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First time doing a Brisket and first time using a Flame Boss 200 Help Please -have a large green egg

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Comments

  • The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

    Ok. That cuts way down on the amount of lump you can load up and it does not have the best coverage for a long brisket. It will work though. Do you have a plate setter? 

    To what level do you usually load lump for a L&S like this? 

    I think the spider will sit upside down (pointing upwards) and create a level for the stone about an inch or two above the fire ring.

    No I don't have a platesetter. At the advice of most of the folks here I opted for the AR instead.
  • OK- just load your lump as high as it can go with the spider and stone in, put a drip pan on the oval grid as close to that as you can without touching then put your round bge grid up top with the brisket on that. I think you are going to want another oval grid and an oval stone if you plan on doing a lot of briskets or ribs


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • These instructions from Cen-Tex are my bible...I've used them since I started cooking on the BGE in May.  Thank you!!


    Dallas, TX - Inventory: XL & MiniMax

  • BilZol
    BilZol Posts: 698
    dh7 said:
    I see you aren't getting a lot of help here. Maybe I can help (and I want to). 

    My boss always says: "a question well asked is a question half answered"

    I love to help new guys with brisket. It's one of my favorite things to do on here. That being said, you can't just show up and say "I bought a brisket and my family is coming over so tell me everything".

    I'm all in to help but you need to do some research, read some articles, come with some questions and i and I'm sure several others will be glad to help. Like even show up at your house or stay up all night online and help (yes I have done both and I know others have too). 

    If the brisket is for this weekend, I suggest you order some steaks or something you already do well and do that instead. I will be happy to help you with all your briskets but you have to be a partner in the process. If you are in, then I am in. 




    I have spent months reading numerous recipes including on the green egg forum about brisket even before getting my egg.  With that being said you are right, you need to know what I already know and what my questions are- you can’t read minds.  FYI- the brisket is not for this weekend but the Monday of Memorial weekend.  It seems the majority of the recipes I’ve read are not for a flat.  I've gone over Dr BBQ video on a flat and he suggested a flat being a good starting point and since that is all Cosco had I bought it.  The video was good but it seemed to me he was not using a thermometer, it was more by feel and look which I don't feel confident in.  OK here are my thoughts:
    1) Coat with mustard and use only salt and pepper for the rub Qu- any reason to do this overnight or just prior to -like to 1 hr prior/Do I heavily coat with salt and pepper?/ Should I inject brisket with beef broth to keep it moist since it is a flat just prior to putting on grill-  2) Use big chunks of coal on the bottom and a few on top; add oak chunks- some in the middle and some on top-do you soak theseQu- are some coal chunks too big to use- I have some really large ones in bag?  3)  Allow 1 hour for setting up egg- ie:  getting the clear smoke – Qu- Do I add the Flameboss at this time OR let egg get to temperature and after the clear smoke? Keep temperature at 225?  3)  Put brisket fat side down and keep on grill until internal temp is around 150 remove from grill, wrap in heavy foil, add ½ to ¾ cup of coffee and put back on grill until internal temp is 200 or 205??  Take off grill and keep wrapped (add any liquid at that time?) in foil, wrap in towel and let it rest in a cooler for 1 to 4 hours.    Total cook should take about 12 to 14 hours from beginning to end 4) Cut across the grain.  Did I miss anything?  Add delete.  Thank you for your help!

     

    There we go. That helps. 


    I have not seen the Dr. BBQ video but he's obviously got some skills. I usually recommend the BBQ with Franklin series on Youtube- even though he cooks on an offset which is quite a bit different than a BGE

    On the rub- I do it right before. I've done it over night and I have not noticed any difference. Don't think it matters either way

    I use a heavy coat of

    6 parts course black pepper
    3 parts Kosher
    3 parts Lawry's seasoned salt
    2 parts granulated garlic

    This is the rub that La BBQ in Austin uses and I'm pretty sure is or at least was the rub Franklin BBQ uses. Either way- it's basically salt and pepper but a little more. It makes a difference

    I never inject. Ever

    Mustard- you can use it but you don't need to. I go back and forth- makes no difference whatsoever in the finished product. There is normally plenty of moisture on the brisket to hold the rub but if yours sits out a while and is a little dry, go ahead and hit it with some mustard or any other liquid you want to get the rub to stick.

    Fire- no need to get too particular on what sizes of lump go where. I literally dump it out of the bag and light it. If some pcs of lump are too big then just hit them with a hammer or your ash tool. No need to soak wood (chips or chunks). 4-5 med sized chunks of oak would be great. I have moved to oak chips mixed throughout the lump. I prefer that over a smoldering large chunk. If you use chunks, use more of the smaller ones rather than one big one.

    setting up the egg- You may never get clear smoke on a BGE but you will get close. Thin, wispy, very light white smoke is ok for our purposes. You won't get the blue smoke you would in an offset just by the nature of the fuel and the small smoldering fire that comes with cooking on a BGE. I like to light the fire in the middle, allow the glowing lump to be about the size of a softball with the dome open. Then add your platesetter or whatever you use for indirect cooking, close the dome and turn on your flame boss. Let the flame boss take it up to temp. Do not close the dome without having the flameboss in the lower vent and your top vents almost all the way closed. You don't want to heat up the ceramics too much or you will overshoot. Not really a huge deal on a long cook but better to do it right from the start. FWIW- I prefer to cook at 250-260 but 225 is OK if that is what you want to do

    Fat side up/down does not matter. I'm always up because that is how I learned. I've done both and it makes no difference.

    I rarely wrap during the cook but might not be a bad idea for a flat. Don't wrap at a specific temp but wrap when your bark gets very dark and has set up nicely. This is most likely going to be higher than 150. If you like TX Brisket, you are going to want the bark to really set up before wrapping. As far as adding liquid- I've never done it so can't help you there. give it a rip and see how you like it. It will significantly soften your bark (why I never do it). I think the guys that add liquid are not going for the authentic TX Brisket. Not saying they aren't great, they just aren't the way I like them.

    Once you wrap it, it will get done very quickly so keep an eye on it. Depending on the grade of the brisket it will be done somewhere between 190 and 203-ish. Maybe a little higher if it is select. What you want to do here is start probing it around 190 or so for tenderness in the thickest part of your flat and check it every 5 degrees or so. It will give up the ghost and get tender somewhere in here. If you hit 205 and it's not tender, pull it anyway and set it in a cooler for a while. This will normally settle it down some. I think @sgh would tell you to go even higher if it is a select brisket but I've never had luck over 205. I can't recall the last select brisket I've cooked though so I'm not much help there.

    Once it's done, set it aside and watch the temp.  When it drops a few degrees, then you can put it in a cooler to rest for a bit. I like 2 hrs minimum but if you are going to eat soon, just let it cool on the counter until it's around 140 before slicing- this makes a huge difference in the finished product. Never slice a 200 degree brisket;  it should be easy to handle with your bare hands when you slice it. Anything else is too hot and will result in dry brisket and crappy texture. 

    you don't need towels in the cooler if you are only holding an hour or 2. If you do wrap in towels it's even more critical to make sure your internal temp is not still rising. You can overshoot here and have an overdone, falling apart brisket (still good for sandwiches and chopped beef but bad for slicing). And you are correct on slicing across the grain. This is easy on a flat as it clearly runs one direction the entire way through.

    Let me know if you need anything else. I'll be around next weekend to so if you run in to something you aren't comfortable with, hit me up. You can call or text if you prefer 512-565-0109

    Good luck- no reason it shouldn't be a home run. I don't do a lot of flats because I don't have to but I have done some good ones when it was all I could find. 










    Shamelessly ripping this off this morning to make my brisket. Thanks in advance Cen-Tex. This is my second full packer. I've done a couple of flats. How long should I let it rest before I remove the point to make burnt ends. Waited a half hour last time. 
    Bill   Denver, CO
    XL, 2L's, and MM
  • Brisket is overrated.
    Focker said:
    ^^^^^^Yes, this x 1,000,000
    LOL
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,945
    Brisket is overrated.
    Focker said:
    ^^^^^^Yes, this x 1,000,000
    LOL
    I heard this is what got them banned.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS