Really need some Brisket HELP thoughts!

[just george]

Greetings all.  I cannot use my smoker for 12 to 14 hours at a time due to where I live.  Can I start the brisket flat in the kitchen oven?   My thoughts here at to start it about 2am at 200 degrees.  About 6 am I can start using my smoker. I'll pre-heat to 225 and move brisket and pan into smoker.  Continue with smoke and heat until internal temp is about 140.  Continue without smoke until internal temp is 160 then wrap in butcher paper and return to the smoker.  I'll remove at it 200 place in a ice chest for a couple of hours.  Please let me know if this will work.

As a side thought I'd like to cook a Boston Butt at the same time.  Any thoughts here?

Thanks.

 

[grillin_all_day]

I would switch the process and start it off in the smoker if you can. I'm not sure how much smoke will be absorbed into a piece of meat that has already started cooking.  

 

[piaconis]

 
I would switch the process and start it off in the smoker if you can. I'm not sure how much smoke will be absorbed into a piece of meat that has already started cooking.  

+1 this

You want the smoke to kiss the meat as much as possible until somewhere around 155-160 IT.  If you're planning to wrap it, a good foil wrap works (known commonly as the "Texas crutch") once you're above that range, and will cook it faster, and then you can finish either back on the smoker or in the oven.

Whichever way you do it, plan on resting it at least 30 to 60 minutes in the cooler, especially if you finish it at a higher cooking temperature.  Line it with some beach towels if you have room, as the more you pack in around it to insulate, the better it will retain that heat.  If you don't give it that rest, your juices will be all over your cutting board, and not in your meat.

Best of luck!

 

[just george]

I think I can do that. Thanks.

 

[seenred]

Howdy George...I agree that you should start your brisket in the smoker if that's possible, and leave it in the smoke for as long as you can.  When you need to shut the smoker down, foil wrap the brisket and move it to your oven.  Continue cooking until the brisket gets probe tender...should be at an internal temp (IT) of anywhere between 195* and 210*...hard to guess because every brisket has a mind of it's own.  Once it is done, remove from heat and allow a rest period of at least an hour.  If you leave it in the foil and put it in your cooler, it will continue to cook...the IT might go up another 10* or more in an hour.  Some guys plan for this and pull the brisket off the heat at a lower IT so that it coasts up to their target temp.  What I like to do is cook until I'm happy with the the doneness/tenderness, then open the foil and loosely tent over the meat and just let it rest on the counter...this way, it rests without continuing to cook.

And this is exactly how I'd suggest you cook your pork butt as well.  Smoke first, then foil wrap and into the oven...and I'd rest it on the counter under tented foil until it cools off enough that I can pull the meat with my hands without burning myself.

Hope this helps...Good luck!  

Red

 

[schlotz]

Good thorough advice from Red 

 I would add that you could, once pulled from the oven, open the foil to let the steam/heat escape for 5-10 minutes, then close it back up tightly and place in a cooler.  This way it can be taken closer to final temp before removing from the oven.  

 

[SmokinAl]

Well I think you have your answers.

Now let us know how it turns out!

Al

 

[just george]

Hey Red, Schlotz and of course Smokin' Al. Thanks so very much for your ideas. I'm using them all. Flat and Butt about to go in. Smoker is coming up to temp. If I can figure out how to get photos off this phone and into S M F for you guys to see I will. Again, THANKS.

 

[seenred]

Hey Red, Schlotz and of course Smokin' Al. Thanks so very much for your ideas. I'm using them all. Flat and Butt about to go in. Smoker is coming up to temp. If I can figure out how to get photos off this phone and into S M F for you guys to see I will. Again, THANKS.

Mornin George...

So how'd it turn out?  Don't leave us hangin brother!  

Posting pics is pretty easy.  Here're a couple of informative threads that'll guide you through it:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/125263/how-to-upload-a-photo-q-view-to-your-post

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/123288/posting-pictures

Hoping to see your qview!  

Red

 

[just george]

Okay you guys.  Here's the 411 on my first dual brisket flat and pork butt smoke.  I'm working on the photos and will get them in here but I'll give you the blow by-blow now.  FYI I just received my new Pitmaster IQ 120 and hope it will solve the below problem.  Another FYI.  I've smoked at least 100 racks of St Louis ribs and 15 to 20 Tri-tip in my Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn.  Never had this problem.

11:00 am removed 10# USDA Prime brisket flat and 8# pork shoulder bone in butt from refrigerator.

2:30 pm loaded a 12"x14"x 6" home made charcoal basket with full load of bag run Royal Oak lump charcoal.  Used 1 Weber paraffin cube to light lump in the far corner from the inlet.

3 pm temp at 125 air intake full open, stack full open

4pm temp at 153  air intake full open, stack full open, added 2 sticks Calif Red Oak

5pm temp at 212 air intake full open, stack full open, meat in, air vent to 1/2 open

5:30 pm temp at 226 air vent to 1/2 open

6pm temp 201, air vent to 1/2 open, added chimney of un-lit lump

7pm temp at 212 air intake full back to open, stack full open

8pm temp 226 air intake full open, stack full open

9pm temp 208 air intake full open, stack full open, added 2 sticks Calif Red Oak

10pm temp 210 air intake full open, stack full open

11pm temp at 220 air intake full open, stack full open

Midnight into kitchen oven at 220, both in aluminum pans and pan covered with aluminum foil

3:30am brisket at 145 and pork at 150 degrees, temp raised to 230 degrees

5:30am brisket at 185 and pork at 180 degrees, temp raised to 240 degrees

7:00am brisket at 202 degrees. removed and covered to cool.  Pork at 194 degrees

7:40am pork at 205 degrees, removed and covered to cool.

11:30am brisket temp at 130 degrees.  Removed and cut 1/2the flat thus sliced 1/8" to 1/4" thick.  Oh so tender and full of juice. Had to eat two slices just to make sure I was not dreaming!

1:15pm pork still at 145 degrees, to hot to pull.

2:30pm pulled the pork.  I know I'm dreaming!  The bone fell out while transferring the butt to the pull pan.

I have no words to explain the taste and texture of the pulled pork!  Truly out of this world!

Ok now for my recap.  I live in Oceanside, Cal.  Humidity averages 75 to 85 percent.  I keep my Royal Oak and Red Oak firewood outside near the smoker.  Royal oak stays off the ground and in its factory bag.  Red Oak firewood is kept in a plastic milk crate at the smoker as well.  Is it possible this humidity has caused the Royal Oak to burn slower and with not enough heat?  Wood and lump are stored under an overhand and do not get wet from dew.  In looking at the time/temp readout it is all over the chart.  Could this have made the cooking times longer than normal?

I am working on the photos.  Thanks again guys.

 

[seenred]

Hey George...man that was a 24++ hour ordeal! But it sounds like the results were tasty!

If you've cooked that many times in this smoker without these temp issues, it's hard to guess what happened here. Maybe your fuel was damp...but I'd think that over the span of 10 or so hours, it'd eventually dry out and come up to temp. I'd say that IQ 120 would definitely have helped with getting your temps up, but I'm perplexed why a smoker you've used over 100 times with no temp issues would all of a sudden be so hard to reach and maintain temps...but regardless, your temp struggles surely had to have had an effect on you total cook time.

But hey...it's all good when the results are delicious, right?

Red