Brisket -- real time

[jimmyjazz]

OK, I'm smoking a brisket for a big family dinner tomorrow night. I figured I'd post some photos as I go, including the always-challenging slicing phase, and maybe it will spark some good conversation on techniques, etc.

Here is the brisket just out of the cryovac. I bought it at CostCo. It weighs 11.3 pounds, and cost $1.55/lb.

Next, I hit the side opposite the fat cap with a dry rub consisting of the usual suspects (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion flakes, chile powder, some cayenne, some brown sugar):

Here it is just after going on the smoker:

I'm smoking it on lump charcoal from BBQs Galore. I'm basting it every 45 minutes or so with apple juice. Note that I'm having MUCH more success with smoker temperature now that I elevated the firebox coal grate about 2" off the bottom of the box using some busted paver stones. I think this will take way less than half of the charcoal I used to use. (I should note that I used to use Kingsford, so that led to increased amounts of charcoal being consumed, but I think my firebox mod is a bigger effect.)

 

[Smoky Brisket]

godspeed

 

[jimmyjazz]

Three hours on the smoke:

I'm using SO much less charcoal than I have before. The smoker box temperature is easily regulated between 200 F and 240 F, too. This is ridiculously easy compared to my previous briskets. I hope it turns out well.

 

[jimmyjazz]

5 hours on the smoke:

 

[Chooky]

When are you going to the foil?

I'll be monitoring this thread with vicarious fervor.

 

[Traffic]

This is cool, jimmyjazz. Can you post a picture of the firebox grate you were describing earlier? Keeping a good temperature is what I struggle with, myself.

 

[jimmyjazz]

I think it will be a while before I put it in foil and throw it in the oven. My wife and stepdaughter are watching an abominable movie ("The Holiday"), so nobody is going to bed for awhile. I just fired up another chimney's worth of lump charcoal, so I think I can get another 2 hours on the smoker, easy.

I'll have to take a photo of the modified firebox tomorrow. The hot embers will wipe out the detail tonight. It's made a huge difference, though. I've probably used 15 lbs of charcoal so far, and in the past, when I didn't have good airflow underneath the coals, I would have used somewhere around 35 lbs at this point.

By the way, I'm drunk.

 

[jimmyjazz]

6 hours in:

 

[Benson32]

 

[jimmyjazz]

JEEBUS this movie is horrible. I'm trying to figure out how to do picture-in-picture between a DVD and DISH Network. I'm not hopeful.

Thank God for red wine.

 

[Traffic]

In reply to:

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[jimmyjazz]

OK, here we are at midnight, which means it's been on the smoke for 7 hours. I'll let it go another hour, and then it's getting wrapped in foil and going in the oven. Apologies to the purists.

 

[hornian]

You should apologize for opening the lid and letting the heat out!

 

[jimmyjazz]

I made it another 2 hours, which means it was on the smoke for 9 hours total. Here it is going into the oven at 200 F:

At this point, it's maintenance-free until dinner. I'll put a thermometer in before noon to make sure I don't overcook it.

 

[jimmyjazz]

The brisket has been in the oven for 6 hours at 200 F. Its internal temperature, measured under the point, is 156 F. I bumped the oven to 225 F.

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

And you don't season the fat cap because.... ?

 

[jimmyjazz]

In reply to:

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[Idahorn2]

I was going to ask the same question as NC2A, but also why only lump charcoal and no wood? Charcoal doesn't seem to smoke much.

I put rub on the fat cap because I do not throw it all away. There is a lot of flavor in the fat, even more if it is rubbed. You will probably catch some [censored] for basting it, but not from me. I use a Mop that has beef broth, oil, dry mustard, and a good shot of cider vinegar. The vinegar breaks down the fat.

How'd it turn out?

 

[hornian]

I always rub the fat cap. And it really looks like you didn't get a lot of smoke. Here's my standard brisket pic from my memorial day bbq last year, it is a lot darker from the smoke:

Let us know how it tastes. I'm really looking forward to the slicing pictures.

 

[jimmyjazz]

It's almost time to slice it. I'm starving.

Regarding wood -- I did use wood. I soaked some lump hickory in water and put a few chunks on every hour or so. Sorry I left out that detail.

We'll see how she looks here in 30 minutes or so.

 

[jmrob93]

I know I'll get my bar-be-cue card revoked, but I smoked 2 wild hog rump roasts--brisket style and a brisket-- and everyone flat out passed up the brisket once they had a bite of the pork-- lean and mild--took the pecan smoke well

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Nice pics and thread JJ. Thks for sharing and hope you're brisket turns out GR8!!

 

[jimmyjazz]

Well, that was the best brisket I've smoked, and general consensus was that it was fantastic. Eight adults obliterated most of an 11-pound cut, so it sure couldn't have sucked. Here is a photo just before slicing:

And here is another a few slices into the flat:

I've done briskets with thicker smoke rings, but this one had better flavor than any other I've smoked. Maybe the lump charcoal smokes less but tastes better?

 

[EEE]

That looks awesome!
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the smoke ring is more a function of CO reacting with a protein in the meat rather than smoke.

 

[Idahorn2]

Looks great, I may have to try it without rubbing the fat cap sometime.

 

[jimmyjazz]

I don't think there's any harm in putting rub on the fat cap. I'll probably do it that way from now on, just to be safe.

Even though the lump charcoal + hardwood didn't char the brisket as much as Kingsford briquets + hardwood usually does, I think this tasted better. I'm sure the binder/filler that goes in briquets is something you'd rather not have flavoring your food.

Next time, I'll try smoking over hardwood exclusively, or maybe with a charcoal starter.

 

[gsoda3]

so from 8:21AM to well after 4 in the afternoon you had it in the oven at 225? what was the final temperature you were aiming for? would the brisket not be around 200F by the time you took it out?

 

[jimmyjazz]

The center of the brisket was at 185 F when I pulled it out of the oven. It cooked for a total of 22 hours, most of it around 200 F to 210 F. The smoker box temperature did spike to 250 F or so forr a little while, but I'm sure it averaged less than 225 F throughout the cook. At 225 F, 2 hours per pound is a bit long, but for temperatures lower than that, it seems reasonable.