Smaller brisket smoke method

[ZachD]

It was tough because you pulled it too early you need to pull it at 190-195 for slicing and 200 - 205 for pulled meat then let it rest. I don't know anyone in the bbq world that would pull and let rest at 165-170 internal temp not for a brisket no way. I think the only thing that saved you that it was just a portion of the flat. Had it been the whole flat or the point that thing would have been 100 times worse.

 

[Moon Lake Refuge]

2 hours ago, rl_sd said:

The first time that I made brisket, it was for our neighborhood block party.  My plan was to use my master built electric smoker. I had bought a 12# packer a few days prior, got on the 'old YouTube and watched how to trim it properly. I did my research on different rubs and seasonings and got the thing all doctored up a day before the smoke. It truly was a thing of beauty seasoned up, trimmed up and ready to go. With the literature that I read online, I was thinking that 16 hrs would do it.... plus I wanted to leave ample time for rest and slicing. So, the next morning I got everything else ready...... 6 pack of beer - check, radio on the right station - check, wood chips smoking - check, smoker preheating - ummm why does my smoker sound like an arc welder and what is that ungodly smell? Unplug, open the door..Sure sheat, element burned out.  Instant panic, gonna need more. I could put it in the oven, but well.... ovens suck, don't produce smoke (well, not supposed to) and are my wife says I can't touch it anyway. Now what? To cut the suspense I'll just come out and tell you. I spent the next 16 hrs tending to this beautiful chunk of meat on the old charbroil gas grill. Do you know how much constant adjustments it takes to maintain 225* on a $100 grill? Not that it matter since I was up every hour anyway to replace the little foil packs of wood chips, cause based on my YouTube research - it's all about the friggin "smoke ring". I literally slept on the kids' trampoline and set the alarm on my phone every hour.  Once I got through the stall, I knew I was in the home stretch. By 8 am the next morning, I had hit 200*. My wife came out and gave me poop about not coming to and had comments about the beer pyramid on the patio table. I was not in the mood. So the foiled brisket got wrapped in one of the nice "company" bath towels that I am not allowed to use, and in the cooler it went. 4 hrs later I was getting rave reviews from the neighbors. It must have been good, because it was gone before I ever got any, was quite a while before I did another one

I think I would have just told the Mrs. that it was time for an upgrade and went out and picked up a new one.  

[leech~~]

3 hours ago, rl_sd said:

The first time that I made brisket, it was for our neighborhood block party.  My plan was to use my master built electric smoker. I had bought a 12# packer a few days prior, got on the 'old YouTube and watched how to trim it properly. I did my research on different rubs and seasonings and got the thing all doctored up a day before the smoke. It truly was a thing of beauty seasoned up, trimmed up and ready to go. With the literature that I read online, I was thinking that 16 hrs would do it.... plus I wanted to leave ample time for rest and slicing. So, the next morning I got everything else ready...... 6 pack of beer - check, radio on the right station - check, wood chips smoking - check, smoker preheating - ummm why does my smoker sound like an arc welder and what is that ungodly smell? Unplug, open the door..Sure sheat, element burned out.  Instant panic, gonna need more. I could put it in the oven, but well.... ovens suck, don't produce smoke (well, not supposed to) and are my wife says I can't touch it anyway. Now what? To cut the suspense I'll just come out and tell you. I spent the next 16 hrs tending to this beautiful chunk of meat on the old charbroil gas grill. Do you know how much constant adjustments it takes to maintain 225* on a $100 grill? Not that it matter since I was up every hour anyway to replace the little foil packs of wood chips, cause based on my YouTube research - it's all about the friggin "smoke ring". I literally slept on the kids' trampoline and set the alarm on my phone every hour.  Once I got through the stall, I knew I was in the home stretch. By 8 am the next morning, I had hit 200*. My wife came out and gave me poop about not coming to and had comments about the beer pyramid on the patio table. I was not in the mood. So the foiled brisket got wrapped in one of the nice "company" bath towels that I am not allowed to use, and in the cooler it went. 4 hrs later I was getting rave reviews from the neighbors. It must have been good, because it was gone before I ever got any, was quite a while before I did another one

Way to stay in there until the job was done! 

I say when your shat breaks, improvise!

[rundrave]

well I will have to give it another shot if I can find another small brisket and leave it in longer next time.

thanks for feedback everyone

 

[Grainbelt]

Rundrave,  next time do exactly like you did but leave the foiled brisket on the grill or oven and use your meat thermometer as a probe to see if it is done by touch and not by the reading. You can poke through the foil into the meat when you think it's about done, if you feel any resistance when inserting it isn't ready to pull off yet. When you reach the point of tenderness, like sticking it into room temp butter, then it is time to put in a cooler like you did.

If you are going to cook another small flat maybe try fat side down and bacon on top. Mmmm bacon.

[Big Dave2]

7 hours ago, rl_sd said:

The first time that I made brisket, it was for our neighborhood block party.  My plan was to use my master built electric smoker. I had bought a 12# packer a few days prior, got on the 'old YouTube and watched how to trim it properly. I did my research on different rubs and seasonings and got the thing all doctored up a day before the smoke. It truly was a thing of beauty seasoned up, trimmed up and ready to go. With the literature that I read online, I was thinking that 16 hrs would do it.... plus I wanted to leave ample time for rest and slicing. So, the next morning I got everything else ready...... 6 pack of beer - check, radio on the right station - check, wood chips smoking - check, smoker preheating - ummm why does my smoker sound like an arc welder and what is that ungodly smell? Unplug, open the door..Sure sheat, element burned out.  Instant panic, gonna need more. I could put it in the oven, but well.... ovens suck, don't produce smoke (well, not supposed to) and are my wife says I can't touch it anyway. Now what? To cut the suspense I'll just come out and tell you. I spent the next 16 hrs tending to this beautiful chunk of meat on the old charbroil gas grill. Do you know how much constant adjustments it takes to maintain 225* on a $100 grill? Not that it matter since I was up every hour anyway to replace the little foil packs of wood chips, cause based on my YouTube research - it's all about the friggin "smoke ring". I literally slept on the kids' trampoline and set the alarm on my phone every hour.  Once I got through the stall, I knew I was in the home stretch. By 8 am the next morning, I had hit 200*. My wife came out and gave me poop about not coming to and had comments about the beer pyramid on the patio table. I was not in the mood. So the foiled brisket got wrapped in one of the nice "company" bath towels that I am not allowed to use, and in the cooler it went. 4 hrs later I was getting rave reviews from the neighbors. It must have been good, because it was gone before I ever got any, was quite a while before I did another one

Sounds like you did a great job but I like my sleep so I would have smoked it for 4 or 5 hours and then put that puppy in the oven overnight. 

[rundrave]

picked up another 4.5lber last night at costco gonna give it another shot this weekend.

@rl_sd they still had few others in the 4-7lb range left in the pile  I haven't seen any other places locally that have smaller ones like those.

 

[rundrave]

35 minutes ago, rl_sd said:

What are they running per pound?

$4.59/lb not sure how good or bad that is. But I am more intrigued by size and experiment with that rather than a full packer.

[leech~~]

I've got a small one waiting. Just trying to find time when I and the smoker will be in the same spot for enough hours!

I have a good feeling that the week after Deer Hunting closes and Ice forms. The smoker will be doing a lot of catch up!!!

[Mike89]

2 hours ago, rl_sd said:

What are they running per pound?  I would be all over it if I wouldn't have just got done doing a 12 pounder on Monday . It turned out awesome... Here is what I did.

• Smoke setting for 2 hrs (may be able to get by an hr with the smaller brisket)
• Bump temp up to 225 and leave uncovered
• Double wrap in foil at 160 internal meat temp
• Pull off at 200 internal meat temp, wrap it in a towel and let it rest for 1 1/2 hrs in a cooler

any rub on it??   I got to try this!!

[Mike89]

thanks!!!

[rundrave]

Much better results this time. Nailed it!

 

[delcecchi]

Looks like a squid attacked the brisket.

[Mike89]

that looks great and I'll bet it tasted better!!!!!!  excellent looking meal!!!

[Big Dave2]

19 minutes ago, delcecchi said:

Looks like a squid attacked the brisket.

Looks a whole lot better than a boiled brisket....

[rundrave]

36 minutes ago, Big Dave2 said:

Looks a whole lot better than a boiled brisket....

You don't get a smoke ring like that with liquid smoke either 

[delcecchi]

Takes a shot of cure to get that ring, if you don't have a source of carbon monoxide to mess with the enzymes////

[PurpleFloyd]

A bit off subject and I love firing up the smoker for a little meat centric voodoo as much as anyone but time and seasoning costs money and sometimes I find that by the time you buy everything we use to bring,inject,rub,produce and trap the smoke and otherwise cover these lesser cuts to make them taste right we could have had a nice steak on a grill.

 

[Big Dave2]

1 hour ago, PurpleFloyd said:

A bit off subject and I love firing up the smoker for a little meat centric voodoo as much as anyone but time and seasoning costs money and sometimes I find that by the time you buy everything we use to bring,inject,rub,produce and trap the smoke and otherwise cover these lesser cuts to make them taste right we could have had a nice steak on a grill.

 

If you want a steak then you are probably right but sometimes a good brisket sandwich is even better!

[PurpleFloyd]

42 minutes ago, Big Dave2 said:

If you want a steak then you are probably right but sometimes a good brisket sandwich is even better!

It can be but not without a quite a bit of work and seasoning which adds to the cost. I don't see too many people cooking brisket , pulled pork etc without adding a whole bunch of stuff to make it taste decent. 

[delcecchi]

29 minutes ago, PurpleFloyd said:

It can be but not without a quite a bit of work and seasoning which adds to the cost. I don't see too many people cooking brisket , pulled pork etc without adding a whole bunch of stuff to make it taste decent. 

Texas style.  Salt and black pepper.   Put it in the smoker.  wrap it.  

 

Edited October 22, 2017 by delcecchi

[PurpleFloyd]

Outlier. I will confess though that at least with brisket it is beef so by nature it won't need as much as pork in terms of seasoning.

 

Edited October 22, 2017 by PurpleFloyd

[delcecchi]

Looks like salt, pepper, maybe cayenne and garlic.   30 minute marinade isn't doing much.      Good pork doesn't need much more than salt and pepper and maybe a little sugar.  

[Big Dave2]

6 hours ago, PurpleFloyd said:

It can be but not without a quite a bit of work and seasoning which adds to the cost. I don't see too many people cooking brisket , pulled pork etc without adding a whole bunch of stuff to make it taste decent. 

Seasoning is not that big of an issue, just make your own rubs. The internet is full of recipes. It is a bit of work to smoke a pork butt or brisket depending on the smoker you have but with the right equipment it's not so much work as it is the time to prepare. 

If you are one of those who are always in a hurry then you may want to just stick with steaks, burgers and hot dogs on the gas grill but if you have some time and want some gourmet food once in a while nothing beats good ole' southern BBQ, for me.

The fact that we live in this predominantly Scandinavian region where ribs are usually baked, boiled or put in a crock pot and ketchup is too spicy is all the more reason it is imperative that I be at least semi-competent at BBQing. It is almost impossible to get good,  authentic, southern BBQ around here. You can however get a good steak just about everywhere you turn.

[PurpleFloyd]

I wouldn't call BBQ pork gourmet.

It's just finding enough of the right combinations of strong spices and salt to make the poor, tough cuts tolerable to eat.

Kinda like the buffalo wings craze. Wings used to be the throwaway parts of a chicken you had to take to get breast meat. Now per pound they are more expensive than any other part of the chicken.   

Not a complaint at all as I am pretty addicted to wings and I live pulled pork as well. 

Just an observation./opinion. No harm or hurt feelings intended.