Christmas Eve Brisket

[STLstyle]

Need some brisket help:

It just occurred to me that I haven't done a brisket since I installed the 2nd element.  The 2nd element has definitely sped up cooking times, so I'm thinking more like 1 hour per pound for planning purposes?  What's your best guess?  I'd like to eat at 5-6pm on Xmas eve.

Probably going to cook a 12lb packer.  My last brisket was a flat and ended up a little on the dry side...  Any tips here are appreciated.

I was thinking of doing a beef broth injection (didn't do last time), semi standard dry rub - salt, pepper, garlic salt, onion salt, peprika, cayenne.  Smoke 4 full hours hickory/oak.  Then hit with an hour of apple at the end...

Tender, juicy brisket.  None of this dry stuff.

[Ka Honu]

One element or two - you still want to keep the cooking temp in the 200-225^o range so any difference will be in the time it takes to preheat and return to temp after opening the door.  Actual cooking time should remain pretty much the same. I'd either keep close to the 1.5 hour plan or cook it the day before and reheat.

I don't inject brisket but do make sure there's a drip pan with some liquid under the brisket to maintain a moist environment.

Not sure that the hour of apple at the end makes that much difference since the meat is past the temp where it absorbs an appreciable amount of smoke.  Why not just add it in with/after the hickory/oak?

[STLstyle]

Good news / bad news.
Bad news: local Sams club was completely sold out of packer briskets yesterday.

Good news:  UPS guy delivered a Honey Baked Ham yesterday - gift from a family friend.

Xmas eve brisket is moved to next weekend.  Will post pics then.


Sent from my iPhone

[beefmann]

that reminds me i need to do a brisket... though i did a 21 lb turkey that took 10 hours to cook to 180 IT Box at 225... heater .. 900 watt with blower over the fins