Surfin Sapo's slow cooked beef brisket.

12 hours @ 225, then foiled overnight... used mustard & big ron's rub for seasoning. Used mesquite from my yard to cook it.

Do you have the brisket directly over the coals? Are they far enough down that it doesn't burn during the long cooking process? I have never made a brisket myself, but have been reading, and most things mention indirect heat. Just wondering if you could expand on how you cook it.

The end result looks great.

brandon_w wrote:Do you have the brisket directly over the coals? Are they far enough down that it doesn't burn during the long cooking process? I have never made a brisket myself, but have been reading, and most things mention indirect heat. Just wondering if you could expand on how you cook it.

The end result looks great.

Brandon, you are correct. I put the coals on one side of my kamado ( www.kamado.com ) and cook it low-n-slow.. It cook for 12 hours and rested over night in heavy duty foil... I followed this guys style and it works good
http://www.barbecuen.com/champ-brisket.htm
Pm me if you need any help at all...

HI,

Rather than PM, why not inquire here allowing everyone an opportunity to learn.

Thanks!

Regards,

Are you going to leave this one up, or are you going to take it down too?

leek wrote:Are you going to leave this one up, or are you going to take it down too?

I am going to leave it up. Sorry about that I just has a bad week and jumped to conclusions. I apologize to everyone...thanks for remembering...

Thanks, Surfs -

There's also some very good (if idiosyncratic) BBQ info to be had at http://www.wiviott.com

leek wrote:Thanks, Surfs -

There's also some very good (if idiosyncratic) BBQ info to be had at http://www.wiviott.com

Cool, I'll check it out tonight.. Thanks Leek!

If I need any other help I'll let you know. I'm getting a 1/4 side of beef this weekend and will be getting a brisket with that. I'll probably look to my Paul Kirk book for a mustard slather and a rub.

Leaving it out overnight in foil is not a great idea, it will drop below 140deg and the little beasties may start to grow.. You should take the brisket off the heat when internal temp is about 205deg, I then wrap the brisket in foil and place it in a cooler which holds the heat nicely for about 5-6 hours. After that, it starts to approach 150deg which is the point at which it needs to be refrigerated.

dukesdad wrote:Leaving it out overnight in foil is not a great idea, it will drop below 140deg and the little beasties may start to grow.. You should take the brisket off the heat when internal temp is about 205deg, I then wrap the brisket in foil and place it in a cooler which holds the heat nicely for about 5-6 hours. After that, it starts to approach 150deg which is the point at which it needs to be refrigerated.

Thank you for the info dukesdad.

Just got around to smoking my first brisket. It was a small one (a bit under 3lbs) but a good one to start with. I followed directions out of Paul Kirk's Championship BBQ book. I made a mustard slather from one of his recipes, then I made one of his rubs. Slathered it up and sprinkled the rub on and it was ready to go.

At first I fired up way to many coals so I had to take a bunch of them out of the grill to get the temp down. I had one half of the grill open so I could add more coals, and grates on the opposite side. A big pan of water under the grates. When I was a bit under 250º I put the brisket on. I had a hard time keeping an even temp but was starting to get the hang of it going into hour 4. I used hickory chunks for the smoke, they were soaked in water, and then separated from the coals by aluminum foil.

Total cooking time was about 6 hours. For the last 3 hours I basted every half hour with apple juice. After I let it rest for 10-15 minutes (all the Baron recommends) I cut into it. I was pleasantly surprised with the nice smoke ring I had. The brisket was done nicely, though I don't think I cut against the grain exactly. It was tender, but could have been a bit better. I made a spicy bbq sauce to go with it. Overall not a bad first attempt. I'll try and get a pic or two up of the finished product.

What was the temp of the meat when you took it off? In order for it to be really tender, you have to get it over 195deg.

I don't know what the temp was, the instructions I was following said that when it is done you can stick a fork in against the grain and pull it out easily. I thought I had achived that. That's the thing about BBQ, everyone has a different trick. I will try and remember that for the next time. I also need to do a better job of marking the grain before I start.

I have found a Polder type electronic thermometer to be essential for smoking brisket. Set the alarm to ring at 200deg, then take it out and wrap in foil while it rests, you can't screw up. You can find the thermometers for about $10 at Marshall's.

I have found that taking the temp of a brisket in order to determine if it is done is counterproductive and can often lead to disappointment. Often times a brisket (or pork butt) will plateau at a certain temp for a long time while the collagen melts. If you pull it too soon (even though it's at your designated temperature) the meat might be tough or the fat might not have the correct texture. You've got to go by the look and feel of the meat to know when to pull it. The only way to achieve perfect results every time is to practice. Brisket is one of the hardest things to smoke and get right. If you don't have a lot of experience with using your smoker, I'd suggest starting out with a less challenging piece of meat, like chicken or ribs, until you have that down pat, then graduate to brisket or pulled pork.

You are right, I should practice on some selections that are easier to smoke but a brisket came with my 1/4 side of beef so I thought I would give it a try anyhow.

Here is a decent picture that shows off the smoke ring that I am fairly proud of.



I happily at my leftovers this week and I think that I will be doing more smoking in the future. Maybe my Dad will give me his old smoker, or his new one...