Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Quest for Smoke Penetration

2

Comments

  • Food probe for ballpark, then Thermapen when you get close.  Also, Thermapen is better for checking multiple spots to make sure it's done throughout.
    Justin in Denton, TX
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited March 2014
    Exactly what I was thinking CT and coffeeguydenton. The probe lets me know if its like butta or not which is how I've always done it. Sounds like the cyberq etc is just an extra safety net for the cook. Today would be a good day to relax and not worry whatsoever of temp spike or drop and that would make it possible.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • I use the cyberQ... it has 3 food probes and a pit probe...When I cook a brisket I place one in the point and one in the flat...but I still use the thermapen as the final say so...to check in many spots and the buttuh test.
    Making the neighbors jealous in Pleasant Hill, Ia one cook at a time...
  • The multi probes are also helpful if you are cooking two different things at the same time.
    Making the neighbors jealous in Pleasant Hill, Ia one cook at a time...
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited March 2014
    Ok...sitting at 180F going HDAF now and putting on the corn on the cob. It's coming along nicely getting closer to buttuh.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    Why foil at 180? I don't think I ever heard of this before?
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    I can't believe you didn't name this thread .. "quest for penetration"...disappointed.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254
    @henapple I'm sure there's a movie with rights to that title

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer

     

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    henapple said:

    I can't believe you didn't name this thread .. "quest for penetration"...disappointed.

    Its part of his quest to be family friendly. ;)
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • plumbfir01
    plumbfir01 Posts: 725
    take a picture  of your egging station'' and call it the penetration station
    Beaufort, SC
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    grege345 said:

    Why foil at 180? I don't think I ever heard of this before?

    Where you been :-?
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    cazzy said:
    Why foil at 180? I don't think I ever heard of this before?
    Where you been :-?

    I don t foil anything so pardon my ignorance but 180 seems high to me that's all.
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    grege345 said:
    cazzy said:
    Why foil at 180? I don't think I ever heard of this before?
    Where you been :-?

    I don t foil anything so pardon my ignorance but 180 seems high to me that's all.
    I don't either, but if I would foil anything, i'd be more inclined to do so after the stall.  I personally wouldn't want to push anything through the stall.  
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited March 2014
    @cazzy‌...Ya I should've been more clear. HDAF went on at 205F i.t. FTC while I did the corn on the cob & baked beans. Stall only last like 1.5 hrs. Here's the finished product & plated. Nice bold flavoring, decent smoke ring, moist and all dining enjoyed.
    @henapple‌...bro YOU know I wanted to title it that. But, I was attempting to be respectful. @DMW‌ (you were correct Sir). Would've 4sho rubbed some people the wrong way. All in good fun amongst ADULTS. ;)
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254
    Looks like you nailed it

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer

     

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    Mmmm...looking good. Something not from a pig.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited March 2014
    @Chris_Wang‌ & @DMW‌ ...Thank You. I was satisfied. But, deeper smoke ring is always better. ;-) So, next go around I'll be smoking a full packer so I can do some burnt ends.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • Looks great...Our burnt ends on Friday were a hit...wife loved em...
    Making the neighbors jealous in Pleasant Hill, Ia one cook at a time...
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited March 2014
    @Mike_the_BBQ_Fanatic‌...Thanks! I saw your pics from Friday brisket w/ burnt ends (looked great)! I have sliced the point and I have made burnt ends. It has been a while since I've done burnt ends so I might do it on the next one. SWMBO likes both so I'm okay either way I go.
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    Really nice looking smoke ring.  Because I'm too lazy to read back through the thread...what did you do to accomplish this?



    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited March 2014
    @SmokeyPitt‌..Thank you very much! Apparently a smoke ring is not truly a smoke ring. But it is more of a combination of humidity (raining or high humidity is a plus) and nitrates. Now yesterday (for FL) was no more humid than the next, my rub is pretty simple and I make it myself --same recipe I've used and each time the ring looks good--(I'm not a chemist and didn't investigate for nitrates ;-)). I did hand stack my lump (WGWW) and layered in mesquite wood and cherry wood for smoke. The science behind a beautiful smoke ring is interesting (check out the link in this thread provided by The Cen-Tex Smoker). But, I felt like a little boy that just learned about Santa :-( I always thought lots of smoke would at least help the smoke ring. I will attest to this>>> the lump + wood combo produced some good flavor along with the rub (but, not so overpowering that you couldn't savor the beef flavor). That's the deepest and most uniformed my smoke ring has ever been, very moist flat, passes the pull test and most importantly the SWMBO and family loved it (not a ounce of leftovers). :-)
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    Thanks @NPHuskerFL.  From your pic above it looks like you might have added some liquid in the pan.  I wonder if that might help with the humidity and aid in the formation of the ring.  


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited March 2014
    @SmokeyPitt‌...good eye! ;-) I forgot about that. Now normally I just put a dry pan lined in HDAF to catch drippings (so the p.s. doesn't fume up). This time I added one half a Corona and a little Key Lime juice into the drip pan and also don't know if you read it but, I also injected with fresh but cold black coffee the day before during the prep along with the rub (and that was on the brisky for close to 24hrs before going into the egg. And the the only other difference I can think of is my set up> WGWW lump hand stacked w/ mesquite and cherry layered, p.s. legs up, c.i. grid, drip pan lined w/ HDAF w/ 1/2 Corona w/ little FL Key Lime juice then my homemade raised grid (sits up about 5" so it gets a lot of circulation around it). And only opened lid maybe 4x. :-). And the cook w/ Corona and Key Lime. :-P
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • coffeeguydenton
    coffeeguydenton Posts: 138
    edited March 2014
    cazzy said:
    I don't either, but if I would foil anything, i'd be more inclined to do so after the stall.  I personally wouldn't want to push anything through the stall.  
    What is your reasoning for this?  I don't foil because I won't want to ruin the bark, and because I am of the opinion that if you get a good enough bark, and especially using the egg, moisture won't be a problem.  But pushing through the stall makes a lot of sense to me as it seems like it should help keep the meat moist.  Having said that, I'm pretty newb around here and have a lot to learn.
    Justin in Denton, TX
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    edited March 2014


    cazzy said:
    I don't either, but if I would foil anything, i'd be more inclined to do so after the stall.  I personally wouldn't want to push anything through the stall.  

    What is your reasoning for this?  I don't foil because I won't want to ruin the bark, and because I am of the opinion that if you get a good enough bark, and especially using the egg, moisture won't be a problem.  But pushing through the stall makes a lot of sense to me as it seems like it should help keep the meat moist.  Having said that, I'm pretty newb around here and have a lot to learn.

    @cazzy‌...Ya I should've been more clear. HDAF went on at 205F i.t. FTC while I did the corn on the cob & baked beans. Stall only last like 1.5 hrs. Here's the finished product & plated. Nice bold flavoring, decent smoke ring, moist and all dining enjoyed.
    @henapple‌...bro YOU know I wanted to title it that. But, I was attempting to be respectful. @DMW‌ (you were correct Sir). Would've 4sho rubbed some people the wrong way. All in good fun amongst ADULTS. ;)

    I don't HDAF during cook...cazzy supports the same opinion as I do on>> donct HDAF during cook especially during the stall. I HDAF/ FTC so I keep my brisky hot, fresh and keeps in moisture while I get the rest of the meal together but I FTC when its done. There "are" folks who smoke their brisket uncovered and then finish off with HDAF (I'm not in that camp but, to each their own). Yesterday everything was prepared on the egg. It was in FTC for maybe 2hrs. But, I have FTC in the past and I was able to hold a 15# Packer at 150F-160F for close to 7 hrs (was waiting for our out of town guests to arrive). And to date the longest stall I've had was that same 15# Choice Packer and it stalled once at 165F for 3hrs and the 2nd at 180 which was for a little over 3 hrs. That was the first cook and 1st brisket I did on my LBGE (the stall was crazy! Very easy to lose patience and bump up the temp but, best to sit tight a lubricate the cook with adult beverage of choice and some good tunes :-)).
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    edited March 2014
    cazzy said:
    I don't either, but if I would foil anything, i'd be more inclined to do so after the stall.  I personally wouldn't want to push anything through the stall.  
    What is your reasoning for this?  I don't foil because I won't want to ruin the bark, and because I am of the opinion that if you get a good enough bark, and especially using the egg, moisture won't be a problem.  But pushing through the stall makes a lot of sense to me as it seems like it should help keep the meat moist.  Having said that, I'm pretty newb around here and have a lot to learn.
    Foil has never touched one my briskets during the cook, but if I was ever going to wrap with foil, it would be after the stall.  I've wrapped with paper before the stall and I hated the texture of the point.  It wasn't dry, it was just kinda mushy.  

    At this point, I don't know when I wrap now.  It's all by feel, so I could be wrapping during or after.  I just wrap when it feels like it's time to wrap.   :P
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    @cazzy‌...is it me or is EVERY single Brisket different. Just when I think "I've got this $#i+ perfect now" the next one is just a bit different. Ahhh the Brisket...it's a unique beast. But, truthfully it is my favorite to make and more importantly to consume. ;-)
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • Philly35
    Philly35 Posts: 858
    @NPHuskerFL‌ did you cook this fat side down? And @cazzy‌ do you do yours fat cap down?
    NW IOWA
  • cazzy
    cazzy Posts: 9,136
    Philly35 said:

    @NPHuskerFL‌ did you cook this fat side down? And @cazzy‌ do you do yours fat cap down?

    Fat cap up for me.
    Just a hack that makes some $hitty BBQ....
  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    Hmmm...I did this one cap down. Have done both ways. And have even started one fat cap up and then flipped to cap down. But, I have been doing cap down now for the last 10 or so briskys. Everybody has an opinion on cap up or down. In fact so much so there is likely a whole thread on it :-P
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL