# Liquid Pooling at Bottom on Heating Element When Used as Dehydrator

**URL:** <https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/liquid-pooling-at-bottom-on-heating-element-when-used-as-dehydrator/28188>\
**Category:** Anova Precision® Oven\
**Created:** [February 17, 2021, 1:08am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/liquid-pooling-at-bottom-on-heating-element-when-used-as-dehydrator/28188 "2021-02-17T01:08:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shags](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/shags/32/7096_2.png) [@Shags](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Shags)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 1:08am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/liquid-pooling-at-bottom-on-heating-element-when-used-as-dehydrator/28188/1 "2021-02-17T01:08:03Z")

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Today I used the oven to make jerky from marinaded carne asada flap steak, and it came out great! But when it was done, I noticed a pooling of liquid from the process at the bottom of the oven, accumulating on the recessed bottom heating element. Is this normal?

It was a 3 hour cook at 145F, no sous vide, no steam, back heating element, and high fan. Then 10 minutes at 275F to kill any pathogens.

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**Author:** ![Shags](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/shags/32/7096_2.png) [@Shags](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Shags)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/liquid-pooling-at-bottom-on-heating-element-when-used-as-dehydrator/28188/2 "2021-03-05T19:25:15Z")

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UPDATE: Second time making jerky and the same thing happened, so about halfway through I simply cracked the door a bit and let it continue. More of the liquid escaped by steam than pooled at the bottom.

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**Author:** ![chatnoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@chatnoir](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/chatnoir)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/liquid-pooling-at-bottom-on-heating-element-when-used-as-dehydrator/28188/3 "2021-03-06T18:16:43Z")

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Hi Shags, most cooks make jerky using thin meat slices cooked on a wire rack set over a foil-lined pan to collect any liquids. When you don’t change a technique you will have the same result.

Steam ovens differ from conventional ovens as they are usually not vented saving you from working in a hot and humid kitchen. As you discovered venting reduces the accumulation of the visible water vapour you observed.

As long as the meat is no thicker than 2 1/2-inches you could safely skip the 10 minute finishing at 275F since you have already Pasteurized it.