Knothead I like to work with the jerky, as it is drying/smoking. What I mean is that I like to keep the heat and smoke as constant as I can. I usually run about 150 to max 180 but I turn the meat often to keep the drying steady over all sides and pieces of the meat. It requires moving meat away from and closer to the fire. I don't want the pieces to get exposed to too much heat because it causes them to cook and not dry.
This process is different from what you would do as I am working with a live fire and I can increase and decrease the heat by adding more fuel or letting the fire die down and the opening and closing of the pit effects the temperature I’m working with. I know that working with hotplates is harder because recovery from opening the door often takes a long time.
I’m not a set it and forget it kind of cooker. I like getting into the smoke if you know what I mean.
Here is how I do it:
I lay the meat on the grates and depending on how big a batch I'm doing, I may only work with the vertical section of
my smoker. ( there is usually about a 50 to 75 degree difference from the horizontal to the vertical section) If it is a bigger batch I will use the horizontal section as well. Since the horizontal section is closer to the fire box then that section is watched and manipulated more often than the meat in the vertical section.
Once I see the meat turning that nice mahogany color I know I'm getting close.
Here are some photos of some of my cooks. In the photos you can see the meat displaying a color change from a light pink to a mahogany. The decision to pull the meat comes from the bend test. I want the meat to bend and splinter some but not snap and break.
That is an indicator that the meat still has some moisture in it, but it is not completely dry and brittle. This is how I do my jerky and this is where you should work at finding what is right for you. And what Foam says is right on the money
“
give it a day or 10 to mellow out, it gets better each day”
I like to let the jerky set on the cooling racks for one or two days. It seems to get better. You do have to watch the process as it can go too far and you might be unhappy with your final product. ( over drying )
I will caution you that if by chance you pull the jerky off a little too soon ( meat still has lots of moisture ) having meat on the rack and overlapping and for too long will promote mold growth. The key I have found is that the jerky needs to have the ability to get rid of the moisture. This is done by exposure to air. Not in a closed container, such as a can with the lid on or a zip lock completely closed. It can be done in a refrigerator because the cold dry air draws out the moisture in the meat. Your experience with each batch will make you better and better at your craft.
There you go my 2 cents. Don’t for get to post pictures.
Happy Smoking!
Tequilero