I have a Brinkmann Gourmet Electric that I've used several times, but not in a while. I started searching the interwebs for a refreasher and learned how much I don't know. Long story short, I think I figured out 90% of what do to for a Saturday smoking. Here is my plan along with a few questions. Please comment, critique and nudge me in the right direction.
Night before:
Wash off, try with paper towel.
Trim fat including some of the fat band between flat and point, score the remaining fat. Great idea.
Rub yellow mustard all over. Some do, some don't, personal preference.
Rub rub all over. Oh yeah. Rubbing fat side is useless unless your cooking fat side up.
Wrap with Saran wrap.
Refrigerate overnight.
**put wood chucks in water to soak** - conflicting advice I use a stick burner, so I don't soak, but some electric heads may state otherwise.
Morning Prep:
Take brisket out to let warm up (I think I read that putting it on cold helps with the ring, but if that is the only reason, I'll let it warm up.) I set mine out prior to starting my fire in the pit, about 1 hour. Won't hurt you unlesss your injecting, then you need to worry about the 40-140 rule. Since your cooking on electric anyway, probably won't get much of a smoke ring anyway.
Put water on to boil.
Start smoker.
Put wood chips and chunks on lava rocks, probably in short can.
Put boiling water in water pan.
Put thermometer in the flat. Going back to the 40-140 rule, don't probe for IT until your at the 4 hour mark. You really don't need to know the IT unless you injected or probed before putting it on.
Put pan on bottom shelf to catch drippings.
Put brisket on.
While cooking:
Check to make sure smoke is still billowing, add chucks as necessary? Or just throw another one in every xxx (hour??) Once again, I'm a stickburner, not so sure about the "billowing" smoke, you'd see me running to my pit if I had smoke "billowing"...lol
Mop every two hours?? I wouldn't worry about a mop...nearly useless, will also prolong your cook time, everytime you open the door you will be losing smoker temp, let your rub and the smoke be the flavoring for the brisket.
When internal hits 160 - 165(??) put brisket in drip pan and cover with foil (or just foil). Yes.
Leave it until internal hits 195 - test with toothpick.
Cut point off, apply rub, cube ??. Put half in drip pan and put half on holy pan and put back on grill (trying to see which is better)
Wrap flat in foil and towels and put in cooler for an hour.
Questions:
Should I soak the wood when using an electric smoker. I always have, but read conflicting advice.
Let meat warm up to room temp before smoking? I do, as most do. It is not necessary, just allows the muscles to relax a bit before the cooking starts. Mine don't actually reach "room" temp in the hour it is out of the fridge, just warms up a bit.
How often should I add wood chucks and for the whole time?
I will be pressed for time, dinner is at 6:00. It is an 11 lbs brisket, is it safe to assume I'll trim about one pound off? I'd like it to be done in 10 hours. This is a brisket man, it has a mind of its' own. It's done when it's done. I really don't want to wake up earlier than 6:00 to start this. I understand that might be blasphemy around here. Is there a certain time I should wait for before wrapping, before/during/after stall? Some do it after 2 hours smoke, some after 4 (me) or 6 hours, some do it after the brisket reaches 160 IT, right about time for the stall to kick in, foiling will help it power through the stall a bit.
I've never done burnt ends. Is the cubing or putting it on whole the best/easiest route?Once again not an electric cooker, but I have heard horror stories on cook times from briskets in plug in smokers. My suggestion to be able to hit your mark for dinner would be as mule stated earlier, start Friday night, early Saturday or get your 4 to 6 hours of smoke into the meat, wrap then finish in a 300 degree oven. Once you wrap, there is no need for it to remain in a "smoker" anyway, your just baking or cooking from there on out. This will also allow you to make your burnt ends as well in the oven. You won't get any more smoke on them, but they will still be pretty dang good. Once your flat is toothpick tender, separate the point from the flat, cube the point, throw them in a pan or glass cooking dish of your choice, drizzle some au jus in with the cubes, mix in your favorite Q sauce, then back into the oven for another hour or 2. Stir every 30 minutes or so to prevent any burned on spots of sauce.
