in half or quartered in order to thor-
The best method to dry your herb will and decrease them over time. It is a good oughly.
depend largely on the physical charac- idea to maintain high temperatures for What temperature should I use? Differ-
teristics of the material, the volume of at least the first 24 hours. ent herbs will require different tem-
herb in the dryer, the relative humidity When are my plants dry? Aerial parts will peratures. In the mountains, expect
of the outside air, and the physical be dry when you can break a piece of it herbs to dry at somewhere around 90-
properties that are important to your and it snaps. When drying roots, keep 105o F. In the Piedmont and Coastal
commercial buyer(s). Methods vary in mind that you want the roots to dry areas of North Carolina, temperatures
only slightly when using the small ver- from the inside out. If temperatures are may need to be around 110-130o F.
sus the large herb dryer. too high, the roots will dry on the out- Typically, the higher the ambient hu-
Keeping the Green. Most commercial side first and seal in moisture on the in- midity, the higher the temperature
buyers want green color to be main- side. This would result in a moldy, infe- that is required to dry the material
tained in the dried product that they rior product that would be rejected by a thoroughly. One report recommends
buy. This is especially important for buyer. Instead, keep temperatures low the following temperatures based on
above ground plant parts which con- enough to dry the root from the inside the major medicinal chemical composi-
North Carolina State
University

Authors:
Jeanine Davis No matter what your scale of medicinal herb production, quality of
Amy Hamilton
Mtn. Hort. Crops Research & Extension Ctr
your final product will depend, in part, on your ability to efficiently
455 Research Drive,
Mills River, NC 28759
and adequately dry your harvested material. We hope that these two
dryer designs will serve as a starting point for you as you develop a
dryer to suit the particular needs of your farm. Please contact us if
Contact:
Phone: 828-684-3562 you come up with innovative modifications to these designs to
Fax: 828-684-8715
E-mail: jeanine_davis@ncsu.edu
improve quality in your final product or overall efficiency of
the dryer itself. Additionally, please contact us with ques-
Thank you to Dr. Grant Ellington,
tions or seeking advice as you build your own dryer.
Extension Specialist in Biological and
Agricultural Engineering, for assisting
Other Resources:
with the technical components of this www.ncspecialtycrops.org/medherbs - for general herbal information
publications.
www.agf.gov.bc.ca - for general drying information
Thank you to Laura Duffie and Libby www.library.wur.nl/frontis/medicinal_aromatic_plants/17_muller.pdf
Hinsley for their assistance with this
publication. For a detailed report on drying specific medicinal herbs

Drying Methods (cont.)


the Web
Were on rg
csp e cia ltycrops.o
http://n tion of the plant: for glycoside content oped. In our experience, fol- may be
dry at a maximum of 212oF; for muci- lowing the general guidelines progressively reduced. This is
lage content dry at a maximum of set forth in this document extremely important. Intro-
149oF; and for essential oil content dry resulted in a high quality ducing drier air will reduce the
at a maximum of 95o. It is believed that product. amount of time the material is
each herb requires a specific procedure, in the dryer, thus reducing the
Check the material often to
including temperature regime and dura- cost of drying the material. Be
monitor its progress and ad-
tion of drying, yet these procedures sure to turn the material gen-
just the temperature as neces-
have only recently begun to be devel- tly at least once during the
sary. Unless your dryer is
initial phase of drying.
equipped with a thermostat,
you will need to adjust this Depending on the plant mate-
Drying Rules of Thumb rial and your buyers specifica-
manually as needed. For the
1. Aerial material should be dried at first 24 hours or so, keep the tions, the final product should
higher temperatures at first, followed be between 8 -12% moisture.
fan on and vents open. For
by decreased temperatures. This means that approxi-
the large dryer, you will need
2. Root material can be maintained at a to open the intake vent on the mately 2/3 of the fresh weight
constant temperature throughout the drying proc- duct (see Figure 9) to intro- will be lost in the drying proc-
ess. duce drier air and force the ess.
3. Keep in mind that these are general rules. more humid air out through
Please verify the drying needs of your product the front vents. This will help
prior to starting the process. It is important to get harvested
remove moisture and lower
plant material from the field to
the humidity in the dryer. As
the dryer as quickly as possi-
the material dries, the vents

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