Sunday, I tried my hand at Venison jerky, I followed the instructions as they read in the recipe section of BS. Unfortunatley they came out more like chips...crispy. Granted they were sliced somewhat thin, but the recipe tells you to slice thin and then pound with a mallet. I guess I should have been checking more often, but I did not want to keep losing heat; also had to take out after 5 1/2 hrs. Can someone tell me how thick I should be slicing?. Another question maybe someone can help with... how hot will the smoking element alone get my temp?, I realize it will depend on what all I have in, but I am just curious. Last question; where can I purchase the remote thermometer I've read about in the forum?. Again thank you all for your help.