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need some help for my first beef brisket!

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mikeb6109
mikeb6109 Posts: 2,067
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
ok i picked up a brisket the other day and it weights in at 16.22 pounds. it is 23 inches long so obviously i need to cut it to fit on my large egg.
question know is where should i cut it and how the hell should i cook it? this will be my first brisket so all the help will be greatly appreciated. was thinking cutting it pretty much just in half and cooking both at the same time one over the other with the grill extender.also planning on trimming some fat off but keeping most of it.do i need to cook fat cap up?
here are a few picks of what i will be working with....

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Comments

  • ATX
    ATX Posts: 98
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    That's a big honkin' brisket alright! Whatever you do don't cut it in half! Just turn the ends in or bend it so that it fits. Remember it will shrink considerably as it cooks. I'd trim the fat cap down to about 1/2 an inch or so too. Cook it indirect, fat side down with a drip pan half full of some fluid eg. beer, apple juice, heck water will do. Temp should be 235-250 the whole time. You're in for a very long cook with a brisket that size (1-2 hours per pound). Go until the internal temp hits 185-195. The higher the better. If you have a temp probe you shouldn't have to open the egg the entire cook, better that way. Good luck & have fun.
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    Don't trim it.

    Lay it over a V-rack until it shrinks. If you don't have a V-rack, you can use empty soda cans or something similar . It will shrink enough to fit on its own in a few hours.

    I cook briskets fat down.

    Good luck, that should be a good one.
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    Be sure and load lots & lots of lump...this firw eill need to go a LONG time....
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,766
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    line the inside edge of the egg with foil and just push it in, it will scrunch up but will shrink as it cooks. put the thick end toward the hot spot which is always in the back of my egg. you will have to shape a pan to fit or put a fire brick or something similar under the ends where a platesetter wont protect it. i put a grid down, a fire brick front and back with a pizza stone sitting on it then raised grid and it works fine. i cook them fat down also.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • mikeb6109
    mikeb6109 Posts: 2,067
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    yeap will fill to the max and will be using my digi on this one also.
    thanks for the ideas so main thing is NOT to cut it,and take time to cook it.
    do i do like a but and rub heavily with my favorite spices?or should i be easy on the spices?
    also what wood for flavour? i have maple,jack daniels,cherry,pecan,alder,plum.
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  • mikeb6109
    mikeb6109 Posts: 2,067
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    thanks will post pics when it is done!! planning on starting it tonight so should be done by the weekend!! LOL
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    I tend to season mine pretty heavily with and emphasis on pepper. It depends what you like.

    As for wood, I like to use hickory and one small chunk of mesquite. From your list I would do the jack daniels and cherry. That will give you a good flavor and great color.

    This eleven pounder was done with cherry least summer.

    Done2-1.jpg
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    The fourm has several people who host sties, most all of them have instructions for cooking brisket.

    If it were me, I would use on of those recipes.

    Below is some detailed information about briskets, but if it were me I would use one of the forum members for the recipe and cook.

    Thirdeye's
    http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/1996/03/brisket.html

    TNW's
    http://nakedwhiz.com/brisket.htm

    Wess B's stie
    http://www.wessb.com

    Faulkner's stie
    http://houseoffaulkner.com/brisket.html

    There are many more.

    Here is some detailed info about brisket...
    As usual I can't find the link I wanted to put in here. Possibly someone else has it handy.
    The site is very detailed about brisket. It has 360° view, shows how to trim details, some discussion about left & right and other info.

    It is an interesting read. I have saved the link but I have so many bookmarked I can't find it easily.

    The other links should give you the info you are looking for.

    GG
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  • Beli
    Beli Posts: 10,751
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    Last week end I posted this photos on my first try to cook two whole briskets, my total cooking time was around 10 hrs. yours should be well above that considering its in one piece. Bear in mind that probably the most important variable in this cook is maintaining your dome temp around 230° steady.....and I like my briskets at 195° internal and foiled at the end for at least 3 hrs. also I prefer fat side up. I wouldn´t cut it at all just force it in .
    http://www.greeneggers.net/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=425699&catid=1

    This are some recommendations from the forum regarding size cooking times, contingency plans, and my problems fitting them inn on my large.. etc. etc. . You´ll be fine.
    http://www.greeneggers.net/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=425400&catid=1
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  • axpro
    axpro Posts: 50
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    After my "Recovery Brisket" Last weekend, i gotta say CLEAN THE DANG EGG AND LOAD IT HEAVY!
    :laugh:
    Don't cook pizzas for yourself and the missus for a late dinner on start night....

    I did mine fat side up, and it was great... I also used a Rub recipe from Ron Schewchuk's book... I rubbed with mustard and spiced hard, but i like a lot of bark. As to the Brisket shrinking, at 22" it's pretty big, but yeah it will shrink.. mine started off touching the sides of the egg, and tightened up a lot by the time i was done. Ummm,

    Don't forget to seperate the halves of your brisket!! I ended up cutting the tri-tip portion so that it was with the grain and it was a little tough... But mine didn't have much Tri-tip to it.


    Otherwise... HOW DID YOU GET SO MANY POSTS BEFORE DOING A BRISKET?!?!?!

    Once i had the Egg, Brisket was #1 on my brain. I have a 6 pound flat that shudders and cries every time i look in the freezer being hungry!

    Mine was amazing... took some bad pics, but the dinner was a big hit with the family. and that was with the whole "cold egg in the morning" screw up.

    Take it easy and you'll be fine...

    BTW when are you gonna start cooking that thing??? Dinner the night before?
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  • mikeb6109
    mikeb6109 Posts: 2,067
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    i had to put off the cook cause of real real high wind storm here!! so will be starting up the cook on saturday around 6 and hoping it will be ready sunday night.
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