3-Ton Biltong Drying Solution in the UK with Custom IKE Drying Rooms

Project Overview: 3-Ton Industrial Biltong Drying Solution in the UK

A biltong producer in the United Kingdom approached IKE for a customized industrial biltong drying solution with a total designed loading capacity of 3,000 kg of beef per batch.

The customer needed more than a standard commercial biltong dryer. Their production requirements included a specific low-temperature operating condition, flexible meat loading methods, customized stainless steel drying rooms and practical cleaning features.

To meet these requirements, IKE supplied three EMB-JL1500D modular heat pump drying rooms, each designed for approximately 1,000 kg of beef per batch.

All three rooms were built with identical dimensions and equipment configurations, including:

• Customer-specified 30°C low-temperature operation

• Stainless steel trolleys supporting both hanging rods and drying trays

• Bottom drip trays for collecting meat juices

• Customized anti-slip stainless steel flooring

• Manually controlled UV lamps

• Modular chamber construction adapted to the customer's facility

This UK project demonstrates how IKE combines industrial heat pump drying technology with customized equipment design for large-scale biltong production.

Why Choose a Modular Biltong Drying Room?

For commercial biltong production, selecting suitable drying equipment involves more than determining batch capacity. Factory dimensions, trolley arrangements, cleaning requirements and installation conditions must also be considered.

IKE offers two types of heat pump drying room construction:

AIO Series – Pre-Assembled Drying Rooms

The AIO series features an integrated chamber design that does not require on-site chamber assembly, making it suitable for businesses looking for a ready-built drying room configuration.

EMB Series – Modular Drying Rooms

The EMB series features a modular structure assembled at the installation site. Chamber dimensions and internal equipment arrangements can be customized to accommodate different factory layouts and production requirements.

For this UK biltong project, the customer selected three customized EMB-JL1500D drying rooms.

Each room was designed with matching dimensions, trolley configurations and auxiliary equipment to support the customer's planned processing capacity.

The modular construction also allowed IKE to incorporate specialized meat handling equipment and additional features required by the customer.

Customized 30°C Low-Temperature Biltong Drying

Low-temperature air drying is an important characteristic of traditional biltong processing, although suitable operating conditions depend on the product formulation and validated production procedure.

For this project, the UK customer specified a drying temperature of 30°C.

IKE configured the EMB-JL1500D heat pump drying rooms to meet this customer-specific temperature requirement.

The JL series is designed for applications requiring controlled low-temperature drying conditions. Its operating temperature configuration can be customized according to different materials and processing requirements.

All three biltong drying rooms were supplied with matching temperature configurations, providing consistent equipment settings across the installation.

The specified drying temperature is part of the customer's overall biltong production process. Appropriate microbial control procedures, process validation and finished-product safety verification must be addressed separately.

Customized Stainless Steel Trolleys for Biltong Production

One of the key features of this industrial biltong drying project is the HJ-10080BJ dual-use stainless steel meat drying trolley.

Biltong is commonly produced using hanging meat strips, making the loading system an important consideration when designing a commercial biltong drying room.

For this project, IKE provided customized trolleys designed around the customer's European production requirements.

Unlike trolleys designed for only one loading method, the HJ-10080BJ supports both hanging rods and stainless steel mesh trays.

Hanging Rods for Biltong Drying

For biltong production, beef strips can be suspended from stainless steel hanging rods.

This arrangement allows the meat strips to hang separately, leaving space around the material for circulating air during drying.

The customer's actual production photographs show rows of beef strips suspended inside the EMB-JL1500D drying rooms.

The hanging configuration allows multiple tiers of meat to be arranged within each drying trolley, making practical use of the chamber's available loading space.

Optional Tray Loading Configuration

The same trolley design can also accommodate stainless steel mesh trays when horizontal product placement is required.

This provides additional flexibility for processing meat pieces with different shapes, dimensions or handling requirements.

The dual-use design allows the customer to adapt the trolley loading arrangement without purchasing a completely separate trolley system.

Integrated Drip Trays for Meat Juice Collection

Each customized meat drying trolley is equipped with a stainless steel drip collection tray at the bottom.

During biltong drying, liquid released from the beef can be collected in the drip tray rather than falling directly onto the drying room floor.

This feature helps reduce liquid accumulation on the floor and makes routine cleaning more convenient.

The combination of hanging rods, optional tray loading and bottom drip collection provides a practical meat handling arrangement for industrial biltong drying operations.

Related Equipment: HJ-10080BJ Dual-Use Stainless Steel Meat Drying Trolley

Anti-Slip Stainless Steel Flooring for Daily Cleaning

All three customized biltong drying rooms were fitted with anti-slip stainless steel flooring.

Although the trolleys are equipped with drip trays to collect meat juices, the floor may still become wet during routine cleaning, washing or occasional spills.

The textured stainless steel surface helps improve traction and reduce the risk of slipping under wet conditions.

Its stainless steel construction also facilitates regular washing and maintenance.

Together, the drip collection system and anti-slip flooring support cleaner working conditions and practical daily operation in the customer's meat processing facility.

Customized UV Lamp Installation

The UK customer also requested UV lamps as part of the drying room equipment configuration.

IKE installed manually controlled UV lamps in all three EMB-JL1500D drying rooms to accommodate the customer's facility hygiene procedures.

UV disinfection performance depends on lamp specifications, exposure conditions and appropriate safety measures. The lamps are auxiliary equipment and do not replace validated microbial control procedures for biltong or other meat products.

This optional installation illustrates the flexibility of IKE's modular drying room design when integrating customer-specific equipment.

On-Site Installation of Three Biltong Drying Rooms in the UK

Following delivery, the three EMB-JL1500D drying rooms were assembled at the customer's facility in the United Kingdom.

Actual project photographs document the modular installation process, completed stainless steel chambers, external control panels, customized meat drying trolleys, anti-slip flooring and UV lighting.

The customer also provided photographs showing biltong strips hanging inside the installed drying rooms.

These real project images demonstrate how IKE's industrial biltong drying equipment was integrated into the customer's production environment.

The project brings together three important aspects of customized drying equipment:

• Industrial-scale capacity planning: Three drying rooms with a combined designed loading capacity of 3,000 kg of beef per batch.

• Flexible production equipment: Dual-use stainless steel trolleys, hanging rods, optional mesh trays and integrated drip collection.

• Customer-specific configuration: Low-temperature operation, modular chamber dimensions, anti-slip flooring and auxiliary UV equipment.

Looking for a Commercial Biltong Dryer or Industrial Drying Room?

IKE provides customized heat pump drying solutions for biltong, beef jerky and other commercial meat drying applications.

Whether your facility requires a compact commercial biltong dryer or a larger modular biltong drying room, IKE can help evaluate the equipment configuration based on your intended batch capacity, factory space, temperature requirements and loading methods.

Available solutions include pre-assembled AIO drying rooms and customized EMB modular drying systems.

Planning an industrial biltong production project?

Contact IKE to discuss your production requirements and request a customized drying equipment proposal.

Email: sales@ike.cn

Explore Related Equipment: HJ-10080BJ Stainless Steel Meat Drying Trolley