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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Default Man, am I an efficient cook or what

Did 5 packer cut briskets this morning, average weight of 13lbs. This
time and the last time they came up to 190F in less than 6 hours. Just
finished foiling them and putting them in the cooler.

Temps were over 300 for a little bit, but mostly 250-275 or so, hotter
near the firebox of course, and a bit cooler away, biggest pieces went
closest to the firebox and on top. Am using raw wood, mostly almond
this time. Started the cook a about 7:45 and pulled the meat off a
little before 1PM.

Have always read about 12-14 hour cooks for brisket. Wierd.



Anyway, will have some happy amigos come Monday.

Dale
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Tutall wrote:

> Did 5 packer cut briskets this morning, average weight of 13lbs. This
> time and the last time they came up to 190F in less than 6 hours. Just
> finished foiling them and putting them in the cooler.
>
> Temps were over 300 for a little bit, but mostly 250-275 or so, hotter
> near the firebox of course, and a bit cooler away, biggest pieces went
> closest to the firebox and on top. Am using raw wood, mostly almond
> this time. Started the cook a about 7:45 and pulled the meat off a
> little before 1PM.
>
> Have always read about 12-14 hour cooks for brisket. Wierd.
>
>
>
> Anyway, will have some happy amigos come Monday.
>
> Dale


Congtrats, Dale.

Weird how the times can range so much, isn't it? I once had a
9.5 lb brisket finish in under 4 hours at 250 F. I kid you not.

--
Reg
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On Nov 7, 1:16*pm, RegForte > wrote:
> Tutall wrote:
> > Did 5 packer cut briskets this morning, average weight of 13lbs. This
> > time and the last time they came up to 190F in less than 6 hours. Just
> > finished foiling them and putting them in the cooler.

>
> > Temps were over 300 for a little bit, but mostly 250-275 or so, hotter
> > near the firebox of course, and a bit cooler away, biggest pieces went
> > closest to the firebox and on top. *Am using raw wood, mostly almond
> > this time. Started the cook a about 7:45 and pulled the meat off a
> > little before 1PM.

>
> > Have always read about 12-14 hour cooks for brisket. Wierd.

>
> > Anyway, will have some happy amigos come Monday.

>
> > Dale

>
> Congtrats, Dale.
>
> Weird how the times can range so much, isn't it? I once had a
> 9.5 lb brisket finish in under 4 hours at 250 F. I kid you not.
>


Thanks Reg, what I thought was wierd is that I've done two good cooks
of brisket, cooking 9 different pieces of meat and all 9 took less
than 6 hours.

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Default Man, am I an efficient cook or what

On Nov 7, 5:48*pm, Tutall > wrote:

> > Weird how the times can range so much, isn't it? I once had a
> > 9.5 lb brisket finish in under 4 hours at 250 F. I kid you not.


Crap!! Was this in your convection/microwave/gamma radiation cooker?
You're talking less than 30 minutes a pound at 250 for beef? Did it
glow in the dark <kidding!>.

Stranger things have happened. Mine seem to go the other way. It
isn't a precise science, but that's what draws so many to smoking I
think.

> Thanks Reg, what I thought was wierd is that I've done two good cooks
> of brisket, cooking 9 different pieces of meat and all 9 took less
> than 6 hours.


Now don't get testy here... it's just a question. Brisket is very
forgiving, and not nearly as hard to cook as some think it is. It is
well protected and stands high heat from cooking and spikes very
well.

One batch at Indy car time, I could understand. But TWO? And all
pieces cooking exactly the same? Do you trust your thermos? Could
they be off? That's amazingly similar and unusual results over a lot
of pieces of meat.
I usually cook mine at 275 - 300F and sometimes beyond if really
fatty. A fatty brisket will stand 325 - 350 easily, and you can turn
out quick times at those temps. But I still allow about 30 minutes a
lb to cook at around 300F. It works out to a little more with some
pieces of meat and a little less others.

I have calibrated my thermos (all within 5 degrees so doesn't get much
better than that) and have one in the meat, and an instant read to
back it up. I have two on the cooker to make sure the both agree. So
I am relatively confident in my temps in cooking. I just haven't had
one go off that fast at 250F, spike or no spike. (To me, spikes on a
big piece of meat are a little bit of nothing if you correct it right
away. I'm not talking about a 500 degree spike, here. But 50 degrees
for a half hour or so.... bah!)

Mind you, I am NOT saying it didn't happen, not by any means. I am
just trying to compare here as I have cooked more briskets than I can
count and never had two groups cook that quickly at relatively low
temps.

Inquiring minds, you know.

Robert
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On Nov 8, 12:40*am, " >
wrote:
> On Nov 7, 5:48*pm, Tutall > wrote:
>
> > > Weird how the times can range so much, isn't it? I once had a
> > > 9.5 lb brisket finish in under 4 hours at 250 F. I kid you not.

>
> Crap!! *Was this in your convection/microwave/gamma radiation cooker?
> You're talking less than 30 minutes a pound at 250 for beef? *Did it
> glow in the dark <kidding!>.
>


>
> Inquiring minds, you know.
>
> Robert


No no, how could I be offended at a question I wondered at myself.
Well, to answer, I haven't checked the thermo for a few years, but
when I did it was real tight. It's one of those real big ones with
the 3" face and quarter inch rod. But it's been used a lot. However,
it would have to be 50F low or more to account for the differences I
think.
My observations make me think it's can't be THAT far off. For
instance, I was trying to run the fire a bit cooler yesterday, I
usually use big pieces of oak, more meant for the fireplace than an
offset and tend to run a bit hot because of that.
Yesterday was mostly running almond so would have one branch mostly
coals starting the next 2-4" round log. And it was indicating as low
as 225 up to 260F, 275 when two of these logs were going decent when
the fire was like that. Which would seem to be about right.

And the same thermometer does me pretty good for ribs, about 4 hours
(sometimes more. went 7 hours once this summer) for full slabs at
under 275F mostly. Butts cook up faster than expected too, usually 5-6
hours for a 11lb boneless butt.

I wouldn't be too suprised at 25F low, but not much more, you think?



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On Nov 8, 11:33 am, Tutall > wrote:

> Well, to answer, I haven't checked the thermo for a few years, but
> when I did it was real tight. It's one of those real big ones with
> the 3" face and quarter inch rod. But it's been used a lot. However,
> it would have to be 50F low or more to account for the differences I
> think.


Well sir... that would be about the only thing I could think of that
would scramble the data. So I don't know.

I have to say I am impressed you cook on wood! I only started with
charcoal/lump about 10 years ago, and the previous 20 were all wood
only. We have oak, pecan and mesquite everywhere here, and with our
fireplaces being rarely used due to our mild weather, just about
everyone has plenty of wood to burn.

Still, they burn charcoal or propane.

Meat just tastes different cooked over well seasoned wood to me. I
like it better, but now use a mix myself.

Anyway, it sounds to me like you have thought this through pretty
well. I don't have anything to offer but speculation. I would still
look at the thermos, only based on the fact that they have probably
been well used (and don't forget they are working even when you aren't
smoking) and they are a few years old.

> I wouldn't be too suprised at 25F low, but not much more, you think?


Regardless the circumstances, no. Unless the probe/backside/sensor
was somewhow fouled by smoking "stuff".
All the meats you are using for examples are pretty forgiving so
higher temps wouldn't be a problem.

The sweet spot on my pit is about 275 - 300F. The sweet spot on my
WSM is about 250 - 275F. The WSM is annoying sometimes as with a
properly assembled and lit fire, you can easily go 6 - 7 hours without
doing anything. (Hard to be the "pit master" when you are doing yard
work, honey-do lists or drinking beer.)

The point is that the WSM is my benchmark for outdoor cooking as it is
almost an oven when you get it set. With that in mind, I have never
turned in the numbers you have on either briskets or butts based on
those temps.

Over the last 30 years, I have probably cooked about 10 - 15 briskets
a year. Not nearly as much as a couple of my friends, but enough to
get the hang of it. This is after all, brisket country (aka -
Texas). I hadn't even cooked a pork butt until about 7 - 8 years ago
as they were difficult to find here.

I like to cook bigger briskets, in the 15 - 16# range, as they work
well on the WSM for overnight cooks. For any overnight WSM brisket
(around 250 - 275F) I allow about 45 minutes a pound. That would put
me in at about 10 hours on a 13# brisket, give or take to finish,
usually 195F.

During the day, when I can watch it, I allow about 25 minutes on the
regular pit as I keep it around 325F. This cuts the cook time down
(and makes a superior bark!) to about 5 1/2 hours or so on a 13# piece
of brisket.

Comparatively, I have only cooked about 35 butts or so. Not nearly as
many as the brisket group, but they seem pretty consistent in cooking
times, except for an occasional wildcard. I haven't seen any bizarre
surprises. Pretty predictable. To me, your rib times look right, but
the butt times look low. Go figure.

Still.... never have I seen those cook times except as a rare
exception. I know RegF is a brisket cooker, but look at his "I kid
you not" post. Had 2 or 3 of those, but no more.

Are you in a high altitude city? Are you putting the meat in cold, or
do you let it warm up a bit before starting your cook? Are you by a
radiation leaking power plant? Are you cooking some kind of new
"green/hybrid" meat that takes less fuel?

I hope you stay after that and find out what is going on in your pit
and let us (me!) know.

Robert







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