2nd Smoke w/ Q-View! Brisket, Potatoes and Eggs

[ewanjackson]

Afternoon all from sunny England. I will be smoking my second smoke tomorrow in my 47cm (18.5") WSM.

Currently planning to do a Brisket, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes and Eggs.

WSM Unboxing

First Smoke - Pulled Pork

Would like to say a huge thanks to timberjet who was a massive help on my first smoke and has really opened my eyes to what is possible (hence trying eggs this time!) :)

Rub made - Currently testing out the one by Billbo here: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/77564/billbos-world-famous-dry-rub-bbq-sauce-recipes

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 1, 2015

Cheating with the sauce this time - want to try out the JD one. Put on at the start, or save until basting time? Or not put on at all?!

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 1, 2015

Brisket bottom - gorgeous definition on the meat lines running through it. It weights 1.574 kg (3.6lb) and cost £11.

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 1, 2015

Brisket top with the fat scored roughly.

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 1, 2015

Rubbed...

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 1, 2015

... and wrapped ready for tomorrow morning.

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 1, 2015

Meat will rest in the fridge overnight now for a good 18-20 hours. Next update will be starting up the smoker tomorrow morning. Any advice is welcome, and I hope you stay subbed for the journey!

 

[seenred]

Good luck Ewan! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out! To answer your question about saucing...I don't sauce a brisket at all, although I usually serve some sauce on the side for those who want it. However, if I were advising someone who wants to sauce the brisket, I'd suggest you wait until the end and sauce for about the last half-hour...just long enough for the sauce to set and caramelize a bit.

Happy Smoking!
Red

 

[ewanjackson]

Good advice thanks. I've seen it both ways, but I will try it without I think, and just have it on the side then. Sounds good!

 

[smokin monkey]

Good luck with the Brisket. Good looking piece of meat for the UK.

Smokin Monkey

 

[timberjet]

Looking forward to this one Ewan. Like red said I don't sauce either. Actually I only do salt pepper onion powder garlic powder or spog on my Beef. I just love the way Beef tastes.  Don't forget to catch the drippings for Chef Jimmy’s smoky Au Jus. I tried to find the recipe. It's here somewhere and I forgot to write it down but it is awesome.

 

[ewanjackson]

Hmm OK. I've always been a bit guy for chilli - i can do the ghost pepper chilli challenge at my local burger place and not break a sweat :P So adding chilli powder & cayenne pepper sounded good to me.

Meat is smelling my fridge out at the moment, smelling gorgeous. Hoping to start it up around 8am tomorrow morning UK time, so lets see how it goes!

Need to look up how long the potatoes and eggs are expected to take - don't have to have food ready for a certain time, so just going to wing it probably!

 

[timberjet]

Potato's can literally be on for hours if they are pretty big ones like what we call baker russets. Eggs take 2 hours or so. If you really want to step up your potato game do twice baked smoked. I love them that way. Just smoke them until fork tender then slice in half. Empty the skins and mix in a bunch of good stuff like chives, sour cream, bacon, cheese. My personal favorite. fill them back up and put them back in the smoker util you can't stand it anymore. haha...

 

[timberjet]

 
Hmm OK. I've always been a bit guy for chilli - i can do the ghost pepper chilli challenge at my local burger place and not break a sweat :P So adding chilli powder & cayenne pepper sounded good to me.

Meat is smelling my fridge out at the moment, smelling gorgeous. Hoping to start it up around 8am tomorrow morning UK time, so lets see how it goes!

Need to look up how long the potatoes and eggs are expected to take - don't have to have food ready for a certain time, so just going to wing it probably!

I eat peppers like they are going out of style as well.

 

[ewanjackson]

Yes they are big potatoes - perhaps 4-5" long. That filling idea sounds amazing!

 

[timberjet]

 
Yes they are big potatoes - perhaps 4-5" long. That filling idea sounds amazing!

You know, you are probably making your neighbors suspicious that you are turning into an american or something. Hahahaha. 

 

[ewanjackson]

 
You know, you are probably making your neighbors suspicious that you are turning into an american or something. Hahahaha. 

Yeah probably! The guy in the next house to me was a professional chef so he knows what's up as I got a few hints off him back in the day about other cooking things.

 

[smokin monkey]

Hi Ewan, you could try potato bombs, I did these last year at the Smokers Weekend!

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/117948/potato-bomb

Smokin Monkey

 

[ewanjackson]

They look nice!

 

[ewanjackson]

OK after a brief delay due to sleep and rain the smoker is started. I got some Weber firestarters this time so it was a lot easier to light!

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 2, 2015

Potatoes seasoned with oil, salt and pepper and wrapped in foil ready.

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 2, 2015

 

[ewanjackson]

11:30 - 1 hr into cooking

OK quick update. I am really struggling to keep the temps down. I closed two bottom air intakes completely and the third is at 25% but the smoker is still sitting around 325 F. Have opened the top to hopefully dump some of the heat but it is hovering around 315 F still.

This time I am using a terracotta dish as the heat dump/controller, but this doesn't seem to be working as well as the water I used last time.

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 2, 2015

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 2, 2015

 

[ewanjackson]

12:00 - 1 hr 30 into cooking. Smoker temp slowly coming down nicely. Brisket and foiled potatoes should be OK through these temps though :)

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 2, 2015

I have read a few "guides" on cooking brisket, but I trust bearcarver on this site and he recommends to foil it at around 160 F IT? His thread is here

Potatoes are still going to take a good 4 hours more.

 

[justplainbob]

ewan the wsm's run hot for a while.  i'd stick with the water pan for a few more smokes.  

the spuds won't get any smoke while they are wrapped.  

just my 2 cents 

 

[ewanjackson]

I read that people try the potatoes with and without foil. I'm stuffing them at the end, so I might leave a bit of an opening later? Will see.

12:45 - 2hr15 in

Temp is doing fine now. Will have to open the vents slightly if it continues to drop now.

Hit the stall on the meat at 151-154 F. I have time so will not foil it yet.

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 2, 2015

 

[smokin monkey]

Hi Ewan, if the weather is like we have now in Nottingham, it's a nice day to Smoke!

Smokin Monkey

 

[ewanjackson]

It's currently 8 C (46 F) outside and just about sunny so it's not too bad!

I've been adjusting the intake vents to hopefully keep the temp stable, but it definitely is a lot harder without the water there. Definitely going to put that back for the next few smokes.

I'm trying not to change the vents often, to try to keep it stable.

Vents are now 25/25/0, I had opened it to 33/33/33 to stop the first fall, but the temp just rose again.

13:15 - 2 hr 45

Meat 151 - still in the stall

Smoker 274 - dropping since changing the vents a few minutes ago

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• ewanjackson
• Apr 2, 2015

Will be taking out the potatoes in about 15 mins and stuffing them. Got the bacon, cheddar cheese, chives and sour cream ready! I have some mozarella I might put on the top towards the end perhaps. Pics to follow when I pull them out!