I have been experimenting with different recipes and smoking methods to make my jerky.
Here is one method to increase product smoking area to over 1000 sq inches without hanging jerky , on a modified Weber kettle smoker.
Very simple mod if you have an old Weber and an electric El Cheapo Masterbuilt. ECM.. I also have used a charcoal ECB . El Cheapo Brinkmann.
Here you won't see that under the bottom rack is my probe for watching the temp. It is resting on the charcoal grate below inside the kettle.
No need for sealing the body to kettle. There are almost no gaps at all. No smoke leakage.
So yo see the 2 extra 20" pizza grates I'm using. These big pizza grates I bought at a restaurant supply place.
I put some oil on all the grates before loading. The bottom grate has 2 wire loops I added for easy removal.
The top 20" grate rests on the handles of the Weber grate. Pretty goo gap between the racks. No worries there.
The ECM on full blast has been maintaining at 165°-180° with no food in the kettle. Those temps just as I have been tending to the jerky loading inside .
40° outside now and after 1 hour and the jerky in smoking , ....the temp is about 135° and climbing steady just below the bottom rack...
Seems to be a good pace so far as the jerky dries and gets smoke.
AMNPS is smoking with Lumber Jack blend pellets.. hickory and maple, cherry.
I will use smoke for 3 of the approximately 6 hours total cook time.
The inside of the smoker has a pan in the center of the heating element. The pan is used for chips. It is about 2 inches above the elements and I sat a small aluminum foil covered rack on top of the empty pan. The AMNPS sits on that covered rack. So far no problems with flare ups or air flow inside the smoker.
The kettle I have has 3 Weber intake vents on the bottom. These 3 vents allow good smoke flow and heat rises adequately for the jerky temps I like.
This set up is good for about 6 lbs of jerky lying flat on grates.
I am doing 5.4 lbs now.
The recipe I use to make jerky is basic.
Per 2.5 - 3 lbs of 1/4" sliced eye of round:
1/2 C Worcestershire
1/2 C soy sauce
3 LG. cloves fine minced or crushed garlic
1 TBS onion powder
1/4 C real maple syrup
1 Tbs cracked black pepper
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp pink cure #1
Brown sugar sprinkling before it goes in the smoker is a good addition. Just a little goes a long way.
This all gets whisked in a bowl for a
couple minutes and sets for a few... Then I whisk it again before pouring onto the jerky strips. I use Rubbermaid containers that hold 1 gallon.. bags are good.. I like to go in and physically mix the strips in the containers however. 4 times I think I mix it up over a 1.5 - 2 day period. Using cure I like to let the jerky go 2 days before drying and smoking.
At 2 hours in Here is the kettle temp below the bottom rack and temp between lower and middle rack.
Bit higher than I want.
Ideal temp of smoker should give you a rack or grate temp of 150-160
You don't want to cook the jerky.
I will run this lower now.
The smokers that are analog have no temp setting. You need to keep lowering the temp dial manually as the gear and food heat up over time.
Here is one method to increase product smoking area to over 1000 sq inches without hanging jerky , on a modified Weber kettle smoker.
Very simple mod if you have an old Weber and an electric El Cheapo Masterbuilt. ECM.. I also have used a charcoal ECB . El Cheapo Brinkmann.
Here you won't see that under the bottom rack is my probe for watching the temp. It is resting on the charcoal grate below inside the kettle.
No need for sealing the body to kettle. There are almost no gaps at all. No smoke leakage.
So yo see the 2 extra 20" pizza grates I'm using. These big pizza grates I bought at a restaurant supply place.
I put some oil on all the grates before loading. The bottom grate has 2 wire loops I added for easy removal.
The top 20" grate rests on the handles of the Weber grate. Pretty goo gap between the racks. No worries there.
The ECM on full blast has been maintaining at 165°-180° with no food in the kettle. Those temps just as I have been tending to the jerky loading inside .
40° outside now and after 1 hour and the jerky in smoking , ....the temp is about 135° and climbing steady just below the bottom rack...
Seems to be a good pace so far as the jerky dries and gets smoke.
AMNPS is smoking with Lumber Jack blend pellets.. hickory and maple, cherry.
I will use smoke for 3 of the approximately 6 hours total cook time.
The inside of the smoker has a pan in the center of the heating element. The pan is used for chips. It is about 2 inches above the elements and I sat a small aluminum foil covered rack on top of the empty pan. The AMNPS sits on that covered rack. So far no problems with flare ups or air flow inside the smoker.
The kettle I have has 3 Weber intake vents on the bottom. These 3 vents allow good smoke flow and heat rises adequately for the jerky temps I like.
This set up is good for about 6 lbs of jerky lying flat on grates.
I am doing 5.4 lbs now.
The recipe I use to make jerky is basic.
Per 2.5 - 3 lbs of 1/4" sliced eye of round:
1/2 C Worcestershire
1/2 C soy sauce
3 LG. cloves fine minced or crushed garlic
1 TBS onion powder
1/4 C real maple syrup
1 Tbs cracked black pepper
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp pink cure #1
Brown sugar sprinkling before it goes in the smoker is a good addition. Just a little goes a long way.
This all gets whisked in a bowl for a
couple minutes and sets for a few... Then I whisk it again before pouring onto the jerky strips. I use Rubbermaid containers that hold 1 gallon.. bags are good.. I like to go in and physically mix the strips in the containers however. 4 times I think I mix it up over a 1.5 - 2 day period. Using cure I like to let the jerky go 2 days before drying and smoking.
At 2 hours in Here is the kettle temp below the bottom rack and temp between lower and middle rack.
Bit higher than I want.
Ideal temp of smoker should give you a rack or grate temp of 150-160
You don't want to cook the jerky.
I will run this lower now.
The smokers that are analog have no temp setting. You need to keep lowering the temp dial manually as the gear and food heat up over time.
Last edited:
![20180428_131010[1].jpg](https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/data/attachments/362/362041-fab35fd3df388ad230b78a50b320f710.jpg "20180428_131010[1].jpg")
![20180428_134130[1].jpg](https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/data/attachments/362/362042-373ce5ee9f57c2a9938e6b5912c43402.jpg "20180428_134130[1].jpg")
