hard smoked jerky

pito82

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Original poster

Feb 14, 2015

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PA

• May 29, 2015

• #1

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I am having a difficult time with my smoked jerky. My jerky turns really hard after its out of the vacuumed seal.
I marinate it for 2 to 3 days and then I smoke it in my home made smoker for about 6 to 8 hrs, then I dehydrate. On my teriyaki favor there's always a white color to it. I read other post and it said that it the salt.
Please help me with any info. Thanks in advance.

 

Rafter H BBQ

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• May 30, 2015

• #2

We will all be happy to help, but much more info needed ! What does your marinade contain? Store bought or home made ?

Homemade smoker, very cool but what kind ? Pics would be very helpful ! What temp ya smoking the jerky at before dehydrating it ? How long ya dehydrating it ?

Be happy to help, but much more info needed & the more specific & detailed ya can be the better !

 

dirtsailor2003

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• May 30, 2015

• #3

Yep more info needed. How thick do you slice the meat? How long do you dehydrate? Are you using any cure? What type of cure if you are?

 

gary s

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• May 30, 2015

• #4

  Good morning and welcome to the forum, from another cloudy and rainy looking day here in East Texas. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about  everything.

Gary

 

nitis

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May 22, 2015

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• May 30, 2015

• #5

I am new here so forgive my ignorance but if your are smoking it and reaching appropriate internal temp why are you dehydrating?

 

dirtsailor2003

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• May 30, 2015

• #6

nitis said:

I am new here so forgive my ignorance but if your are smoking it and reaching appropriate internal temp why are you dehydrating?

Click to expand...

All the dehydrating does is remove more moisture from the meat, changing the texture. Personally I like a bit of chew to my jerky. I slice the meat around 3/8". I do not use a dehydrator. I use a step system starting with my smoker around 120, then adding 10 degrees every hour. Until I hit 170 for smoker temp. I continue to smoke the meat until I get the texture I am looking for.

 

pito82

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Feb 14, 2015

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• May 30, 2015

• #7

Sorry for getting back so late. I smoke my jerky for about 6 to 8 hrs then I dehydrate it to finish the the process. When I take the jerky out of the smoke the meat is still raw. I dehydrate for about 2 more hrs. I am not using and cure but really thinking about getting some.

 

nitis

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May 22, 2015

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• May 31, 2015

• #8

What temp are you smoking it at?

My only suggestion as you are running now is less time on dehydrator. Or raise the temp or time on the smoker and ditch the dehydrator

I don't use cure on my jerky either. Once cooked I vac pack and freeze. I don't last long enough to need cure.

 

pito82

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Feb 14, 2015

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• May 31, 2015

• #9

I keep it around 170.

 

nitis

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May 22, 2015

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• May 31, 2015

• #10

Well that's not a whole lot warmer than your dehydrator so I think I would give it more time on the smoker

My dehydrator takes every bit of 12 if not more pending on how full it is

 

pito82

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• Jun 9, 2015

• #11

Ok thanks.

 

mneeley490

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• Jun 9, 2015

• #12

Yeah, I would do one or the other, but not both. That may be your problem.

 

pito82

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• Jun 9, 2015

• #13

Thanks