Hi everyone. Just joined the site today while I'm smoking about 8 lbs of beef jerky. I did 4 different types. A standard recipe with brown sugar and soy sauce. A BQ recipe using Sweet Baby Ray's BQ sauce. A recipe using cinnamon and chipotle and a recipe with Mesquite marinade. Soaked them over night and they've been in the smoker for just over 2 hrs at 150-175 degrees using apple wood and pear wood. If I can figure out how to upload pictures I'll post our smoker that a friend made and give to us. Its made out of 2 55 gallon barrels stacked with a pipe connecting them. Re-rod grate for the wood cradle with a wood stove door and air vents. Has a grate that is 32" long and about 16' wide made of angle iron and diamond grating. Under the grate is a 6" wide by 32" long iron channel with holes cut in the sides to help even out the smoke flow. He used an angle iron frame work welded to the barrels, then welded stainless steel sheet metal around the outside to cover the space between the barrels. And also put 8" wheels on it. The handle for the lid is made from a tow chain welded. Today is only the 2nd time I've smoked anything at all. 1st time I did ribs and they turned out really good.