Newb Makiing Beef Jerky 1st Attempt

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aer0

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 22, 2013
8
10
hey guys..

i have a weber smokey mountain and just picked myself up 2lbs of beef and its all sliced ready for some marinade and to be smoked.

couple of questions before i get going.

i was going to get my smoker at a consistant 160 degrees to smoke my jerky... is that too low or too high?

also am in need of a very simple recipe to get me going.

any suggestions you guys can share with me?

thanks for all the help in advance!
 
Hey AeR0- I'm wanting to do the same. Never made it before and a lot of what I'm reading is about cures and dehydrators etc. Stuff I don't have. I have a smoker- TMLE Horizontal smoke w/ offset firebox. Any luck on advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
The temp sounds good, don't smoke for too long or you may ruin your jerky. 1-2 hours should give a nice smoke.
 
Thx everyone. That's what my butcher said Crazy, light smoke light wood like hickory. He also said to soak the wood chunks. I'm using a TMLE offset horizontal stck Burner. Agree? What kind of cook time should I plan for using 1/4 to 3/8" thick slices of eye round?
 
I haven't graduated to my own spicing yet.  Still using a commercial spice/cure - High Mountain Jerkey Cure and Seasoning" because it's so darn good. If I want teriyaki or BBQ I brush on my favorite sauces, roll the strips together for even distribution of flavors then marinate in fridge for 24 hrs before smoking. I use the hickory flavor with hickory smoke. Agree with CrazyMoon, just enough smoke is enough.  I only use one pan of chips. Smoke goes for about an hour. Then just the heat for another hour. check after 2 hours and pull it as it get's done.  I typically use 1/8" so you may not want to check it until total time of 2 1/2 hours but if first attempt better to err on side of not overcooked.  I check mine every 30 minutes after it starts being done.

Be real careful and clean for your prep to avoid bad germs ! I took a couple batches to share at work over last couple weeks and everyone loves it, many said best jerky they've ever had. ( trying to stay humble ha ).  I've posted these on other threads but here's a few pics of my process. Hope it's helpful.




 
Your plan to use the 1/4" eye of round at 160'F is very nice. I'd suggest six hours, to really get it nice and dry. The water activity and pH after six hours will quite low - and you'll be able to store it in the open for a long, long, long time without worrying about mold. Now, if you do it shorter, the water activity will be higher and you'll get a product that is chewy, but also carries a higher risk of spoiling. If you do go shorter, I'd use a cure like sodium nitrite or salt.  You'll get an amazing jerky either way. I'd really suggest making a simple brine, however, just to be safe at those lower temperatures! Soak it in the brine for a half-hour, then soak it in some soy sauce for another half-hour, then smoke it. Or, throw on some salt, pepper, garlic, and dehydrated onions and you're ready to go! 
 
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Thx again for the tips everyone. As soon as I do it, I'll post the results and some Qview. The way my son eats jerky, I doubt it will be around long enough to spoil. Updates to come.
 
Thx everyone. That's what my butcher said Crazy, light smoke light wood like hickory. He also said to soak the wood chunks. I'm using a TMLE offset horizontal stck Burner. Agree? What kind of cook time should I plan for using 1/4 to 3/8" thick slices of eye round?
No Wet Anything! You are dehydratng and wet wood will just delay the process. Good luck to you both...JJ
 
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