I picked up two choice pre-trimmed briskets at the local Costco this weekend and just got them in the Bradley tonight. I trimmed them up a bit, put a store bought rub on them and gave them 5 hours of applewood smoke. This is my first brisket in the Bradley but I've already done ribs, pulled pork and ABTs with great results.
I'm experimenting a little, using a hot cast iron frying pan full of boiling water in place of the regular water bowl. My thinking is it holds more water and the cast iron holds more heat, much like a foil wrapped brick.
I never did post pictures of my ribs and ABTs, they came out great but the low quality cell phone pictures came out awful. I'll try to get some good pics of the briskets and post them here.
Greg(ory)
Sounds good Greg I haven't and probably won't have a temp issue ( I live in Texas) cause it's hot here just about year round. But I have read some of the others discuss various heat retainers and your sounds like a great idea. Good luck on them choice briskets and pics would be nice. Everyone loves pics. CRG
Sounds like a good plan Gregory. Keep that heat low (220) and yer vent open. Your in for some good eats. Oh, and welcome to the forum. ;D
Hi there regory and welcome to the forum.
I love your idea about the iron skillet. I will try it some time
HR
Welcome to the fun.
Sounds like you got your heat retention figured out.
Keep us posted how your brisket turns out.
Mmmmmmmmmmmm Brisket.
Slow and low brother slooow and looow
QuoteThis is my first brisket in the Bradley
Boy are you in for a treat. I have only done two myself, have trouble finding brisket around here, but it is so good.
I just picked up a brisket for this weekend.
$3.26/lb
owwww.
Quote from: FLBentRider on September 30, 2009, 09:08:18 AM
I just picked up a brisket for this weekend.
$3.26/lb
owwww.
I finally found a good source for whole brisket here at a local butcher. I have to take a case of them at a time though. I just stoped at the butcher this morning and they arrived. 89 lbs worth, 7 briskets for $2.39 lb.
Ohhh yaaaa! :D
Mike
Quote from: Mr Walleye on September 30, 2009, 11:12:06 AM
Quote from: FLBentRider on September 30, 2009, 09:08:18 AM
I just picked up a brisket for this weekend.
$3.26/lb
owwww.
I finally found a good source for whole brisket here at a local butcher. I have to take a case of them at a time though. I just stoped at the butcher this morning and they arrived. 89 lbs worth, 7 briskets for $2.39 lb.
Ohhh yaaaa! :D
Mike
Sweeeet!
Doing a little Pastrami ?
I finally found a good source for whole brisket here at a local butcher. I have to take a case of them at a time though. I just stoped at the butcher this morning and they arrived. 89 lbs worth, 7 briskets for $2.39 lb.
Ohhh yaaaa! :D
Mike
[/quote]
Score
Hi Gregory. The cast iron should work well. I saw a post here a while back about cutting the handle off of a cast iron pan to fit it into the cabinet. Basically, anything that has mass and will hold heat will work; cast iron, bricks, old gold jewelry, a cat ...
Happy smoking! ;D
I did brisket a couple of weeks ago. The store had Angus at 3.99 or 'regular' at 1.99. I got the Angus; it was a bit over 8 pounds. The 'regular', USDA Choice were about 13 pounds and probably needed some trimming. If I didn't have arthritis, I'd be kickin' myself in the a$$ for not getting 2 or 3 of the cheaper ones and freezing them. The sale ended on Sunday. I went there Monday morning - not a brisket in sight. I wonder where they go?
Quote from: Mr Walleye on September 30, 2009, 11:12:06 AM
Quote from: FLBentRider on September 30, 2009, 09:08:18 AM
I just picked up a brisket for this weekend.
$3.26/lb
owwww.
I finally found a good source for whole brisket here at a local butcher. I have to take a case of them at a time though. I just stoped at the butcher this morning and they arrived. 89 lbs worth, 7 briskets for $2.39 lb.
Ohhh yaaaa! :D
Mike
Nice score there, I can see why you took a case!
Quote from: FLBentRider on September 30, 2009, 09:08:18 AM
I just picked up a brisket for this weekend.
$3.26/lb
owwww.
Thats a good deal for around here, if you can find brisket. Last one I got was $3.99/lb on sale. >:(
My pre-trimmed choice briskets were something like $2.49 / lb at costco. I can usually get untrimmed select brisket for $1.99 / lb at smart and final. They used to be cheaper but the price has been creeping up.
As for keeping the temp below 220, once I get the meat in I have a hard time getting back up to 200. I foil wrapped my briskets and popped them in the oven to get the internal temperature up, then gave them the FTC treatment for 7 hours.
They came out great. I even have a hint of smoke ring. I know that's not supposed to be possible, so I took some photos. I thought it might be the rub, but I don't see anything in it that would cause that.
I'll try to get some pictures posted this weekend
Greg
Glad to here your first time Bradley Brisket turned out great
"Having a hard time getting back to 200"
You didn't close down the vent did you ?
Closing the vent more than half way will slow down the heat recovery.
"FTC treatment for 7 hours"
I think you now hold the record for the longest FTC ;D
Was it still hot ?
OU812,
I kept the vent 2/3 open. I had the temperature control a little below full, which was fine for getting the cabinet up to 220 but couldn't recover with 16lbs of meat. Eventually I turned it up to max near the end of the cooking time and that helped a lot.
I finished the meat double wrapped in foil in a 350 degree oven to bring the IT up, then put both briskets together wrapped in 3 towels in a very small cooler. 7 hours later they were quite hot, as in, ready to serve hot, uncomfortable to hold hot.
Quote from: Gregory on October 03, 2009, 10:01:43 AM
OU812,
I kept the vent 2/3 open. I had the temperature control a little below full, which was fine for getting the cabinet up to 220 but couldn't recover with 16lbs of meat. Eventually I turned it up to max near the end of the cooking time and that helped a lot.
I finished the meat double wrapped in foil in a 350 degree oven to bring the IT up, then put both briskets together wrapped in 3 towels in a very small cooler. 7 hours later they were quite hot, as in, ready to serve hot, uncomfortable to hold hot.
It sounds like you have the OBS Gregory. If so, the temperature control is a rheostat that when set less than max, runs the heating element at a reduced power. Preheating to a higher temperature and leaving the control on max after loading the smoker should help the temp recovery time. Once the smoker temp comes up to your planned smoking temp. then start adjusting the control down to maintain your planned cooking temperature.
I would leave it on max until the heat recovers, a couple of hours at least.
Gregory, glad things turned out good for you. Just remember the bigger meats (really all meats) don't have a cooking time. You smoke to your desired IT. Some days will differ from others if you finish in the Bradley. Low and slow till your IT hits home. CRG
Thanks guys.
I've done a fair amount of brisket in an old electric bullet smoker, but the Bradley is new to me. I was a little over cautious with the temp controls. The Bradley is in some way's the opposite of my old bullet. The bullet had a very hot element (1600 watts) but really poor insulation. It leaked heat like a sieve. I'm still getting a feel for the Bradley's heat production combined with vastly superior insulation.
I especially liked HawkeyeSmokes's advice to preheat higher and keep the slider at max after loading until my desired smoke temp is reached. That along with a good heat ballast should make things nice and simple.
Pics coming shortly
Greg
Finally got a pic up. I tried to upload more but photobucket is taking forever to show them.
You can see a little bit of smoke ring in this one. I didn't use charcoal or cure to get that, I just got lucky.
The ring tapered out towards the middle of the brisket.
(http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx161/gregorysbbq/CIMG3009.jpg)
More to follow if photobucket cooperates:
(http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx161/gregorysbbq/CIMG3011.jpg)
Gregory, sures looks like a smoke ring to me. Nice looking Brisket. CRG
Quote from: Gregory on October 04, 2009, 04:03:07 PM
I especially liked HawkeyeSmokes's advice to preheat higher and keep the slider at max after loading until my desired smoke temp is reached. That along with a good heat ballast should make things nice and simple.
Greg
Sounds like your figuring out the learning curve ;D