What went wrong?

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I made my first attempt with beef jerky this weekend with not-so-stellar results. I don't know if it was my selection of meat or what. I used a beef butt roast because I couldn't find top round at my regular food store. I thought it would take 5 - 7 hours to dry. It took over 11! I used Kingsford with the mesquite chips in the briquettes. They came out WAY TOO SMOKY. Tasted like what I would assume the inside walls of my WSM would taste like. Is this because it took so long to dry out, or would it be a result of the mesquite in the charcoal? Maybe a combination.

The only reason it wasn't a complete failure was that the texture was great.
 
What temps did you cook at?

Drying depends on many variables - how wet the meat is starting out, spacing, temps, etc.

The over smoked problem is probably related to the both the wood and time. Source's like Kevi's Jerky recipe call for milder smoke or smoking only during the first hour or so. Combine an 11-hour smoke with a strong smoke like Mesquite and you get "the inside walls of my WSM". /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
 
Mike,

I'm sorry the jerky didn't turn out as good as expected.

Kevin was nice enough to send me some personal messages to questions. In one, he warned me to use a mild smoke wood, since the thin strips really "suck up" the smoke. And mesquite is a strong wood too. He suggested a mild wood like a fruit wood, so I used apple and was happy with it.

He also said, sometimes he doesn't use any wood at all now, relying on just the charcoal for a little smoke.

Also, I was lucky to find London Broil. A little pricey, but easy to work with. Last night I went to Kroger, and they didn't have any. But I found it at the next closest Kroger. I sliced it, and it is drying in the refrigerator now. Plan to marinade it Monday night, and smoke it on Wednesday.

Most of the jerky I smoked at about 160 for about 5 hours. I smoked some of the thicker slices for a good 6 hours. I posted my first experience in the Beginner's Forum, below, and it shows a reply date of 9-24-03 right now. HTH
 
Don't know if this will make you feel better, Mike, but I have the same problem. Actually your post made me feel better. Everyone has posted how great their's was I thought maybe it was my taste buds. I've followed Kevins recipe twice. The first time I defintely used too much wood.....very nasty...hurt the back of my throat. Second time I used one tiny chunk of apple, and still too strong......better but still couldn't eat much. ALso some pieces were a bit sticky..(from the honey???). I used very little charcoal to keep the temp down, in the 160-175 range, and did have to add an unlit one or two here and there.....not sure if that contributed or not. I think I will try it again, and perhaps not even use any wood, or if I do a small chunk for maybe 15 minutes.
 
The first few times I did jerky I too used mesquite wood, I found it over powering even in small amounts. So I tried a batch with no wood, just the charcoal and for my taste it had the right amount of smoke flavor. Just my .02 worth
 
Hi guys!

Glad to hear you are trying the jerky!

As Fred mentioned, I no longer use any wood for smoke flavor. This came about after I quizzed several of my regulars. I had heard a couple of them "comment" that the smoke was a bit strong. So, I did several batches without any smoke wood and they were a raging success.

Mike, you will find drying is a function of a couple of things, as Travis stated.......heat, thickness of the meat strip and how moist the meat is when put into the smoker. I always drain mine for a couple of hours making sure to shake the collander several times.

Many times mine have taken over 10 hours to dry. I think the thickness of the cut has the biggest impact on drying time. Every one of my butchers will no longer slice the meat on a deli slicer. Instead, they can only use a meat saw. This results in much thicker cuts and my drying times have gone up because of this.

Just glad to see you guys are trying it!
 
Kevin,

The butcher at Kroger told me he "couldn't" slice my jerky on the deli slicer either. He said he would try his best using his saw, but the last piece came out real uneven. It seemed to me the deli slicer would be the easiest way to do it. Any idea why they can't use it?

The meat department was closed when I bought the batch I have drying in the refrigerator now. I cut it all myself. The slices are even thicker, so I'm expecting a longer smoke.

Edit!
I may have come up with the answer to my own question. I was thinking he meant it wasn't physically possible. I'm now guessing cross contamination between raw and processed meat.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Fred S:
[qb]
I may have come up with the answer to my own question. I was thinking he meant it wasn't physically possible. I'm now guessing cross contamination between raw and processed meat. [/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I would guess you're right. I worked in a deli while in college and cleaning the slicer at the end of the day was a big chore. I certainly wouldn't want to do that any more than absolutely necessary.
 
Thanks for the info guys, I will try it next time with no smoke wood, and I will use the regular Kingsford instead of the kind with mesquite in it. And Kirk, thanks for your reply, I guess there's comfort in knowing I'm not the only one who didn't get it exactly right right off the bat. As for how I cooked it, the temp was between 155-165 degrees, I cut the meat (the butcher actually cut it) 1/4 inch thick. I think it took so long to dry because I used a butt roast instead of top round (too much fat). I'm a hard guy to discourage, I will keep trying till I get it right, or at least until I am satisfied with the results.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Glad to hear you are trying the jerky!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Thanks for the recipes! We really like your "old standby" marinade. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Question - the Teriyaki seems a bit mild, even when marinaded for 2 days. Should I try doubling the recipe to intensify the flavor?
 
I agree with the old standby being really good! Last time, I did 2/3's old standby, and 1/3 pineapple (Hawaiian), which was also good. Around noon today, I'll be smoking 2/3's old standby and 1/3 high plains. The high plains marinade has a tangy spicy taste. Looking forward to trying the finished product.
 
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