Howdy,

I'm going to try my first brisket this weekend and I had a couple of
questions.

First, I'm using a wsm. I've only had it for about 3 months but a
perfect opportunity for an all night smoke has come up and a friend has
been bugging me to do a brisket, so I thought why not give it a go? I've
done ribs, ribs and more ribs, some poultry and a couple of other
assorted things but this will be my first long smoke.

I've been reading a bunch and I noticed that some folks trim the fat
down to 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch and put the brisket in the pit fat side
up. Lately I've been reading that some are advocating fat side down, and
the more I think about it that makes sense to me.

If I was going to do this fat side down, should I bother trimming any of
the fat?

My next question is about the wood to use. I've been almost exclusively
using cherry for my smokes because I cut a tree down in my back yard a
couple of years ago and I've got a ton of nicely dried cherry wood. I
also have lots of oak (Garry Oak though - it's very rare and I don't
know how it compares with other oaks for smoke).

I don't live in bbq country, so finding commercial sources of wood
chunks is pretty tough. I can find hickory and mesquite, but I haven't
used those (I am under the impression these would not be great for ribs,
which is what 90% of my bbq has been thus far).

I did track down a bag of pecan chips - I've heard that pecan is a nice
wood, and I was wondering if I could make use of these chips by wrapping
them up in foil? Maybe a combo of cherry chunks and pecan chips in foil
for this smoke?

One last question: is applying a mop important or is this a bit like
"basting" a turkey?

Thanks for any help!

--
Bill

On Oct 10, 11:55 am, Bill Riel > wrote:
> Howdy,
>
> I'm going to try my first brisket this weekend and I had a couple of
> questions.
>
> First, I'm using a wsm. I've only had it for about 3 months but a
> perfect opportunity for an all night smoke has come up and a friend has
> been bugging me to do a brisket, so I thought why not give it a go? I've
> done ribs, ribs and more ribs, some poultry and a couple of other
> assorted things but this will be my first long smoke.
>
> I've been reading a bunch and I noticed that some folks trim the fat
> down to 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch and put the brisket in the pit fat side
> up. Lately I've been reading that some are advocating fat side down, and
> the more I think about it that makes sense to me.
>
> If I was going to do this fat side down, should I bother trimming any of
> the fat?
>
> My next question is about the wood to use. I've been almost exclusively
> using cherry for my smokes because I cut a tree down in my back yard a
> couple of years ago and I've got a ton of nicely dried cherry wood. I
> also have lots of oak (Garry Oak though - it's very rare and I don't
> know how it compares with other oaks for smoke).
>
> I don't live in bbq country, so finding commercial sources of wood
> chunks is pretty tough. I can find hickory and mesquite, but I haven't
> used those (I am under the impression these would not be great for ribs,
> which is what 90% of my bbq has been thus far).
>
> I did track down a bag of pecan chips - I've heard that pecan is a nice
> wood, and I was wondering if I could make use of these chips by wrapping
> them up in foil? Maybe a combo of cherry chunks and pecan chips in foil
> for this smoke?
>
> One last question: is applying a mop important or is this a bit like
> "basting" a turkey?
>
> Thanks for any help!
>
> --
> Bill

Bill, looks like you're asking the right questions. My take:
Cherry, oak,or the pecan should all bode well, exclusively, or in a
combination with the others. You don't need to foil the pecan
chips. . . might soak them, or better yet use chunks (dry) if you have
any. I prefer hickory and oak and cherry, more recently, maple.
Fat cap down in your WSM; if you were cooking in an offset, it would
be up. Leave at LEAST 1/4"+ of fat on it. You'll need this fat layer
to protect the meat from getting crusty on the bottom.

Mop: your choice, some say it just rinses off the spices and
needlessly prolongs cooking time by opening the lid to mop. Others
like it, as it keeps the meat cooler, and it does add a dimension of
flavor. You'll have to see what works for you; no hard and fast rule
about mopping. I don't mop brisket.

Oh. what time will it be ready and can I bring anything?

Pierre

In article . com>,
says...


> Bill, looks like you're asking the right questions. My take:
> Cherry, oak,or the pecan should all bode well, exclusively, or in a
> combination with the others. You don't need to foil the pecan
> chips. . . might soak them, or better yet use chunks (dry) if you have
> any. I prefer hickory and oak and cherry, more recently, maple.
> Fat cap down in your WSM; if you were cooking in an offset, it would
> be up. Leave at LEAST 1/4"+ of fat on it. You'll need this fat layer
> to protect the meat from getting crusty on the bottom.

Thanks Pierre. I think I'll probably leave the fat cap alone (or maybe
trim a bit of it) and put it in the pit fat side down. I'll do some kind
of basic rub gleaned from what I've got on hand and what looks common to
what most folks use.

Cherry and pecan for smoke, and I'll decide if I feel like using a mop
when the time comes.

>
> Oh. what time will it be ready and can I bring anything?
>

heh, well ya know, it's ready when it's ready. But in all likelihood
we're going to serve it at around 5:00 PM on Saturday. Bring beer and
you're in!

--
Bill

On Oct 10, 11:23 am, Bill Riel > wrote:

>
> Thanks Pierre. I think I'll probably leave the fat cap alone (or maybe
> trim a bit of it) and put it in the pit fat side down. I'll do some kind
> of basic rub gleaned from what I've got on hand and what looks common to
> what most folks use.

> --
> Bill

Keep it simple...salt, pepper and granulated garlic. No need to get
crazy :-)

Jason

"Bill Riel" > wrote in message
> I've been reading a bunch and I noticed that some folks trim the fat
> down to 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch and put the brisket in the pit fat side
> up. Lately I've been reading that some are advocating fat side down, and
> the more I think about it that makes sense to me.

Packer cut? There are a couple of very thick sections of fat. There is no
reason to cook that much fat as it will drip more, take longer to heat, and
just get trimmed off later anyway, along with the rub and the flavor of the
rub. Trim it to 1/4".


>
> If I was going to do this fat side down, should I bother trimming any of
> the fat?

Because it will just make a dripping mess and you wo't be eating it anyway.
I always cook fat up. Never tried fat down so I can't comment.

>
> My next question is about the wood to use. I've been almost exclusively
> using cherry for my smokes because I cut a tree down in my back yard a
> couple of years ago and I've got a ton of nicely dried cherry wood. I
> also have lots of oak (Garry Oak though - it's very rare and I don't
> know how it compares with other oaks for smoke).

I like cherry, but not for brisket Use the oak, or at least a mix.


>
> I don't live in bbq country, so finding commercial sources of wood
> chunks is pretty tough. I can find hickory and mesquite, but I haven't
> used those (I am under the impression these would not be great for ribs,
> which is what 90% of my bbq has been thus far).

Mesquite is questionable for rib, but hickory is one of the most popular
smoking woods for ribs, hams, bacon, cheese and a billion other things. I
see no need to buy wood unless you are too lazy to cut your own or find
sources of it for free.

>
> I did track down a bag of pecan chips - I've heard that pecan is a nice
> wood, and I was wondering if I could make use of these chips by wrapping
> them up in foil? Maybe a combo of cherry chunks and pecan chips in foil
> for this smoke?

It will work. Pecan is similar to hickory. I'd save the chips for hte gas
grill.

>
> One last question: is applying a mop important or is this a bit like
> "basting" a turkey?

IMO, it is a waste of time. I've never seen any serious benefit. YMMV
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

Reverend Rafe Hollister wrote:

> Once again, it's fat to the fire (has everyone forgotten Hound so
> soon?) This means if you have a water pan in a bullet smoker, the
> heat is concentrated at the top, therefore fat goes up.
> If you're cooking over live coals (direct) put the fat down.

The fat can go to the fire or not. I've seen it done both ways. It depends
on the pitmaster, the height of the grate from the coals, and what the cut
of beef or pork is telling you.

--
Dave
www.davebbq.com

In article >, says...

> The fat can go to the fire or not. I've seen it done both ways. It depends
> on the pitmaster, the height of the grate from the coals, and what the cut
> of beef or pork is telling you.

Well, in this instance I trimmed a lot of the fat off but still had a
good 1/4 inch. I put the brisket in the wsm fat side down, but I didn't
use any water in the pan.

I thought it turned out great, but I really have no point of reference.
I wasn't kidding when I said I don't live in bbq country - I've never
seen or tasted brisket before and even had to get a butcher to special
order one for me. That said, the amount that people ate probably speaks
volumes about how well it turned out!

The next time I do one I'm going to try it fat side up. I'm totally a
newbie in this game and I tend to learn by doing (and making mistakes,
of course).

Thanks for all your help.

--
Bill

"Bill Riel" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, says...
>
>> The fat can go to the fire or not. I've seen it done both ways. It
>> depends
>> on the pitmaster, the height of the grate from the coals, and what the
>> cut
>> of beef or pork is telling you.
>
> Well, in this instance I trimmed a lot of the fat off but still had a
> good 1/4 inch. I put the brisket in the wsm fat side down, but I didn't
> use any water in the pan.
>
> I thought it turned out great, but I really have no point of reference.
> I wasn't kidding when I said I don't live in bbq country - I've never
> seen or tasted brisket before and even had to get a butcher to special
> order one for me. That said, the amount that people ate probably speaks
> volumes about how well it turned out!
>
> The next time I do one I'm going to try it fat side up. I'm totally a
> newbie in this game and I tend to learn by doing (and making mistakes,
> of course).
>
> Thanks for all your help.
>
> --
> Bill

Bill, what happens when you cook a brisket fat up, is, if it is direct, you
get a pretty good bark on the side towards the fire. Sometimes on a long
cook it gets pretty thick and hard and you may loose some because you may
have to trim the bark. Putting fat down prevents this somewhat.
--
James A. "Big Jim" Whitten

www.lazyq.com

On Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:16:10 -0400, "Big Jim" >
wrote:

>
>"Bill Riel" > wrote in message
. ..
>> In article >, says...
>>
>>> The fat can go to the fire or not. I've seen it done both ways. It
>>> depends
>>> on the pitmaster, the height of the grate from the coals, and what the
>>> cut
>>> of beef or pork is telling you.
>>
>>
>> Thanks for all your help.
>>
>> --
>> Bill
>
>Bill, what happens when you cook a brisket fat up, is, if it is direct, you
>get a pretty good bark on the side towards the fire. Sometimes on a long
>cook it gets pretty thick and hard and you may loose some because you may
>have to trim the bark. Putting fat down prevents this somewhat.


I just introduced S. Carolina Pulled Pork Dinner to some friends and
neighbors last Saturday. This was a particularly nice butt and it
cooked so well. I put it on about 5 in the morning [prepped the K the
night before] popped the guru & went back to bed. I ran it at 275Fand
took it off at 190F internal early afternoon. Wrapped it and put it
into a cooler. Took it out and pulled about 6:30 Pee-Emm.

Samantha told our eaters what to do; they came back for 3rds. This
after freshly smoked fish - the usual suspects - salmon, Cod and
trout. [the trout was farmed]. I also had a couple Eucheranian garlic
rings that I sliced into rings and served with a couple of mustards.

It was good.

Harry

On 15-Oct-2007, "Big Jim" > wrote:

> "Bill Riel" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >, says...
> >
> >> The fat can go to the fire or not. I've seen it done both ways. It
> >> depends
> >> on the pitmaster, the height of the grate from the coals, and what the
> >> cut
> >> of beef or pork is telling you.
> >
> > Well, in this instance I trimmed a lot of the fat off but still had a
> > good 1/4 inch. I put the brisket in the wsm fat side down, but I didn't
> > use any water in the pan.
> >
> > I thought it turned out great, but I really have no point of reference.
> > I wasn't kidding when I said I don't live in bbq country - I've never
> > seen or tasted brisket before and even had to get a butcher to special
> > order one for me. That said, the amount that people ate probably speaks
> > volumes about how well it turned out!
> >
> > The next time I do one I'm going to try it fat side up. I'm totally a
> > newbie in this game and I tend to learn by doing (and making mistakes,
> > of course).
> >
> > Thanks for all your help.
> >
> > --
> > Bill
>
> Bill, what happens when you cook a brisket fat up, is, if it is direct,
> you
> get a pretty good bark on the side towards the fire. Sometimes on a long
> cook it gets pretty thick and hard and you may loose some because you may
>
> have to trim the bark. Putting fat down prevents this somewhat.
> --
> James A. "Big Jim" Whitten

I feel like a Fookin idiot commenting on this subject behind Dave and Big
Jim, but then nobody ever accused me of having a lot of sense. If you take
Dave's and Big Jim's comments both together you can sorta make a little
more sense out of the subject. It makes sense to recover as much edible
meat as you can, so if something is sacrificed, let it be the fatcap.

My pit is appreciably hotter near the firebox then it is at the opposite
end.
So, one side cooks faster then the other. I don't believe in fussing with
the
food anymore then necessary (Dave's individual pitmaster comment) so
I turn the meat just one time during the cook and I never turn it over. I
let
the fatcap take the most punishment and then treat it separately when the
cooking is over. For brisket, this usually means discarding quite a bit of
fat and slicing the rest of the meat. For butts and picnics, I shred all the
meat that I can and chop the bark separately and then mix it back into
the meat before serving.

I'm pleased with the results and guests always come back for seconds
and thirds. I can't say if anyone would pay good money for it or not. I've
never tried to sell any.

Others with the same type of pit (horizontal offset) do things a little or
a lot differently. Some move the meat around quite a bit to even out
the heat exposure. Swap meat from the hot end to the cooler end.
Turn pieces 180° and even turn meat over from time to time. I don't
know if you'd get a better product. The most I have done is to swap
meat from one end to the other just one time during a long cook if
I have the pit full enough for it to matter.

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)