@PapaSop

I think that 1 ounce of regular tinted curing salt per 25 lbs of meat would be the proper substitute for the salt Peter and I don’t think you would ever tell the difference in taste so for 50 lb batch 2 oz curing salt.

Dave

@PapaSop
I would just use 2 ounces of regular tinted curing salt, as my regular tried and true sausage recipe calls for one ounce for 25 lbs. and forget about the salt Peter and follow the rest of the directions and I think you will be fine and never taste the difference

Dave

@WildWest From experience if you try to grind your meat twice with the 1/8 plate you will end up with a mushy mess, but I do grind my beef fat with a 1/8 plate the first time then mix with my meat and then grind both together for the final grind. I feel I get better fat distribution with the fat.

Dave

I have heard that if the meat is skinned and put in a bag in cool water it will spoil but I have never tried it, I would think that if the cold water is not touching the meat it should not spoil but I don’t know for sure has anyone else tired putting quarters in plastic bags and submerging them without letting the water get to the meat???

Not at all the hide protects the outside of the meat and the internal membrane of the chest cavity protects the inside, you would not want to quarter a animal and do this, but it works wonderful on a full animal. The inside chest cavity looks like you just gutted it. For us that boat hunt for deer it is a great way to keep our meat cool as our deer season starts in August and the temperature can some times be in the 60-70s. One other thing about hunting around the water, it is a lot easier sometimes to drag a large animal in the water than on the ground and the heat transfer from the water is cooling the meat at the same time.

Dave

Following my temperature schedule it also takes up to 12 hours with the 73mm diameter casing so I did the same sausage in 43mm casing and it was done under 6 hours and that was without trying to increase the humidity to 50 percent. My next step is going to be getting some of the absorbent towels and a pan of water and see if I can cut the time in my smoker with humidity.

Dave

@hotkarl Awesome Set Up, Great to have the convection fans also, helps so much to have the even temperature in smoker

@denny66 In Alaska we always try to hang our meat if the temperature allows, we try and skin it as it allows the meat to cool faster and we cover it with game bags to keep dirt and bugs off and put a tarp canopy over the meat to keep it from getting wet. One thing that you may have never heard of when hunting near salt water is submerging a gutted animal in cold ocean salt water with the hide on as it will readily cool the meat and keep the meat clean. I have had great success with this for up to a week and when you get the animal home, just skin it as usual and butcher then.

Dave

@JitteryBuck
I would decrease the temp to 140 and very carefully watch the jerky to insure you don’t turn it into leather, I have a rule that I use and that is if it has reached internal temp and I think it is almost done it probably is as things change when it cools. Next batch you may want to use a gradual smoker temperature schedule start at 120 for a hour then 140 for 2 hours and 160 for 2 hours and finally 180 till it reaches 160 internal. The longer it is in the smoker the more moisture you are removing from the product. Also the thickness of the jerky drastically changes the process and having uniform thickness and not hot spots in your smoker gives you more uniform results. Patience and Practice

Dave

I have been making a chart for my smoker and noting the thermostat setting and the actual temperature as there is no way to calibrate most of the thermostats we have on our smokers, sounds like the 160 setting is perfect for your smoker… I give you A++++ on presentation, send me some and will be glad to rate texture and flavor…

Dave