Barbecue (alt.food.barbecue) Discuss barbecue and grilling--southern style "low and slow" smoking of ribs, shoulders and briskets, as well as direct heat grilling of everything from burgers to salmon to vegetables.

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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
ceed
 
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Default Placing brisket in a Brinkman smoker.

Hi,

I've got a 10 lbs untrimmed brisket I will do in my Brinkmann Smoker this
weekend. I think I'm ready for a brisket at this point (it's not my first
brisket, but the first in a smoker). However, I am wondering how to place
it since it's quite big. Advice? If someone has any other "last minute
advice" for me please come forward, coz tomorrow it may be too ....

How long will/should it take at 230-260F?

Thanks!

--
//ceed
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Pierre
 
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ceed wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've got a 10 lbs untrimmed brisket I will do in my Brinkmann Smoker this
> weekend. I think I'm ready for a brisket at this point (it's not my first
> brisket, but the first in a smoker). However, I am wondering how to place
> it since it's quite big. Advice? If someone has any other "last minute
> advice" for me please come forward, coz tomorrow it may be too ....
>
> How long will/should it take at 230-260F?
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
> //ceed


1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours per pound.

Just cram it in. Allow some room around it for the smoke and heat to
circulate. The meat will shrink anyways to about half its original
size as it cooks.

Pierre

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Piedmont
 
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"ceed"
<ceed@abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqr stuvwxyzabcdefghijk.com>
wrote in message newsp.ssg3nclj21xk10@dellbob...
> Hi,
>
> I've got a 10 lbs untrimmed brisket I will do in my Brinkmann Smoker this
> weekend. I think I'm ready for a brisket at this point (it's not my first
> brisket, but the first in a smoker). However, I am wondering how to place
> it since it's quite big. Advice? If someone has any other "last minute
> advice" for me please come forward, coz tomorrow it may be too ....
>
> How long will/should it take at 230-260F?
>

figure on at least 12 hours, start that sucker as early as you can, say, 5
am.

> Thanks!
>
> --
> //ceed


Cook it until internal meat temp of 195 is reached!, forget time, cook to
195andthere will be a hugh stall in temp rise around 150, but it will start
limbing again. then take it off cooker, let it sit for 1 hour, wrapped in
foil then wrapped in towels and/or place in ice chest (no Ice) for 1 hour,
then slice and eat. I don't know what a Brinkman smoker means but if it
barely fits in, thats ok as it will shrink, sometimes by 50 percent.


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cc0112453
 
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Which Brinkman, they make half a dozen or so models? I'm guessing you have
their bullet shaped one in which case you don't have much choice except
above the water pan. Fat cap down is the general consensus. If you have
one of the other Brinkman's don't place the meat too close to the fire side.
Don't worry if the internal temp of the meat gets hung up for a while just
keep pushing for that 190-195 temp. Get there and you will have it.


"Piedmont" > wrote in message
...
>
> "ceed"
> <ceed@abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqr stuvwxyzabcdefghijk.com>
> wrote in message newsp.ssg3nclj21xk10@dellbob...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've got a 10 lbs untrimmed brisket I will do in my Brinkmann Smoker this
>> weekend. I think I'm ready for a brisket at this point (it's not my first
>> brisket, but the first in a smoker). However, I am wondering how to place
>> it since it's quite big. Advice? If someone has any other "last minute
>> advice" for me please come forward, coz tomorrow it may be too ....
>>
>> How long will/should it take at 230-260F?
>>

> figure on at least 12 hours, start that sucker as early as you can, say, 5
> am.
>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> --
>> //ceed

>
> Cook it until internal meat temp of 195 is reached!, forget time, cook to
> 195andthere will be a hugh stall in temp rise around 150, but it will
> start
> limbing again. then take it off cooker, let it sit for 1 hour, wrapped in
> foil then wrapped in towels and/or place in ice chest (no Ice) for 1 hour,
> then slice and eat. I don't know what a Brinkman smoker means but if it
> barely fits in, thats ok as it will shrink, sometimes by 50 percent.
>
>



  #5 (permalink)   Report Post  
ceed
 
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On Fri, 17 Jun 2005 08:45:40 -0500, cc0112453
> wrote:

> Which Brinkman, they make half a dozen or so models? I'm guessing you
> have
> their bullet shaped one in which case you don't have much choice except
> above the water pan. Fat cap down is the general consensus. If you have
> one of the other Brinkman's don't place the meat too close to the fire
> side.
> Don't worry if the internal temp of the meat gets hung up for a while
> just
> keep pushing for that 190-195 temp. Get there and you will have it.


Sorry for not letting you know which Brinkman I have. Yes, it's the "Smoke
n Grill" bullet. Thank you for this advice (even though the brisket is
already on there).
>
>
> "Piedmont" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "ceed"
>> <ceed@abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqr stuvwxyzabcdefghijk.com>
>> wrote in message newsp.ssg3nclj21xk10@dellbob...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I've got a 10 lbs untrimmed brisket I will do in my Brinkmann Smoker
>>> this
>>> weekend. I think I'm ready for a brisket at this point (it's not my
>>> first
>>> brisket, but the first in a smoker). However, I am wondering how to
>>> place
>>> it since it's quite big. Advice? If someone has any other "last minute
>>> advice" for me please come forward, coz tomorrow it may be too ....
>>>
>>> How long will/should it take at 230-260F?
>>>

>> figure on at least 12 hours, start that sucker as early as you can,
>> say, 5
>> am.
>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> --
>>> //ceed

>>
>> Cook it until internal meat temp of 195 is reached!, forget time, cook
>> to
>> 195andthere will be a hugh stall in temp rise around 150, but it will
>> start
>> limbing again. then take it off cooker, let it sit for 1 hour, wrapped
>> in
>> foil then wrapped in towels and/or place in ice chest (no Ice) for 1
>> hour,
>> then slice and eat. I don't know what a Brinkman smoker means but if it
>> barely fits in, thats ok as it will shrink, sometimes by 50 percent.
>>
>>

>
>




--
//ceed


  #6 (permalink)   Report Post  
Glenn
 
Posts: n/a
Default

NO! NO! NO!
Fat side ALWAYS goes UP. That way the fat runs through the meat keeping
it moist.


cc0112453 wrote:
> Which Brinkman, they make half a dozen or so models? I'm guessing you have
> their bullet shaped one in which case you don't have much choice except
> above the water pan. Fat cap down is the general consensus. If you have
> one of the other Brinkman's don't place the meat too close to the fire side.
> Don't worry if the internal temp of the meat gets hung up for a while just
> keep pushing for that 190-195 temp. Get there and you will have it.
>
>
> "Piedmont" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>"ceed"
>><ceed@abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnop qrstuvwxyzabcdefghijk.com>
>>wrote in message newsp.ssg3nclj21xk10@dellbob...
>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>I've got a 10 lbs untrimmed brisket I will do in my Brinkmann Smoker this
>>>weekend. I think I'm ready for a brisket at this point (it's not my first
>>>brisket, but the first in a smoker). However, I am wondering how to place
>>>it since it's quite big. Advice? If someone has any other "last minute
>>>advice" for me please come forward, coz tomorrow it may be too ....
>>>
>>>How long will/should it take at 230-260F?
>>>

>>
>>figure on at least 12 hours, start that sucker as early as you can, say, 5
>>am.
>>
>>
>>>Thanks!
>>>
>>>--
>>>//ceed

>>
>>Cook it until internal meat temp of 195 is reached!, forget time, cook to
>>195andthere will be a hugh stall in temp rise around 150, but it will
>>start
>>limbing again. then take it off cooker, let it sit for 1 hour, wrapped in
>>foil then wrapped in towels and/or place in ice chest (no Ice) for 1 hour,
>>then slice and eat. I don't know what a Brinkman smoker means but if it
>>barely fits in, thats ok as it will shrink, sometimes by 50 percent.
>>
>>

>
>
>

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Graeme...in London
 
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Default


"Glenn" > wrote in message
...
> NO! NO! NO!
> Fat side ALWAYS goes UP. That way the fat runs through the meat keeping
> it moist.


Glenn, sorry but you're wrong. The general consensus, and this has been
discussed on this ng umpteen times over the years, is that in a bullet
smoker it's fat side down but it's fat side up in an offset.

Graeme


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Toni and Art
 
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I found this on another Q board. Long, but interesting.

i found this a few years ago and it help me out a lot with smoking
brisket.
these guys that help me out cook every yaer at the houston livestock
show and rodeo
they even sell a very good barbecue rub there web site is.
www.texasbbqrub.com
Just thinking about cooking a brisket seems to scare some folks. We are
going to make this process as easy as we know how to do. It is not hard
to cook a great beef brisket. All it takes is time, patience, a great
seasoning, cooking long, and cooking at low temperatures. That is it.
Need we say more?
It has been said that the real measure of how good a BBQ cook you are
can be measured by how good your beef brisket is.
This might hold true down here in Texas=85. but in other states the same
might be said about pork shoulders or pork butts or pork ribs.
But since I am a Texan we are going to start with Brisket. After all
Texas is the beef capital of the World.
I get a few emails every month that ask questions about cooking brisket.
Let's start with the basics and go forward.

1. How to Choose a Good Brisket to put on the Smoker.
You go into the meat section of the store and look for a good brisket to
cook. What am I looking for in a brisket so I can pick out the best one
to cook?
Generally speaking, you want to be able to pick up the brisket and fold
it in half (or close to it). You want to be able to take the flat end
(this is the narrow part of the brisket) and be able to touch the point
end (this is the thickest part) of the brisket.
Pick a brisket that has a good color to it. It should be a good red
color for the meat and a nice white color for the fat. Older briskets
could have a yellowing of the fat and a browning of the meat. These are
still within the legal selling age of the meat but not as fresh as you
would like.
As for size, you can cook any size brisket you want to, assuming you
have the space on the pit to hold the brisket. Briskets usually run from
8 pounds up to 14 pounds for the typical store briskets. You may find
some small ones in the 6 to 7 pound range and you may even see some big
ones in the 16 to 17 pound range. I like my briskets to be right around
12 pounds each. These seem to work better and are not so big that they
take forever to cook. Usually this size brisket is easy enough to find.

2. Fat side up or down when you cook a brisket.
This is a frequently asked question and stirs up some debate in the BBQ
community. When you look at the brisket you will notice one side of the
brisket is covered almost totally by fat. The other side of the brisket
is not covered by solid fat but has a more marbled look to it. The
non-fat side, if you will, also is the side that the point of the
brisket reaches its highest point.
Now for the discussion. When you place your brisket on your cooker do
you cook with the fat side on top or on bottom? Let's discuss this and
then decide.
The conventional approach to cooking any meat on the cooker is to place
the fat side of the piece of meat on top. This thinking is driven by the
belief that as the meat cooks and the fat begins to break down, the
juices of the fat will help marinate the meat as it cooks. This is true
with most of the meat we cook. I have no problem with the thought
process here. So one vote for placing the fat side of the brisket on
top.
Think about a couple of other issues when we cook meat low and slow.
Where does the heat we are using come from, the top or bottom of our
cooker? That is right the heat source is always at the bottom of the
meat. This is true if we cook in the oven, a grill, or a smoker. And we
all know that heat rises. So the deal is to have the heat come from the
bottom and rise over the food we are cooking.
When you cook, you notice that regardless of the meat we are cooking and
regardless of the type of cooker we are using, that when our meat is
cooked, and we are serving it, you notice that the bottom (the part of
the meat that cooked nearest the heat source) is usually more done than
the upper portion of the meat. This makes sense, as the bottom has been
closer to the heat source and has been subjected to more heat.
My point is, if we cook with the fat side down on a brisket, we have a
barrier of fat protecting the meat from the higher heat source. If we
cook fat side up then we have no barrier there to protect the flat
portion of the brisket from the higher heat.
If you really study the brisket you will notice there is a layer of fat
that runs down the center of the brisket, from a point that begins right
after the flat and begins to rise to the point. This flat layer and the
fat that runs all thru the brisket will give us plenty of natural juices
to keep the meat moist during cooking, if we use a rub that is designed
to hold in the meats own juices.
Therefore, I always cook my brisket with the fat side down on the
smoker. I want that protection from the heat source. This is even more
apparent if you use a grill and don't have a large space between your
heat source and the meat itself.
I have asked dozens of brisket cookers at various contest and cook-offs
what they prefer. I have read plenty about cooking brisket. There still
seems to be about half of those cookers that cook with the fat side up.
So the choice is yours here. Try it both ways if you want to but I have
cooked both ways for experimental purposes and find that fat side down
is by far the best for me.

3.Wrapping a brisket
Another controversial subject matter here. Do you wrap the brisket in
aluminum foil during the cooking process or just cook it un-wrapped.
Again, I have done brisket using both methods. My personal choice is to
wrap a brisket about 2/3 of the way thru the cook. That is to say, if
you cook for 12 hours, wrap the brisket at around 8 hours. If you cook
for 18 hours, then wrap around the 12-hour mark.
At the Houston Rodeo Cook Off I wanted to test the differences in
wrapped and un-wrapped brisket. Three days of cooking brisket will allow
you the time to do some playing and experimenting. So I cooked some
brisket wrapped and some unwrapped in the same batch of brisket. My
results indicated that the wrapped brisket was juicier, more tender, and
had an even better flavor than the un-wrapped brisket.
With wrapping the brisket you do a couple of things. You first preserve
the juices that normally are dropping from the brisket inside the
aluminum and they assist in keeping the brisket juicy in the latter
stages of cooking. Remember, your brisket has been cooking for a long
time and retaining some liquid inside of the aluminum helps self
marinate the meat. I use a BBQ sauce (the recipe is in the recipes you
received when you signed up for the newsletter) to put over the brisket
when I wrap it up. This adds some flavor and gives the meat some
moisture as it finishes cooking. It will also assist in helping bring
the internal temp of the brisket up to the 160 degree point so the
collagen in the brisket will break down.
Again, there are many who do not wrap a brisket during cooking. I always
ask at cook-offs and my unofficial survey would say at least 2/3 of
brisket cookers wrap their briskets.
Another side point here, when you unwrap your brisket the juices you
have left in the foil are fabulous to add to beans or to a sauce if you
are serving one. There is so much flavor in that liquid it is great to
use on everything. So use it.

4. How Long and at What Temperature Do I Cook a Brisket
The art of cooking a great brisket involves time and temperature and
patience. Low and slow. I cook brisket at 200 degrees for up to 24
hours. Usually the cooking time is around 18 hours, but sometimes
weather and cooking situations dictate a longer cook.
Some will say you can cook a brisket in 5 or 6 hours. And yes you can.
But you have to raise your temperature to say 275 to 300 degrees to get
there. And the meat does not have time to really absorb all of the smoke
flavor it will on a longer cook and it does not have time for the
collagen to break down completely. So typically these briskets are
tough, burned on one side or the other, and dried out. Remember that
cooking at temperatures above 225 degrees can boil out the internal
juices of the brisket.
If you don't have the time to keep the brisket on the grill or smoker
for 18 hours or so you do have an alternate plan. Put your brisket on
the grill or smoker and cook it at a low temperature for as long as you
can, then simply finish the brisket off in the oven at 200 degrees for
the remaining time needed. This way you cook the brisket and break down
the collagen completely. You will get the smoke flavor from the grill
for the time it is left on there.
Remember, be patient. Don't keep fooling around with the brisket. Every
time you open the grill or smoker to peak in you just added more cooking
time as the temperature and all that great smoke just went out of the
pit.

5. Dried Out and Burned Brisket =96 What Went Wrong?
Well two things have probably lead to this. First, your temperature was
way to hot, and second, you cooked the brisket too close to the heat
source. These are the typical problems associated with dried out and
burned brisket. Too much heat and a brisket is just not very forgiving
especially if your brisket is very close to the heat source. Again, cook
low temperature for a long time.
To correct the problem move the brisket as far from the heat source as
possible and cut down on the temperature you are cooking with. If you
have a small off-set cooker the heat coming directly out of the fire box
is really hot so move the brisket back as far from the heat as possible
and place the brisket with the tip facing the heat source. Get that fat
layer on the bottom and that will help protect the meat also.

6. Do You Cook a Flat the Same as a Whole Brisket
The answer here is yes. Don't change up the way you cook a brisket. But
the flat will cook much faster than a whole brisket. The flat also does
not have a large fat cap to help protect it from the heat. So you really
need to cook low and slow for this type of meat and add a rub that will
keep the meat moist during cooking.

7. Do you Mop Your Brisket During Cooking
The answer is no. Mopping during cooking is used by some. Their idea is
that mopping a brisket will add juices to the brisket that have been
cooked out of the meat and it will also add flavor to the meat. Have you
ever tried to add moisture to meat when the meat is hot? What happens?
The liquid you are trying to baste with just rolls off the meat. It does
not penetrate the meat it simply rolls off. So I personally don't
believe mopping accomplishes anything other than to give someone
something to do during the long cook process.
And remember, every time you open up the lid of the smoker or grill to
mop you just let out all of the moisture, smoke, and heat in the smoker.
You just added more cooking time to get to the final product. If it
takes you a minute to mop the brisket, it will add 15 more minutes to
the cooking time. This seems to be self-defeating.
Add your flavor before the meat goes on the smoker with a great rub. A
rub that is also designed to help maintain the moisture inside the meat.
A rub that will make cooking a brisket a more enjoyable event for you.

8. Slicing the Brisket
Before you slice the brisket, let it stand and cool down for at least 30
minutes before you begin. It makes the meat easier to cut and lets you
maintain perfect slices. Slice the brisket in =BC inch thick slices.
Slice across the grain. Start at the flat end and work down from there.
The brisket has grains that run in different directions so you will have
to move the position of the brisket at times to continue slicing across
the gain.

Final Thoughts
OK now get out there and cook that great brisket. Don't be scared to
tackle that big old chuck of meat. Go on=85. You can Do It=85

  #9 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jack Sloan
 
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"Glenn" > wrote in message
...
> NO! NO! NO!
> Fat side ALWAYS goes UP. That way the fat runs through the meat keeping
> it moist.
>

Please tell me how the fat "runs through the meat".
Jack(Who thinks it's an old wive's tale)


  #10 (permalink)   Report Post  
ceed
 
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On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 09:00:52 -0500, Graeme...in London
> wrote:

>
> "Glenn" > wrote in message
> ...
>> NO! NO! NO!
>> Fat side ALWAYS goes UP. That way the fat runs through the meat keeping
>> it moist.

>
> Glenn, sorry but you're wrong. The general consensus, and this has been
> discussed on this ng umpteen times over the years, is that in a bullet
> smoker it's fat side down but it's fat side up in an offset.
>
> Graeme


I did fat side down yesterday. It turned out great using dry rub even
though it took 10 hours. What a great (late) meal we had! Thank you all
for advice!
>
>




--
//ceed


  #11 (permalink)   Report Post  
 
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"Graeme...in London" > wrote:
> "Glenn" > wrote in message
>
> > NO! NO! NO!
> > Fat side ALWAYS goes UP. That way the fat runs through the meat
> > keeping it moist.

>
> Glenn, sorry but you're wrong. The general consensus, and this has been
> discussed on this ng umpteen times over the years, is that in a bullet
> smoker it's fat side down but it's fat side up in an offset.
>

Graeme is correct, Glenn. The rule of thumb is 'fat toward the heat'.

--
Nick. To support severely wounded and disabled War on Terror Veterans and
their families go to: http://saluteheroes.org/

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
  #12 (permalink)   Report Post  
 
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"Jack Sloan" > wrote:
> "Glenn" > wrote in message
>
> > NO! NO! NO!
> > Fat side ALWAYS goes UP. That way the fat runs through the meat
> > keeping it moist.
> >

> Please tell me how the fat "runs through the meat".
> Jack(Who thinks it's an old wive's tale)


Well, see . . . ya take an icepick and poke a bunch of holes down through
the brisket and . . . oh, never mind!

--
Nick. To support severely wounded and disabled War on Terror Veterans and
their families go to: http://saluteheroes.org/

Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not forgotten. Thanks ! ! !
  #13 (permalink)   Report Post  
Harry Demidavicius
 
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On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 14:54:47 GMT, "Jack Sloan" >
wrote:

>
>"Glenn" > wrote in message
m...
>> NO! NO! NO!
>> Fat side ALWAYS goes UP. That way the fat runs through the meat keeping
>> it moist.
>>

> Please tell me how the fat "runs through the meat".
>Jack(Who thinks it's an old wive's tale)
>

I dunno about it running 'through', but it must run down the sides as
it renders off the cap. I have no experience with barrel type
cookers, but on a K it doesn't much matter as the heat comes from all
angles. I've seen the Eggs at work and they seem to behave
identically.

Harry
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Jack Sloan
 
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"Harry Demidavicius" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 14:54:47 GMT, "Jack Sloan" >
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"Glenn" > wrote in message
> m...
> >> NO! NO! NO!
> >> Fat side ALWAYS goes UP. That way the fat runs through the meat

keeping
> >> it moist.
> >>

> > Please tell me how the fat "runs through the meat".
> >Jack(Who thinks it's an old wive's tale)
> >

> I dunno about it running 'through', but it must run down the sides as
> it renders off the cap. I have no experience with barrel type
> cookers, but on a K it doesn't much matter as the heat comes from all
> angles. I've seen the Eggs at work and they seem to behave
> identically.
>
> Harry


Harry, I have the grill dome and I always put the fat side down. Even on
the NBBD.It always works out too.
Jack


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parrotheada1a
 
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Fill a spray bottle with water and shoot the hotspot. If you do it
right, the water will turn to steam and flush the grease outta the way.
The problem with grease burning is that too much smoke from it will
kill any wood smoke flavor. Thus your 'cue will taste more like a
grilled steak. Not bad by a longshot, but not what I think you're
after.

Jim

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