Trying to make jerky in my new Bradely smoker . It does not seem to be drying . It has been on for about eight hours. Any help would Help Chris
Chris Nelles
Welcome to the Forum, Chris . . . I'm not a jerky maker, but I hope one of the other resident experts we have will come to your aid soon. In the meantime, you might gtry doing a search for jerky to double-check what you've done against others' recipes/approaches . . .
John
Newton MA
Your top vent should be wide open to allow moisture to escape. There is also the question of how thick your jerky is. Should be about 1/4 inch. If you have a full load it takes time. Also its a good idea to take out a sample and let sit for a few minutes to get a better idea of texture.
Like Phone Guy said - top vent open.
There are also other factors - box temp, ambient temp, wind, humidity, etc. Don't get discouraged - the BS can produce some very good jerky.
You will get some great advice here if you tell us more about your situation.
Thanks jerkyg that is some usefull info.
Brad
Glad to see you back JERKYG, I was hoping some people manners wouldn't keep you away. Happy NEW YEAR!!!
"If you're not living on the edge, You're taking up way too much room, so get the he-- out of my way."
Thanks for chipping in, jerkyg--hope we see more often!
John
Newton MA
Ahhh!!!!! So when I make my first batch of jerky do I open or close the damn damper[?][?][?][?]
Hell, I don't know. The Jerky Guy says to close it, and the articles he provided also say that. Sorry for giving bad advice. I've been doing it wrong all these years :( anyone else?
TomG and Liquid25...
Y'all did not read the articles. How do I know that? By your replies.
I spent hundreds of hours searching and reading every article I could find as I looked for the answer to perfect my methods and safe jerky. I will not do your homework for you. If you would only read between the "lines" of my original Christmas gift...and what I have now shared. Maybe now you can understand my frustration as I share this information.
Re-read the articles...do your research...and you will find your answers.
Jon Beltran
The Jerky Guy Co.
Very good articles Jerky Guy. I actualy did read them but responded incorrectly by saying you said to close them.
Thanks again for the valuable information.
Anyone curious about proper drying, safety, use of dampers, etc. should read ALL of those articles.
Thanks Liquid25, your welcome.
As I am extremely busy, this will be my last post for awhile.
It should be noted that following the proper use of dampers/humidity, will also give you a much better finished product (mouth feel), etc.
You should also be aware that 98% of the time, if you deviate from these methods, you will not kill anyone when using store bought, whole muscle meat. But you should definitely use caution when you process venison. The field dressing and post care (cooling, aging) of the carcass is of the upmost importance. And is where numerous pathogens can be introduced. Be especially leery when the venison has been given to you and you have no actual hands-on history of the care of the carcass.
The most affected by a tainted product are children and the elderly...and for you youngsters out there...that is not someone over 30! [:D]
"Food poisoning" can take up to 72 hours to manifest recognizable symptoms.
Also, contrary to popular posts here and elsewhere...properly processed jerky can be kept for a several months in the fridge. If it is vacuum packaged, you can extend that for many more months whether refrigerated or not. Vacuum packaging also extends the mouth feel and flavor tenfold. But, it must have been cooked/smoked/dried in accordance to proven methods.
Research, study, experiment.
Be safe.
Jon Beltran
The Jerky Guy Co.
You're wrong JerkyG, I did read the articles and thanks to you now know much more about how the time/temp/humidity parameters affect pathogen population log reduction, lethality compliance and its relationship to home drying jerky meat. Hell, I even started looking for a digital wet bulb thermometer on eBay. I'm exhausted from spending the last 30 years searching for the meaning of life, can someone, anyone please, please tell me how to make a quality, safe, smoked beef jerky with my BS?[:)]
P.S.... I'll be happy to reciprocate with the life changing results of my 3 decade quest.
That makes two of us arrogant jerkyg!!!!!!!!!!! Guess some of these guys had you pegged from the start. Guess I owe the guys an apology for sticking-up for you(in earlier thread) when they jumped on you. I always believe in giving somebody a chance. First time is shame on you, second time would me shame on me and that's not goin happen! Yes, you do have a wealth of knowledge (although arrogance too) nobody here is trying to get secrets out of you, we can't compete nor do we want to. For the most part were just a bunch of average(hunters, fisherman, outdoorsman, backyard bbqers) guys BBQ'ing. Aft
Like the commercials say "character counts"
Jerkyg have fun counting your money, maybe someday you will figure out what this forum is for (sharing, helping, Camaraderie). nobody asked you to give away any of your secrets, like everbody else here you offered advice, you can be as specific as your comfortable with.
Sorry guys, please accept my apology for being a bad judge of character.
Do you think money can make an unhappy person happy[?] My guess is not!
"If you're not living on the edge, You're taking up way too much room, so get the he-- out of my way."
<font face="Impact"><font size="6"><font color="red">This is getting way too nasty, I do not think jerkyg has done anything wrong! Is this the way the forum should treat someone who is trying to get someone to learn by reading instead of just being told what we want to know. I always learn better is I research things on my own with some steered direction, which seems to me what jerkyg has done
</font id="red">
Brad</font id="size6"></font id="Impact">
diddo car54, just mad at myself for getting burned.
Unfortunatly as Rodney King said:
"Can't we all just get along".
"If you're not living on the edge, You're taking up way too much room, so get the he-- out of my way."
Hi All,
Before we end up with regular Forum members getting pissed off at each other, I would like to offer the following perspective on the situation . . .
I initially thought jerkyg was OK--very knowledgeable about jerky and willing to help us out as long as he didn't have to give up anything proprietary, which is perfectly reasonable. When TomG and Iceman appeared to doubt his motives, I was among those who thought it was uncalled for. jerkyg sent me an unsolicited email, the text of which follows:
"Howdy John,
You can read my most recent...and last reply to the forum...under the thread, "High Mountain Jerkey". (http://bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2561&whichpage=2).
I appreciate your comments and interest, but I will no longer "share" on a forum that has such petty contributors who have positioned themselves as the gatekeepers of this forum. I gave a gift and it met with disdain and ignorance. I have better use of my time.
Best of luck and warm jerky regards,
Jon Beltran
The Jerky Guy Co."
I responded with an e-mail (unfortunately deleted or I would be happy to share it with you all) that said I hoped he would stay on the Forum, that I disagreed with TomG and Iceman's assessment of his motives and attitudes, and that suggested he should look at his own words and realize how someone who doesn't know him might think the words were arrogant even if they weren't. I predicted to him that the prevailing sentiment on the Forum would be for him to keep contributing.
I never received a response from him, but that evening when I went on the Forum, there were several e-mails supporting jerkyg as well as a truly classy e-mail from TomG apologizing to him. I sent another e-mail to jerkyg urging him to look at the Forum, but did not receive a reply to this e-mail, either. However, when jerkyg began posting again, I initially thought everything was squared away.
However, after reading jerkyg's posts again very carefully and as objectively as I can, I can only conclude that he is some combination of arrogant, conceited, self-centered, selfish, greedy, combative, or angry. Yes, angry . . . sorry, Jon--your comment about being so laid-back that if you were any calmer you would be comatose suggests to me that you harbor a degree of self-delusion that would greatly benefit from some counseling to help you get in touch with your real inner self, which is far from calm! Your hubris may take you far in the retail world, but it is not welcome nor productive for the folks on this Forum, IMHO.
At the very least, jerkyg's personality traits are such that he could never be a sharing, fully-contributing member of the forum because he thinks his life experience = $$$$, even the experiences that are far from creative or unique to him. After all, one need only go to the Brining and Curing or Food Safety articles on Olds' board to get the info and website URL that he so condescendingly and pompously provides to us even though, according to him, "I charge thousands of dollars for "giving" the answers". Well, if people are stupid enough to pay thousands of $$ for something that they can get for free, let econonic Darwinism take its natural course . . . Manx and I are scientists by profession, but we offer our expertise to this group for zip. Many, many others on this forum are expert cooks, engineers, computer gurus, etc and all of us are part of this board because we are willing to share our experience--a word derived from the same root as expertise--with each other so that we gain from the total experience of the group. It's a form of bartering, really, and jerkyg would never understand that or be able to participate in that since he is so self-focused.
So, I think we should rue the fact that his experience will not be available to us, but be thankful that he has voluntarily withdrawn from the Forum. Nobody--no matter how much they might have to offer to the group--is worth suffering if they have personalities like jerkyg.
My $.02 . . .
Chez, I would respectfully suggest that you lock this thread to prevent jerkyg from causing any more problems.
John
Newton MA
So...how is everyone?
cnelles - not sure why your jerky wasn't drying. Sounds to me like the vent wasn't open during the "drying process".
TomG - read those great articles in the links that jerkyg posted. Understand that there are a few steps that need to be taken to make jerky safe. Among other things, there is a heating process and a drying process. I think most people go straight for the drying process (vent open) not knowing any better.
So, jerky makers, we have received some very valuable information here, maybe not in the tone that we are used to.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread.
I think Chris(cnelles) is a troublemaker and should be banned from the Forum![:D] Rob, I did read the articles and even understood them. In my other life I had to read biologically oriented journal articles fairly often, and even wrote a few. You may be familiar with one of my first efforts; "Preserving innervation in the surgically isolated rat stomach preparation"? Come to think of it, that may have been my last effort, but I'm sure I can find you a signed reprint if you're interested.
For me, one of the most pertinent sections of the required reading was the review: (http://www.aamp.com/regulatory/documents/CSU-EffectsofPreparation_000.pdf)
which specifically addresses the home dried jerky safety problem. The crux seems to be the old cost/benefit, safety/quality issue. Consumer acceptability with various predrying treatments was only 3.7-3.9 on a scale of 0-7 where 7 was extremely acceptable. I think very few of us would go to all the time and trouble needed to get a smoked product that rates a 3.8 on a scale of 7. Life is short and there are some risks I'm willing to take for a gratifying culinary experience. The other concern, except for damper venting, is the practicality of wet heat control in the BS. With a PID controller, wireless meat thermometer, generator timer, and extra heating element my deck is already starting to look like a Rube Goldberg nightmare.
I am guilty of gently gigging the posters about controlling the damper. Since there is very little in the owner's manual, I was hoping to get some practical advise for both Chris and myself on how and when to use it to adjust smoke density, temperature, and humidity.
John, thanks for putting the thread back into perspective. You are the Zen Master of Smoke![8D]
Wow, I've never been called a Zen Master before (lots of other things, but never a ZM) . . .
John
Newton MA
Just got home after another out of town trip. I was very disappointed by the responses to my last post. A couple of them made it seem mandatory...if I didn't respond to their email, I was the Anti-Christ. Shame on me! Another reminded me of a socialist/communist country...if you don't like what someone says...ban them/shut the up!!! Very, very impressive!
Car54 is one of the few that realizes what I have been saying all along. Research...research!!!!! It's like when you asked your mom how to spell a word. She would always say..."look it up!"
After reading most of the posts...I must apologize. I posted my "tips" and links because I assumed that the majority of you were as passionate as I am regarding jerky.
I stand corrected...I was wrong. 99% of you are only here as a hobby. Something to do on your off-time. What I now realize, is most of you want someone to simply hand you the answer.
The adjectives used to describe me prove my point. Keyboard warriors who will never, ever understand what I posted. You will simply keep sharing recipes and methods that if you googled...you would find them everywhere on the web. But, you would never find what I shared on this forum, anywhere else.
It is intersting that "someone" stated that I am angry! I will quote my 9 year old daughter when she hears something that is beneath her or totally wrong...."just pitifull!" To think that I have been angered by anyone here...please refer back to "just pitifull".
Again...I apologize to all, for my taking the time to try to take y'all to a level that most will never experience in making jerky. Your ignorance and simplistic attacks are a sad reflection on this forum. At the very least, I have never hid my identity, nor my sharing of information that no one else has ever done for you before.
Be proud and bask in your duplicity and ignorance.
Jon Beltran
The Jerky Guy Co.
Lately I have had not much time to contribute to this forum, and lengthy responses are almost impossible for me.
So I need to thank JJC (John) for his assessment of jerkyg. You are right on. Your $0.02 is worth a million dollars to me!
We all know our feelings on this even those of us who originally stuck up for jerkyg than were proven wrong by his words/actions.
I got a lot places I could go with this one, But my mom(rest her soul) told me if you can't say anything nice to say nothing at all.
Please let this be the last post on this, we don't need to bring ourselves down to other peoples level or degrade this website because of one persons actions/words.
I am pretty new to all this and am grateful to all the people willing to give me their Experience. We can all be road scholars, but it's the experience that gets the jobs done. All is great in theory, but how does it work in the real imperfect world we live in. Give me a guy that's been there and done it and I'll hire him over a straight A student that only knows what the book says. Yes we need to know the book, but it takes more than that, and my opinion this is all about the experience. Or we would all only eat well done steaks[}:)].
"If you're not living on the edge, You're taking up way too much room, so get the he-- out of my way."
nodak,
You can't have the last word...
Word[;)]
PG
Can anyone tell me where are the articles referenced by jerkyg as well as his earlier posts? Or have they been deleted?
On a related topic, I'm still having trouble using the search engine here. I'm interested in trying jerky, but can't get the search to focus in on that topic. (also tried to get all of jerkyg's posts to see what all the hoorah was about, but find you can't do that by typing in just a poster's handle - or am I still doing something wrong?)
Thanks,
Art
Hey Art, try this for starters http://www.aamp.com/regulatory/documents/CSU-EffectsofPreparation_000.pdf)
Now that was an entertaining thread :D :D :D
Quote from: TomG on July 04, 2006, 10:32:53 AM
Hey Art, try this for starters http://www.aamp.com/regulatory/documents/CSU-EffectsofPreparation_000.pdf)
Now that was an entertaining thread :D :D :D
Thanks very much Tom. I actually found that one this morning and scanned it, but didn't see anything about the smoking process and what that brings to preservation. And it appears you're right about the thread being entertaining - I'm just missing some of the jucier parts since they seem to have been erased by the original poster. On the other hand, that kind of entertainment I really don't need - just the info would be nice.
Regards,
Art
Quote from: asa on July 04, 2006, 10:12:04 AM
Can anyone tell me where are the articles referenced by jerkyg as well as his earlier posts? Or have they been deleted?
On a related topic, I'm still having trouble using the search engine here. I'm interested in trying jerky, but can't get the search to focus in on that topic. (also tried to get all of jerkyg's posts to see what all the hoorah was about, but find you can't do that by typing in just a poster's handle - or am I still doing something wrong?)
Thanks,
Art
If you are looking for a post by a specific member, click on the member tab, find the member you are looking for jerkyg, then click on his user name. When his profile comes up scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Show the lasts posts of this person", and you should be able to find what you are looking for. Especially in this case; jerkyg only has 12 posts.
Quote from: asa on July 04, 2006, 12:05:40 PM
- just the info would be nice.
Art, unlike heat, humidity,and pretreating with known concentrations of salt solutions, the affect of smoke on bacteria colony counts might be difficult to quantitate. Please share if you find anything.
Smoke is a very good antimicrobial. While brining and curing protects the interior of a meat product, the addition of smoking protects the surface from any growth of bacteria. So smoking a product will extend the storage.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on July 04, 2006, 07:07:27 PM
Smoke is a very good antimicrobial.
Hab, I read the question as what kind of smoke, how much and for how long? Here is an excerpt from M.W. Paparella..http://www.intercom.net/local/shore_journal/mwp10107.html
"Generated wood smoke per se has antibacterial properties. Unfortunately, its depostion on a product is dependent upon many variables, such as temperature, salt content, dehydration, amount of smoke constituents deposited, and penetration of thes constituents. These factors are often hard to control.
By comparison, liquid smoke would appear to be more desirable because the manufacturer guarantees a uniform product. Concentrations can be controlled so that uniform flavor, color and inhibitory properties could be achieved. It is also safer because the tar fraction from the generated smoke has been removed. This fraction contains carcinogenic substances, such as benzopyrene.
Liquid smoke is approved by the FDA for food use and has been incorporated for a considerable time now in such items as bologna, hot dogs, baked beans and a host of other foods."
Art, here's Jerky Guy's web site. I'm sure he will forward the info you need. http://www.thejerkyguy.com/
I didn't read the article, since I'm not interested in jerky at this time. I was responding to your statement, and wasn't aware you were quoting from the article.
Here are more complete and updated articles addressing the issue.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/C-17_New_Technology_FY2004_Final_Report.pdf
Good source:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Search/Search_Results/Index.asp?q=jerky&mode=simple&num=10&as_occt=any&site=FSIS
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on July 04, 2006, 01:40:23 PMIf you are looking for a post by a specific member, click on the member tab, find the member you are looking for jerkyg, then click on his user name. When his profile comes up scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "Show the lasts posts of this person", and you should be able to find what you are looking for. Especially in this case; jerkyg only has 12 posts.
Thanks for the tip - I appreciate it. So, what I found is 6 posts left. That means he must have deleted the other 6 with his "tips" in them.
So it goes,
And thanks TomG and HS for the follow-up info on smoke. It's all very helpful. Hope the thread continues on a little longer. Some of those references make jerky sound like a dangerous undertaking. It does raise a question I've had that seems related, about vacuum packing these smoked meats. That is, what about heat-treating stuff after vacuum-packing - like one does when canning veggies? I'm thinking of heating in a water bath, say at ~180 degrees for however long it takes to heat through. I assume that would work with something like jerky. What about for something like pulled BBQ or a rack of ribs. Would it then be safe to send to someone by fedex at room temp?
Just wondering,
Art
I just finished reading this whole thread. I had fogotten most of what went on at the time.
Quote from: asa on July 05, 2006, 06:26:33 PM
I'm thinking of heating in a water bath, say at ~180 degrees for however long it takes to heat through. I assume that would work with something like jerky. What about for something like pulled BBQ or a rack of ribs. Would it then be safe to send to someone by fedex at room temp?
Just wondering,
Art
Hi Art;
If your jerky is properly cured, smoked, dried, etc. it will last weeks and weeks in a vacum sealed bag without further treatment. If you want to keep it longer then just pop it in the freezer.
As far as meat like ribs, don't go there. The shelf stable pouched meats you see in the market are done in foil pouches with special equipment that either treats the product under extremly high pressure in sterile conditions or it is run through a complicated retort system at high temps.
You could can the smoked meat and process like canning meat in the canning books but it's not so good. You have to under cook and under smoke the meat or it comes out way to strong when you can it.
If you want to send meat to someone, vacum seal it then chill it and ship it in an insulated pouch with some food safe gel freeze packs. They will last about three days that way. Hope this helps you out.
Dang,
And I thought I was the only person to pick up the hammer... Good job folks on calling a peckhead a peckerhead. Don't know how I missed this thread until now. This jerky dude by now must have much-o hair on his hand.
More than likely his only reason for coming here was to sell his line of goods.
QuoteDON'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A DISTRIBUTOR - FOR MORE INFORMATION,
Anyone with an ego as large as this would never last in my gaming or business world:
(http://www.thejerkyguy.com/images/BTY.jpg)
What a dickhead.
Someone once suggested we add to the recipe site a NO-NO list of suppliers... I think he would fit the bill.
Olds
Holy moley Old's where was that thread? I totally missed that one. Good catch.
Now I'm pissed....from this dickhead's web-site:
QuoteIf you are a member of the military or a family member of one of our fine service people in the middle east, please do not ask for free samples. We would love to be able to send free jerky to show our support. But, we receive literally hundreds of requests and to do so would put us out of business. Though, if you can send us proof (military ID, company/unit, base address, etc.), we can at least give a small discount on the jerky order.
Hey A-hole I can see that you never or any of your blood line ever gave to make us free... You are a piece of Chit IMO.
I won't get into what I sent to those boys who wrote me. Ya a couple of months it pinched but we lived through it. You are truely a leech on this country.
By this weekend you will be the first of the NO-NO list and I will use your own web-site to justify this action. I already got it in jpg of all you got to say and a link to see it. So go ahead and make any changes you like... I pixed you. I'm going to make it a project to get this info gets out to the ring.... Bye bye you piece of Hog Chit....
//SIGNED//
Raye Minor
AKA "Olds"
I always wondered when someone would pickup on jerkoff's flag waving, patriotic policy statement.
Quote from: iceman on July 06, 2006, 09:16:11 AM
If you want to send meat to someone, vacum seal it then chill it and ship it in an insulated pouch with some food safe gel freeze packs. They will last about three days that way. Hope this helps you out.
Thanks ice. Good advice. And I guess you could start with a frozen vacuum-pack of either ribs or pulled pork with the cold packs if you wanted to be extra sure.
And to the rest, sorry for opening up this passionate discussion again. I just wonder who suggested to him the name "Jerky Guy" - someone with a sense of humor I'll bet.
later,
asa