r/Biltong

Had some chuck roast left over… I know traditionally more leaner cuts are used, but this turned out amazing!… so buttery velvet smooth!

First time making biltong. What is the ideal drying temp and time when using a dehumidifier? This thinner cut was at 30 degrees for 48 hours. Seems a bit dry and dark on the outside and still rare in the middle at the thicker parts. I had great Biltong from Trump restaurant in Johannesburg and it was more consistent throughout, slightly damp but not pink.

What’s ideal for a 1 inch thick piece when I make it next time, less than 30 degrees? And much longer should I leave the ones thicker ones that have been hanging for 48 hours at 30?

It was really hard and super salty though…

I know it has a little bit of case hardening. It does look darker in person than in the photos. 62 hours. I was thinking about pulling it right now and letting it sit at either at room temperature or in the fridge for a day. Would that be a good idea?

Hi, as per title - is this mould and is this batch salvageable?

Firts time Biltonger :)

Seems like moisture is buliding up inside the box. I'm afraid this would cause mold on my meat or something like it. Am I just overreacting? If not, should I increase the air flow or turn off the lamp?

4 days hanging time

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.

We’re working with picanha and hanger steaks. One of the steaks hit 35% moisture loss so we decided to take a peek. Some of it’s nice and dry but i think we have another day or two to go.

This is my best batch of biltong yet. The beef from my Akaushi steer.

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?

I built my own biltong box and I bought a fan with a speed control but I picked a double fan version and now I'm worried I will have too much case hardening, even on low speed. Is there someone who use two fans? I know there will be a lot of try and error things during my biltong path but I thought asking would not hurt. :) Thank you.

And don't worry, even though it's not visible, all the holes and covered with insect net.

First piece from the batch after adjusting the airflow in my setup. Pretty happy with the outcome.