d80hunter

It's that time off the year. I have a few deer in the freezer and the best thing I can do is make a lot of jerky. I will be keeping this up for the rest of the year. I have gotten good at this over the years. Ground jerky is what I make, it turns out the best for me. If I didn't make so much jerky the venison wouldn't get eaten quickly and I would have to limit my hunting. It all works out great this way.

Bocajnala

Whats your process D80 hunter. I did the ground jerky method a few times. Used seasoning packets from gander mountain, the jerky gun, and then dehydrator. Last year we bought a slicer though and sliced allot of the meat for jerky and that worked well. I had tried slicing it by hand and that took a lot of time and the slice sizes were never equal.
-Jake

d80hunter

I could never get sliced jerky right though I never owned a commercial slicer. I run all the meat through a grinder and add store bought jerky powder as I grind it up. Once ground and the seasoning is mixed in I let it sit in the fridge overnight. Then it goes in an electric dehydrator by using a jerky gun. After about 8-12 hours it is done. I usually have to dry multiple batches with that much meat. I have said it before my jerky has gotten more attention than any set of antlers I got, friends and family are always wanting some. Some of these people don't hunt so I feel right about letting people know that hunting can provide a tasty product. A lot of people who thougt venison is gross change their minds after trying some tasty jerky.

jcrobra

Everything I read about muscle jerky says to slice with the grain, which makes zero sense unless you want to chew it like leather. I slice mine against the grain, about 1/4" thick, put it in a wet brine (just a commercial mix) for 24 hours, then smoke on the pellet grill at 175 for 3 hours and it turns out perfect. Easy to chew, not too dry, just perfect. I've been getting accolades around the office for my jerky!

VenisonThursday

Hey D80, 8 to 12 hours in the dehydrator is a LONG time, which may be why you've had better luck with ground venison.

Odds are you are over drying it. In my experience, most jerky is done within 4 to 6 hours, but it certainly depends on the thickness of the end product, you may be spot on with 8-12 if your jerky gun is making a thick stick. It should bend without breaking when it's done, and if you tear a piece and squeeze it at the tear, there should be no moisture - it's a real fine line to hit, but it's fine if it's a little over or under.

If you are getting that many deer, you should practice more with some sliced top or bottom round roasts off the rear quarter. I have nothing against using ground, but most people seem to prefer the sliced when it is done right (myself included). Do a pound or two at a time till you master it.

There's an article on testing for dryness here, with other jerky tips too if you are interested. If you are making as much jerky as it sounds like, I'm sure friends/family will appreciate some variety!