Yesterdays Venison Jerky

[NePaSmoKer]

Black pepper/Teriyaki

[Consooger]

Rick,

Question for you on the venison jerky. My buddy is giving me a full deer to make sticks and jerky. He wants half and half. I've made a lot of jerky thus far (not as much as you I'm sure), my question is are you doing this in a dehydrator? I am planning on smoking this and moving it to my dehydrator and I have it down pretty good on time for when I do my beef jerky, I just wasn't sure if there was much of a difference in time since venison is much leaner. I do not wan't to waste any of this meat that is given to me. I have a total of almost 100 lbs.

Thanks!

John

[viper125]

Great looking Jerky.

[NePaSmoKer]

Rick,

Question for you on the venison jerky. My buddy is giving me a full deer to make sticks and jerky. He wants half and half. I've made a lot of jerky thus far (not as much as you I'm sure), my question is are you doing this in a dehydrator? I am planning on smoking this and moving it to my dehydrator and I have it down pretty good on time for when I do my beef jerky, I just wasn't sure if there was much of a difference in time since venison is much leaner. I do not wan't to waste any of this meat that is given to me. I have a total of almost 100 lbs.

Thanks!

John

Yes put smoke to the jerky from your smoker (1 TO 2 hours) then into the dehydrator. You will get a much better jerky that way.

[Cope30tyee]

How does the deydrator make a better jerky?  Does it make it more consistent and pliable?  I'm interested as I've always just used the smoker but haven't quite nailed the texture I'm looking for.  This could be the piece I'm looking for.

[Indy Smoker]

I've made jerky in the smoker and the oven. Turns out great in the oven at 200 with the door slightly cracked open. Rotate racks every hour. I make a lot if jerky and do not own a dehydrator.


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[viper125]

How does the deydrator make a better jerky?  Does it make it more consistent and pliable?  I'm interested as I've always just used the smoker but haven't quite nailed the texture I'm looking for.  This could be the piece I'm looking for.

Original Jerky style really isnt cooked at all. Simply air dried.  An oven on most stoves cant accomplish this because they wont go low enough. Thats why they partially leave it open. To lower heat and let water evaporate. Good eats host showed a simple setup with cheap furnace filters and a fan. Its more original style. The smoker if it has a fan could be used to smoke then possibly set real low and run fan. Depending on setup.
But have never heard of bad jerky from a dehydrator and never burned. Worse can happen is too dry. But still quite good.

[Mark in Ottawa]

Agreed - I do all my jerky first in the Bradley's with a little smoke, and then into the dehydrator. You can't really screw it up too bad with a dehydrator.

I was lucky though since my wife bought a dehydrator for my birthday one year.

Mark (in Ottawa)

[viper125]

Well a simple dehydrator can be made from a simple box. Even card board. Poke a hole in the bottom and set a hundred watt light bulb in there. Add some rails or dowels poked threw the side and hang your jerky on. Turn on the light and close the top make sure the top has some open cracks or poke a few holes. A small fan on the bottom makes it even quicker. Past that you can build anything you want. But this will work and is cheap.
  To step up make the box wood and make light fixture and fan permanent.  Oh two rails over the light provides for a drip pan. So juices dont hit the hot light and break it.