Depending on how you prefer your jerky, you can dehydrate the meat too long. The longer you dehydrate the meat, the drier it becomes, so it largely depends on what you plan to do with the jerky. If you’re planning to store the jerky for an extended period, you might want to dehydrate it longer. But if you’re making jerky to take camp for the weekend, you (and your friends) might prefer a tastier and easier-to-eat batch that doesn’t require as much drying time.