All Things Brisket

[dcbc 14,469]

4 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Interesting. He also said something in there about how when cooking high heat the brisket is done closer to 215 but lower it's usually around 205. Thought that was interesting as well. Maybe I'll give a low slow one a roll here soon.

What kind of pit you getting Champ?

I hadn't read that, but I have noticed that when I wrap, it's usually done by 209 F or so and unwrapped, it's done by 200 or even earlier. 

[dcbc 14,469]

4 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

For too many, they seem to lob this out as some weird signal of quality.  One place smokes for 20 hours.  Well 'WE' cook for 24 hrs!  So it must be better, etc. 

That's fine, but it's still all about rendering, taste, and texture.  I agree I prefer a little more "pull" from a higher cook.  It's also easier from a time management perspective.  

I only mentioned that because of their high TXMTHLY ranking this past year.  Seems like a long time to babysit a fire. 

[kevwun 15,772]

I had the opposite when I used foil instead of paper.  With foil, they were consistently done at a lower temp than they are with paper.

[BabaYaga 15,290]

Just now, dcbc said:

I only mentioned that because of their high TXMTHLY ranking this past year.  Seems like a long time to babysit a fire. 

No, I get your point.  No worries.  Just reminded of where some of these pits/places are going towards.  I once babysat two stubborn and very large briskets for close to 24 hours.  Giant PITA.  Good is good.  And more and more this false equivalency between time and quality is being thrown out there.  

Bugs ALMOST as much as people using "BBQ" as a noun.  Or referring to a grill as "the BBQ".  

Old man.  Yelling at clouds.....

[dcbc 14,469]

Just now, BabaYaga said:

No, I get your point.  No worries.  Just reminded of where some of these pits/places are going towards.  I once babysat two stubborn and very large briskets for close to 24 hours.  Giant PITA.  Good is good.  And more and more this false equivalency between time and quality is being thrown out there.  

Bugs ALMOST as much as people using "BBQ" as a noun.  Or referring to a grill as "the BBQ".  

Old man.  Yelling at clouds.....

That Bodacious has the luxury of not having ridiculous lines and lots of product to move on a daily basis.  If they think 24 hours gets them where they need to be, I'm for it.  We need as much good BBQ in east Texas as we can get.

[Mortimer 88]

Rocking my first brisket tonight. -- an 11 lb prime from HEB. Got plenty of beer. Bought some knives, snagged some good oak from my old man. Really tried to do a fair amount of research beforehand.

 

It is easy to get wound up over the details -- for me at least. I decided to go with 260 (lg BGE) and see where it takes me. I'm approaching Hour 3. Trying not to get stupid drunk too soon.

 

Good shit though. Still don"t know when I'm going to wrap, or spritz w apple cidar vinager, or start checking meat temp. Tired of looking online for answers. Anyway, I'm chalking this one up as a trial run. Fuck it. The OCD part of me that has been running everythimg through my head all week has, thankfully, petered out. Just going to roll with it.

 

I just got the egg and have been wanting to smoke a brisket for a very long time, so this is one hell of an experience. If I'm not a complete head case tomorrow between the game and my little ones running all over the house, I'll try to post a pic of the finished product.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChampKind 1,314]

Supposedly, the original Bodacious in Longview, TX, which pulled the #4 spot on the most recent TXM list smokes its briskets for 24 hours.  I'm close by, but still haven't made it over to try it. 

Bodacious on Mobberly. Jordan and Bryan cook at very low temps. And yeah, their briskets go for about 24 hours. I really enjoyed my meal there when we stopped in last month. Very strong brisket game

[AustinMT 952]

6 hours ago, Mortimer said:

Rocking my first brisket tonight. -- an 11 lb prime from HEB. Got plenty of beer. Bought some knives, snagged some good oak from my old man. Really tried to do a fair amount of research beforehand.

 

It is easy to get wound up over the details -- for me at least. I decided to go with 260 (lg BGE) and see where it takes me. I'm approaching Hour 3. Trying not to get stupid drunk too soon.

 

Good shit though. Still don"t know when I'm going to wrap, or spritz w apple cidar vinager, or start checking meat temp. Tired of looking online for answers. Anyway, I'm chalking this one up as a trial run. Fuck it. The OCD part of me that has been running everythimg through my head all week has, thankfully, petered out. Just going to roll with it.

 

I just got the egg and have been wanting to smoke a brisket for a very long time, so this is one hell of an experience. If I'm not a complete head case tomorrow between the game and my little ones running all over the house, I'll try to post a pic of the finished product.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let us know how it turns out.  Everyone has their own thoughts.  It really just takes cooking a few and finding what works best on your setup

[ChampKind 1,314]

What kind of pit you getting Champ?

The boys at Mill Scale are building me a 500gal pit with an insulated box

[deft 6,843]

Aside from restaurant depot and the free range waygu gluten free briskets, was I reading that Walmart is a good source for briskets here? Or am I imagining this?

[Dr Fear 1,268]

Where is "here?"

Aside from restaurant depot and the free range waygu gluten free briskets, was I reading that Walmart is a good source for briskets here? Or am I imagining this?

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

[ChampKind 1,314]

Aside from restaurant depot and the free range waygu gluten free briskets, was I reading that Walmart is a good source for briskets here? Or am I imagining this?

Yes. You can almost always find choice grade CAB briskets at Wally for $1.99/lb

[kevwun 15,772]

They also usually have at least 10 or 15 to pick through which is much better than my HEB, which usually only has a couple.

[Mortimer 88]

I have no experience smoking a brisket so just did the best I could with internet (and AF book) information.

I threw the brisket on the egg at 9:30pm Fri, pulled it at 2:30pm Sat. 17 hour cook for an 11 lb packer. The temp on the egg dome hovered between 240 -275 most of the time. Egg temp dropped to 225 while I was napping from 5:30 - 7am. Internal brisket temp at that point (7am) was 165, so I decided to wrap it.

From 7 to 11:30 am Saturday the brisket temp rose from 165 to 180. I assume that was the stall? I was probing every hour after 7am to get an idea what was going on. Did not want to burn it, and I do not have remote thermometer of any kind. Had to open lid to check often. During this time I realized that I couldn't crank the heat over 250 to push the brisket temp over 200. I slowly realized that the lump charcoal was likely spent and I could either pull at 180 or break everything apart and add fuel.

Decided on second option, though I was really tempted to just call it a day at that point. Got egg temp up to 275 and continued monitoring. Slowly the brisket temp climbed enough and I pulled the brisket with a temp of 201. It was very pliable and appears to be very tender. We'll see. I left it in butcher paper on counter to rest for an hour before wrapping in a towel and tossing in a cooler for anither two hours. I'll try to get pics going when I get a chance.

Really a wild ride. Will definitely add more lump charcoal next time, though I felt like I filled the fire box to the top edge. Should I have filled into the fire ring as well? Is it common to add lump to a brisket cook.

Any and all advice or mockery appreciated. I'm already planning on what I'll do differently next time. Learned a TON.

[AustinMT 952]

1 hour ago, Mortimer said:

I have no experience smoking a brisket so just did the best I could with internet (and AF book) information.

I threw the brisket on the egg at 9:30pm Fri, pulled it at 2:30pm Sat. 17 hour cook for an 11 lb packer. The temp on the egg dome hovered between 240 -275 most of the time. Egg temp dropped to 225 while I was napping from 5:30 - 7am. Internal brisket temp at that point (7am) was 165, so I decided to wrap it.

From 7 to 11:30 am Saturday the brisket temp rose from 165 to 180. I assume that was the stall? I was probing every hour after 7am to get an idea what was going on. Did not want to burn it, and I do not have remote thermometer of any kind. Had to open lid to check often. During this time I realized that I couldn't crank the heat over 250 to push the brisket temp over 200. I slowly realized that the lump charcoal was likely spent and I could either pull at 180 or break everything apart and add fuel.

Decided on second option, though I was really tempted to just call it a day at that point. Got egg temp up to 275 and continued monitoring. Slowly the brisket temp climbed enough and I pulled the brisket with a temp of 201. It was very pliable and appears to be very tender. We'll see. I left it in butcher paper on counter to rest for an hour before wrapping in a towel and tossing in a cooler for anither two hours. I'll try to get pics going when I get a chance.

Really a wild ride. Will definitely add more lump charcoal next time, though I felt like I filled the fire box to the top edge. Should I have filled into the fire ring as well? Is it common to add lump to a brisket cook.

Any and all advice or mockery appreciated. I'm already planning on what I'll do differently next time. Learned a TON.
 

Get a remote thermometer so you can keep it closed. I use the iGrill - it connects to my phone by bluetooth

[Mortimer 88]

This brisket was dry af

imgur

imgur

[Baboontyme 2,809]

It happens. Soldier on bro. 

[Baboontyme 2,809]

Got inspired and put on a brisket I had in the freezer tonight. Two thoughts. 

1. Went to Wal Mart to see if I could cop a cheap brisket and not have to defrost mine. I was pretty sure I wouldn't have any luck but Champ got my hopes up. Yeah, nope. Wally world in MI's meat selection is pathetic. Plus I had to take a shower after I got home. 

2. I'm really disappointed in the Gateway by Thermoworks. It's great when it works. But I have had so many problems with this thing disconnecting, trying to get it re-set up, exporting graphs. Love my Thermapen and my Smoke but I'm fucking done with this Gateway. I'd love to tell you I would bitch to them and try to return it but lazy. So that said...

3. Aiming to keep this brisket low and slow overnight but fuck it, we'll see what happens. It's on the WSM so should be fine. My Smoke receiver does not reach to bedside. 

I guess that's more than two. Time for another beer. 

Edited September 2, 2018 by Baboontyme

[AustinMT 952]

10 minutes ago, Baboontyme said:

Got inspired and put on a brisket I had in the freezer tonight. Two thoughts. 

1. Went to Wal Mart to see if I could cop a cheap brisket and not have to defrost mine. I was pretty sure I wouldn't have any luck but Champ got my hopes up. Yeah, nope. Wally world in MI's meat selection is pathetic. Plus I had to take a shower after I got home. 

2. I'm really disappointed in the Gateway by Thermoworks. It's great when it works. But I have had so many problems with this thing disconnecting, trying to get it re-set up, exporting graphs. Love my Thermapen and my Smoke but I'm fucking done with this Gateway. I'd love to tell you I would bitch to them and try to return it but lazy. So that said...

3. Aiming to keep this brisket low and slow overnight but fuck it, we'll see what happens. It's on the WSM so should be fine. My Smoke receiver does not reach to bedside. 

I guess that's more than two. Time for another beer. 

Buy the iGrill.  Connects to phone app, I always get great connection.

As for the brisket, go to Costco (or HEB) and buy prime.  It does make a difference.

[Baboontyme 2,809]

Ha. I hate the iEco system. So no iGrill. I can get CABs at RD for 3.29 or less which is pretty good around here. Last time I had a Costco membership they didn't have any cuts worth anything. And trying to park and check out there made me want to kill baby Jesus. RD is a good option for me and close but always good to keep my ear to the ground.

[AustinMT 952]

1 minute ago, Baboontyme said:

Ha. I hate the iEco system. So no iGrill. I can get CABs at RD for 3.29 or less which is pretty good around here. Last time I had a Costco membership they didn't have any cuts worth anything. And trying to park and check out there made me want to kill baby Jesus. RD is a good option for me and close but always good to keep my ear to the ground.

OK, then buy shitty beef and shitty equipment and wind up with shitty product.  Have fun with that.

[Baboontyme 2,809]

Aggressive take. 

[AustinMT 952]

No, honest take.  You complain about the quality of the brisket and your equipment but don’t want to pay for better quality on either.

[Baboontyme 2,809]

No it's all good bro. I paid a lot for the Thermoworks stuff. And I'd pay more for something that worked better but I will never switch back to Apple. I get that it's for some people but it's not for me. 

And not sure you're picking up what I'm laying down in regards to brisket availability around here. They literally do not have packers at Costco. They literally do not have them at Wal Mart. 

Anyway. Have a good night. 

[thunderlounge 7,816]

21 hours ago, Mortimer said:

I have no experience smoking a brisket so just did the best I could with internet (and AF book) information.

I threw the brisket on the egg at 9:30pm Fri, pulled it at 2:30pm Sat. 17 hour cook for an 11 lb packer. The temp on the egg dome hovered between 240 -275 most of the time. Egg temp dropped to 225 while I was napping from 5:30 - 7am. Internal brisket temp at that point (7am) was 165, so I decided to wrap it.

From 7 to 11:30 am Saturday the brisket temp rose from 165 to 180. I assume that was the stall? I was probing every hour after 7am to get an idea what was going on. Did not want to burn it, and I do not have remote thermometer of any kind. Had to open lid to check often. During this time I realized that I couldn't crank the heat over 250 to push the brisket temp over 200. I slowly realized that the lump charcoal was likely spent and I could either pull at 180 or break everything apart and add fuel.

Decided on second option, though I was really tempted to just call it a day at that point. Got egg temp up to 275 and continued monitoring. Slowly the brisket temp climbed enough and I pulled the brisket with a temp of 201. It was very pliable and appears to be very tender. We'll see. I left it in butcher paper on counter to rest for an hour before wrapping in a towel and tossing in a cooler for anither two hours. I'll try to get pics going when I get a chance.

Really a wild ride. Will definitely add more lump charcoal next time, though I felt like I filled the fire box to the top edge. Should I have filled into the fire ring as well? Is it common to add lump to a brisket cook.

Any and all advice or mockery appreciated. I'm already planning on what I'll do differently next time. Learned a TON.
 

 

You need remote temp monitoring; get a maverick off amazon. All that lookin is killin you. 

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

13 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Got inspired and put on a brisket I had in the freezer tonight. Two thoughts. 

1. Went to Wal Mart to see if I could cop a cheap brisket and not have to defrost mine. I was pretty sure I wouldn't have any luck but Champ got my hopes up. Yeah, nope. Wally world in MI's meat selection is pathetic. Plus I had to take a shower after I got home. 

2. I'm really disappointed in the Gateway by Thermoworks. It's great when it works. But I have had so many problems with this thing disconnecting, trying to get it re-set up, exporting graphs. Love my Thermapen and my Smoke but I'm fucking done with this Gateway. I'd love to tell you I would bitch to them and try to return it but lazy. So that said...

3. Aiming to keep this brisket low and slow overnight but fuck it, we'll see what happens. It's on the WSM so should be fine. My Smoke receiver does not reach to bedside. 

I guess that's more than two. Time for another beer. 

Shit, I was going to get the thermoworks gateway setup.  So it sucks?  Fuck.

[Baboontyme 2,809]

12 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

Shit, I was going to get the thermoworks gateway setup.  So it sucks?  Fuck.

My buddy got one and he hasn't had issues like I have. I don't know if it's my network or a bad unit or just an unrefined product. It's cool when it works but like I said, I will turn mine on after not using it for 3-4 weeks and all of a sudden my network is gone and I have to re set up. Last night after trying 6-7 times to get my network added back again I gave up.

[kevwun 15,772]

You should try upgrading the firmware on it if you haven't already.

https://help.thermoworks.com/knowledge-base/troubleshooting-smoke-gateway/

[luke duke 6,412]

No, honest take.  You complain about the quality of the brisket and your equipment but don’t want to pay for better quality on either.

So I just need an iGrill to cook better? Why have you fuckers been holding out on me all these years?

[luke duke 6,412]

So I just need a prime brisket and an iGrill to cook better? Why have you fuckers been holding out on me all these years?

[ChampKind 1,314]

So I just need an iGrill to cook better? Why have you fuckers been holding out on me all these years?

I thought it was cute

[Baboontyme 2,809]

He was probably drunk and angry after the game. Reading comprehension seemed to be lacking. 

Brisket today turned out pretty good. Had some of the other 3rd grade dads and kids over so the boys could hoop on the new court. I also grilled wings on the primo. We ate well and drank well 

[DalTxHornFan 3,099]

On 9/1/2018 at 3:39 PM, Mortimer said:

Any and all advice or mockery appreciated. I'm already planning on what I'll do differently next time. Learned a TON.
 

You are overthinking it.  If you trimmed your brisket right -- cleaned up all the edges and took down the fat to 1/4 inch or so, all you need to do is wrap it in butcher paper after 4 or 5 hours (whenever it hits the stall around 165-175 temp) and put it in a low oven (225-ish temp) until it is done somewhere around 205-ish temp.  There is only so much smoke that a brisket needs or can absorb.  I think an oven is a much better way to finish the endeavor.  Drink a beer and go to sleep.  Wake up to a great aroma and some excellent brisket.  Make sure to let it rest for 30+ minutes before slicing the flat against the grain.  Don't separate the point, and slice it the opposite of the flat.   

Edited September 3, 2018 by DalTxHornFan

[horncyclist 1,387]

I have no experience smoking a brisket so just did the best I could with internet (and AF book) information.

I threw the brisket on the egg at 9:30pm Fri, pulled it at 2:30pm Sat. 17 hour cook for an 11 lb packer. The temp on the egg dome hovered between 240 -275 most of the time. Egg temp dropped to 225 while I was napping from 5:30 - 7am. Internal brisket temp at that point (7am) was 165, so I decided to wrap it.

From 7 to 11:30 am Saturday the brisket temp rose from 165 to 180. I assume that was the stall? I was probing every hour after 7am to get an idea what was going on. Did not want to burn it, and I do not have remote thermometer of any kind. Had to open lid to check often. During this time I realized that I couldn't crank the heat over 250 to push the brisket temp over 200. I slowly realized that the lump charcoal was likely spent and I could either pull at 180 or break everything apart and add fuel.

Decided on second option, though I was really tempted to just call it a day at that point. Got egg temp up to 275 and continued monitoring. Slowly the brisket temp climbed enough and I pulled the brisket with a temp of 201. It was very pliable and appears to be very tender. We'll see. I left it in butcher paper on counter to rest for an hour before wrapping in a towel and tossing in a cooler for anither two hours. I'll try to get pics going when I get a chance.

Really a wild ride. Will definitely add more lump charcoal next time, though I felt like I filled the fire box to the top edge. Should I have filled into the fire ring as well? Is it common to add lump to a brisket cook.

Any and all advice or mockery appreciated. I'm already planning on what I'll do differently next time. Learned a TON.

17 hours is a loooong cook for an 11 lber at around 250. I don't think your thermometer was reading right.

[shnsajax 3,591]

On 9/3/2018 at 4:34 AM, horncyclist said:

On 9/1/2018 at 2:39 PM, Mortimer said:

I have no experience smoking a brisket so just did the best I could with internet (and AF book) information.

I threw the brisket on the egg at 9:30pm Fri, pulled it at 2:30pm Sat. 17 hour cook for an 11 lb packer. The temp on the egg dome hovered between 240 -275 most of the time. Egg temp dropped to 225 while I was napping from 5:30 - 7am. Internal brisket temp at that point (7am) was 165, so I decided to wrap it.

From 7 to 11:30 am Saturday the brisket temp rose from 165 to 180. I assume that was the stall? I was probing every hour after 7am to get an idea what was going on. Did not want to burn it, and I do not have remote thermometer of any kind. Had to open lid to check often. During this time I realized that I couldn't crank the heat over 250 to push the brisket temp over 200. I slowly realized that the lump charcoal was likely spent and I could either pull at 180 or break everything apart and add fuel.

Decided on second option, though I was really tempted to just call it a day at that point. Got egg temp up to 275 and continued monitoring. Slowly the brisket temp climbed enough and I pulled the brisket with a temp of 201. It was very pliable and appears to be very tender. We'll see. I left it in butcher paper on counter to rest for an hour before wrapping in a towel and tossing in a cooler for anither two hours. I'll try to get pics going when I get a chance.

Really a wild ride. Will definitely add more lump charcoal next time, though I felt like I filled the fire box to the top edge. Should I have filled into the fire ring as well? Is it common to add lump to a brisket cook.

Any and all advice or mockery appreciated. I'm already planning on what I'll do differently next time. Learned a TON.

 

Read more  

17 hours is a loooong cook for an 11 lber at around 250. I don't think your thermometer was reading right.

Yeah I had an 11.5lber before trim cook at 225 in just over 9 hours and still end up a little dry towards the end of the flat? Feel like I struggle with smaller briskets, and not sure how climate plays a roll, but it can be dry as fuck in Boise. 

Where did you probe to have it take 17 hrs?

[Mortimer 88]

Yeah I had an 11.5lber before trim cook at 225 in just over 9 hours and still end up a little dry towards the end of the flat? Feel like I struggle with smaller briskets, and not sure how climate plays a roll, but it can be dry as fuck in Boise. 
Where did you probe to have it take 17 hrs?

I probed into the middle of the point since it was the thickest part of the brisket. I figured that is what most people do, but who knows.

I feel like I have a decent idea went wrong with my cook:

1) No remote temp monitoring. As mentioned above, this killed me
2) Trimmed too much fat
3) Went too light on the fuel. Nothing good can come from a random 20 minute pause during a brisket cook, I imagine. I had the brisked 75% where it needed to be then pulled it while I re-stoked the new charcoal. That can't be good

I bought a Thermoworks Smoke (did not get the Gateway add on) and will fill the hell out of the fire ring next time. Also, I'm going to take it a lot easier with the trimming.

Thanks to all for the feedback. Much aporeciated.

[dcbc 14,469]

So I tried Stubb's briquettes over the weekend.  The smoke smell was way more mild.  The overall impact on flavor wasn't too noticeable versus KBB in my postgame state.  The biggest issue I had was stable temperatures. I spent the first two hours of the cook just trying to get the WSM up to temp.  Usually takes me 30 minutes.  After that, it held steady, but spiked from 225 F to 278 without any changes.  Had to shut all of the vents and finally got it down below 250 F.  It held for a bit, but dropped down below 200 after a bit. I was done by then, but wasn't impressed overall.

[AustinMT 952]

On 9/4/2018 at 6:04 PM, Mortimer said:

I probed into the middle of the point since it was the thickest part of the brisket. I figured that is what most people do, but who knows.

I feel like I have a decent idea went wrong with my cook:

1) No remote temp monitoring. As mentioned above, this killed me
2) Trimmed too much fat
3) Went too light on the fuel. Nothing good can come from a random 20 minute pause during a brisket cook, I imagine. I had the brisked 75% where it needed to be then pulled it while I re-stoked the new charcoal. That can't be good

I bought a Thermoworks Smoke (did not get the Gateway add on) and will fill the hell out of the fire ring next time. Also, I'm going to take it a lot easier with the trimming.

Thanks to all for the feedback. Much aporeciated.

Put the probe in the thickest part of the flat, near the point.

[kevwun 15,772]

Have you wsm guys tried B&B briquettes yet?  They seem to burn hotter and longer than the others I've tried for grilling.

[AustinMT 952]

25 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Have you wsm guys tried B&B briquettes yet?  They seem to burn hotter and longer than the others I've tried for grilling.

What is “grilling?”  Thought this was a brisket thread

[kevwun 15,772]

I meant that I haven't used them on a brisket because I don't have a wsm and just for wings, steaks,  etc.  Just curious how they do on longer cooks.

[CooterBrown 18,005]

B&B lump is solid.

For my last brisket in my BGE, I switched to 4 split log of oak stacked 2 x 2 with an opening in the center. I poured in one full chimney of lit lump in the center. It burned to a thin blue smoke and settled at 250 in about 45 minutes.  Didn't have butcher paper so I just let it ride unwrapped. Didn't lift the lid once. After about 10 hours, it was at 200 and I pulled it at 203. Rested unwrapped for about 30 minutes, then wrapped in foil and put in a cooler for an hour. It turned out great. The smokiness was much improved over my usual fuel of mostly lump with one oak log. 

 

 

 

[AustinMT 952]

1 hour ago, CooterBrown said:

B&B lump is solid.

For my last brisket in my BGE, I switched to 4 split log of oak stacked 2 x 2 with an opening in the center. I poured in one full chimney of lit lump in the center. It burned to a thin blue smoke and settled at 250 in about 45 minutes.  Didn't have butcher paper so I just let it ride unwrapped. Didn't lift the lid once. After about 10 hours, it was at 200 and I pulled it at 203. Rested unwrapped for about 30 minutes, then wrapped in foil and put in a cooler for an hour. It turned out great. The smokiness was much improved over my usual fuel of mostly lump with one oak log. 

 

 

 

Agree on B & B lump charcoal.  I have a Traeger now, but when I had an offset I used B & B lump a lot.

[BabaYaga 15,290]

On 9/4/2018 at 6:04 PM, Mortimer said:

1) No remote temp monitoring. As mentioned above, this killed me
2) Trimmed too much fat
3) Went too light on the fuel. Nothing good can come from a random 20 minute pause during a brisket cook, I imagine. I had the brisked 75% where it needed to be then pulled it while I re-stoked the new charcoal. That can't be good


We've all been there.  It's just trial and error.  Obviously the remote temp monitoring is a game changer.  So check that box.

Trimming too much was my issue for a long time.  I'd start, then my kitchen OCD would kick in.  Between too much trimming and no trimming.  Go with the latter.  I've gotten better over time.

I also struggled through vacillating temps - up and down, up and down.  It would start at my desired temp, then rise and rise, I'd panic, try and close things down, burp off heat, etc.  Either high (285-300) or low (225), I think consistency is the biggest thing.  Now I cook hotter and the finished product is getting better.  I still struggle with consistency.  I'll have a great product.  Then the next one is dry.  So many factors.  Which is why I marvel at these shops that turn out a great product week after week and can scale it to serve larger and larger crowds.  These guys are wizards..... 

[ChampKind 1,314]

Agree on B & B lump charcoal.  I have a Traeger now, but when I had an offset I used B & B lump a lot.

I move to disqualify this poster from future barbeque-related discussions. Traeger? A fucking pellet cooker?

[AustinMT 952]

2 minutes ago, ChampKind said:

 

I move to disqualify this poster from future barbeque-related discussions. Traeger? A fucking pellet cooker?

 

1) I'm lazy. I can turn it on a 4 am and go back to bed.  Then I can get up and drink after a good night's sleep.  Hell, I can leave it and go buy more booze without having to worry about it

2) It keeps consistent temperature. I don't have to worry about it getting too hot or too cold.

3) The end result looks and tastes great.

I spent my time manning a regular offset, and decided to make my bbq experience easier.  

[GreenspointTexas 9,600]

26 minutes ago, AustinMT said:

1) I'm lazy. I can turn it on a 4 am and go back to bed.  Then I can get up and drink after a good night's sleep.  Hell, I can leave it and go buy more booze without having to worry about it

2) It keeps consistent temperature. I don't have to worry about it getting too hot or too cold.

3) The end result looks and tastes great.

I spent my time manning a regular offset, and decided to make my bbq experience easier.  

Something something biggest shit eating grin....

[HouTex 1,866]

1) I'm lazy. I can turn it on a 4 am and go back to bed.  Then I can get up and drink after a good night's sleep.  Hell, I can leave it and go buy more booze without having to worry about it
2) It keeps consistent temperature. I don't have to worry about it getting too hot or too cold.
3) The end result looks and tastes great.
I spent my time manning a regular offset, and decided to make my bbq experience easier.  

My egg cooker fits all three. True, it takes about an hour or so to dial in the desired temp, but then it’s clear sailing. I’ve played a round of golf during a brisket smoke with no movement in the temp.

[AustinMT 952]

11 minutes ago, HouTex said:

My egg cooker fits all three. True, it takes about an hour or so to dial in the desired temp, but then it’s clear sailing. I’ve played a round of golf during a brisket smoke with no movement in the temp.

Nothing wrong with BGE -- it's a great smoker and, like you say, pretty low-maintenance

[ChampKind 1,314]

I don’t use prime or wagyu, or a remote temp gauge, or a pellet cooker. I don’t spend all night cooking briskets and tending pits, and I guess I cook a decent brisket.


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