Hi guys, so I'm planning on attempting to smoke my first brisket, and I am definitely looking for advice. I have a 4 rack Bradley digital smoker that I will be using. I have seen on the forums where it states to cook to around 185 and then FTC for a few hours. I'm not sure how long I should smoke it/cook it and what temperature to use as well as what type of wood. (I have mesquite/hickory/apple/and a special blend bisquette) I was hoping to have the brisket ready to eat at 4 pm on Monday, so based on that..when should I begin the smoking/cooking process? The brisket is 8.27 lbs and seems a bit too long to fit on my rack...is there a technique I should use for getting it to fit?(I didn't think cutting an end off would be smart)
The only thing I know for certain is that today I'm gonna put it into a brisket marinade that I bought and place in the refrigerator. I'm definitely in need of help in every other area.
Glad to be part of this great smoking experience!!!
Oh yes, after the marinade and before the smoke, is there a rub that I should use on the brisket?
Thank you.
hi Puppy,
here is a good start use jans rub
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?467-Jan-s-Dry-Rub
rub the meat and place in the fridge over night,,, starting early in the morning ( 4: 00 am ish to give enough time to cook) with 3 to 4 hours of special blend , misquite or hickory,.,, some say use hickory or misquite though its a personal preference, box temp of 225,,, pre heat your box and puck burner for 30 minutes before smoking and placing meat in ... fill water bowl as you start the smoking process,,, after the smoke has ended remove the water bowl empty it and add in flavored beverage suck as soda, beer, juice which will add flavor to the brisket. keep the top vent open.
if you have a remote thermometer use it and watch the IT of the meat to it of 185 - 190,,, dont open the door unless necessary... expect the brisket to take some where between 8 to 12 hours maybe a bit longer,,, cook by IT temp
Thank you. When you say 8-12 hours, does that include the 4 hours of initial smoking?(4 hrs smoking + 4-8 hrs longer cooking without smoke) or do you mean 4 hours smoking without the oven on and then another 8-12 with the smoker oven on at 225 degrees?
4 hr of smoke at the beginning of the smoke / cook process,,,
as a time frame
turn on your smoke generator and heating element for a pre heat for 30 mins, at 225 F after the 30 minute pre heat fill the water bowl place it under the puck burner so the pucks can fall into it... place your meat in, Advance the pucks until one puck is on the burner, close the door leave alone for 4 hours,At 4 hours remove the water bowl and replace with fresh water or flavored drink at tins point you have 4 hours of smoke and 4 hours of cooking time,,, what remains should be between 4 to 8 hours
with a hot smoke, smoking and cooking times start together smoking stops and cooking continues
hope this helps
Puppy,
Welcome to the forum. You'll find a lot of help from some fine, knowledgeable folks here. You'll also find there is more than one way to smoke a brisket. After trying a few different methods, you'll find your way and make one your own.
FYI. Some of this info may come in handy.
So your brisket doesn't fit - solution here
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?770-Brisket-Too-Large&p=1170#post1170
Brisket Pachanga
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?532-Brisket-Pachanga
Mustard Slather on Brisket and other Meats
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=12112.0
I Prefer to Smoke Totally Naked - A Brisket and Ribs Manifesto
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?775-I-Prefer-to-Smoke-Totally-Naked&p=1176#post1176
To Mop or Not to Mop – That is the Question
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=14240.0
Good Luck and Slow Smoking,
Pachanga
Quote from: Pachanga on September 02, 2013, 04:27:59 AM
I Prefer to Smoke Totally Naked - A Brisket and Ribs Manifesto
runs off screaming ;D ;D ;D ;D
Welcome to the forum, Beefmann and Pachanga have got you on the right track, follow their advice and you shouldn't have any problems. I also have the 4 rack digital and I like to replace my puck bowl after the smoke with a 9x13 disposable cake pan with almost boiling water which helps keep the temp drop to a minimum. You will read in the links above about the temp stall between 150-170, don't panic this is when the good stuff is happening in your meat just hang in there and it will pass. That's why we talk in terms of IT and a wide time range every piece of meat acts a little different than the last one. Be sure and post some pictures of your smokes we like to see them.
And last but not least, Keep your vent open, Keep your vent open and Keep your vent open.... :)
Thanks guys, I'm definitely experiencing the lull in IT temp right now. I'm also having a difficulty keeping my oven temp at 225. My digital smoker only gives me a 220 option or 230 option, not 225 unless I just don't know how to do it. I dumped out the water after 4 hrs of smoking and added some Motts apple juice. Was this a good move? I considered some Redd's Apple Ale, not sure if either was a good option.
Anyhow, I'm at 153 degrees IT with around 3 hrs left before I need to get it FTC'ing(to give that 2 hrs). Will that be enough time at 220? or should I raise it? I ended up throwing a 2nd brisket in too, I have 16 total lbs cooking.
(http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww350/lilpuppy99/1238890_10200476371252800_2052825622_n.jpg) (http://s734.photobucket.com/user/lilpuppy99/media/1238890_10200476371252800_2052825622_n.jpg.html)
(http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww350/lilpuppy99/1236120_10200476371732812_863964308_n.jpg) (http://s734.photobucket.com/user/lilpuppy99/media/1236120_10200476371732812_863964308_n.jpg.html)
(http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/ww350/lilpuppy99/1185499_10200476366172673_425043782_n.jpg) (http://s734.photobucket.com/user/lilpuppy99/media/1185499_10200476366172673_425043782_n.jpg.html)
great looking start,, the temp will be lower during the cook because of the meat load,, just bear with it ... also rotate your racks every couple of hours,,, top to bottom and front to back this will help in cooking the meat... do this step as quickly as possible
You're on the right track the apple juice will work good, in the future you can heat it up in a pan before putting in to help with heat loss, you will probably end up adding time to your oven timer and smoke timer(leave the smoke generator on with no pucks) before you hit your final IT, go by IT not time and you'll be fine.