Third OBS smoke - Brisket this time and a few pics

[ArnieM]

Please see here http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=11521.0 for how I did the preheat and stuff.  It worked very well and there's additional suggestions.

The basics:
I got a whole Angus brisket, kind of small (8.75 pounds) and pretty darned expensive.  

 (Bottom up)

But, it seemed nicely trimmed.  I took off maybe 1/4 pound of fat from an end and a bit from the cap.  I cut it in half (the flat and the tip, about 4.25 pounds each) rubbed it down and put it in the fridge overnight.  That was some good lookin' meat.

I got it in the smoker around 8 AM and this is what it looked like.  I was setup for 4 hours of Oak.  The temp was stabilized nicely around 210-220.



At about 11:45 AM, the smoke was almost done and things were looking very promising.



Then, by 2 or 3 PM, the brisket was up to about 163 and just seemed to stop there.  Maybe that's the "magic time", like ribs?

So, what I learned:  It'll take longer than I figured on.  What I should have learned from years of slow cooking:  It will ALWAYS take longer than I figured on.  My bad.

Now it's time to entertain the guests - while they're smelling that great smell and looking all around.  You might try a decent movie or the stereo, some cheese and crackers (ABTs weren't on the menu) and a copious amount of adult beverages.  Whatever you do, DON'T put a cooking show on TV at this time!

I pulled the brisket at about 188 and did the FTC for about 45 minutes.  I would have liked longer, but we were pushing 7 PM here.

Here they are after the FTC.



It was time to slice up the flat.



I made my world (well, maybe family) famous cole slaw (I was out of sun-dried tomatoes) http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=11528.0 .  My wife and her girlfriend made some mashed potatoes with garlic and cream cheese.  Quite nice.  Time to eat.

And, FINALLY, it was time to eat!



The downside -

• I cooked the flat on the bottom-most rack and the tip above it (all cap-up).  I figured a little fat dripping from the tip would be pretty good.  However, the bottom of the flat was almost burned and really quite tough.  I might go for the second and third racks up the next time to stay away from too much direct heat.
• The flat was not stringy and was certainly chewable but not as tender as I'd like.  Maybe I'll shoot for a 195 IT next time?  Note that the temp probe was in the tip.  The flat, on the bottom shelf, might have actually been above 188.

But practice makes perfect, if there is any such thing.  I've been cooking for a LONG time but for only a few weeks on the OBS.  I'd really appreciate any suggestions that might help to reduce my learning curve.  :)

Thanks all.

[HawkeyeSmokes]

A couple of ideas Arnie. It looks like your using the temp gauge on the door. If so, the temp your brisket is being exposed to would be higher. So it seems the cooking time was a bit quick from what mine have been. I like to use a remote temp gauge hanging below the lowest rack that I am cooking on. And I do take the brisket closer to 200 deg. A single flat weighing about 5 pounds took me about 11 hours start to finish. And a whole packer about 11 pounds was close to 20 hours. Hope this helps a little and I'm sure others will be on also.

[ArnieM]

Thanks for the reply HS.  Your cooking times are certainly longer than the 1.5 hours/pound guideline.  But, as I said, slow cooking has always seemed to require more time than I figured.  I might move the racks up one next time (space permitting).  Maybe I'll have to get me one of those Maverick things; one probe on the low shelf and one in the meat.

Thanks again,

[mikeradio]

Hello ArnieM

Get a Maverick ET-73 it makes everything easyier.

Mike

[Hopefull Romantic]

I am still too chicken to take the brisket "PLUNG" but yours sure look great.

Having guests, any time for more than half an hour before your smoked food is ready, is like having back seat drivers. The smell of smoke and the aroma of the meat still drives me salivating and going nuts and I have been smoking for a while. Now, you can imagine what they do for less experienced folks.

Good job

HR

[mikecorn.1]

Looks like some good eat'n. Congrats on the brisket.

[Caneyscud]

Yep Arnie - 11 hours on two 4.25 pound brisket pieces - you know what low-n-slow is all about!

 The temp was stabilized nicely around 210-220.

A little low for the 1.5 hour per pound rule of thumb.  Avg of 225 and for relatively large pieces of meat.  For me these smaller briskets act like roasts.  They will get "done" before they get tender - so I tend to cut the temp back on roasts so they stay in the "good" zone as long as possible.  With the smaller pieces that need to cook for awhile to tenderize, I tend to set the temp lower than water boiling point.  Why boil any moisture off if you don't have to. 

Then, by 2 or 3 PM, the brisket was up to about 163 and just seemed to stop there.  Maybe that's the "magic time", like ribs?

Ahh - the plateau!  That wonderful, wonderful, plateau!  The smoker's bestest friend! 

So, what I learned:  It'll take longer than I figured on.  What I should have learned from years of slow cooking:  It will ALWAYS take longer than I figured on.  My bad.

Not always, the last two of mine have taked considerably less.  Has to do with how I now tend the fire in my stickburners during an all-nighter.  My Bradley tends to take longer, because of the initial heat recovery. 

• I cooked the flat on the bottom-most rack and the tip above it (all cap-up).  I figured a little fat dripping from the tip would be pretty good.  However, the bottom of the flat was almost burned and really quite tough.  I might go for the second and third racks up the next time to stay away from too much direct heat.

The fat drip is a great idea, but you found out the bottom rack is not the one to do it on.  Particularly early in the smoke, that element is on almost all the time - and it does tend to really bake the bottom and back edge of what is on bottom rack.  But then all smokers tend to do that also.  So you just adjust to it.  I very seldom put anything on any rack but the 2 middle ones, unless I have a full load.  When I do have something on the bottom rack I will pull the meat to the very front - as far from the element as possible and sometimes cover the back edge of the meat with some foil for shielding.  And/or rotate the racks.  I also don't put anytihing on the top rack if I don't have to.  I can get pretty hot also, and you don't know it unless you are monitoring there. 

• The flat was not stringy and was certainly chewable but not as tender as I'd like.  Maybe I'll shoot for a 195 IT next time?  Note that the temp probe was in the tip.  The flat, on the bottom shelf, might have actually been above 188.

All things considered, I would have thunk that the flat would have been falling apart and been overdry.  But the pics show a different story.  That thing looks good and moist with the side that was closest to the back of the Bradley fall apart and the rest sliceable.  I might have monitored the flat until it was done, then remove, and then poke the probe into the point until it was done.  I seldom monitor a brisket anymore - I generally use my thermapen when I think it is getting close and remove the different pieces of meat as they get done. 

Good looking eats Arnie! 

[Caribou]

Awesome Arnie  :)
Great job and I think I see the famous slaw, too!
Carolyn

[ArnieM]

Thanks for the advice CS; sounds pretty logical.  I didn't rotate the shelves because I hate opening that door.  I promise I'll do better next time.  ;)

Now my local grocery has fresh bone-in pork butt for $0.99 per pound this week.  We haven't even finished the brisket yet.  It's tough keeping up.  :)

[squirtthecat]

Now my local grocery has fresh bone-in pork butt for $0.99 per pound this week.  We haven't even finished the brisket yet.  It's tough keeping up.  :)

It's a sickness, isn't it?!?!?!

[ArnieM]

Awesome Arnie  :)
Great job and I think I see the famous slaw, too!
Carolyn

Thanks C.  I have to get the recipe for those mashed potatoes too.  I wasn't paying much attention while the girls were doin' them up in the kitchen.  All I know at this point is that the ingredients included potatoes and cream cheese.  :o  My wife's girlfriend is part owner of a restaurant here in town and she can really cook up a storm!  She brought over a homemade apple pie for desert and you should see her cheesecake (OMG).

[ArnieM]

Now my local grocery has fresh bone-in pork butt for $0.99 per pound this week.  We haven't even finished the brisket yet.  It's tough keeping up.  :)

It's a sickness, isn't it?!?!?!

Yeah.  Do you know of any therapy or pills for this problem?

[ArnieM]

Hi MikeR,

I had looked at an ET-73 on Amazon.  Everyone here seems to like it but there were an awful lot of negative reviews on Amazon so I passed on it.  Most people complained of very limited range and no out of range warning.  Any comments on your experience with it would be appreciated.

[OU812]

Looks like you did a nice job for your first brisket there Arnie

As Cs said try to cook everything in the middle of your cabnet that way you shouldnt have to rotate the racks and the point on the rack above the flat was a good choice. I like to cook brisket with a cabnet temp of 230 F I'm sure the next time will be perfect.

The nice thing about smoking is even if it didnt turn out like you wanted it was still good

I have the ET-73 and havent had a bad experience with it yet, if the range is the selling point on the recipe site there is a post on adding a better antenna for longer reception

[squirtthecat]

I have the ET-73 and havent had a bad experience with it yet, if the range is the selling point on the recipe site there is a post on adding a better antenna for longer reception

Ditto.  Only once during an overnight smoke did mine flake out on me.   

Cheap Trick:    Keep the remote well within range, and use a cheap baby monitor to 'relay' any temperature alarms to you..