Brisket and Port Butt

[JustusIV]

So i have been on the move and haven't got to use my Bradley for about a year now(I am a novice anyways :/ ). Well i am back home and have my first smoke in. Its a Beef brisket and a Pork Butt. Both about 8 pounds. I hope i haven't made any mistakes trying to cook both at once. I have the butt on the bottom but only because the brisket is so large i though heat would have a heard time getting past it. Bradley is cranked all the way up but i was thinking about shooting for 225 until the butt was done.
I have all the time in the world to do this smoke. Is that temp ok? is my positioning ok?
I know about 190 IT on the butt but how many hours rough guess? And same for the brisket?

Thanks for all your help guys!

[Caneyscud]

I'd probably crank the temp back down to 225 or 230 for the cook.  As far as time - probably 1.5 to 2 hours per pound.  If you have an 8 pound butt then it is likely to take 12 to 18 hours - possibly longer.  Somewhat the same on the brisket.  An 8 pound brisket confuses me.  That is either a mighty small packer (whole brisket) or a mighty big flat.  Does it have a lot of fat or does it have much of it's fat trimmed off.  If it is highly trimmed, I might think about putting the brisket under the butt and have the butt juices dripping on the brisket attempting to help keep it moist.  Stay attuned to the brisket IT.  You don't want to take it much past 190, in fact not much past 185 or so. 

[JustusIV]

Without knowing my stuff to much, its a big ass flat pretty well trimmed I believe. Had to scrunch it up to fit in the Bradley. I would love to put the Butt on top but my concern is the heat that would make it past the brisket, or is that not much of an issue?
Also you say turn down the heat. But i have my Bradley cranked and i was just barely up to 215 when i decided to add some water. and that temp is using a maverick on the bottom tray so it should be pretty accurate.  Anyway i will leave it on full blast till my temp is around 225 i guess.
When figuring cook times its not how much meat you have in the smoker its how big the actual chunks are i assume.

[classicrockgriller]

Sounds like you haven't forgot anything in the year away.

I would rather have the brisket dripping on the butt than

the other way around.

Be sure and leave your vent 3/4 to full open.

Looking forward to the pics.

[DTAggie]

Did two buts and a brisket together a few weeks back and total cook was like 26 hours.  Butt on bottom for sure, but not bottom rack position.  Could dry it out.  I would putt brisket second from top position and butt next one down.  Your 215*temp is good. 

Pull that brisket at 185* and FTC.  Butt at 200* I say.

Actually about to start this same combo in a few hours.  Will make another post when I get going.

[JustusIV]

As requested.

[GusRobin]

Couple of suggestions:
Change the water when the pucks are done, add very hot to boiling water to minimize the time to recoup temp. I would take the brisket to 180-185 tops and then FTC for a couple of hours.

[JustusIV]

Thank you water has been cleaned.

Bradley still at full blast and when i can manage not to touch for a few hours is getting around 215.
Butt IT is sitting at 152 right now.
I am peaking and spraying about ever 1.5 hours with AJ
Really hope this doesn't have to be in till after bedtime.
I got family stuff going on tomorrow how do i go about saving this and reheat methods etc?

Once again thanks for everyone's input. If your in the NEB area i would be more then happy to share :P


*EDIT*
Oh one other side not, I thought the meat was alot colder then it was when i bought it. So i let it sit out over night. Bought around 11PM in smoker by 8AM but by the time i put it in, it was definitely room temp. Did i let it sit to long?

[West Coast Kansan]

Sounds like a fun smoke.  I suspect bed time will be moving back a bit today... two 8 ppound butts will hang out at 152 to 160 for a long time.  Try to keep the door closed  ;D   ;D

[DTAggie]

Did it sit out too long?  What was the temp in your house?

[OU812]

Once again thanks for everyone's input. If your in the NEB area i would be more then happy to share :P

I be in Nebraska, just North of Omaha.

As far as the warm up thing for tomarrow, if you can get all the meat FTC and keep in the same cooler, with no peeking, it will stay above 140 F for a long time.

I've had a load that size stay above 140 F for over 6 hr in a three day cooler, that I wrapped in a blankey.

Its all lookin good!

Oh Ya, change the water in the pan about every 4 hr

That way the pan dont fill up with grease.

[JustusIV]

House temp was probably around 68 and it sat out for about 9 hours, I thought it was nearly frozen that's why i left it out turns out it was just refrigerated. Surely bacteria isn't that big of an issue with cooking and all.

*EDIT*
Just an update Butt is at the 160 wall :)
now we wait :P
Next time i change water/spray i will grab another picture.

[GusRobin]

I got family stuff going on tomorrow how do i go about saving this and reheat methods etc?

Not sure when you want to reheat so I'll list a couple of options.
I did five butts that I had to pull when 3 were at 190* and 2 were only at about 165 * due to having to leave and did not want to leave it with no one home. I took it out and FTCd for a couple of hours and then put in the fridge. Later I triple wrapped the 2 in foil and put in an oven at 250 until the IT reached 195*. They were as good as the other 3.
So that is one way to reheat - in the oven.
I pulled the butts and put in vac sealed bags for a couple of days then brought to a work luncheon. We reheated the pull pork in crock pots with some juice (I used drippings I saved, you can use juice, beef broth, or other such liquid) and it was great, Everyone fought ver who would take home the leftovers.
So that is a way to reheat pork that is already pulled.

I have reheat briskets the same way with triple foil with some juice and then in the oven until IT of 180*-185*

These are some options that worked for me.

[classicrockgriller]

Gulp! 9 hours?

[JustusIV]

Gulp! 9 hours?

Doesnt seem that crazy to me. What do other people think?