ME VS. BRISKET....ROUND THREE

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71340Duster

71340Duster

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I have had two epic fails so far trying to do a brisket. First two were due mostly to incorrect temperature gauge on the outside of the grill. I am using a large propane (I know) grill with 4 burners, only one of which will be lit. I bought a little temp gauge I am placing inside to keep temp at 225-250. The brisket was a cut I requested when we bought this side of beef, so far all steaks and even hamburger have been tasty, so it's on me! I'll post the progress, win or lose, any tips/comments are welcome!
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Subscribed, 340.. Like Texas style brisket,hate every time I go out for BBQ in Cali: Every meal gets a sauce
,on it. I take the sauce off,I find good BBQ'd meats.. Hilarious....
 
I agree, sauce is okay for ribs for me, but not brisket. While the rub I used is a store bought ready made, it had all the ingredients I would have put in, except for the coffee, which makes it a "cowboy rub", Yee Haw! Here's a pic of my new surface thermometer and wood chip box, using apple to start but will add hickory. Would like to try oak, but can't seem to find it up here in Oak Harbor....really.
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Heavily smoke for the first hour or two then wrap in foil and cook at 200 till done about about 6-8 hours total. This will give you that BBQ flavor and still be tender and juicy like you are looking for. Good luck!
 
Oak sawdust works great !
 
Brisket...I have one waiting for me to get to it...multiple "right" ways. 325* for 4 hours, fat cap down. Wrap in BUTCHER paper, cap up til tender. Have seen 14 pound packers done in 8 hours, rest included.
My first overly done and very dry. Second was a bit better. The fourth was very good, still a bit dry. For me probe tender is to late...
Traditional "Texas" Brisket just uses salt and pepper for a rub. Key to this is it needs to be heavy...
 
I do not about using a gasser. Don't need a high dollars smoker...just do a search for a UDS..ugly drum smoker. 55 gallon drum, a fire basket, air in and out and a 22" Weber grate. Not a welder? Can buy a complete UDS or any of the parts. UDS can use briquettes...
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Well I struggled with temp again for the first hour, you think I'd have learned by now. With my new surface gauge, I determined that I can't get my 40,000 BTU grill to 225 with one burner, surface temp wouldn't go higher than about 175-180. So, I lit the other end outside and swung the meat 90 degrees, temp now at 250 and I'm dropping it slowly to 225. I'm not much of a welder but I think I could make one and want to, will probably wait until we move onto our property as I have two on the back deck already. The Webber is a 26" and has twin baskets with flip up grills to fill the wood hopper, I would rather be using that if maintaining the temp wasn't so hard. Buddies have a Traeger and swear by them. Thanks all for the tips.
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OK, y'all, now I have to get a brisket next weekend. That ^^ looks absolutely yummy!
 
Yes it does. A smoke ring like that and tender/juicy is what I'm hoping for!
 
Go ahead, it's won twice in a row and is kicking my As! right now. Temp at 248, grill at lowest settings for both outside burners. I've heard 250 is OK, but I want to get to 225, considering propping the cover slightly or maybe I didn't give the one burner on high enough time, dunno.
 
I say low temp is the key, and it takes a correct size drum, and fire the right distance a way from meat. Lelo Dart,s post is right on. low emp, many hours, the right rub, sauce after its cooked if wanted.

funny thing about BBQ, people tend to like what they were raised on, and it can be a very emotional topic!!!!!!
 
Okay got to 225 with a little piece of apple propping up cover, smoke isn't blowing away as it's not windy today. I should have known I had to put the temp control on CHICKEN Ha Ha!
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barbee6043 said:
I say low temp is the key, and it takes a correct size drum, and fire the right distance a way from meat. Lelo Dart,s post is right on. low emp, many hours, the right rub, sauce after its cooked if wanted.

funny thing about BBQ, people tend to like what they were raised on, and it can be a very emotional topic!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Low temperature is far from the key. May want to join and have a look around...Q-talk - The BBQ BRETHREN FORUMS.
In particular look for Bluedawg KISS brisket.
There is more than 1 way to cook a brisket. Lot of folks use a Reverse Flow similar to mine. Most RF cookers will not run at 225. There is a BBQ joint in Texas, Aaron Franklins...he is famous for brisket. His cookers run at 275*. The pictures I posted earlier were from a 290* cook.
Last few food threads I have on here were all done off this cooker...at 325* or higher.
Have done a few pork butts at 225*...and a few at 350*...all on a Big Green Egg...225* butts, unwrapped take about 75 minutes a pound for me. 350* butts about 40 minutes a pound. Taste is identical, as is the juiciness. Only thing the higher temperature does is tones the bark down. Just Google "turbo butt"...I was a big believer in that whole 225 lonslo thing...until recently. Not everything can be cooked "hot & fast"...chuck roasts come to mind.
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Ink, thanks for the link! Because I don't have a scale and this beef was wrapped at a butcher for private sale there is no weight on it so I can only estimate. I'm wondering what internal temp is best, I've heard 185 but then also that a lot of the pros go for exactly 203, that's quite a bit of range. Here's the meat at 3 hrs.
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71340Duster said:
Ink, thanks for the link! Because I don't have a scale and this beef was wrapped at a butcher for private sale there is no weight on it so I can only estimate. I'm wondering what internal temp is best, I've heard 185 but then also that a lot of the pros go for exactly 203, that's quite a bit of range. Here's the meat at 3 hrs.View attachment 1714932684
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Every hunk of cow is going to be different. Lot of folks say 203 is a good number for them but in the same breath will say "probe tender". By this they mean warm up a tube of Country Crock butter to room temperature and insert the probe...that is what you looking for. To me they are overdone at that point. For me I want to feel a slight bit of drag when probing. The pictures I posted the brisket was pulled at 195* if I remember right, would have to check my notes. Have to remember, it will cook a bit more when you wrap and cooler it. Some folks go by feel. If you join that site and do a quick search you will find a mind boggling amount of info. Some folks also go by feel.
 
I got scared of "dry" so followed Lelo Darts advice and wrapped it in a heavy foil at the 4 hour mark
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. It seemed to have a good amount of bark on it and smoke too. The probe I have in it is reading 170 degrees at the 5 hour mark.
 
Getting close, temp at 190, pulling at 195 degrees. Got started on these "around" noon ha ha.
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I have to wonder how all my friends and relatives, ametuers and pros alike, ever cooked BBQ down in sw Ga on an open pit!!!!???????? lol

look up receipe for Brunswick stew, it is a side that always shows up in the south with BBQ. most people love it, you guys may bark at the thought! who knows... many variations, but basically a thick stew of ground pork and chicken, with a little corn etc added,,,,.

I have to admit you guys ARE fancy!
 
Well, it was better than the first two by a long shot but there's lots of room for improvement. I sliced from the point end and the meat there was dry, the smoke ring wasn't what I'd hoped and there wasn't as much bark as I wanted. However, I then cut from the other end and it was juicy so at least that end tasted good. Thanks for all the tips. Here's a pic of a couple of ling cod I caught on the May 1st Halibut opener, we had halibut and artichokes on the wood grill last night, maybe I should stick to that!!
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I didn't notice much of a fat cap on it. The butcher may have trimmed most of it off. The cap should be a 1/4" to 1/2" thick and you want to cook with the cap up. This helps to keep them from drying out so much. I personally smoke mine to 185 temp as well as wrap in foil at about 160. At 185 I put it in a cooler and let it rest for a couple of hours. No ice This allows it to finish cooking. As well as letting the juices soak back thru.
 
Smoke 3-4 hours, place in foil bowl, pour a nice, cool beer in there, and wrap up completely with foil. continue cooking. It'll be a champ.
 
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