u/layling17

Who else gets excited when they see marbling like this?

I’ve been refining my biltong process and tried a new drying approach on my current batch.
13 kg silverside (trimmed to ~12.3 kg)
Cut into strips about 1.5 cm thick × 5–7 cm long
Drying target: 45–50% weight loss

Recipe (per kg raw meat)
18 g salt
18 g cracked coriander
9 g black pepper
5 g organic cane sugar
0.4 g chilli flakes
25 ml apple cider vinegar
10–12 ml Worcestershire sauce

Drying setup
Four 102 L drying boxes, each with a 47 CFM fan on the lowest setting.

What I changed
For the first 24 hours, I partially covered the exhaust (~50–60%) to slow airflow.

This kept the chambers around:
15–17°C
63–69% RH

After 24 hours, I removed the tape and returned to full extraction:
15.5–16.5°C
52–56% RH

Observations
At ~27 hours:
Surface is dry to the touch
Interior is still soft
No obvious signs of case hardening

The plan is to dry to 45–50% weight loss, chill overnight, and slice the next morning.

Has anyone else tried this kind of two-stage drying approach? It seems much more controlled than running full extraction from the start.

Got some case hardening on my last batch. Had a warm and dry couple of days during hanging and it’s the first time I’ve had it.
I can’t seem to reduce my fan speeds. Will reducing the number of intake holes slow down the airflow? Or do I just need smaller/slower fans?

Will be looking to pull a few thinner pieces today.

How are you guys grinding your spices? I’ve moved to an electric grinder but I find it’s making the spicing too powerful?