Second, I've tried the Qdogg method for jerky once and found it too much babysitting of the smoker. Even my wife said "that's a lot of work". 16 hour butts has me spoiled to load it and relax until done.
Third, I've just tried the GLH method on 3 batches over 3 days and it's too easy. Here is my smoking procedure:
- preheat smoker at 250º for 30 minutes w/o smoke.
- load jerky on rods and also load woodbox.
- smoke at 190 - 200º until done.
Here is a sample from each batch.
Here are the details on each batch.
Left - Hi Mountain "Sweet & Spicey" cured for 24 hours. Smoked 3 lbs. for 2:45 @ 200º. Used 2.1 oz. of red oak and 2.4 oz. of cherry.
Center - Hi Mountain "Cracked Pepper & Garlic" cured for 48 hours. Smoked 4 lbs. for 3:15 @ 190º. Used 2.2 oz. of hickory and 2.2 oz. of cherry.
Right - Hi Moutain "Sweet & Spicey" cured for 68 hours. Smoked 3 lbs. for 2:45 @ 200º. Used 1.4 oz. of mesquite and 3.1 oz. of white oak.
My opinion is they all turned out great and taste great. One observation I have is the 3rd batch (right) has a definite mahogany color. I wonder if this could be because of the longer cure time or using mesquite for smoke?
I've tried other Hi Mountain seasonings and my favorite is definitely the Cracked Pepper and Garlic. The others are good but seem to be light on the seasonings. I might try increasing the seasonings on the others while keeping the same amount of cure.
