The pork butt was a raging success. Looking forward to my next one. Is beef brisket difficult? I want a few smokes under my belt before I smoke an elk roast. Too good to mess up!
next smoke for a newby?
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I did chickens first...... Not doing chickens again for awhile.... Crisped them at 270 in 2 hours. Maybe the heat in the top of the smoker is higher than the therms show? This 7.6 lb butt was at 190 after 5.5 hours at 230, wrapped and 250 for another 3. No chickens for me anytime soon....
If you are concerned about your temps get yourself a good remote digital therm. Maverick 732, 733 or iGrill2. Verify those probes in boiling water to see how accurate they are then use those to test your pit temp. I have never had an accurate stock therm on any of my smokers. That said temps can vary from rack to rack, front to back.
As for another smoke, brisket can be tricky to get great results, especially if you don't have the proper equipment to verify meat and pit temps. Lots of good threads here on cooking a brisket.
Try a fatty, smoked meatloaf, Chuck roast, tri tip, top or bottom round, pork loin. I'd suggest Scarbelly injected hot wings or Huli Huli spatched chicken but you said no chicken.
As for another smoke, brisket can be tricky to get great results, especially if you don't have the proper equipment to verify meat and pit temps. Lots of good threads here on cooking a brisket.
Try a fatty, smoked meatloaf, Chuck roast, tri tip, top or bottom round, pork loin. I'd suggest Scarbelly injected hot wings or Huli Huli spatched chicken but you said no chicken.
I have the stock thermometer that came with the Brinkman, but I put in a better one. I think they are working OK. The scorched chicken may have been a result of the temp that I used, and the sauce. What I followed suggested 270 for 3.5 hours. I used a caribbean jerk sauce that was chilli sauce based.... That chicken was over done after 2 hours.
I have a hard time getting brisket tender and moist. It is pretty easy to make them tough and dry, I know from personal experience.
I would practice on some beef roasts that are similar to the elk roast. The elk will be leaner and will not be exactly the same but should be close to smoking a similar beef roast.
"Can't figure people down there eating hog when they could feed on elk." - Bear Claw Chris Lapp
I would practice on some beef roasts that are similar to the elk roast. The elk will be leaner and will not be exactly the same but should be close to smoking a similar beef roast.
"Can't figure people down there eating hog when they could feed on elk." - Bear Claw Chris Lapp
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How about a turkey breast? I have a whole side of a wild turkey breast in the freezer. Would that smoke well, and would it not be easy to screw up?
Smoked that wild turkey breast yesterday, and it turned out great. Note to self..... use plain toothpicks to hold the bacon, not colored ones.... Brined the breast over night in a gallon of water with half cup of brown sugar and salt. Rubbed it good in Stubbs BBQ rub, and draped it with bacon. Smoked at 230-240 until the IT was 270. Wrapped and let it rest for an hour. Delicious..... So, what should I try next? Somebody mentioned a beef roast... What kind of roast is best for a smoke? I'm dying to do a brisket, but at the cautions I've received, want to get some more meat smoked first...Thanks to all the tips, past and future.
wolfman1955
Master of the Pit
As mentioned before I would try a meat loaf or a fatty next. As for a roast I would try a Pork roast roughly the same size as the Elk roast you are wanting to do, or sence elk is very lean you might try a pork loin to familiarize yourself with lean cuts of meat. By the way glad you turkey breast came out good, wraping it with bacon was a very good Idea helped keep it moist, and we all know everything is better with bacon! LOL
Keep Smokin!!!
Wolf
Keep Smokin!!!
Wolf
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You took that wild turkey to 170* IT I am guessing not 270*. At 270* it would be overdone
.
If you want to try a beef roast you should read Bear's step by step index. His is an electric smoker but it should work with propane.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/159333/bears-step-by-step-index
If you want to try a beef roast you should read Bear's step by step index. His is an electric smoker but it should work with propane.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/159333/bears-step-by-step-index
Man my computer is acting weird this morning.
Okay, the OP's question is beef brisket difficult? Yes and no.
Yes: it is a well exercised muscle on the animal so there is a lot of connective tissue which makes for a tough cut of meat. That connective tissue has to melt, which is where the brisket gets its juices. There is a relatively narrow range of final internal temps that give a juicy tender brisket. It can be as low as 190F or as high as 205F+. Each animal is different and being 5F low on the final internal temp can make the difference between dry and tough or juicy and tender.
No: put it on the smoker at a relatively stable temp and forget about it for at least an hour per pound. Thinking about it won't make it cook any quicker unless you have a microwave for a brain. It probably won't be done, but it might be. Learn the probe test (toothpick or temp probe slides into the brisket like into warm butter) to determine when it is done. The trick to a brisket is to leave it alone and let it bath in the heat of the smoker for as long as it needs to. I tell folks making their first brisket chamber temp of 250F until IT is 200F, then give it a probe test in the flat. You can adjust your temps downward later if needed. Wrapping the first brisket at an hour or two into the stall with a little beef broth is also a way to help ensure a moist brisket but you give up a firm bark.
Okay, the OP's question is beef brisket difficult? Yes and no.
Yes: it is a well exercised muscle on the animal so there is a lot of connective tissue which makes for a tough cut of meat. That connective tissue has to melt, which is where the brisket gets its juices. There is a relatively narrow range of final internal temps that give a juicy tender brisket. It can be as low as 190F or as high as 205F+. Each animal is different and being 5F low on the final internal temp can make the difference between dry and tough or juicy and tender.
No: put it on the smoker at a relatively stable temp and forget about it for at least an hour per pound. Thinking about it won't make it cook any quicker unless you have a microwave for a brain. It probably won't be done, but it might be. Learn the probe test (toothpick or temp probe slides into the brisket like into warm butter) to determine when it is done. The trick to a brisket is to leave it alone and let it bath in the heat of the smoker for as long as it needs to. I tell folks making their first brisket chamber temp of 250F until IT is 200F, then give it a probe test in the flat. You can adjust your temps downward later if needed. Wrapping the first brisket at an hour or two into the stall with a little beef broth is also a way to help ensure a moist brisket but you give up a firm bark.
timberjet
Master of the Pit
YOU NEED A SET OF DIGITAL TEMPERATURE PROBES, AND STOP GETTING YOUR RECIPES FROM THE MAJOR INTERNET COOKING SITES. Ok enough yelling but really, you do not cook by time but by temperature. Chicken in the smoker for 3.5 hours? That is enough time for a 20 pound turkey. I would like to suggest you take Jeff's 5 day E-course. It is free and you will learn the basics so you don't screw up a 50 dollar brisket. Also he sells a book that is really good, but you can use Bears step by step's for most things that you are going to do. Until you know the real temperatures that you want to reach for different cuts of meat and have the equipment to take the temperature of said meat your BBQ is going to be a failure. I am by nature hard headed and made all of the mistakes early on years ago when I first started. You don't have to because we are here to help you.
Yes, fat fingered the key. 170
You took that wild turkey to 170* IT I am guessing not 270*. At 270* it would be overdone.
If you want to try a beef roast you should read Bear's step by step index. His is an electric smoker but it should work with propane.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/159333/bears-step-by-step-index
Yep, the chicken halves were my first attempt, and learned a lesson. My next two smokes went much better....
There are two parts to a brisket; the flat and the point. The flat has less fat (is leaner) than the point. "A" below is the flat (disregard the white line break in the picture). "B" is the point.
So, what is the ideal IT for the flat? I assume it is going to be warmer than the rest of the brisket.
There are two parts to a brisket; the flat and the point. The flat has less fat (is leaner) than the point. "A" below is the flat (disregard the white line break in the picture). "B" is the point.
Ideal IT? There are just too many variables to have an ideal IT. But like I mentioned above I tell folks making their first brisket chamber temp of 250F until IT is 200F, then give it a probe test. A toothpick should slide into it like pushing it in warm butter. 200F IT is generally a safe bet at that 250F chamber temp for slicing a choice grade brisket. If you wrapped it in HD aluminum foil at the stall or a couple hours into the stall, just probe it with the toothpick right through the foil when the IT is 200F. If you get resistance, leave it on the smoker cooking for another 3-5F IT and probe it again. Once you get a good probe leave it wrapped in the foil, move it to a cooler, cover it with old, clean towels, and let it rest for a couple hours before you slice and serve.
Flats are readily available at most grocery stores and are usually sold in a vacuum sealed package. Most flats are only about 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" thick from one end to the other. The fat layer may or may not have been trimmed off it.
smokin-q
Smoke Blower
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