A jerky question

Hi mountain does good stuff.

Over curing can lead to over salty sometimes. I would follow their directions. Undercuring usually occurs when you're doing something too thick for the cure to do it's thing.

Will it be okay? Don't know, too many variables, you just have to dry/cook it and see.

If you're wanting some jerky help, you might try the regular CS Open Forum, few more users do Jerky there. Haven't seen anyone with an FE say they're doing it.

Also do a search on the whole forum(s) for jerky it's a frequent topic.

Russ

Russ:

Thanks for the advice.

Fred

Anytime, not advice, just wisdom from someone who has seen a lot of people go from Jerky novices to experts on this forum.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Russ

Here's some great advice from the Hi Mountain folks. They advise that if you need to prolong the time the meat must sit in the cure/seasoning mix, to freeze it. The lower temp in the freezer inhibits the curing process. So you could take your jerky, cure it for 24 hours then freeze until you are ready. They advised me that it is what they do when they are going to the shows.

Good to know.

Fred

Good info.

You doing this in an FEC or something else?

Russ:

Plan to do it in a smokette using Qdoggs method. Do you have any other suggestions for a smokette?

Fred

I have just started making jerky with the HiMountain
Kits and have just followed their smoking directions and my jerky has come out great. I cut my meat 1/4" thick and hang from wood skewers on top rack. Set my smoker (Mod 55)to 200 deg. and place 2oz of hickory and let it smoke for 2 hours. I open door only once at the 90min mark (will skip this step next time to see if makes a difference) and let out a little moisture. If I cut the meat 3/8" I let it go 3 hours. I like my jerky a little soft and these times and temp work great for me. I have done both turkey and beef this way. It could not be easier. I have not tried the Q-Dog method so I can't speak for it.

I beleive that HiMountain sells the Cookshack on their sight so I followed their advice first since they use the same smoker. Works for me.

Craig

Fred, thanks for the post. I checked out High Mountains website yesterday after checking out another post about jerky. I think I'm gonna get some of their stuff and try it out real soon. From what I've read, their kit works real well. What type of seasoning did you get? Follow up after you do it and let us know how it turns out. From other responses on this and other posts, it seems like you just follow their instructions and your in. Sure it will be great!

Smokering and Flatout:

Guys, thanks for the posts. Smokering, I think I'll try what you're doing first since the length of cook time isn't as long as what Qdogg recommends and I frequently am short of cooking time. Flatout, I got 2 packages of seasoning, 1 original and 1 hickory. I got 2 to offset some of the shipping costs on a small order. I'll let you know how it comes out, should be fun in any case, I love jerky.

Fred

From my experience, curing for 2 days won't hurt. May make it a bit spicier. I usually cure for around 2 days.

ALso, I've found hanging on rods or skewers to work better because the jerky dries a bit quicker and any fat drips off more. Laying the meat flat, sometimes a bit of fat pools in the low spots.

tjr:

Thanks for the tips.

Fred

2 things to remember when making jerky.

1.) Time and temp are everything. You cant take one person's method on time and another person's method on temp. For instance Smoke ring goes 3 1/2 hours at 200, and I just did a batch for 4 1/2 hours at 170. We both like pliable jerky, but we go about it at different time and temps. If you used my time and his temp without ever opening the door and checking you might not like the results.

2.) Type of meat is also everything. Venison is leaner than the leanest top round, and in my experience doesnt take near as long to finish.

There are a lot of different methods people use to get the same end result. Even it they are using the same smoker.

Trial and error. No science involved. Have fun!

Geiser Q:

Thanks for the reminders. I'm using what appears to be very lean "London Broil", there was virtually no fat to be removed. I got the
temp-time relationship. I'll have fun and let you all know how it came out.

Fred

Geiyser is right on with diff temps, time and methods. Venison DOES finish quicker. I wet brine all my jerky for 24-36 hrs. Then rack it flat on stainless 1/2 inch mesh and smoke for up to 12 hrs for a full 20-25 pound load. I start low at about 130 for a couple hrs and then go to 180 till its "done"

I keep my jerky below 130F in an electric smoke unit. Do you think the higher temperatures have a "cooking" effect and is it noticable in the flavor and texture between true air dried meat and hot dried meat.

I also have a follow-up story for this question. Last week I did a 5lb load of 1/4" cross-grain sliced eye of round that I got for a song. I wet brined with cider, vinegar, garlic, black pepper, salt and a little fish sauce(don't gag or laugh, just try it!) 2 hrs on the brine and them into a cold smoker. I did 2 hrs of smoke and another several without. We are having our monsoon rains in Tucson, so the humidity was 50+%. I aborted after 10 hrs and put on racks in the outside refrigerator for the 5 day duration. Tastes just like the regular stuff. Refrigerator jerky???

First jerky attempt over the weekend. 2# of London Broil, sliced 1/4", and cured for 24 hours with Hi Mountain Teriyaki/Mandarin seasoning. Smoked @180 for 6 hours, 2 chunks of apple, OAT was high 90s.

The result was good, but not perfect. The texture, color, and smoke was perfect, however 1) there's little if any teriyaki flavor, and 2) I get a slight aftertaste of something like castor oil. I thought I trimmed all the fat, but there's still some there so that may be it. I was surprised it took 6 hours, and the jerky is still a little 'oily' but seems fine, using the 'break' test.

Suggestions/comments appreciated, thanks.

I also did my first Jerky this weekend. I followed the Qdogg method with door open then shut then open... for a total of about 6 hrs. The Jerkey tasted great, but a little dry. I like it a little chewy. I smoked it at 225 during the whole time. Now I am thinking I almost cooked it and I should have done it at a lower temp. Reading these threads, I am getting conflicting messages. What is the best way?

German: Well, if you smoked it at 225F for 6 hours, it's not almost cooked, it's cooked. Is that a bad thing? That does seem like a long time compared to what I usually do.

I was just following the Qdogg method to a point...

Qdogg

So the question is when is Jerky "Done".

As that famous saying goes, "It's done when it's done."

Seriously, tho, I think you just have to tell by 3 things: hardness, color, and how much it has shrunk. I do mine for about 4-5 hours at 175F (but my thermostat seems to be off a bit). Plus I've been cutting it thicker lately, too. I look for the color to have gone from grey to mahogany brownish and for the texture to be just about to the "crack" stage. It'll get fairly much harder after cooling. If you take it out and it's still a bit too wet, you can let it cool on racks. Otherwise, if it's plenty dry bag it up while still hot. And, if it's too dry, bag it up and sprinkle a couple spoonfuls of water on.

One quick question.....

Would the Qdogg method change at all if you used a 55 instead of a 08 or 09?

Would you lose more moisture with the door being larger?

Would the larger heater make a difference to the speed of drying?


If so what changes would anyone make, if any?

Many thanks,

By Eck Lad

quote:

Originally posted by German Smoker:
[qb] I also did my first Jerky this weekend. I followed the Qdogg method with door open then shut then open... for a total of about 6 hrs. The Jerkey tasted great, but a little dry. I like it a little chewy. I smoked it at 225 during the whole time. Now I am thinking I almost cooked it and I should have done it at a lower temp. Reading these threads, I am getting conflicting messages. What is the best way? [/qb]

I think this is the best way... You could try lowering the temp and keeping the door closed (to not dry it out as much)...just depends on how dry you want it. Was the flavor to your liking?

quote:

Originally posted by By Eck Lad:
[qb] One quick question.....

Would the Qdogg method change at all if you used a 55 instead of a 08 or 09?

Would you lose more moisture with the door being larger?

Would the larger heater make a difference to the speed of drying?
[/qb]

Actually that's 3 questions.

No difference in the two models, the impact will be affected by how much meat you put in more than the door size (more moisture to get out).

We don't normally modify any recipes here because of differences in the models, so just go with that.

The heater isn't an issue either, it's the temp inside the smoker not the size of the heater.

Hope that answers your one question

Fixing to test a sliced ham for jerky using the High Mountain Jerky Mix, Cajun flavored. Anyone done a ham before? Or am I wasting my time and jerky mix?

Never tried ham, but have used boneless pork loin and it made some very good jerky.

I have made several batches of beef jerky with a dehydrator, no smoke, and no cure. When I was first introduced to the concept of home jerky, I was told that the acidic marinade (I use one part worchestershire, one part apple cider vinegar, and two parts soy) would "cook" the beef and make it safe to eat. I have the butcher cut me a rump roast to 1/8 inch thickness and marinate 24 hours. From there I go straight to the dryer and into plastic bags. A batch never lasts more than two weeks, so I am not trying to preserve it to last forever. Should I be worried about not using this cure in the process?

twofer, actually I would say you did cure the meat. The worchestershire, vinegar, and soy marinate 'cured' the meat. Sounds like your process is somewhat standard for those using a dehydrator.

Thanks, Hipppie, that is kind of what I thought. I knew that the acids worked on the meat's proteins, I just started wondering if I needed to up the salt content.

I use the worchestershire and soy marinade on my jerky but add TQ to make sure my jerky is cured. No amount of wor & or soy will do that or kill the bacteria that makes you sick.

Bob

Oh yes, plenty of salt in regular soy sauce. Combine that with vinegar and more salt and vinegar in the worchestershire and you have nothing to worry about.

I've heard that some folks just keep the smoker door closed and set at 200F. How long do you leave it in the smoker?

Get it up to temp first and smoking, then hang it on jerky rods across the racks from the top. 2-4 hours. The jerky will eventually dry out, at that point it is done. If you still have drips at the bottom after 2 hours, don't open the door to check, it ain't done. If the Smokette is full of jerky, leave it 4 hours. Use lots of wood. Jerky should be smoky and the extra smoke will help it dry out.

Hello everybody,

I've been making jerky for years in a dehydrator. Now I'll be using my smokette 008 and my dehydrator. I start with about 10 lbs of eye of round. It's a good cut of meat, and I've tried a lot of varieties of meat for jerky over the years and this cut works best for me. I buy some "Eldons Colorado Jerky Seasoning". It comes with a package of curing salt and everything is pre-measured. I take a 1 gallon glass jar, like a big pickle jar. Pour in the jerky mix and curing salt, add a big bottle of Lea & Perrins, 1/2 cup water, mix good or put on lid and shake well. The lid can't be metal. I put my meat in the freezer for a little, not to freeze it but just enough to make it stiff. I then slice the meat on my slicer between an 1/8" and a 1/4" inch. Slice with the grain not against it. When you finish you will have long, wide, thin sheets of meat. Add the meat to the marinade/curing mixture. Cover the meat good, shake well, put on the lid and stick it in the fridge. You can take it out after 24 hours, but I normally rotate the meat after 24 hours from bottom of jar to top and put it back in for another 24 hours. When you take it out of the jar DON'T RINSE THE MEAT. You can buy jerky racks that will fit your smoker from Allied Kenco. Lay the strips of meat on the racks, DON'T OVER LAP THE MEAT. Set the temp for about 140* for 30 to 45 mins to kill any bacteria. And then drop it down to 125*. Anything over 140* is cooking the meat, not drying it, and that ain't jerky. That's cooked meat. Jerky is dried meat. Since the smokette leaves moisture in the meat, I'll leave it in the smoker for a few hours so that it can absorb the smoke flavor and then I'll transfer the meat from the smoker to the dehydrator and set the t-stat on the dehydrator for 125*. And then I'll put another load in the smoker. I use an "American Harvest" dehydrator, made by Nesco. The lid has a fan and a t-stat on it , so it blows heated air down the racks and over the meat drying it.

The Smokette will dry the jerky out just fine if set on 200* and left alone long enough, usually up to 4 hours max. Cooking or drying, everyone loves my jerky. Your way sounds good also, just maybe a little drawn out time-wise. I bet it is good also.

Many methods of doing jerky. Low temp like Slade and higher temp like Hippie. It's all good.

You know, old Alton Brown comes up with some interesting points. Anyone see his jerky episode?

He stated that the "dry heat" of most dehydrators does infact cook and dry out the meat. He said a "cold" environment is better. Bascially the dry cold air of the north pole is better than the dry hot air of the desert.

He took jerky, laid it on cloth air vent filters. Bungy corded them to a box fan. Turned the fan on and came back a day later and they were perfect.

I made my first smokette jerky this weekend and it turned out great. Here's what I did:

- sliced some venison and some goose breasts, about 1/4 to 3/8" thick
- Sprinkled Hi Mountain original on the meat
- Put in fridge for 36 hrs
- Hung in smokette with 1 big hickory piece
- Set CS to 200F
- Kept door closed for 1 hour
- Cracked door for 15 minutes
- Closed door another hour
- Cracked door for a hour
- Closed door for a hour
- Opened door, cooled and ate.

The jerky was great. I had a good smoky flavor but not too strong. Some of the thicker pieces could have used more time.

Next time, I think I will try to cut the meat more evenly. I may try adding more wood...

I think more wood is a good idea. I believe the smoke helps dry and cure the meat. Cracking the door might let out moisture, but leaving in longer will get rid of it also. It either goes out the top or the bottom! Interesting to see your method took 4.25 hours and my method usually takes 4 hours without opening the door. Both methods are good and result the same. I like smoky jerky and usually load the woodbox up to the max with a variety of wood for a full load. I like to use muscadine vine with white oak especially, for anything.

SmokinOkie,

I did the Alton Brown thing just as on the show. I was trying to get the texture of the raw venison jerky that my dad made when I was a kid. My dad just marinated the meat and hung it from a string near the furnace in the basement until dry.

The cheap air filters I bought had too much back pressure to dry the meat in twenty four hours, so I took the racks from my CS 100 ( an older 150) and sandwiched the meat between the racks, then on the rib rack I have and put it all on the edge of couple of concrete blocks to get it off the floor. It worked very well. Those racks are about the same size as the 20 inch box fan and I didn't have to budgie them together.

I used his soy sauce - worcestershire recipe and I like it quite well but my favorite is slightly modified Kevi's main recipe, which I use most of the time.

The texture of the air dried is kind of hard to explain, but it sort of melts in your mouth as it rehydrates. The meat fibers are not heated so they fuse into strings I guess.

I do occasionally do dehydrator jerky (at 135 degrees) for about six hours in my old hippie thrift store machine. It gives the most chewy texture. So much that I normally cut it into chunks when I take it out to eat. (It also makes it go a little farther in that I don't eat as much.)

In my CS 100 I can do about 20 pounds of meat at a time. I run it at 180 for 4 hours, the first hour or so with the door cracked about 2 inches. They let the hold program run for another 2-4 hours (140) This of course is the best jerky because it is smoked. I normally use red oak or hickory. The texture of this is more cooked than the other two.

You can get an idea the difference as between cold smoked fish (under 90) and hot smoked or kippered. Cold smoked is sort of like lox from the store, depending upon the store, Kippered or hot smoke is what you normally buy in the store. You can do cold smoke fish in a Smokette with the cold smoke attachment. I would not have believed it but it is true. Just reading this makes me think you could cold smoke the jerky meat and then dry it with the fan if you wanted to get some interesting unique good eats.

I have also done some ground meat jerky with my Dakotah sausage stuffer. Since it is ground meat you have to make it like sausage by adding the seasoning to the meat and then extruding it. I used a sausage recipe and it didn't turn out, but the stuffer is the best thing since sliced bread for stuffing sausage

For strip jerky I now use exclusively special trim from the wholesale grocery. I seems to be mostly small pieces of flank steak at about half the price. Locally it runs about $2.00 pound plus or minus 20 cents for some reason. Absolutely no waste.

Other than the failure with the seasoning with the ground meat first attempt, all jerky is all much better than store bought for less than four bucks a pound.