Practical guides
Batch tracker
Weigh the batch (or one tray) every hour, log it here, and watch your own drying curve take shape against the predicted target weight. Two or three tracked batches will calibrate the time estimator to your dryer better than any published table.
Target weight = fresh weight × (100 − M₀) / (100 − M₁). Set it with the yield calculator before you start; the tracker then tells you exactly how far you are from done, and whether the rate is stalling (case hardening) or plateauing (equilibrium — change the air, not the clock).
Batch setup
Add a weigh-in
Your drying curve
Log
Reading your own curve
The shape of your plotted weight curve is diagnostic — the same logic as the drying curve, but with your numbers:
| Your curve shows | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Steady fall, then flattening near the target | Textbook behaviour — constant rate into falling rate | Nothing; stop at the target weight |
| Flattens early, but pieces still wet inside | Case hardening — surface sealed | Drop the temperature 10–15 °F, continue; next time start cooler |
| Flattens early, well above target | Reached equilibrium with the air — the air is the limit | Improve exhaust/ventilation or raise temperature slightly |
| Still falling steeply at the target weight | Fast batch — good airflow or thin slices | Check doneness; note the time for next batch |
| Curve jitters up and down | Weighing inconsistency (different tray, scale drift) | Weigh the same tray every time; check the calibration |
After a few batches, feed your measured time back into the time estimator's efficiency field so its predictions match your equipment. That one number — your dryer's real efficiency — is the difference between a model and a plan.