BRADLEY SMOKER | "Taste the Great Outdoors"

Well, I stopped at my butcher and he hooked me up with some Top Round (I think) and ran it through the slicer. 
He also gave me some marinade and cure.  It has been marinading since Saturday.

So what temps do I want to smoke this and how long?

He said you want to reduce the weight by half.  So my 11 lbs should finish at 5.5 lbs.

Going to use Hickory Smoke...just not sure how long...

I would do no more than 2 hours of smoke @150-180F

You will want to rotate racks every hour or so, top to bottom and front to back as well.

Quote from: FLBentRider on October 11, 2010, 05:21:44 AM
I would do no more than 2 hours of smoke @150-180F

How much time after smoke or is that it (approx, of course)?

Depends on temp in the smoker and how thick the meat is sliced.    Check it from time to time.   You don't want it brittle.   It should bend, not break.

I would guesstimate about 4 to six hours for that load.

Could be more.

I apply smoke and then transfer to a dehydrator.

I am doing 4 hours with 2 hours of that being smoke. Does that sound about right?

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At about the 3 hour mark, sample a piece when you rotate racks.

It should bend but not break, and should not look like raw meat in the middle.

I would not be suprised if it goes longer than 6 hours.

Ditto what FLB said

Tip: When you rack the strips alternate them, 1 rack vertical, 1 horizontal (meat on the racks | --). This disrupts the air flow over the meat. Also if you invert one rack atop the other it will give you exrta rack space. Turning your 6 rack to a 12 rack or just extra space to rotate easier.

2 hours in.

(http://184.72.239.143/mu/4a6de323-29c4-9843.jpg)

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9 hours at 190 degrees and this is what it looks like...

(http://www.nwh-media.com/data/528/medium/Jerky-9hours.jpg)

Now here is the deal...I decided I was not going to mess with the heat.  I have it set at 190.  The Box temp reads 175-190.  My Maverick is saying 140ish.

Could that be the problem or am I just impatient?

My 6 rack does the same thing.    Shows a temp which is much higher than that on a temp prob and now my PID.   I don't trust the reading the SG gives me.   At first everything I did in the smoker took longer than it was supposed to, likely for that reason.

Well just to let you know...I am on my second batch.

I am leaving at 180.  Smoking for 2 hours and then 4 hours without smoke.  I am 3.5 hours in and spun the racks around and shuffled them from top to bottom.  That was my issue. 

While I was making my decisions on the doneness from what I saw the back was getting dry.

I am curious to see how this one ends up.

I have a feeling a PID will be in my future.  Why doesn't Bradley figure out what the problem is and fix it?

Also Rck, your meat being cut so thin will only take on so much marinade. After about 12 hours you will not be adding much to it so more than 12 to 15 hours marinading is not necessary. That said, if you marinade it and can't get it in the smoker for a day won't hurt. But I did have once where I got sent out of town and could not get to the smoker for 3 days and the meat went all mushy on me.

Thanks for the advise.  That could be part of the challenge.

Pulled out the second batch and it was perfect.  The key, IMO, is that due to the box hot spots, I need to move racks around and spin them.  Any ideas on diverting the heat from that bottom, back.

Install a fan kit!

Quote from: Quarlow on October 14, 2010, 07:32:28 PM
Install a fan kit!

Fan Kit?

Time to research.