My First Jerk...

[LumpyDVC]

So tomorrow is the big day. I have about 5 lbs of meat marinating in the
fridge.

'm trying the Hawaii Style Maui recipe posted as my first attempt at jerky.

The plan is:

1 Hour @ 140F
1.5 Hours w/Smoke @ 150F (Remove water at end)
1 Hour @ 150F
4 Hours @ 165F

I plan on rotating and shuffling the trays every hour and check for dryness.

Does this plan sound good?

Input?

[RAF128]

Watch it real close.   The time might be too much.   Remember you want it to bend, not break.

[Slamdunk]

Sounds good! I agree that the time seems a bit long, but you'll be checking every hour so will be able to tell when it is done. Besides, you'll want to taste some before it is "done".

If you open the door you will lose heat and it will take some time for the chamber to reheat. So try not to open the door midway between your hourly rotation.

Thicker slices of meat will take longer than thinner, so rotate / shuffle accordingly. Test each rack, and take pieces off as you judge them done. You don't have to take a whole rack out if you don't want to.

What type of wood are you using? My favorite is apple.

Storage will be your next requirement. You'll want to have a plastic container with holes cut in the lid (I use a 1/4 inch drill ).

Good chewing!!! And post some pics if possible and let us know how it turns out.

[LumpyDVC]

Thanks everyone.

I will keep and eye on it.

I'm going to use apple for this jerky. Trying to go with the sweetness theme.

[NePaSmoKer]

So tomorrow is the big day. I have about 5 lbs of meat marinating in the
fridge.

'm trying the Hawaii Style Maui recipe posted as my first attempt at jerky.

The plan is:

1 Hour @ 140F
1.5 Hours w/Smoke @ 150F (Remove water at end)
1 Hour @ 150F
4 Hours @ 165F

I plan on rotating and shuffling the trays every hour and check for dryness.

Does this plan sound good?

Input?

Looks like your times are right on. Fact you might have to bump to 170* allong the way. Bendable (done) snap or white (over done)

[LumpyDVC]

Another newbie question.

The meat has been marinating in the fridge.

Do I let it get to room temp before I smoke it?

[NePaSmoKer]

Another newbie question.

The meat has been marinating in the fridge.

Do I let it get to room temp before I smoke it?

Pre heat your smoker at the 140* then do the following.

Just rack it, let it drip, rack another (do same) and repeat.

I'm sure you will do fine.

[LumpyDVC]

So the jerky is out. I'd say ok/not bad for first attempt. Took longer to dry than I
expected. It came out really salty, so I've made notes in my smoker log to cut the
salt/celery salt if I do it again.

Things I learned:

Racks are warm one side / extremely hot the other. Burnt thumb. I'll have to score some gloves from work.
Consistency of the cut affects the drying time. I'll be firing the wife and buying that meat slicer sooner than later.
Don't open the door for very long. Temp drops very quick.
The dog loves jerky and will do anything for it.

I have 2 more sampler batches in the fridge. They are Hi Mountain mixes (Mandarin Teriyaki / Sweet & Spicy).
They are going in tomorrow AM.

I'll see how they turn out.

Lumpy # 2

P.S. It's snowing here in Red Deer this AM. :-(

[Slamdunk]

Lumpy if you feel it is too salty, soak it in water after you take it out of the marinade.

My wife likes it less salty than I do - she doesn't drink beer with hers  ::) so I will sometimes soak a batch for her for 15 - 20 minutes before it goes into the smoker.

I really like the Hawaii recipe and am planning to try it for my next batch and will remember to cut the salt a bit.

If your external temps are colder (ie freezing with snow) your times might be longer.

Good luck on your next sampler batches!!

[bigback5]

From my experience I have found that vac packing is the best way to lock in flavor.  But when testing a fresh batch when it is warm you can't get the full flavor.  After it has cooled I think it is the best way is to taste it and see if all the flavors work together.  I usually let my jerky sit overnight in the fridge to see if it is where I want it to be.