I try to do 10-12 lb batches using some variant of beef round or sometimes sirloin if its cheap. I soak it in the marinade below for at least a few hours preferably overnight in my vacuum marinator or two days lacking that piece of equipment. Giving it an occasional shuffle by hand. In the ice box of course.
10-12 lbs jerky cut lean beef (finger size)
1 cup wooster sauce
1 cup soy sauce
2 T. granulated onion
2 T. granulated garlic
1/2 cup Terriyaki sauce
3 T. Black pepper
2 T. Cayenne pepper
2 T. Crushed red pepper
2 T. Mortons Tender Quick
1 T. Dry minced onion
1 small squirt Frenchies yellow mustard
1 small squirt Honey.
I smoke and dehydrate at the same time using peecan and apple in the upright of a big offset pit with the bottom part of a Brinkmann Electric smoker in the horizontal for the heat and smoke and small house fan in the firebox. Takes usually 10-12 hours depending on ambient temps to get it sorta crispy but still pliable enough not to break. I finish in the house oven at 275 with the strips piled up in aluminum half pans covered with foil. I try to make the goods break at least 160 when poked as a collective mass with the instant gauge. Usually takes an hour or two. Cool it down where it can get some air and store in brown paper sacks till you get ready to bag it up. If you want it hot baste it with some cheap red hab sauce on each side a time or two. Whew..sorry this is so long and windy. Hope I dont get nagged at..lol.