First time trying to use the smoker....Jerky ?'s

[charlandk]

Hi all,

I just bought one of these Bradley Smokers for myself for x-mas and can't wait to try it out.  I would like to make some Jerky.  I have loads of deer meat in the freezer and will also try to turn some beef into jerky.  I would love any suggestions that you guys can provide!

Thanks,

My next project will be to try and duplicate Chevyman's turkey.  That looks awesome!

[Mr Walleye]

Hi charlandk & welcome to the forum!

I like to put about 1 hour 20 minutes of hickory on my jerky. I usually try to maintain a temp of 170 or 180. Make sure you rotate the racks, top to bottom and front to back about every hour. You want to have the vent at least 1/2 open to allow moisture out. After about 3 to 4 hours some will be done however some may take another couple hours or so.

Have fun!  ;)

Mike

[charlandk]

Thanks for the tips Mike. 
The store that I bought the smoker and pucks at were out of Hickory so I bought Alder, Apple and Maple.  Which of these do you recommend as a best choice?  Also Do I need to soak the meat in a brine first or is that not necessary with jerky?  One more question...any seasoning suggestions?

Thanks again.  Looks like a great site and I can't wait to try out some of the other recipies.

Kevin

[Mr Walleye]

Kevin

I would probably try the Alder. I have used it before on jerky and it's good. As far as spices go I do use a store bought that is similar to High Mountain. If you do a search you will probably find a few recipes. Lots of people marinade in a mixture of soya sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper. You can also add some cayenne for some zip. When I do my jerky I do use a cure in it as well, just to be safe.

Hopefully some others will chime in with some spice mixes for you.

Mike

[Artmiester]

Hi Kevin, welcome to the forum!
I haven't had the chance to get into jerky yet but when I do I'm relying on Mike's knowledge to get me there.
I did a 14.62# fresh turkey to the Chevyman's tune for Christmas and it turned out absolutely awesome! You won't be dissapointed.  ;D ;D

[Mr Walleye]

Kevin

In the threads listed below there are a few basic recipes.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=5824.0

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=5607.0

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=4893.0

I do both ground & whole muscle jerky and they are both are better if you marinade them over night. I prefer the whole muscle but the ground is not that bad either.

Mike

[MRH]

Charlandk,
I have been using the High Mountain garlic and cracked pepper mix, I really like the flavor. Like Mike I try to keep the temp around the 170 mark too. Rotate racks and start pulling jerky off as it gets done.  I like to pull it off before it gets really done so it isn't too tough chewing ;)  I have been doing whole meat and not ground. It turns out very good!

Mark

[charlandk]

Thanks all,

I appreciate the help!  I will start preping the meat tomorrow and make my first batch on Friday.

I will let you know how it come out.