Brisket question

[Bigun]

How much smoke are you guys putting to a 10 - 12 pound brisket?

[GusRobin]

I do 4 hrs hickory

[ArnieM]

I'd do at least 4 hours of mesquite.  Hickory is for pork  ;D ;D

[GusRobin]

ok --where are the hickory fans --need some help here ;D ;D ;D

[Bigun]

I was just doing a search on this it looks like Pachangas' recipe calls for 12 hours of smoke. Is this because he is doing 3 or 4 briskets at once? or just layering a lot of smoke

[DTAggie]

I am a six-hour man.  Have used every wood.  Pecan, Oak and Hickory are favorites.

[classicrockgriller]

I was just doing a search on this it looks like Pachangas' recipe calls for 12 hours of smoke. Is this because he is doing 3 or 4 briskets at once? or just layering a lot of smoke

I think he is doing 8 at the beginning and after a nites rest then 4 hours of layering smoke.

And yes with multi briskets.

[Uncle Pigfat]

I go with 6 hours of hickory with a little apple in between too.

[York]

I like 4 hrs of cherry. Pecan isn't too bad either.

[Pachanga]

Bigun,

I use mostly apple (a very mild wood), some oak and hickory and just a few pucks of mesquite.  I get a very nice smoke flavor but I am pouring the smoke to the brisket for 12 to 16 hours or more.  I could get by with a heavier flavored wood and less smoke time but that thin cloud wafting in the air is part of the smoking experience with which I grew up.  This is my personal preference and is not followed by most on the board.   I use about the same amount of smoke on a 10 pound single or when smoking 40 to 50 pounds of brisket at a time.  Keep in mind that apple is a mild wood and many would recommend it for pork, chicken or even fish.  I arrived at this concoction over time by experimenting with different mixes and times.  It was not a decision I took lightly.

I was born and raised in West Texas where mesquite was the wood of choice because it was readily available (all over the ground or still standing dead, aged and ready to go) and burned hot for long periods.  A little mesquite  can go a long way but a pickup load can be gathered in just a few minutes.  An all day smoke was punctuated by shooting the occasional stray dove and adding it to the pit after stuffing it with a jalapeno.  Shotguns, coon dogs and bird dogs were discussed.  The best brand of pickup was argued and mesquite vs oak or hickory was the subject of much debate.  As the smoke rose and beer flowed the arguments got louder; friends became not so friendly and the wives would come out of the kitchen to settle the argument by threatening to remove all alcohol from the premises (that quickly lowered voices).  The debate continues to rage but mesquite is still the top wood in West and South Texas as is oak in the Hill Country and East Texas.  ( I am sure it would have been reversed if oak and mesquite native growing regions had been different)  I preface my following statements with this story to assure you that I bear no malice to mesquite and when I first got the Bradley, mesquite was the only wood I bought.  I wanted to use mesquite because it was the top of woods as far as I was concerned.  Mesquite was spiritual and using anything else would be sacrilege.

Stipulating to the above thoughts, I would still caution you on the use of all mesquite in the Bradley.  I tried the Bradley mesquite and found it to be very strong, somewhat bitter and not at all what I was used to.  Others on the board have made similar comments.  You must remember that in stick burners, open pits and all manner of smoking methods using raw wood, the wood is normally burned to coals before smoking the meat and very little smoke is emitted compared to the actual burning of the wood.  The chemical properties of the two types of smoke differ greatly.  This lighter smoke is on the brisket for 12 hours or so because the coals are also the cooking heat.

I would suggest that for shorter smoke generating times to use oak and hickory and over time build up to more mesquite pucks until you achieve the desired flavor.  I do believe that some mesquite adds to a more complex flavor and I always throw in a few pucks here and there to add flavor and pay homage to fond memories.

For me, I will continue to burn mild wood for longer periods out of tradition and for the complex taste achieved.  As CRG infers, it is a layering of smoke at different stages of the total smoke.  This creates a complex but not overpowering smoke flavor.  (Or I may be foolishly burning money to appease a delusional mind but that is still my preference).  

Following is an excerpt from To Mop or Not to Mop – That is the Question
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=14240.0

"As I conclude these thoughts, I realize, maybe as important, the whole process makes me feel like I am contributing to the tradition of barbeque.  Tending the fire, smelling the smoke, judging the condition of the meat and mopping at just the right time is a deep need that started with the hunter tending his hard earned kill in a far off time under a starry sky.  That ancient primal need is answered by a not so judicious use of time that becomes time well spent.    It is the culmination of the hunt; where a suit and tie are unwelcome.  The hunt may be a ten mile walk in grassy fields carrying a shotgun, a long successful stalk in the mountains, a stringer of fish or it may be the end of a long week at work.  It is time shared with private thoughts, bird dogs, long laughs, a bottle of brew and true compadres."

Others may disagree but this is my experience and opinion.  That's why they make chocolate and vanilla.

See you around the pit,

Pachanga

[Caneyscud]

The last brisket I did in the Bradley had 8+ hours of hickory on it.  Just didn't have any Live Oak or Post Oak pucks laying around ( ;D I'm a brisket belt guy).  Nor Oak or Mesquite.   Had some Cherry, Apple, maple and Alder around, but figgered the hickory was sacrilegious enough.  Darned if I didn't think it was a pretty good brisket, anyways.  I've got a first place with a hickory smoked cheater brisket, and a second place with a mesquite smoked Texas Style brisket.  Go figure.  Frankly, I'm not sure if I could tall a difference between it and one smoked with Oak.   At least not if they weren't side by side.  I often roll the smoke the entire time.  But that time I ran out of hickory pucks at 8 hours +.  I love smokey BBQ.  In fact I smoke "dirty" lots of time if I'm smoking at the house - might do differently in comps and with crowds.  Not altogether sure that the brisket gets much smokier after say 4 or 5 hours - but I have never done a side by side.  As with Pachanga - it makes me feel good smelling and seeing smoke come out the vent.  Primeval sort of!!  Takes me back to my troglodyte days!  

BTW - don't listen to that Pachanga guy too much ------ he slathers!  

I like my choco/vanilla swirl!!!

[KyNola]

I think I detect another Brisket Throwdown in the making!

[Pachanga]

As with Pachanga - it makes me feel good smelling and seeing smoke come out the vent.  Primeval sort of!!  Takes me back to my troglodyte days!

That's a big part of the whole smoking picture. 

BTW - don't listen to that Pachanga guy too much ------ he slathers!

Just think of it as a mop reduction!!!!! That'll get you over the hump.   ;) 

Good luck and slow smoking,

Pachanga

[Caneyscud]

HHHHMMMMMMmmmmmm


;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[FLBentRider]

I use Oak, Mesquite or Hickory on Beef.