Brisket Size

[Kell]

So I went to my local Smart & Final and there were only 3 briskets in the meat department and I bought 2.  I found choice IBP brand for $2.32 per lb and I'm in southern Calif.  Problem is ....the whole briskets are big.  15lbs each.
Can I just put these whole into the smoker?  I remember reading and seeing pics of someone bending them to fit the smoker...can someone send me a link so I can get a better idea?  I can't seem to find the post.

[Habanero Smoker]

Here's how Pachanga does it;

Brisket Too Large

[Kell]

Thank you!

[classicrockgriller]

I have had some Briskets that were long and got thin on the flat end.

If I am smoking fat cap down, then lay your brisket out on cutting board
and your smoker rack next to it.

Mark the brisket at the end of the rack. Turn the brisket over and cut
across and almost all the way thru the brisket. Leave 1/4 inch of meat.
Turn the brisket back over and fold the part you cut back on top of the
main part of the brisket.

Hope that makes sense. It gives you a better chance of not drying out a
thin part of a brisket.

But if it is fat at the end then I do it the Pachanga way.

[hal4uk]

However you do it...  "Choice IBP" is good stuff.

[Kell]

I have had some Briskets that were long and got thin on the flat end.

If I am smoking fat cap down, then lay your brisket out on cutting board
and your smoker rack next to it.

Mark the brisket at the end of the rack. Turn the brisket over and cut
across and almost all the way thru the brisket. Leave 1/4 inch of meat.
Turn the brisket back over and fold the part you cut back on top of the
main part of the brisket.

Hope that makes sense. It gives you a better chance of not drying out a
thin part of a brisket.

But if it is fat at the end then I do it the Pachanga way.

Makes sense.  I will have to determine if its mostly fat or meat when I smoke on friday.

Thank you

[tsquared]

That u shaped method is good. Another simple way is to "lean" the brisket against a second rack which is placed with one end against the wall of the smoker and the bottom end resting on the level rack. That way the meat does not touch the side of the smoker and you can claim to your diet conscious partner that your final product is all "lean" meat!  ;D
T2

[Kell]

tsquared :  I got a good chuckle with that one.

Results of my 2 briskets.

They were approximately the same wt but one seems to have a harder fatty point.  That one took 24hours to hit temp while the other only took 12hours. So I guess it's all dependant on the amount of fat in the meat.  More fat takes longer rendering time.