Trying Brisket Again - XL Egg

kindaquick14

I've cooked all of two briskets ever on my BGE's.  Both were done on my medium before getting the XL.  I've got a whole 12 lb. brisket from Omaha Steaks that I'm planning to smoke.  The setup that I intended to do would be to use oak and pecan wood for smoke and target 240 to degrees with DigiQ (rain is forecasted Saturday / Sunday, so that is another problem).  Platesetter legs up on my XL with drip pan filled with water.  Now here's where I'm a little stuck.  I've done all of my prime ribs on the grill grid, but I was kicking around using the V-rack for this brisket, if it will fit in the V-rack.  The setup was posted by "The Cen-Tex Smoker" on the forums several years ago.  More or less it would be foil "logs" under the drip pan to give it some distance from the platesetter.  V-rack in the pan with water. 

Thoughts on the setup?  Think that just drip pan with grill grid will work just fine?

In any event, I'll be praying to the brisket gods this Saturday around 10:00

six_egg

IMO if Cen-Tex Smoker has a cook to follow it is a no brainier. He really knows his stuff.   

saluki2007

1).  Water in the drip pan is not necessary.
2).  Rain should not affect you especially if you are using the DigiQ.
3).  I only use a V-rack if the brisket will not fit flat in my large.  Once is shrinks I will remove it and place the brisket on the grid.  With a 12lber and on XL, you should not need the V-rack.

Foghorn

@saluki2007 give good advice on all accounts.  One of the keys is making sure your drip pan blocks all rising heat in the silhouette of your brisket.  But water is not needed.  It doesn't hurt, until the pan runs low and it loses its capacity to be a heat sink - then the temp can escalate quickly.  

Good luck.

@The Cen-Tex Smoker is a hack...

kindaquick14

saluki2007 said:

1).  Water in the drip pan is not necessary.
2).  Rain should not affect you especially if you are using the DigiQ.
3).  I only use a V-rack if the brisket will not fit flat in my large.  Once is shrinks I will remove it and place the brisket on the grid.  With a 12lber and on XL, you should not need the V-rack.

My concern about the rain is the blower motor getting wet.  I'm going to bag the DigiQ module and connections - just need to figure out what to do with the blower motor.  Thanks for the suggestions!