Brisket help- is my fire out?

booksw

I am in the middle of my brisket cook and I am so tempted to open the dome that I thought I would post this for advice instead to keep me away from the temptation...  I filled the firebox overfull last night with 90% new lump after making sure all the holes were clear.  My temp has not gotten past 240 (dome) since 10 PM.  At 6 AM I was at 220 with the daisy wheel 1/2 open and the bottom vent at 1/4 inch.  At 7 AM I was down to 180 so I opened the daisy wheel all the way. At 7:40 I was still at 180 so I opened the bottom vent all the way.  Now it's 8:20 and I am still at 180 (maybe a hair below).  The meat has been at 162 the whole time...

Should I open it, take the whole thing apart, and add more lump...? I have never had to do that before for an overnight cook but then again my gasket is pretty well fried and I noticed last night that there was smoke leaking out one side through the gasket...

Thanks!!

booksw

Now at 8:35 I am I think a hair above 180 dome so I open the bottom vent all the way (I thought it was all the way  before but it had a bit to go) and otherwise leave it alone.  I figure as long as it is 195 at the grate (which it probably is but my maverick grate probe always goes HHH when I try to set it up so I didn't bother this time), the meat will eventually get to 195...  I will resist the temptation (for now)

booksw

I still haven't opened it- but now smoke is billowing out. I am not sure if it is really a change from before or if the difference is the sun coming up and the light changing on my deck so now I can SEE the smoke... Where there is smoke there's fire so I am leaving it alone- all vents wide open and at about 190 dome. The meat has gone up one degree to 163! I've got all day

hartofatiger

I think that if its smoking then leave it alone. I bet it shoots up to temp. Good luck!

booksw

Thanks! I am glad to have this forum to turn to and distract myself from the temptation to peek... Now it is 220 and the meat may be out of its stall- 167! Now I am thinking about the three sauces I will serve with it. I am going to make the KC BBQ sauce from the BGE book to cook the cubed point in a foil pouch for "burnt ends", I have a BBQ restaurant down the road that makes a killer maionaise based brisket sauce that we will pick up, and then I have to come up with a third sauce for the savory tomato onion garlic fans in my extended family... Not sure about that one yet.

hartofatiger

Sounds awesome!

henapple

Nice patience...and cook.

Coastalcooker

Try a wiggle rod. If there is no blockage, with the top and bottom wide open the temperature should be over 700 in a few minutes, unless the lump is burned up.

Bob