18 pound beef brisket help.

smokin ts bbq · Jan 17, 2016

I got a 18 lbs packer brisket. Untrimmed. For $33!!!! I had to throw it in the freezer till the Super Bowl . But I couldn't pass up a deal like that!!! Anyways. I need to know. I'll be cooking in my MES 40. I'm going to have that. 2 racks of spare ribs. A 10 pound pork shoulder. And some ABT'S on all at the same time (of course putting them on at Seperate times. But still) anyways. My pit will be running at 225-250 for the entire cook. I find I get best results low and slow.

Anyways. I put the brisket on a rack when I got it home from the store and it looked like with a little trimming around the edges. It may fit perfectly on one rack. However. I do not want to be up from 8pm (that's it I dont wake up till then. Which of course I will be) till 5pm the next day. Tending to a brisket. As well as other meats (also gotta fry a bunch of chicken as well) AND watching the game with family and friends (sadly the seahawks are out. Fingers crossed for Arizona) so should I separate the point from the flat? If I do that. I might not have room on my pit and I'd hate to fire up my secondary pit because I'm out of charcoal for it and it's falling apart. Or trust in my thermometers and alarms to keep waking me up to go tend to that beast? I've done long overnight cooks before. It's just exhausting on my 17 year old body [emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji]

Ps. I don't plan on foiling this brisket either. I find as long as I mop on a regular basis. I can maintain a better bark and moisture.

bauchjw · Jan 17, 2016

IMHO I'd cut in half for 2 9 pounders. I've never done anything over 10, but from what most of the old timers say going over 10 pounds is asking for dryness. I'd also recommend doing the shoulder a day or two ahead of time! It reheats really well and it's one less thing to worry about.

smokin ts bbq · Jan 17, 2016

bauchjw said:
IMHO I'd cut in half for 2 9 pounders. I've never done anything over 10, but from what most of the old timers say going over 10 pounds is asking for dryness. I'd also recommend doing the shoulder a day or two ahead of time! It reheats really well and it's one less thing to worry about.

I think I will cut it in half. I'll just have to do the abt's in my other pit. Which isn't really a problem I have enough charcoal to run about 2 hours.

That takes the fun out of it [emoji]128514[/emoji][emoji]128514[/emoji] and do to me being in marching band I have practice after school Thursday. I have to march In a Mardi Gras parade the Friday (8 miles) then Saturday I have to take the ACT. So I think I'll just do the abt's in my other pit so I can split the brisket.

I have a question however. Do you do burnt ends? Or just slices of the point instead. I've only cooked a whole packer once (about 10 pounds) and I did burnt ends but they were really too tender to cube up. I think it'd be better sliced. For those Who like fattier meat.

bauchjw · Jan 18, 2016

I just carve away. Normally people are hanging out and picking away. Ive never done clear cubed burnt ends.

foamheart · Jan 18, 2016

Its all your call.... But I will make a suggestion. Cook ahead of time. There is no reason you can't cook most of it a day or a week or whatever ahead of the game. if you want to watch the game and enjoy your own patrty, cook ahead. You can hold , or refrigerate, or even freeze till your ready for the party.

You are forgetting also, that you can smoke till the stall possibly then take to the oven and finish also.

There are many way to free up your time and your smoker.

IMHO, do everything possible ahead of the game, then throw some sausage and ABT's on while the game plays out. Thats if ya still need that nice smokie smell rolling thru the party and a place for the men to gather and make manly noises and scratch the nether regions.

You are biting off a lot, prepare and cook ahead. Maybe your ACT scores will give bonus points for preparation. Seems to me that some sleep might also come in handy.

Good luck with it all.

BTW personal preference, I am unusual, I don't do burnt ends. I prefer the brisket and I don't seperate or trim until I slice. You waste meat that way. Its easy to seperate and trim the fat when you slice.

Remember all ideas you get are only personal opinions.

SmokinAl · Jan 18, 2016

All I can say is you have a lot on your plate! Good luck!!!

Al

jirod · Jan 18, 2016

Do you generally let your brisket rest? You could try and schedule it (as best you can when smoking pieces of meat this big obviously) to be done at like 2. Wrap in foil and a towel, throw in a cooler for 2-3 hours. That would free up some of your time before the game then to hang out and do other cooking/smoking.

bauchjw · Jan 18, 2016

Take Foams advice! He's saved me from myself more than once!

hamrhead1971 · Jan 18, 2016

I would definitely cook ahead of time and reheat. One thing about meat is it will be ready on its schedule not yours. Besides, it will make for a less stressfull day if most of the work is done beforehand.

Smoke it up
William

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18 pound beef brisket help.

smokin ts bbq

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bauchjw

Master of the Pit

smokin ts bbq

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bauchjw

Master of the Pit

foamheart

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SmokinAl

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jirod

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