cruzmisl

I searched all over hell's half acre and couldn't find one review. It looks to be quality and has the same rear mounted fan design as the Excalibur. Only thing I found was a seller on Ebay that stated the following They sell the Excalibur too. Based on what you are saying they make good stuff so no reason why the dehydrator woudn't be just as good.

Any opinions on this model? I hate to spend a few hundred bucks on something that is all plastic. At least this is stainless. Even though it's a bit more money he only charges $11 to ship it, not $25 like the Ex. http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1169

I sent the seller a message. We'll see how it goes. Thanks again for all the help.

Thanks!!! Do you think the timer option is worth it or does it really matter?

I wish I did. Yes it is a luxury but one that contributes to a better lifestyle so I am willing to pay it. People pay the same amount for cigarettes and booze as I do for my trainer. Different priorities I guess.

Careful. Not to put a hitch in yer giddyup, but They (you know, Those People) say jerky has lotta cholesterol, and salt. Can make for health troubles. Probably if you have control of the seasoning it helps. Just don't wanna lose our cruzmisl to something ugly. I've never heard that. My trainer actually suggested it but did say to be careful what kind I bought since most of the commercial brands have tons of salt and sugar. I also plan to use grass fed beef which has a totally different fat profile than corn fed beef. It's much much healthier albeit more expensive. I Usually buy my beef here, http://www.grasslandbeef.com/ At least I'll have much more control this way. What cuts are best for jerky? Joe

Well with my job I'm on the road a lot and eat at least 6oz of jerky a day. It's healthy and way better than fast food. I'm thinking this will pay for itself in no time. I'm gonna dry out marshmallows and make my own Lucky Charms Thanks for the advice!!!

Hey Curly, I want to buy an Excalibur too but can't decide between the 5 or 9 tray. Since I'll be using it for jerky only how many pounds can the 5 tray do? I don't want to get something too big. Any advice? Worth the investment? I spend $5 for 3oz jerky at the local butcher. That get's really expensive really fast........ Thanks, Joe

If I recall the meat hanger was discontinued but don't quote me on that. Why have a meat hanger when you have a rotisserie?? Joe

I'd be interested in knowing how to make jerky. Do you need a dehydrator or what?

If you look at the fan from the bottom, it's virtually impossible for the condensate to short the fan. All of the electrical components of the fan are mounted on the top. The bottom of the fan is open so even if water did leak into it, it would leak out the bottom. This is the 10cfm fan, not sure what the 5cfm fan looks like but I can't imagine it would be much different. Hope this helps, Joe

Yes, I have it in mine too but I also had it on my old Kamado so it's not a flaw in the cooker. I have had my guru for over 3 years and still no problems. I highly doubt the water caused your fan to fail. More than likely just coincidence. My 2 cents. Joe

I've had one of these for years and it works amazingly well.

I left the lid closed the entire cook and it only took 30-40 minutes. I don't remember the exact time.

I do have the 6" version. I'll measure as soon as the KK cools down. Thanks for the compliment. Joe

Well, just pulled another bird off the rotisserie. I find that by loading the KK up with lump, letting the lump fully ignite and then piling it up on the back of the cooker significantly reduces smoke and it'a a lot less work. Grease drips down on the ashes. Also for this 3lb bird I cooked it at a pretty high 550f. This yields a beautiful skin as you can see. Any lower and the skin can be a bit rubbery. Just thought I'd share my technique.

As far as how I cooked it I loaded the K with lump and got the K rocket hot. My thermo registered 200 degrees but that was too hot. I reduced the temp to about 800 and seared it on either side for a few minutes and then I reduced the temp to 550 and moved the tritip to the front edge of the cooker away from the direct heat. Not really sure how long it took to reach 125 since I never go by time, only temperature. I didn't use any oil since this cut has a decent amount of fat that renders with the heat. I do salt 1/2hr before grilling which brings proteins to the surface which facilitates good browning. Pics of juice running dowm the chin? Don't have that but I do have this. As far as the cutting board it's about 5 years old and made by a company called ozark west. Absolutely the BEST and a work of art. It's heavy and expensive but will surely be passed down long after I am gone. I also grilled some asparagus. What a feast!!

HI All, I got a beautiful tritip from my local butcher. Seared it and brought it to 125f and sliced it thin against the grain. The flavor was amazing. If you get a chance give it a try. Joe

I'm not a diabetic but I do use www.wheylow.com for my sweetening needs. Awesome stuff. You may want to give it a try.

Can I get mine tiled??

I have a comment. Send me one asap before I burn something else

I personally don't use lots of herbs,spices etc on a steak before a sear. Many will burn with the high temps and not taste too good. I prefer to salt the meat with a coarse salt such as kosher or coarse sea salt and let them rest for 30 minutes at room temp. This brings proteins to the surface of the meat which aids in browning. Also depending on the cut of meat I may use oil first before salting. This will help with heat transfer. Fattier cuts such as strip steaks or rib steaks, I'll typically pass on the oil but it won't hurt if you use it. Tenderloin can benefit from the oil. I never use it on wagyu beef though. As far as the KK set up goes I use lots of lump and the main grill. I also remove the lower draft door to get the KK rocket hot, usually in excess of 800 degrees. I then sear on both sides and then replace the draft door and close it down to reduce temp and let the steaks dwell. I pull the meat off at an internal temp of 120 and wait 10 minutes before devouring it. I'll usually spice once removed from the grill but for the most part just prefer salt and pepper. I hope this helps. Joe

Hi All, The other day I planned to cook some steaks. Anyway, to get the modo rocket hot I usually like to totally remove the draft door. After a few minutes I came out to a modo that was at least 800 degrees and a smoking deck A hunk of hot lump must have fallen out of the firebox on to my deck and started my deck on fire. Since it was really windy that day it acted like a bellow fanning the flames. You can see by the photo it even burned part of the joist. Just an FYI, had it gone on longer who knows what would have happened. Maybe Dennis can manufacture a searing door. One with a big square hole and some stainless screening. That would be cool and would keep me from burning down my house Joe

Only if it's slimy with mold and takes 6 months to arrive

HI All, We're having a pot luck at work and I was going to do 3 nice pork butts. I woke up this morning and applied the rub on the butts since I Was planning on putting them on the KK tonight. Trouble is the pot luck isn't until Wednesday. Will the butts be OK in the fridge with the rub for 36hrs? I've never left a rub on that long. Thanks, Joe