CFW has been supplying drying solutions for the biltong industry for more than 20 years. We provide solutions for a wide variety of products from thick pieces of dried meat to thinner pieces (stix). Our dryers are highly energy-efficient and reliable. The equipment we supply is varied, and we don’t prescribe any single solution. It is best to tailor equipment to the needs of particular customers and the ambient temperature and humidity associated with a particular biltong production facility.

CFW focuses mainly on servicing large-scale commercial biltong producers where a single system has a minimum capacity of one tonne. However, we also seek to partner with new businesses and establish customer relationships that will continue as your operations grow.

We recommend stainless steel construction for customers with enough capital, as the moisture from raw meat can be highly corrosive and hygiene is critical in biltong production. Filtered and pressure-controlled systems can be provided if necessary.

The equipment which we have supplied includes

• The CFW Mini Dryer drying system (sale or rental). These are a popular solution for startup producers because they cost less. They can be traded in for a more energy efficient system at a later stage.
• Refrigeration-type heat pump dehumidifiers (for higher temperature applications). As a matter of course, these provide heating and cooling for temperature control as well as dehumidification.
• Desiccant-type dehumidifiers (for low-temperature applications). These can be sold or rented. They can be added to heat pump dehumidifiers where very low relative humidity levels are required for final drying; however, they consume significantly more energy than refrigerant dehumidifiers.
• Integrated desiccant dehumidifier AHUs complete with chilled water / refrigeration cooling.
• Heat and vent drying, electrical or steam-heated.
• Hybrid systems applying multiple techniques to optimize and improve flexibility. These may be open systems where weather permits ambient or solar heat to be used for drying, or closed systems where independence from external conditions is required.
• Tunnel drying arrangements for semi-continuous drying.
• Batch room drying systems.
• Containerized drying systems.
• Rental biltong drying solutions.

With the wide range of options we can offer solutions for drying biltong most cost effectively at low temperatures and low relative humidity conditions as well as at higher temperatures as required by the customer.

We offer advice on improving existing biltong drying systems together with upgrading / repairs and changing to new energy sources.

CFW’s biltong drying systems have been exported to the UK and Australia.

CFW does the design and manufacture together with the electrical and controls in-house so that we can take full responsibility for the system that we install. We also manufacture the trolleys, stainless steel rods and other related system components.

Producers differ on the correct drying temperature for biltong. While higher temperatures can increase drying speed, lower ones may produce a more consistent product and eliminate the risk of case hardening. Both case hardening and long drying times can increase product losses or at least reduce quality considerably. At CFW Projects, we specialise in designing the temperature, humidity and airflow characteristics of our dryers to give a high degree of control while maintaining cost-effectiveness.