drying Jerky in UDS Question...

moyboy

moyboy

I would like to look at doing some jerky in the UDS but don't think the air flow would be good enough to dry the meat out to the level needed.

NOW.....At this point in time we can all have our little giggle at the fact that I don't ACTUALLY HAVE the UDS going yet but it is happening sooner rather than later now, so Maybe a few straight answers would be nice.....:P:lol:

Would I be better off smoking it for a number of hours at low temps of around 65C (170ish F) then put it in the dehydrator to finish it off, or do you think I would be able to leave it in the smoker to dry out.

Not sure if I would end up with an overpowering smoke flavour if I left it to dry in the UDS????

Thoughts..:)
 
Absolutely you can make great jerky in a smoker.

160-180 degrees, with vents fully open for drying.

(Thread moved, this is about cooking method, not actual grills and smokers.)
 
I just thought to keep the temps low enough to dry and not cook you would need to have the vents close up a fair bit which would in turn dramatically reduce the air flow.....Obviously i'm wrong.....
 
You need the vents fully open to dry since you aren't cooking. The flow will carry the moisture out and expedite drying.
 
maintain a constant temperature of 130 to 140 °F during the drying process is important because:
the process must be fast enough to dry food before it spoils; and
it must remove enough water that microorganisms are unable to grow.

anything above 160*F and your actually cooking the meat and not drying it.

i know on a average warm day, the internal temperature of my UDS is already 100*F. i personally would smoke it for an hour on the UDS. take it inside and dry it in the oven or a dehydrator
 
Bam and I disagree here. Cooking to 160 refers to the internal temperature of the meat (the lowest safe temp). Cooking really happens at 180+. If you smoke at 160-180 it's fine for drying jerky. If you're going to dry below that you should use curing salts!
 
I'll wait patiently for Bam to come correct me :lol:
 
BamsBBQ said:
maintain a constant temperature of 130 to 140 °F during the drying process is important because:
the process must be fast enough to dry food before it spoils; and
it must remove enough water that microorganisms are unable to grow.

anything above 160*F and your actually cooking the meat and not drying it.

i know on a average warm day, the internal temperature of my UDS is already 100*F. i personally would smoke it for an hour on the UDS. take it inside and dry it in the oven or a dehydrator
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thehotpepper.com said:
Bam and I disagree here. Cooking to 160 refers to the internal temperature of the meat (the lowest safe temp). Cooking really happens at 180+. If you smoke at 160-180 it's fine for drying jerky. If you're going to dry below that you should use curing salts!
Click to expand...

As you both know, I'm still learning the art of smoking so I'm loving the info...

I would like to stay away from curing salt as I don't like the taste that comes from it...Whether this means I have used to much, I don't know? I eat my jerky pretty quick so There is no worries with the age of it.

My confusion here is as follows:

As far as I am aware, the temp you want in the UDS is directly related to the amount of air flow you have (Air flow = vents open, bottom and top which allows more oxygen in which acts as a part fuel which increases the temp) So if I need to keep my temps low but need to have my vents open for greater air flow for drying.....The two situations can't co exist????? Can they?

thehotpepper.com said:
I'll wait patiently for Bam to come correct me :lol:
Click to expand...

We both will!!!!
 
moyboy said:
I would like to stay away from curing salt as I don't like the taste that comes from it...
Click to expand...
Exactly. Nitrates are no good. This is why I personally would dry at 160-180 in the smoker.
moyboy said:
My confusion here is as follows:

As far as I am aware, the temp you want in the UDS is directly related to the amount of air flow you have (Air flow = vents open, bottom and top which allows more oxygen in which acts as a part fuel which increases the temp) So if I need to keep my temps low but need to have my vents open for greater air flow for drying.....The two situations can't co exist????? Can they?



We both will!!!!
Click to expand...
Yes you can reduce heat in many ways that do not involve the vents. Like JayT says, amount of fuel (coal, wood), positioning of said fuel and meat, and ways to be determined as you experiment ;)
 
I believe my dehydrator runs at about 120F-130F. I have made jerky in my smoker before also though and it is still ok (IMO) drying at a little higher temp whether it is considered cooking it or not. I didn't salt cure mine either. Just marinated it in hot sauce, liquid smoke and some vinegar.
 
yeah my dehydrator runs at 165F when i'm doing jerky. I just use table salt with my jerky marinade.

So I would presume that if I only used a small amount of coal/wood then I would most likely have to re stock the tray a few times over the course of the several hours it would take to dry... I'm looking forward to learning anout this through experience...:)

It's just a bugger that I can't get the range of wood that most of you guys can get.....It's mostly plain old hickery over here...
 
No Walmarts there? They usually have a variety. There are lots of websites where you can buy whatever chips you want, but I guess they would be a bit expensive. Hickory is good anyway. But, a little goes a long way with Hickory!
 
Hickory has a good flavor when using little smoke otherwise it turns meat bitter. When I smoke I like a lot of smoke, so I like apple. It billows out but it's mild and sweet.
 
JayT said:
No Walmarts there? They usually have a variety. There are lots of websites where you can buy whatever chips you want, but I guess they would be a bit expensive. Hickory is good anyway. But, a little goes a long way with Hickory!
Click to expand...

No we have no Walmart....The one place that sells wood chips or blocks is BBQ Galore but they are usually limited to hickory or specialised chips from bourbon barrels and the like....

This is not to say that I can't get the varieties of wood in Australia, it's just not as readily available as it would be for you guys...and cost is a big issue
 
What about that poplular building supply store you guys used in that joke post? :)
Over here those kinds of stores have wood chunks of all kinds.
 
I usually use a combination depending on the food I am smoking. I like Apple as well, but for me it is Mesquite for chicken thighs, Hickory for ribs, Oak and or Apple for Steaks and sausage, Pecan and Cherry for fish. I also have a bag of old chopped up Tabasco barrel that I use for wings and chicken, and a bag of old Cabernet barrel that I use for steaks.
 
thehotpepper.com said:
What about that poplular building supply store you guys used in that joke post? :)
Over here those kinds of stores have wood chunks of all kinds.
Click to expand...

Yeah Bunnings.....I'm going to do a drive by my local one in about an hour, but I don't remember seeing a good range.

Ok so i get an idea of what amount is used, how much wood chips would you go through in a good smoke/cook, say if you were doing a smoke over several hours.....Are we talking a pound? less?

I've been looking on ebay and I can get wood from USA but it will cost in the postage so It would have to be worth it depending on the amount of wood one good smoke would use?
 
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