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Brisket and Boston Butt on Same Level Cooking at the Same Time on Large BGE?

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GA_Dawg_EGGhead
GA_Dawg_EGGhead Posts: 10
in EggHead Forum
I am a new owner of a large BGE and I am loving it so far!  This weekend my family is having a party with a fair amount of people coming over, and I would like to cook both a whole brisket and a boston butt at the same time on the large BGE.  I am looking to cook both a 13lb whole brisket and a 7 to 8lb boston butt.  My question is whether I can cook these at the same time on one cooking level or not?  I do not yet have either an adjustable rig or a grill extender.  I am starting to worry that I need to go buy another level if I want to cook these two meats at the same time.  I know that if I used multiple/tiered levels I would put the brisket on the bottom level and the boston butt on the top level, but I would like to cook it all on one level if possible.  Can you let me know your experience with this?  Thanks for any advice you can give to a new EGGhead!
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  • Romain
    Romain Posts: 52
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    Sounds like a good eggcuse to get another egg.
    Romain Nowakowski Ashburn, VA
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
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    Brother i have a large myself and i dont think the size meats in question will fit with out some serious over crowding. Others may disagree but i like to give the big meats plenty of breathing room. As to your question if you have a large cooker there is nothing wrong with cooking them side by side but on the egg its not practical. My suggestion is to cook the brisket first and while its resting turbo the butt. As far as cooking one over the other i would put the brisket over the butt. After many hours of cooking beef will take on a off taste with pork rendering on it. You can let beef render on pork as long as you want with no issues.  I hope this helps and good luck my friend.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,337
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    First up-welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  I own a LBGE and to do what you want to do you will need to vertical.  And that's fairly simple.  Assuming you have a heat deflector (platesetter or stone) to go indirect, then just drink three aluminum canned beers and save the cans.  Put those on the first grid and then get around a 16" or so weber grid for the second level and you are " good to go".  I would do brisket over butt for the flavor profile of the drippings.  
    Also, I would use a drip pan on the deflector with an air gap to keep from burning the grease collection.  There are a few more tips and tricks but given your cook I'm guessing this is not your first rodeo. FWIW-

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • Acorn
    Acorn Posts: 163
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    Its going to be a full egg for sure. please post results.
    Atlanta, GA  - LBGE -
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
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    Here is some thing you may want to consider. Walmart has the weber mini kettle on sale for 25 bucks. Think its called smokey joe. That would make your cook more practical and give you more control over the cook. Just a thought.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    I think @SGH nailed it. Turbo the butt while brisket is FTC. I wouldn't take the chance with the drippings, the over crowding etc.
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • GA_Dawg_EGGhead
    GA_Dawg_EGGhead Posts: 10
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    Based on the comments everyone has been providing, I am leaning towards doing two consecutive cooks and just add charcoal to the BGE between the cooks.  How long will a brisket and/or a boston butt stay warm if you FTC them (just wondering whether to cook the brisket first or the boston butt first)?  Thanks for all of the advice!
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  • sumoconnell
    sumoconnell Posts: 1,932
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    Even with a turbo butt, the brisket will sit too long as it can take 4-5 hours.  I agree with @lousubcap, it's time to go vertical.  AR is great for the long term, but in the short term there are lots of solutions as he mentions.  You need 2 grates, there are threads here where beer cans are used, firebricks are used, and carriage bolts are used.  With the thickness of the butt, I'd do the brisky on bottom and the butt on top.  

    I assume you have a platesetter or other indirect thingy?

    Good luck and welcome... 
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Austin, Texas.  I'm the guy holding a beer.
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  • sumoconnell
    sumoconnell Posts: 1,932
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    I agree with @sgh too.. If you need to choose one, brisket over but.    If you need to keep one level, you can do a brisket, while it is resting do turbo ribs.  Turbo ribs are 2 hours total, and match the brisket FTC time well.  I did that for xmas and I'll never have turkey again.
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Austin, Texas.  I'm the guy holding a beer.
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  • GA_Dawg_EGGhead
    GA_Dawg_EGGhead Posts: 10
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    The option of going with ribs and brisket actually sounds like a great plan B since ribs don't take as long to cook as Boston Butts do.  That might work.  I could do the Brisket first, FTC it, and then just put on several racks of ribs.  As for the questions regarding the platesetter, I do have a platesetter so that isn't a concern currently.
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    Thinkin a lil outside the box but we have seen @caliking (I think) roll ribs into a circle and pin together for a cook on the mini. What if you were to do the same with a crazy floppy brisket? It would certainly give you more room than laying flat. Maybe the briskie pros will chime in. Please don't take this as a recommendation but rather a question.

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
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    Make this for cheap and do both with the brisket over the butt.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/raisedgrid.htm
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
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  • SGH
    SGH Posts: 28,791
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    Sir i would like to make one last point. I would have made it earlier but im at work and have to be cautious on the computer. In my opinion there is no thing wrong or unsafe about cooking pork over beef. I have done it for years. But when you start cooking the big sub-primals there is to much dwell time in the smoker and the pork will yield an off taste to the beef. Some people like it but i dont. I do regularly cook say a loin over my beef as this is a very LIGHT meat that cooks fast with minimal rendering. As with most things there is no right or wrong way. Just personal preferences. Again i do cook some pork over beef but when i do i chose them carefuly. Hope this helps my friend.

    Location- Just "this side" of Biloxi, Ms.

    Status- Standing by.

    The greatest barrier against all wisdom, the stronghold against knowledge itself, is the single thought, in ones mind, that they already have it all figured out. 

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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    @Mattman3969 - nope, wasn't me... Yet :) I think it was Chubbs or Dyal_SC

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    I would cook the butt and then the brisket. Pork butt can be kept in the oven or reheated easily with little or no illl effects. I haven't figured out how to screw up a butt yet. The brisket is far less forgiving and shou have the bulk of your attention. My 2 cents.
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  • GA_Dawg_EGGhead
    GA_Dawg_EGGhead Posts: 10
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    I think I am going to go ahead and move forward with cooking both a boston butt and a brisket.  I am going to cook the boston butt overnight on Friday night with the DigiQ on about 265 and then cook the brisket all day Saturday.  My wife reminded me that the family party doesn't start until around 7:00pm Saturday night.  Wish me luck!  Will take pictures...  It seems that an adjustable rig R&B combo from the Ceramic Grill Store with a rig extender and sliding D grid maybe in my near future...
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
    edited March 2014
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    I have held food in coolers for 8+ hours on many occasions and they always turn out awesome. I took one to Salado  eggfest last year......it was in a cooler for 8+ hours and piping hot when we ate it. I had to let it cool to slice it.  I did one for CparkTx when he had a kid last year and it was in a cooler for even longer. he said it was still really hot by the time they got to it. 

    Do the brisky overnight, FTC when it's ready with tons of towels all day while you turbo or semi turbo the butt and you will be golden.


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • GA_Dawg_EGGhead
    GA_Dawg_EGGhead Posts: 10
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    Just put the Boston butt on the egg at 265. Here we go!
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  • hapster
    hapster Posts: 7,503
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    Me... I'd do the butt before and ziplock lock the pulled results if you don't have a food saver and then do the brisket to finish for party time. The butt can reheat in a simmering pot of water in the fiodsaver or ziplock bag...
    MSV Chill Spot
    Chester County, PA

    http://egginwithedward.blogspot.com/

    http://edwardhardingphotography.zenfolio.com/
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  • GA_Dawg_EGGhead
    GA_Dawg_EGGhead Posts: 10
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    Took the Boston butt off the egg and just put the 15lb whole brisket on. Hope it's done by 6:30 tonight.
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,337
    edited March 2014
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    I have never seen a packer finish in around an hour/# at 265*F on the dome (the rate you need to hit your goal) but stranger things can happen.  I would dial it up to around 300-320*F on the dome to give you a fighting chance.  That said, each hunk of beef is different ...FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • GA_Dawg_EGGhead
    GA_Dawg_EGGhead Posts: 10
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    Here's the finished results from the weekend cook... Burnt brisket ends, brisket, and Boston butt
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  • GA_Dawg_EGGhead
    GA_Dawg_EGGhead Posts: 10
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    Here was the set up all together.
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,337
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    Great results-some tasty eats right there!  Curious if you hit the target finish time with the brisket at the 265*F cook temp.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • GA_Dawg_EGGhead
    GA_Dawg_EGGhead Posts: 10
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    I ended up cooking the brisket at about 285 (grate temp) for 6 hours. Used the digiq for both cooks.
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