A Non Weber post by request...
To smoke my jerky I make a makeshift snake in the fire box of my Longhorn with Hickory chunks.
This will burn around 4 hours with chamber temps around 100 degrees.
The marinade I mix up includes a cure which keeps the meat safe during the long time in the danger zone.
After the meat spends it's time in the smoke
the racks are moved in to the oven set on it's lowest temp (170) with the door propped open
to let moisture escape. This is when the drying takes place. Takes another 3-4 hours to get dry.
Meanwhile another batch will take it's place in the smoker.
I can do two batches in a single day turning 5# of raw meat into jerky.
I have no idea the finished weight since I have to run several quality tests throughout the day.
Up close and personal. This piece is being sacrificed in the name of quality control.
Usually I let the jerky set overnight before I vac seal it into smaller sized packages of around 6 pieces.
No need for refrigeration. The key to jerky is getting the moisture low enough to inhibit bacteria growth
and sealing it tight with no oxygen. It'll last for weeks. My wife just opened a bag of beef that was made
before Christmas, Good as the day I sealed it.
That about sums it up.
Thanks for looking.