First Smoke and first Brisket

Zamfir

well, go big or go home I guess. After my dry run tests without food going well I am gonna give it a whirl for real.  My Brother and his 4 boys are here for the weekend so it will get eaten be it dry or moist!  I have a 12 lb (after trimming) prime packer from Costco. Rubbed it and letting it sit in the fridge overnight. Egg is cleaned and loaded to the top of the fire ring (thing the conveggtor sits on) with FOCO and Komodo big chunk. I have some blocks of cherry and apple burried in there. I’ll start it at 5am. Let it stabilize at 225 for hr and slap this on. Excited to see what happens.  I have a BGE disposable drip pan. Figured I would fill it with water just to be safe. Ohh and stand it off the ceramic deflector with some aluminum foil balls. 

Am am I forgetting anything?  

Zamfir

Wolfpack

Good luck- the hour should be fine to burn off the VOC’s but make sure the smoke smells good before adding meat. That much mass will drop temps but don’t adjust vents- temp will come up over next couple hrs. 

If you try to adjust for the added mass mass you will be chasing temps the whole time. 

It will turn out great!

JohnnyTarheel

Good luck my friend... should be a good one!!

Zamfir

She is coming up to temp here soon.  time to wait.  and drink coffee.    Now, to Texas Crutch later or not.  I am using signals and billows temp controller, so it will adjust for the mass. EXCITING!

GoooDawgs

water pan will throw off the temp once it evaporates.  You may want to remove it and just use an empty drip pan.  Go by feel! Have fun 

1voyager

Bring it on! 

Mattman3969

GoooDawgs said:

water pan will throw off the temp once it evaporates.  You may want to remove it and just use an empty drip pan.  Go by feel! Have fun 

I think at this stage since the water is under the big O chunk of protein he should just keep a close eye on the liquid for evaporation.  When low add more HOT water as to introduce coldness to the stable egg.  

I know water is not needed but I’m assuming he has stabilized the egg with it in there.  At this point it won’t hurt a thing.  

lousubcap

Not sure your target slice and eat time but at 225*F it will likely (key word) be quite a long cook.  You can figure (another key word) around an hour/lb running in the 260-280*F on the dome.  FWIW-

And as noted above, the finish line is the feel in the thick part of the flat.

"The friggin cow drives the cook." 

Zamfir

Now cook!

Zamfir

Cook.  Fire. Fire fire. Type your comment

jtcBoynton

Figured I would fill it with water just to be safe.

No, water in the drip pan is the less safe way - it complicates the cook.

water pan will throw off the temp once it evaporates. 

This is the issue with using water.  You need to make sure that water doesn't completely evaporate.  Adding water will cool down the cooking temp for a bit while the new water is heated.  Do not adjust the airflow to compensate or you will likely start a never ending game of chase the temp. Add hot water, just be careful handling it.

I know water is not needed but I’m assuming he has stabilized the egg with it in there.  At this point it won’t hurt a thing.  

If its there, keep it. As long as it doesn't dry out it helps steady temps. It just becomes a pain during a long cook if it totally evaporates.

Zamfir

well, I can easily run it hotter.  I was hoping to slice in 12 hrs..would it be better to run it at 225, then bump it up a bit a couple hrs before serve time or do higher temp the whole time?  Yes, egg stable with water in there.  It will correct itself if or when it evaporates due to the temp controller.  

buzd504

General consensus here (and in my experience) the egg cooks better at 250-275.

Zamfir

Thanks for thanks for all the suggestions!

lousubcap

A few thoughts on finishing the cook: (all are opinions and we know what those are worth )

Once you get "the feel" and declare victory, give it a good 15-20 minutes rest on a cooling rack to stop carryover cooking. 

Brisket really sets up well with a good FTC.  I always aim (key word) for a minimum of two hours but my overall "finish the cook time" is anywhere in the FTC window which I use as 2-6 hours before time to slice, and only on demand.

Slicing it with the temp in the mid 140's*F is great but is also not worth the challenge of trying to get that one right (at least for me). 

Above FWIW-

Zamfir

Think I am at the stall around 154.  

Zamfir

I can't believe I did not take a picture of it!  I finally looked at it and shook it..internal temp is 177 now and I needed to wrap it and get it going..lol. it was nice and jiggly..and great crust..and the drip pan is still full!!  I am sure most of it is meat juice but it is still at about the same level it was at 6am.  I did not touch it this whole cook.  Now it is wrapped in double foil with probes still in.  back in the EGG..come on 204!  Then it can sit and cool down in the foil.  I just can not believe how much there was still in that little drip pan..  

lousubcap

Don't focus on the temperature but the feel.  Please see above as the finish process is as important as managing the audibles during the cook to truly bring it home!  FWIW-

JohnEggGio

Following along.  Doing my first brisket next Saturday.  Will follow @lousubcap’s logistics.

Zamfir

Cooling rack ready! 

lousubcap

JohnEggGio said:

Following along.  Doing my first brisket next Saturday.  Will follow @lousubcap’s logistics.

@JohnEggGio - PM sent.  Let me know if you have questions! 

Zamfir

Engaged engaged cooling rack. 

lousubcap

If you want to arrest the carry-over cook you need to get it out of the foil.  Then back into the pack and wrap FTC for the hold.  FWIW-

Zamfir

Now wait for it to get to 150-140 to carve eh?  I got a bunch of hungry folks I just made way more hungry by bringing in this amazing smelling bundle. I am going to need to short change the resting as much as I can. Dang it. Next time I am starting it before I go to bed!!  Now that I have a feel for the process. 

lousubcap

Please see the below: (from an above post)-

"Slicing it with the temp in the mid 140's*F is great but is also not worth the challenge of trying to get that one right (at least for me). "

So with that, your call...

Zamfir

OMG. I WILL be doing this again.  Meat coma and in heaven.  In restaurants I never like the first cut pieces. (Thin leaner pieces). The Flat I think it is called. We only ate that tonight.  I cut it and we never got far into the 2nd and third cut. So all that will be leftovers. Not sure what to call what I saved from the foil wrap but damn that tasted so good on the slices. I saved what was left and hopefully it can be used again. Now I need to figure out how to handle the leftovers. Can burnt ends be made from some of this after it has been in the fridge a couple days?  I plan on wrapping the whole section that was not sliced in Saran Wrap. I tried to slice it “ The Sorkin Way” from Meatheads book the science of bbq. Not sure I nailed it but every bite was awesome and tender. Next time I will be able to let it rest more in a cooler wrapped.  The one lone sourcing slice did dry out after a bit. But that leftover juice in the tinfoil fixed that easy peasy.  WIN!  Thanks all for the help!

Zamfir

The Flat was better than I have ever had in a restaurant BTW.  BGE rocks!

alaskanassasin

Great cook I enjoyed following along glad that you nailed it!

Zamfir

alaskanassasin said:

Great cook I enjoyed following along glad that you nailed it!

Me too my friend! It was so fun posting as I went and getting feedback and suggestions as I went. That really impressed me. Great forum support.  This is a neat place!  

lousubcap

Way to bring it home.  You set the bar way up there with that result.  Congrats.