Brisket

[Trick Pony]

Yep. Trial by fire. Literally. To me, that's the fun part though. It sucks when experiments don't go as planned, or when you screw something up, but learning is a constant process, and all knowledge you gain, whether from a perfect experiment, or failed experiment, is knowledge worth having.

And when you get really good at it then you have to drink a lot while cooking to keep it challenging.

[mstng86]

You have to learn by doing with cooking. There's no shortcut.

Hence the reason why I defer to someone else for large gatherings. I am experimenting at home before I step up and invite a big group over.

[BERNIE MOSFET]

And when you get really good at it then you have to drink a lot while cooking to keep it challenging.

I thought drinking was inherently part of the process. It almost seems wrong to fire up the grill without a beer in hand.

[bcoop]

I thought drinking was inherently part of the process. It almost seems wrong to fire up the grill without a beer in hand.

This. Especially when you're firing that bitch up at 3 am, 4 am, 5 am, etc. Beer is mandatory.

[Jose]

I bought mine from the Evil one for $50 or so. It works, but it leaks like like no other. It can't be beat for the price. I'm just far beyond ready to step up to something much larger, and well built.

Thought it might have been more than that but it's been a while. Is it leaking from the doors?

[Randy]

Haha what makes you think it's cheap? Is it the fact that more smoke comes out the door then the stack?

Bam thats what i roll with right there!!! makes for some good meat

[bcoop]

Thought it might have been more than that but it's been a while. Is it leaking from the doors?

Who knows, I've drank since then. A lot. lol

Yeah, every single one of the Char Broil smokers I've seen smokes from the door like that. Just cheap mass production. It doesn't really bother me, still cooks like a champ. My biggest reason for wanting to change is capacity. When I fire up the smoker, it's very rare that I smoke just one brisket, or one rack of ribs, or pork shoulder. If I'm smoking, it's usually for a party, and I've just reached my limit on capacity. Need something bigger.

[mstng86]

Who knows, I've drank since then. A lot. lol

Yeah, every single one of the Char Broil smokers I've seen smokes from the door like that. Just cheap mass production. It doesn't really bother me, still cooks like a champ. My biggest reason for wanting to change is capacity. When I fire up the smoker, it's very rare that I smoke just one brisket, or one rack of ribs, or pork shoulder. If I'm smoking, it's usually for a party, and I've just reached my limit on capacity. Need something bigger.

Sounds like your house is the place to be.

I need to see if I can get a used smoker like that. This vertical one is just too small.

What do you look for in a used smoker? Rust at the bottom? Surface rust ok?

[Jose]

So I've got a brisket question. My smoker is a vertical propane model that I add wood chips in a pan and use a water pan as well (because it's direct heat). Because it's a vertical smoker space is at a premium. I can never seem to find briskets smaller than 10-11 lbs. and that will not fit without cutting it in half.

So my question is, when I cut the brisket in half does it "half" the smoking time? Hadn't smoke one in a while and I did one up a few weeks ago and it came out tough. Not sure if I over cooked it but I made the mistake of putting the fat cap down instead of up. Any idea where to get a smaller brisket like in the 5-8 lb. range?

[Jose]

Who knows, I've drank since then. A lot. lol

Yeah, every single one of the Char Broil smokers I've seen smokes from the door like that. Just cheap mass production. It doesn't really bother me, still cooks like a champ. My biggest reason for wanting to change is capacity. When I fire up the smoker, it's very rare that I smoke just one brisket, or one rack of ribs, or pork shoulder. If I'm smoking, it's usually for a party, and I've just reached my limit on capacity. Need something bigger.

LOL! Well let me know if you upgrade, I would happily buy it back from you

[Jose]

Sounds like your house is the place to be.

I need to see if I can get a used smoker like that. This vertical one is just too small.

What do you look for in a used smoker? Rust at the bottom? Surface rust ok?

I hear ya on the vertical smoker being to small. The only reason I bought it was for the convenience of the propane and the portability. Nothing like going camping and smoking some ribs, brisket, etc.

[bcoop]

So I've got a brisket question. My smoker is a vertical propane model that I add wood chips in a pan and use a water pan as well (because it's direct heat). Because it's a vertical smoker space is at a premium. I can never seem to find briskets smaller than 10-11 lbs. and that will not fit without cutting it in half.

So my question is, when I cut the brisket in half does it "half" the smoking time? Hadn't smoke one in a while and I did one up a few weeks ago and it came out tough. Not sure if I over cooked it but I made the mistake of putting the fat cap down instead of up. Any idea where to get a smaller brisket like in the 5-8 lb. range?

The smaller the brisket is, the less you can use the hour and a half per pound rule of thumb. The reasoning is that the brisket is smaller, and the smoke will penetrate quicker. I'm telling ya'll. Screw the time. Cook to internal temp, and be done with it.

[2165 Turbo Rail]

thats what I did yesterday... It should have stayed on till about 8:30 but the internal temp hit 180 a little before 7 so I pulled it off and it was just right

mmmm can't wait to get home for some left overs

[Jewrrick]

Tried again last weekend and it came out nice and tender except the bottom, which burned because my fiance's mother did 2 things. At 6am she came out and saw the temp around 175-180 so she threw not 1, not 2 but 3 pieces of wood on the fire. It got up to around 350 for an hour before I came out and checked the fire and to baste the meat and I was pissed. Then I told them it would be ready by 11.30 when the time came around they didn't have any of the sides ready so they said leave it on there. So I got temp down to about 160 or so and it sat there till 1...

This was another 11.5lb brisket and I was trying to keep the temp around 180-200 starting at 9.30p and stayed up all night with it basting it untill 11.30 am the next day. flavor was good except the bottom and was moist and tender for the most part, just had a tough crust on the bottom on the thin end of the brisket. I will be trying again with a new recipe on July 4th weekend and see how that goes.

[mstng86]

Tried again last weekend and it came out nice and tender except the bottom, which burned because my fiance's mother did 2 things. At 6am she came out and saw the temp around 175-180 so she threw not 1, not 2 but 3 pieces of wood on the fire. It got up to around 350 for an hour before I came out and checked the fire and to baste the meat and I was pissed. Then I told them it would be ready by 11.30 when the time came around they didn't have any of the sides ready so they said leave it on there. So I got temp down to about 160 or so and it sat there till 1...

This was another 11.5lb brisket and I was trying to keep the temp around 180-200 starting at 9.30p and stayed up all night with it basting it untill 11.30 am the next day. flavor was good except the bottom and was moist and tender for the most part, just had a tough crust on the bottom on the thin end of the brisket. I will be trying again with a new recipe on July 4th weekend and see how that goes.

And that is why you smoke outside and not in the kitchen.