Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Brisket Newbie

double
double Posts: 1,214
edited May 2012 in Beef
Thanks for all the great posts on here! I am braving my first brisket this weekend 11.5lbs full brisket. I have read a bunch of the previous posts on briskets and am now just trying to figure out how I am going to go all that time without lifting the lid and if I am actually going to be able to go to sleep with it cooking.

Any additional advice for a newbie appreciated. I am attempting this without a digiq or any of the assists. I did pick up a maverick thermometer.
Lynnwood WA

Comments

  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    Given all the homework you have done, the only thing I will offer is make sure your temperature is stable with the brisket on, then get some sleep.  Check every 3-4 hours-more sleep.  Trust the BGE-and enjoy the end result.  Always a journey-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    Thanks like having another newborn!
    Lynnwood WA
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    But even though you can throw $$ at it-still cheaper in the long run :)>-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • FxLynch
    FxLynch Posts: 433
    Make sure you have plenty of lump in the Egg, there is no such thing as too much (within reason), but if you run out on a cook that stalls longer than you hoped, it's going to be a pain.
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    edited May 2012
    Here is a list that helped me:
    Allow for plenty of time. Get done early and be ready to foil/towel/cooler. Give 2 hours per lb.
    Patience.
    Plenty of lump
    Steady temp before putting on meat
    Patience.
    Stalls happen
    If the temp fluctuates, don't start playing with the doors. Chasing an exact temp doesn't help.
    Patience
    slice against the grain!
    Have plenty of beer handy. ;)
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    @OP-tazcrash's list above is a great condensation of a lot of info that circulates around here regarding brisket.  And remember-it is done when "done" and every hunk is different.  Enjoy-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    So brisket is on the maverick I telling me grill temp is 185 and slowly climbing... Dome is saying 200 Ish and I recently calibrated it... Should I mess with it or just leave it be???
    Lynnwood WA
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    So brisket is on the maverick I telling me grill temp is 185 and slowly climbing... Dome is saying 200 Ish and I recently calibrated it... Should I mess with it or just leave it be???
    Most generally run 250+/- on the dome (or a bit higher) for low&slows-seems to be the BGE "sweet-spot".  With the brisket finish temp somewhere in the 190-205 range-it will take forever at the quoted temps.  And remember it is "done when done"-and that's when a probe slides in and out of the thickest part of the flat "like butter".
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • If its steady, you need to bump it up to around 250-260. If its still climbing, wait till it stops and them make small adjustments. Of you are not familiar with low and slow cooking on the egg, small
    Adjustments can have big consequences. You went to slowly creep up to 250, not overshoot it and start chasing it down. Slow and steady wins the race. As Taz said above........patience.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    Thanks guys it's been slow and steady at about 250 dome since around 3 or 4 am whiskey and beer may have clouded the time a bit... I am now a stall at 174 meat temp can't believe I haven't opened it!!! Wife came down this morning and thought it was hysterical that I had slept on the couch to be closer to my Egg...
    Lynnwood WA
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    Be careful of the couch excuse-you may find her suggesting more and more low&slows...sounds like all is doing well-and good for not looking.  Trust your indications:)
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    Stall seems to be lasting forever is this just dependent on the cut?
    Lynnwood WA
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162

    Every hunk is different so "forever" is relative-as tazcrash said-patience.  And not uncommon to drop in temp during the stall.  Since you are there-here's a link to what's happening to the hunk of meat...

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-goldwyn/physicist-cracks-bbq-mystery_b_987719.html?icid=maing-grid10 

     

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    Thanks again! Seems just as I post them problems resolve! Temp is starting to creep up. Almost time to start working on the calamari shrimp stuffed peppers and the shrimp calamari stuffed baked potatoes wrapped in bacon! I'm getting real hungry!
    Lynnwood WA
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    No that's quite a combo-enjoy the end results:)
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    Checked it at 190 going to give it a little more then wrap it up in the cooler. Need to figure out how to post pics on here from my iPhone as its looking tasty! Thanks again for all the tips!
    Lynnwood WA
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos finally with Cen-tex help have pics figured out here is how my brisket turned out
    Lynnwood WA
  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    Nice looking piece of meat there.
    Has to be new record for FTC. ;)
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket!