Some (larger) boxes contain a (traditional) lightbulb. The lightbulb is there not to warm things up too much, but it will warm up the surrounding air. Warm air rises, and that creates a natural draught. I’m advocating a fan instead, that way you have zero temp increase, and the moisture is drawn out anyway. If you have a heat source there is a risk that the outside of the meat dries faster than the inside. Biltong Box, Top View A wood drill for the dowels, a glue gun, a wood saw, some screws, a screwdriver, some measuring tools, a miter box, a scissor and a pencil, that’s all we need. So let’s get started. 1.3. Ikea Eket I held the top and one side panel together with a corner clamp. While this was held in I predrilled all the holes using a countsink bit. This will make sure all the screw heads will be hidden below the face of the wood for a clean finished product. With the glass door installed, you already have a good-looking biltong box in front of you. As we don’t want insects intruding on our cabinet and feasting on our meat, we will install some corner profiles to close the gap between the glass door and the inside of the cabinet. This is the easy part. Simply hook the meat, making sure it doesn’t touch any part of the box. Put the lid on, start the fan and wait. Easy, right? How to tell when it’s done

Heat vs airflow– which matters most in your biltong box? it’s a question we’re often asked. Airflow will always be the most important thing to consider in your biltong dehydrator- but the answer can get a little complex. Let’s take a look at some of the factors you need to consider. Making biltong the right way Pierce the end of your meat with the paperclip to easily hang it up. Hold the piece of meat with 1 hand, and push the end of the paperclip through the meat about 1⁄ 2 in (1.3 cm) from the end. [15] X Research source So, the bulk of your biltong dehydrator can be as simple as a cheap pine cabinet you have adapted. All that matters is that the airflow is good. Yet you cannot simply drill big holes and leave it at that- those big holes will allow flies, other pests, and bacteria to land on your meat. This doesn’t need to be very strong, as that also runs the risk of drying the outer layers before the inside of the meat. You just need enough to keep drawing air through the box and pulling the released moisture away. Once that is done, take the first hinge, align its screw holes over the indicated marks and add the screws. If you have difficulties getting the screw in, you can use an awl or another pointed tool to puncture the holes first.Once all four profiles are sawed to size, we can add them by measuring 1.1 cm or 0.43 inches from the front of the panel to align the profiles. We now place the profile on the miter box and put the ‘X’ facing down; make sure to align the profile so it’s sawed in the right direction. Let the meat hang for 3-5 days, based on personal preference. Let the fan run constantly as you dry the meat. Your meat will be completely dry in about 3-4 days. For maximum flavor and dryness, leave your meat for a bit longer. [17] X Research source The “BILTONG BUDDY” is very easy to operate. Simply follow the instructions carefully and you will have Biltong, just the way you like it, within 3-5 days. (Depending on how wet or dry you prefer it)

But first, we’ll have to drill an extra hole to fit the power cable for the mains-powered strip. We’ll drill the hole on the same side as our fan to keep all wires together. Also, drill only halfway through the panel, as we’ll drill the remaining part from the other side. This is to have as least chipped paint as possible. Many recipes call for vinegar in some sort. Sometimes for flavor, sometimes for purposes of preventing mold. I typically don’t use it, but many people associate the vinegar flavor with Biltong. As for the mold prevention: If you place clean meat in the box with a good low rpm fan, then you don’t need vinegar. Flavor Now it’s time to measure our wooden dowels; we need four dowels 34 cm or 13.38 inches long. We bought one long dowel with a diameter of 9mm or 0.35 inches. Let’s measure our first dowel and mark 34 cm or 13.38 inches on the dowel. On the indicated spot, we will see our first dowel to size.The top and bottom profiles can now use the right side profile to align it during placing. After placing a profile, add some pressure to make sure it is firmly attached. I place my box in the basement where it is 15 deg C (60 deg F). It is slightly cooler than room temp, and that is good. Types of meat The side panels should be placed next to the top panel with their dowel holes, or their topsides, closest to the top panel.