Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

Good point. I think a lot of people give up on brisket because they just do a flat. Flats by themselves are a bitch to get right. Whole brisket is hard enough, doing just a flat is self immolation usually.

 

How long at that temp to finish?

 

It was definitely still edible. Just not ideal. Definitely under cooked though as it was tough and a bit dry. Hopefully reheating will do it some good tomorrow for lunch. As usual thanks for the great advice. Looking forward to my next one.

I didn't do burnt ends. I did a flat only as I had previously cut the brisket to fit in the freezer. Next time I'll do a full brisket though and try some burnt ends. I've been screen shotting all your guys pictures and directions for them.

 

I was at about 260-270. I'll try for the 275 next time

 

I do mine at 350, 12 pound packer takes 5 hours total in my WSM. I've done it lower and longer and can't tell the difference.

 

Oh yeah. That's all they had when I looked, and figured I try it. It was way underdone, and I didn't have the knowledge to fix it at that time. Went by temp, did probe,but only the one end. That end was good, and the other. Middle part was not.

 

350??

I'll try it. Had some friends request burnt ends after I did them for them once. That time is more manageable than 12-14 hours at 225-230.

 

Lots of factors, as you know, go in to that, and I have long been a foil wrapper, which speeds it up, but I usually get briskets off the pit in the 7-9 hour range at a little higher temp and a foil wrap. I'm finding wrapping in butcher paper to add a good hour or two to that at least, but I haven't done enough to really give a good time stamp.

There is a "brisket guide" in my sig that I wrote in this thread. It is a really rough guide at a standard cook for me at 275* or so.

 

Yep. I only every do it below 300* for the slightly wider window of getting it right. If I won't be leaving the pit for any extended period and can be around to pull it right on time, I stay around 325*.

Myron Mixon has built an empire around his brisket, including lots of comp victories, and he cooks at 350*.

 

7-9 is still better than 12-14. I wrap as well, but want to do one without just to see what the difference is. I vaguely remember a post if yours about injecting. You normally don't correct?

 

Normally I don't, but I have been while practicing as we will inject at competition. I have to say, the Butcher BBQ Prime Dust is a pretty good injection. A tad on the salty side, so I've been cutting it with a tad more water, but otherwise a pretty pure beef flavor.

 

Thanks. I'll check it out. I have an injector, but haven't used it. Any plans for your own injection mixture in the future?

 

For a comp you almost have to inject, correct? Seems like everyone does it so you have to keep up. Comp is all about just one bite so you need every edge up you can get, yes?

 

Haha. I know, at first I was thinking no way will that work, but it does. 2.5 - 3 hours until stall, wrap with foil another 1.5 hours, rest for an hour.

 

Sounds good to me.

 

Nothing immediate on an injection. I'd much rather expand the rub line. We rarely use sauce and we rarely inject, so those are two areas where we'll need to change our cooking style for a bit so that we can actually test our prototypes. Injections usually are just an enhancement of whatever you're cooking, so I just don't have a lot of passion for making a really good one the way we do rub. I could see a sauce down the line, though.

 

But the probe part is still key, those times are usually close to when the probe goes in like warm butter.

 

10-4. I used to be a sauce guy, but rather enjoy without it now.

You're plan is probably a good one. Aside from a few, you don't here too many bragging about their injection.

 

Understood.

Wishing I had a brisket to do now. Guess I'll go shopping this week. Haven't done one in a month or two.

 

Me too. Every time I hear someone say "sauce is the boss" I think to myself that they just haven't had great Q before.