Jerky: Marinade, Dry Rub, or Plain?

[Legnip]

I've been trying different marinades for making jerky. This is what I tried last time and it was OK, but I would make changes.
 
1. 16 ounces (bottle) of bar-b-que sauce
2. 16 ounces water
3. 1/3 cup salt
4. 1/3 cup sugar.
 
It was good, but the vinegar tends to stand out. I'm going to double the sugar, but leave the salt alone. It wasn't too salty. I dried it for 7 hours in the de-hydrator and froze the extra (not that it's lasting too long though).
 
I know that it is just easier to buy something, but it goes against my nature to not create something from scratch. If you've ever tied a fly or fletched your own arrows, then I know that you understand what I'm talking about.

[shadow]

If you want to make some changes let me suggest adding to your recipe some fresh ground pepper. My recipe is basically the same as yours with the exception of using brown sugar instead of the regular sugar and the pepper.
 
Buy a small bottle of peppercorns you need to grind yourself, the one you want should have black, red and white peppercorns in it and if you don't have a grinder, the bottles you buy now have them built in.
Trust me, using this will flavor your jerky to no end!  Try it on a small batch to see if you like it and don't be afraid of grinding to much. Let me know if you care for it. It will really add to the flavor of your existing ingredients.
 
 

[Legnip]

Thanks for the tip. Now all that I have to do is start filling the freezer. Our season is open. I get my first chance out in the field in 2 weekends.

[Legnip]

I tried a new method last year and it worked out well.
 
[ol][*]Grind venison (course)
[*]Mix with seasonings (salt, pepper, brown sugar, garlic to taste)
[*]press it through a 1/2" sausage tube or jerky gun
[*]Dehydrate[/ol]
It worked great. I made 30 lbs in Jan. and went through most of it by May. Just one bag left.

[cutngut85]

I would also recommend that when using a dehydrator or oven, a good addition to any jerky seasoning is liquid smoke. I add about 1 tbsp./ 1 lb. of meat. It adds that smoky, jerky taste that you get when smoking the jerky without using a smoker.