My first smoke

triple2ne · February 23, 2005, 06:11:30 AM

I posted a few messages on my malfuctioning Maverick earlier today, just made me watch the transmitter outside on a beautiful day (50 degrees, no wind)..Anyway, you all are great. Helping everyone out just for fun of seeing someone succeed is something most people dont do these days. My first smoke was a 5 pound brisket. I stole ideas from everyone, and well, it came out alittle dry. Marinaded for 15 hrs in Italian dressing, dry rub before the BS. I got the intern.BS temp to 250, used 3.5 hrs of cherry smoke, then it took a total of 12 hrs to get the internal meat temp to 185. 1/4 open vent. I placed plenty of bacon on top during the smoke, and also put alittle apple juice in the foil for the 2 hrs of FTC. It looked so good laying there before I cut into it. Good thing I have plenty of patience and every Sunday, Monday and Tue. off. One question: Do you always cut up the entire brisket, or keep some of it together to cut later? Im gonna chop this one completely cause its too dry. Any suggestions will be applied next week!

nsxbill · February 23, 2005, 03:19:58 PM

After initial meal, I slice them up paper-thin for later sandwiches. I slice it all and then divide into packages for about two sandwiches and vacuum pack with sauce on them....just boil the bag, have beer ready, toast the soft rolls and heaven awaits.

Bill

There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.

MallardWacker · February 23, 2005, 06:44:49 PM

Trip,

Sorry to hear about your dry brisket. A couple of things, maybe it was just that cut of brisket. Try and not get the thinnest trimmed out there and also check to see if the probe of your thermometer is showing the correct temp. I personally do not use bacon, I'm not saying I never had a dry brisket, but I do get a nice moist one more often than not jus by cooking at 220+/- till a interal of 185 also. Just my thoughts and I hope your next one comes out a bit more moist.. Have a good day.

Maybe BigSmoker will chime in here, he is the Brisket miester around these parts.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...

BigSmoker · February 23, 2005, 08:01:42 PM

triple2ne,

A couple of things you might try next time is make sure you have a choice piece of meat and not select. Select sometimes dosen't have what it takes to be moist like a nice choice piece of brisket does. You can also inject the brisket with apple juice and a Dale's type sauce. Inject a 10% solution in relation to your brisket. 5lb. brisket 5 oz. of injection. 50% juice 50% dales(or similiar). Double check maverick to make sure its reading correctly. Score the fat cap diagonally and push rub in real well so it penetrates the meat itself and not just sit on top of the fat. Do this instead of trimming the fat cap as you can cut the fat off as you slice it. You could also rub the brisket with mustard then the rub. The vinegar should help make the meat tender. I'm sure thats what the dressing was for but I've never used it. Don't give up. Sometimes you can do everything right and it still dosen't turn outquite the way you expect. Like you said chop mix with favorite sauce and serve on a toasted bun[8D].

Jeff

Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.

triple2ne · February 23, 2005, 11:20:21 PM

Thank you all. I should have been more clear on my term for "dry". the outside of the meat was moist and very tasty. The crust was very good. I think I just overcooked it. The meat was just dry once I got past the crust. Im taking my Maverick back anyway, so maybe that was the problem. Dont worry,I know you have to put in your time with the BS, just like anything else. Im not one of the instant gratification knuckleheads who expects great results without putting in my time. Turkey breast is next.....

bsolomon · February 24, 2005, 07:52:00 PM

A five pound brisket is usually pretty well trimmed and may be lacking in fat cap. In any case, one thing to keep in mind with brisket is that it is not the most uniform meat in the world, and there are plenty of pockets of fat and connective tissue mixed in there. So, depending on where you place your temperature probe, you may find a fairly wide variance from one section of meat to another. This is more of a concern when smoking a whole brisket, especially since the point and the flat are so different from one another.

So in short, when I think I might be getting close on temperature, I'll try the probe in a couple of differetn places, just to be sure. If you reach 185 degrees internal in the thickest portion, you will be well over that in the much thinner sections, and those parts can dry out pretty easily.

Baldrick615 · May 03, 2005, 09:31:20 PM

I got a fairly lean one, where normally I would trim it further - but didn't. It worked well and came out juicy inside and you really could just cut off whatever didn't melt away in the 9 hours or so in cooking it. I also found letting the temp hover closer to 200 +/- seemed to work well for me. I did use the bacon on the top self. Do you guys really see that as a big contributor to the moisture content in the meat? I would like to try one without it to see if I notice a difference.

Chez Bubba · May 04, 2005, 02:36:02 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Baldrick615
 I did use the bacon on the top self. Do you guys really see that as a big contributor to the moisture content in the meat? I would like to try one without it to see if I notice a difference.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I see it this way: IF the meat needs it to remain moist, it is available. If not, it will simply drip away. Plus, the added flavor of the bacon is beneficial. Plus, the rendered bacon is a pretty dang tasty appetizer.

Pretty cheap insurance, and appetizer, for 2 bucks.

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

oguard · May 04, 2005, 04:55:55 AM

I have used the bacon and not used it.I found it made little difference on some things and a big difference on others.I'm with Chez on this one besides the cook needs something to eat while drinking that last beer before dinner[:D](I try to be sophisticated and have wine with dinner[:D][:D])

KEEP ON SMOKIN
Mike

Catch it,Kill it,Smoke it

Chez Bubba · May 04, 2005, 05:20:06 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by oguard
 I try to be sophisticated and have wine with dinner<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That's cool as long as it isn't whine with dinner. "I thought you said it would be done at 5:30"[:D][:D]

Cookin's done when cookin's done![;)][:)][:)]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

MallardWacker · May 04, 2005, 01:49:13 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Plus, the rendered bacon is a pretty dang tasty appetizer.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">You speak well Kemo-sobee.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...

Phone Guy · May 04, 2005, 04:44:40 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Chez Bubba
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by oguard
 I try to be sophisticated and have wine with dinner<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
That's cool as long as it isn't whine with dinner. "I thought you said it would be done at 5:30"[:D][:D]<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

But SWINE with dinner is a diffrent story, it's OK.

psdubl07 · May 04, 2005, 04:56:47 PM

Tony, if you haven't come across this link yet in other threads, be sure to read this article:
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisketselect.html
It contains some great brisket info.

Chez Bubba · May 05, 2005, 02:59:16 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Phone Guy
 But SWINE with dinner is a diffrent story, it's OK.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Just make sure you remove the twine before you dine on that. There's a fine line in stabbing with tine before nine and partaking fruit of the vine. Please don't smoke mine with pine, and I prefer brine, which makes it shine, if you combine it with removing the chine!

But it's your house on the Rhein, so the rules are thine, please don't invite Kevin Klein!

I have way too much time on my hands!![:D][:D][:D]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

JJC · May 05, 2005, 05:27:10 AM

Gee, Chez, you're quite the poet, and though you might not know it, your feet show it--they're long fellows . . .

And on a more serious note, I always use bacon if I have it for the reasons Chez mentions. I often dust it with the same rub I use on the meat I'm smoking for a little added flavor (for the bacon and the meat).

John
Newton MA