Frog,
When drying hamburger, we start out making sure it's browned completely. After that, we drain it well, put it in a pot of water, and bring it to a boil. We let it boil for 2 minutes or so, then drain and rinse well. This takes care of most of the fat. Then it goes in the dehydrator for about 8 hours if I remember right. We store it in zip lock bags. We've kept it in the freezer for up to two weeks before packing it for a trip, and have had it in the field for 8-10 days with temps in the 70s with no problems. We tried skipping the boiling process once, and the burger spoiled pretty quickly. It's worked great for us, been using it for 4-5 years, and the guy that suggested it to us has been doing longer than that. Give it a try & let us know how it works for you. Jeff & Carol