psoltesz
New member
Okay, time to report back...
I smoked my first batch of beef jerky over the weekend. I started with a 2.5-pound beef round steak, cut into thin strips (about 1/8 of an inch). Marinated overnight in the recipe Joe supplied, omitting the liquid smoke for obvious reasons.
Smoked the meat at 180° for a little over two hours without the Jerky Dryer attachment, then placed the attachment directly over the smoke hole (it is designed to simply rest flush on top of the smoker) and continued smoking at about 140° for an additional six hours.
At about the four-hour mark, I opened the smoker and rotated the racks (bringing the lower rack to the top, the middle rack to the bottom, and the upper rack to the middle) so as to ensure even cooking.
After six hours with the Jerky Dryer attached, I removed the jerky and let it cool for an hour or so. Afterwards, I tore the jerky into smaller strips and stored overnight in an airtight container.
Overall, it came out very well, and pretty much everyone who tried it has enjoyed it.
Here are my observations and lessons learned:
• The James Jerky dryer worked perfectly. Drew the moisture out of the smoker, ran for several hours with no issue. Works as advertised, and a great buy.
• Due to the fact that the jerky cooks at a significantly lower temperature than other foods, I noticed throughout the process that the wood chunks I used (pecan and apple combined) simply didn't produce as much smoke as usual. In fact, when I opened the smoke box afterwards, one of the chunks of pecan was still largely intact. It was singed, but certainly not "depleted" as chunks usually are after making ribs, brisket, etc.
• The consistency and texture of the jerky is perfect.
• The flavor is excellent. Sweet, smoky, but not overpowering. You can still taste the meat underneath, which is the whole point.
• The only real issue is that the jerky actually dried out a bit too much. Some of the pieces are almost brittle, and all of them are a bit drier than what I usually like. I don't think this had anything to do with the equipment, but rather the amount of time I smoked it. For future jerky batches, I will designate a "test piece" that I can check at various intervals to ensure I'm removing the jerky at the right moment.
So overall, not a bad first try. I will definitely be using the Jerky Dryer to make more batches. I'm going to experiment with various marinades, woods (maybe chips instead of chunks?), and smoking times. I can say, however, that if you are on the fence about picking up the JJD, take the plunge. Making jerky is one of the primary reasons I got the smoker in the first place, and I was not disappointed at all.
Thanks!
- Phil
I smoked my first batch of beef jerky over the weekend. I started with a 2.5-pound beef round steak, cut into thin strips (about 1/8 of an inch). Marinated overnight in the recipe Joe supplied, omitting the liquid smoke for obvious reasons.
Smoked the meat at 180° for a little over two hours without the Jerky Dryer attachment, then placed the attachment directly over the smoke hole (it is designed to simply rest flush on top of the smoker) and continued smoking at about 140° for an additional six hours.
At about the four-hour mark, I opened the smoker and rotated the racks (bringing the lower rack to the top, the middle rack to the bottom, and the upper rack to the middle) so as to ensure even cooking.
After six hours with the Jerky Dryer attached, I removed the jerky and let it cool for an hour or so. Afterwards, I tore the jerky into smaller strips and stored overnight in an airtight container.
Overall, it came out very well, and pretty much everyone who tried it has enjoyed it.
Here are my observations and lessons learned:
• The James Jerky dryer worked perfectly. Drew the moisture out of the smoker, ran for several hours with no issue. Works as advertised, and a great buy.
• Due to the fact that the jerky cooks at a significantly lower temperature than other foods, I noticed throughout the process that the wood chunks I used (pecan and apple combined) simply didn't produce as much smoke as usual. In fact, when I opened the smoke box afterwards, one of the chunks of pecan was still largely intact. It was singed, but certainly not "depleted" as chunks usually are after making ribs, brisket, etc.
• The consistency and texture of the jerky is perfect.
• The flavor is excellent. Sweet, smoky, but not overpowering. You can still taste the meat underneath, which is the whole point.
• The only real issue is that the jerky actually dried out a bit too much. Some of the pieces are almost brittle, and all of them are a bit drier than what I usually like. I don't think this had anything to do with the equipment, but rather the amount of time I smoked it. For future jerky batches, I will designate a "test piece" that I can check at various intervals to ensure I'm removing the jerky at the right moment.
So overall, not a bad first try. I will definitely be using the Jerky Dryer to make more batches. I'm going to experiment with various marinades, woods (maybe chips instead of chunks?), and smoking times. I can say, however, that if you are on the fence about picking up the JJD, take the plunge. Making jerky is one of the primary reasons I got the smoker in the first place, and I was not disappointed at all.
Thanks!
- Phil
