Brisket quick reference guide?

[Dano]

Hi everyone,

Was hoping someone can double check my steps as I think I have them in order but with the price of beef here increasing daily I wanted to double check before smoking my first brisket, a la "pachanga" style.  I keep a lot of these guides/recipes on my mobile phone so if I have to start late at night or early in the morning I can use them as a quick reference to save the brain some cycles and hopefully minimize the mistakes.  :)  Is 12 hours of smoke about right?

Steps

Whole Packer's Cut Brisket(2 muscles and fat cap attached) 8lbs or more
Can wet age up to 28 days(or less) but this is optional, lean side up, and trim away any brown meat/fat
Leave 1/4 inch fat on deckle, place remaining fat on rack above brisket to baste

Apply dry rub first, pressing hard on lean side
Apply slather lightly next, can combine mustard with apple juice, beer etc.  Should be mostly opaque
Cover back half of bradley flavourizer/drip tray rack with tinfoil
Replace water bowl with aluminum pan filled with hot water
Load brisket and ensure drippings are on top rack, can invert the rack if the brisket doesn't fit in the rack
Bend in an upside down 'U' so it fits on the rack, lean side down/fat side up if necessary
Set temp to 250F for multiple briskets, 220F if just one
Fully load generator with mostly apple, 1/4 hickory, some oak and a few mesquite
SMOKE TIME IS 12 HOURS - plan for 6 hours, then rest smoke generator, then another 6 hours(this may be 12 hours straight if one brisket only)
Start smoking process between 7pm and 9pm, vent 5/8 open, depending on how much the brisket weighs.
*Water pan  may need changing mid-way through the night, especially if there's a lot of drippings
In the morning reload smoke generator with 3-4 hours worth of pucks and check drip pan.  If one brisket bump up the temp to 250F?
When temp of brisket hits 168F, drop smoker temp to 225F and let it slow rise
If one brisket, this can take 12-15 hours because of faster heat rise.  If multiple, 18-22 hours is normal.
Internal temp should be 190F-195F and fork tender
FTC it for a few hours, then serve

Thanks in advance!

[pensrock]

Cover back half of bradley flavourizer/drip tray rack with tinfoil

Not sure why you would do this? I never have and my brisket always comes out great.
I also only smoke for 3-4 hours not 12.
I do not put fat trimmings on the top rack, I freeze them and save for sausages.
The wood type and rubs are your choice. I do not use a rub just salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.
My smoker is set for 220-230F. I only have done one brisket at a time. Vent  wide open. I leave the smoke generator on the whole time but only 3-4 hours of pucks.
I will also rotate the tray front to back a couple time during the process.
But I'm sure most everyone does things a little different for their own reasons. And do some great brisket.
The two things I would question about your method is the amount of smoke and covering the drip tray with foil. IMHO

[Ka Honu]

This post was almost too long and complicated for me to read, digest, and respond. Luckily pens did it all for me and answered exactly the way I would have, even asking the same two questions that immediately caught my eye - amount of smoke (In a Bradley I've never used more than 4 hours on a single brisket, maybe five with a full load) and the thing about the foil on the v-tray (sounds like a grease trap/fire starter to me).

[TedEbear]

Is 12 hours of smoke about right?

No.  3-4 hours of smoke is about right.  After that time the meat has absorbed most of the smoke that it ever will and it become a matter of diminishing returns if you keep burning through pucks.  You may be able to tell a slight difference between smoking it for 4 hours versus 12 hours but the cost of 24 additional pucks probably is not worth it.

[Dano]

Thanks everyone.  Now I'm very happy to have asked! :) I think I mis-interpreted the pachanga method where he mentioned something about 12 hours but that may have just been total time in the Bradley. 

As for covering the back half of the flavourizer, I'm not sure if this was meant to cut down on the drippings on the back wall which may have been too close to the element as he also has some fat on the top rack... I'll re-read the instructions again.

As it stands a brisket with flat, point and fat cap is proving difficult to find in my area so the hunt continues! 

[Caneyscud]

How did it turn out?

[Dano]

I found a butcher who has the packer cut with flat, point and fat cap.  One is on order and will be ready for May 14th.  The Canadian long weekend is the 17th-19th so I'm going to do it then, with the suggestions provided ( 4 hours of smoke, not covering flavourizer ).

Will let you know how my first brisket goes!