first time jerky

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It's so cool and humid here right now (the humidity is very odd for Idaho) that it's not drying out very fast.
 
I've always been under the impression that meat takes on smoke the best during the first couple hours of smoking.  What is the thinking behind not adding smoke for the first hour?

If you are having trouble getting the meat dry, try bringing it inside and finishing it in a dehydrator or with the oven on the lowest setting with the oven door cracked.  I've finished jerky in the oven many times.
 
I was thinking it would help dry the meat a little before I put smoke on it. Finishing in the oven I think will be the way to go. Thank you Troutter for that idea.
 
I was thinking it would help dry the meat a little before I put smoke on it. Finishing in the oven I think will be the way to go. Thank you Troutter for that idea.
Smoke takes better to a wet surface, once the meat gets dry it doesn't take smoke as well.  When I do jerky I hit it hard with smoke for the first 2 hours and if it isn't dry I just bring it inside and finish it in the oven.  I figure it's already got the smoke now it just needs to dry.

I'll give you a couple little tip since you plan to finish drying your jerky in the oven.  If you have one of those big round pizza pans with the holes in it, put your jerky on that.  Then every few minutes you can spin the pan and pluck the jerky off piece by piece as it gets done, without having to take the pan out of the oven.  lol  (It's how I do it)

Oh one last thing, don't over dry your jerky, there is usually a lot of salt in the mix you purchased and it will continue to dry a bit after you take it out of the oven.  Over dried jerky isn't very good in my opinion

Good luck, let me know how it all turns out!

Troutter
 
Thank you. Next time it will get smoke from the beginning. It still had a satisfying smoke flavor, but a little more would have been a better amount.
 
Pulled them out of the smoker to put in the oven to find that they are done! They are too my liking and delicious.
I've never made jerky in my smoker but it remains on my to-do list. But for me, I'd smoke it from the get-go. I don't see why the meat can't dry and absorb smoke at the same time.

Why did you use bottom round? I'm not very knowledgeable about which cuts of meat to use for smoking what, unless we're talking beef brisket or chuck roast or tri tip.

Beef gets really confusing with top and bottom round, bottom rump, sirloin and sirloin tip. I know steaks really good but the roasts, aye carumba--I rely on the recipe to tell me which cut to use.
 
Any meat on sale will do the trick, I find a lot of London broil on sale or bottom round. both are lower grades of meat BUT make excellent jerky. Its' easier to start with a steak vs. a roast because there is less cutting to make strips but if the roasts are on sale go for them !
 
Thanks, CrazyMoon. That clarifies it for me. And roasts are lower in price per pound than steaks and on sale more often these days.
 
The only thing I would like to add is, try and pick the leanest meats you can find and make sure to cut as much fat as you possibly can off the meat before smoking.  Fatty jerky is no good.
 
Agreed. I had hoped to smoke homemade sausages next year but I think jerky is a more easily and attainable and cheaper goal. I checked out the prices of sausage stuffers...
 
I love smoking snack sticks.  I recently purchased a nice little stuffer off amazon for I think $129.  It has metal gears and is built like a tank.  I don't think there is anything on it that will break.  Might just have to replace the seal someday.  You can also try the lem brand jerky canon for making sausages if you don't want to spend as much money.  The canon is $40 if I remember correctly, but if you like making sausage you will eventually want a stuffer anyway, so I suggest getting a decent stuffer.  Here is the link 
 
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