New to this

[cndrbrown]

Hey all,
Im new here, but a long time Bradley owner. as an avid hunter, I have loads of game meat that I try al sorts of different recipes with. However I have yet to have much success with Jerky making. Brines, marinades etc. Everytime they come out of the smoker they are rank tasting, and taste like burnt cigarette butts.
Any tried and true recipes?
Thanks in advance

[ragweed]

Welcome to the forum from Nebraska.  Please tell us exactly how you're making the "rank" tasting jerky so the jerky experts can help.

[cndrbrown]

well for starters.
Im using all kinds of cuts. usually whatever comes out of the freezer first.
then I make a simple marinade for it to sit in overnight.
Water.
brown sugar
garlic
pepper
salt
soy sauce

then i cut the meat a little thicker than bacon.

i then smoke for about 1-2 hours with mesquite. crown royal pucks. whichever im fancying. rotating the racks every hour or so.

I cook at 160-180 for about 4-5 hours.

[tailfeathers]

First off, let me say that I am FAR from an expert at jerky, or much of enything else for that matter. My first recommendation would be to do your slicing before marinating rather than after, that way the flavor will penetrate your meat better. I would next try decreasing your temp and increasing your time (if you need to). You are trying to dry jerky more so than cook it. Make sure your vent is fully open so moisture has a way to escape. Most important is just to keep experimenting until you are happy with your result.

[cndrbrown]

I should have said that i DO slice first. sorry.
and yes, i leave the vent open. Initially I tried the recipe for game jerky from bradley. That recipe turned the meat black like soot. and tasted like it to

[beefmann]

welcome aboard , you  will have a  lot of good eats  very   soon

[Saber 4]

You can also smoke in the Bradley for a couple of hours and move the jerky to a dehydrator until it is done but not overdone. Another option would be to try Ragweed's Jerky Rounds by grinding your game first. This is one of the threads on how he does it with ground beef but you could use game meat also http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=32164.msg377792#msg377792 I'm sure he'll be back around shortly to give you all the info you need to do it with wild game.

[KyNola]

I'll yield to experts but in my opinion your starting temps are way too high.  You're cooking your jerky, not drying it and mesquite can be very bitter if over done.  Try starting your jerky at 140 for an hour and then bump to 150 for an hour and then bump again to 160 for an hour and then maybe go to 170 for the duration but I would be more comfortable not exceeding 160. Check for doneness by the bend test. If it bends but doesn't break, it's done.  If it breaks it's overcooked.

As I said earlier, there are folks here who are experts so you should absolutely take their advice rather than mine.

[MoHuka]

I make lots of venison jerky, both whole muscle and GB.  I make them both the same with Outback Hot Jerky mix (Lem's or Bass Pro).  I cut the whole muscle into 1/4" strips and marinate overnight, same for GB.  I shoot in strips in the case of GB or lay the strips on frog mats and will crack pepper on them before putting into my Digital 6-rack...have 4 extra racks (upside down) so can get 10 racks at a time (about 10-pounds of pre-smoke weight)

I have a PID so I start the smoke with temp at 120..I smoke for 3 hours with Hickory or Mesquite and ramp 10 degrees an hour up to 160 degrees and hold it there and start checking using the bend test as mentioned previously.  I sometimes finish in the smoker or will move to the dehydrator.  I find that towards the end you can start culling and putting the pieces in a brown paper sack to absorb the oil that forms on the surface.

I also use mixes with cure regardless of the type of meat.  I think the marinades are a matter of taste.  I add a tablespoon of Habanero pepper to the Hot mix just to get the heat...

Hope this helps..

[cndrbrown]

Excellent tips all! Thanks. Soon as i get a day off work, the smoker is going in full bore

[devo]

I never go over 150 F and never use mesquite. Way to strong for me. Bought it once and never again. Hickory is my wood of choice. So at 150 F for my final temp it might take a couple of hours more but at least i know I am drying the meat and not cooking it.