how big are the pieces of meat? 8 kg sounds like a lot to mange but i suggest getting it out of the plastic asap and give it a try. u could also freeze some to keep it from going off and deal with it later.
i've only air dried thin (1/4'') slices of beef on racks in the bottom of my fridge; i think some would call jerky. takes about 3 weeks to get it thoroughly dry but i start snacking on in a 4 or 5 days; tasty stuff...