Finally, I made my first batch of beef jerky! I slung slices of meat over a
hangar wire and left them in the oven, door open, at 140°. It took 1 1/2
days because I'm paranoid about leaving the oven on when I'm not home. I
seasoned them with curry powder and lots of fresh black pepper. Result:
tasty, but too tough; next time I'll try a marinade to tenderize.

I can't imagine doing this in the summer; it really heats up the kitchen. I
want to invest in a dehydrator, but haven't found any in toronto yet (I
looked in Canadian Tire and Eatons).

Questions:	
1. I notice that the pricier online American Harvest Snackmaster models
(http://www.nesco.com/Products/snackm2.html) offer temperature control. To
you all who have dehydrators with thermostats, what advantages does that
give you? 
Is it worth it?

2. I imagine marinated jerky is fairly drippy. Do the drippings make the
trays hard to clean? Do they drip through the trays and damage the heating
element, as is claimed on the Excalibur Dehydrator website?
(http://www.kctc.net/life/exfacts.htm) 

3. Can anyone recommend a good marinade for caribou or venison jerky?


Thanks!

Cheyenne