A few more questions before my first smoke

[crapshooter]

You all have been so great about giving me advice on what I needed to buy. Now I think I have most of it here and ready to do my first smoke as soon as the weather clears.  There's a few things I want to ask before I do my first one.

My auber pid came with a disc but I can't get it to play on either my dvd player or my computer. I wouldn't think it would be too complicated, but on the probe that goes into the meat, do you run it though the vent or put it in meat and shut door on it? Anything else concerning the auber that I should know?

With the weather uncertain I'm thinking of starting a smoke with smoker right outside garage and if it starts raining pulling it just inside the door so it wouldn't get wet.  Would that hurt anything other than give my garage a smoke odor?

We bought a brisket yesterday and I bought the super trimmed. I'm thinking now I might have gotten one with a little more fat on it. Should I try to return it to the store before I open it and get one with solid layer of fat on bottom? Most of the ones we saw had so much fat that there looked like very little good meat in them.

I mixed my Jan's rub last night and since my wife and I are both diabetic I substitued the Stevia instead of actual sugar. Has anyone else made this substitution and does it still have same effect on the meat?

Thanks again everyone for such a helpful website. I'm sure I'll have more questions before I actually get a chance to smoke something. Just trying to make my first smoke a good one.

[FLBentRider]

I would definitely return the brisket if you can or plan to cure it and make pastrami.

I know someone here has experimented with substitutions in Jans rub, but I can't remember who, or what the outcome was. It's really not an overly sweet rub.

[beefmann]

i have ran the probe through the top vent as well as through the door seal, one other thing to consider is soak the brisket in your favorite soda for a  few hours, it  will absorb some of the  flavor and absorb some of the  liquid from the  soda which will make the brisker more juicy ( you can also use your favorite beverage )
good luck on what you  decide to do

[crapshooter]

i have ran the probe through the top vent as well as through the door seal, one other thing to consider is soak the brisket in your favorite soda for a  few hours, it  will absorb some of the  flavor and absorb some of the  liquid from the  soda which will make the brisker more juicy ( you can also use your favorite beverage )
good luck on what you  decide to do

Should I do this even if my favorite beverage is diet Dr. Pepper.  I gave up the other favorite few years back.

On my brisket I bought it has about a half inch fat on bottom, is that enough or should I return for one with thicker fat if they will take it back.

[Habanero Smoker]

Though I don't use it because it has a metallic after taste, stevia is a sugar substitute that can be used in cooking. Using a diet soda in the drip bowl that contains aspartame may also produce an off flavor. Aspartame is one of the sugar substitutes that should not be used in cooking.