Brisket Logistics

PirateBill

Morning fellas, I got me a question:

Wife and I are tossing a party this Saturday starts @ 6pm I plan on gently dropping the brisket (14.5 lbs uncut prime packer) on the egg@ 225f @ midnight Friday I feel that that would give me plenty of time for it to go possibly long, don't plan on wrapping but will if needed. I will be trimming via BBQ with Franklyn (been watching those vids over and over) also doing the simple salt/pepper rub, my only question is as the title stated logistics am I being too conservative or should I push the start time till later/earlier Saturday.

Thanks in advance!

Your friendly neighborhood pirate (from a land locked state)

HellrodKC

I just did the exact same thing this past weekend. Had a 14.9lb prime brisket from costco, trimmed and rubbed the same way. Temp crept up on me a bit to 300 as I was sleeping, and it was done in 5.5 hours. BUT all of my previous briskets have taken 12-14 hours. 

I like the sound of your plan, but be prepared for variables!

TN_Sister_State

I did one the exact same size for the masters and ended up trimming about 2# of fat off so it was 12.5 on the egg. Put on at midnight, maintained 245 mostly during the cook and was done around 2 or 3pm so your plan is perfect in my mind and remember you can FTC for hours with no issue. Otherwise keep in an oven at 155 i think was a mention by someone on the forum at one point. 

PirateBill

HellrodKC said:

I just did the exact same thing this past weekend. Had a 14.9lb prime brisket from costco, trimmed and rubbed the same way. Temp crept up on me a bit to 300 as I was sleeping, and it was done in 5.5 hours. BUT all of my previous briskets have taken 12-14 hours. 

I like the sound of your plan, but be prepared for variables!

Thanks! I am borrowing a friends BBQ guru so the temp creep shouldn't happen, that being said I also am using my igrill  Bluetooth to alert me via cell if the jumps past 240.

Again thanks for the info!

Thanks! I am borrowing a friends BBQ guru so the temp creep shouldn't happen, that being said I also am using my igrill  Bluetooth to alert me via cell if the temp jumps past 240.

Again thanks for the info!

PirateBill

TN_Sister_State said:

I did one the exact same size for the masters and ended up trimming about 2# of fat off so it was 12.5 on the egg. Put on at midnight, maintained 245 mostly during the cook and was done around 2 or 3pm so your plan is perfect in my mind and remember you can FTC for hours with no issue. Otherwise keep in an oven at 155 i think was a mention by someone on the forum at one point. 

Now that you say that I remember reading your post a lil while back, thanks for the reminder!

lousubcap

The key is to finish inside the reasonable FTC window and as noted above your plan should (key word) get you there.  Once in the window you can dial it up if necessary to punch it home.  Just allow around 20 minutes on a cooling rack to stop the carry-over cooking before the FTC.  Enjoy the cook and follow-on eats.  

PirateBill

Paranoia fueled question: is there a proper way to place the brisket on the egg ... i.e. flat or point toward the back or left to right or even rolled up with butcher twine and sitting on its end with a beer can in it? serious question is there a preferred orientation for placing a brisket on a Lg Egg.

Hans61

Point to back 

TN_Sister_State

@PirateBill I usually put fat side down on my large and the point towards the back and if its really big i use a foiled covered brick to "tent" it thanks to advice given on this forum. I also put a little foil under the flat end that hangs over the edge of the platesetter a little. I know you cant see the brick but it was under there before it shrank up a bit. 

*edit this was a 14.5 trimmed down to 12.5# once it hit the egg.

lousubcap

@PirateBill - @TN_Sister_State has you covered.  And foiling the thin part of the flat for a good portion of the cook will help.  One prep hint, cut a notch cross grain on the end of the flat so that when you create the meteorite you know the direction to slice on demand.  

PirateBill

Thanks guys and of course @TN_Sister_State has my back what are fellow VOLS for! again thanks guys ... still looking forward to the crushing defeat and the sad look in my guest eyes when I decree that we will be going with plan B aka hot dogs!

GATraveller

I'd start it about 10pm just to be on the safe side.  Plus I've always had better results if my brisket is FTC'd after smoking.  There's some science to it as well.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/06/08/411778404/pitmasters-embrace-new-barbecue-truth-rested-meat-is-sublime

Also agree with above - fat side down, point to the back and use some foil to protect the thinnest corner of flat.

Good luck and have fun - by far my favorite cook!!!

PirateBill

Thanks guys, with all this Knowledge being dropped (as the young'uns say now a days) I am optimistically cautious that this brisket might not come off the egg as pure poison (as I had feared earlier)

minniemoh

Your plan sounds good. If you're feeling that it's coming along a little slow in the morning, you can bump to 250-275 to help it through the stall. You should have plenty of time to get it done though. If you do need to wrap, you could try the butcher paper wrap. I've only done it once but I liked the results.

PirateBill

I am thinking of starting more around 10 like @GATraveller recommended, I plan on FTCing for at least 2 hours if it is more than that oh well. I'm trying to allow plenty of time so I don't have to wrap but as said before I will have that tool ready to go if needed.  

lousubcap

@PirateBill - sent you a PM that you may find contains some useful info.  Consider it a "knowledge drop" to do with as you wish.