New member from Indiana. Smoking my 6th? brisket as we speak.

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jimustanguitar

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 15, 2017
5
10
Hey guys and gals. New guy here. I'm Jim from northern Indiana (we call it Michiana cuz we're right on the Indiana - Michigan border). I've been grilling for a long time (a huge Jenn Air stainless monster) and after a few trips to smokestack in San Antonio, I got hooked on BBQ and knew that I had to try this low and slow thing for myself. I picked up the cheap Masterbuilt Pro Dual Fuel smoker from Home Depot on Black Friday for $99. I'd read a few reviews that pointed out the flaws of the design and construction of this model, but I decided that for a first timer and for $99, that it'd at least be a decent place to start even if I outgrew it quickly. I've smoked something just about every week since then, and I'm slowly learning the ropes. 

I did do the FireBlack nomex seal (from Amazon) around the doors a few weeks back, and I feel that it's helped me maintain the temperature a bit better. I also have one of the orange dual probe Therm-Pro wireless thermometers to monitor the inside of the BBQ and the meat itself. Luckily, my analog temp gauge doesn't seem to be off as far as some others have reported, so that's good (especially for my first few smokes that didn't use a more accurate thermometer).

Even though this smoker will do both, I've been trying to use charcoal as my main heat source, and the propane has just been a handy way for the lazy to start new charcoal or to pick up the slack and bump up the temp a little bit. It takes quite a bit of babysitting to get it just right, and I've admittedly been a tad frustrated with it. I've also read some temperature regulation how-to's and I've learned that this particular smoker doesn't quite operate the same way as most beginner guides will tell you. For starters, since it's got a propane burner at the bottom, there's already a large air inlet that you can't regulate at all. Second, the adjustable dampers are slightly above the burner tray, so they act more like a cold air bypass that lowers the smoker's temperature rather than an inlet that would stoke the embers up to a higher burning temp. Closing the top damper also tends to raise the temperature of the smoker, which I assume is because I can't fully regulate the air inlet and don't have 100% perfect door seal, so it seems to only regulate heat that's already burned instead of regulating the burn itself. 

That being said, I have gotten a touch better at it since I started. I also picked up a charcoal chimney to more consistently start my coals before I put them in the fire tray, and I've been wrapping my hardwood in foil to keep it from flaring up and spiking the temp. My first 2 or 3 smokes were completely based on the analog temp gauge and time. I was aiming for exactly 225 and cooking for 1.5 hours per pound. I've been cooking smaller briskets in the 2-2.5 pound range, because that's all that my wife and I will reasonably eat in a week, and because I bought a monster 4# one from Costco once and ended up having to eat something else for supper that night after it took more than 12 hours to get past the stall and begin to reach temp (it also started sleeting that day even though the forecast was clear, so I had to put my transmitter in a ziplock, it was harder to start charcoal, and that smoke sucked in general). I've been using the famous Dave's rib rub on everything. We bought 4 or 5 different seasoning rubs, and that one smelled the best to both of us. I also learned that I had originally been cutting the meat wrong after it came out of the smoker. Cutting the brisket across the grain makes a huge difference in how it cuts and tears while you're actually eating it. Another lesson learned. 

Against the advice of many that I'd read, I tried injecting the meat this time. When we pan sear fajita meat we really like the liquid seasonings that Target sells on the taco aisle. I injected 30cc (about 1fl oz) of the barbacoa sauce that we like about 3 days before the smoke. ( https://goo.gl/Mavv5j if you're curious) Because this sauce has some vinegar in it, the meat bled out some of its moisture on the plate in the fridge as it digested the meat, and I'm curious how it will turn out. As we speak, I'm 3:20 into a smoke, at 221F, and the meat is just at 151F. I'm debating on whether or not to go wrap it in foil and whether or not to add some juice to it... Since I'm so new at this, it seems like I change 2 or 3 variables each time, and am lucky to learn anything :) 

As I type this, the wife just asked me how long until supper, so I guess I'll at least go wrap it with foil. 

Wish me luck! I'll report back as I continue to learn what I'm doing. I don't mind learning things the hard way sometimes, but I do appreciate learned advice from others. I've already learned that there are some very strongly held opinions by some in the community, and no matter who you ask, there's a touch of voodoo involved. Either way, I'll keep reporting back on how I'm doing and let you know how it goes. Happy Sunday! 

Jim
 
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fellow Hoosier!  Here's hoping it comes out the way you wanted.  Let us know how it went.

Matt
 
It turned out pretty decent. As usual, I tried testing more than one variable at a time, and learned some things to do differently next time. 

When I got up to 150, I wrapped the brisket in foil and added a splash of apple juice to power through the stall. When I got up to 185, I unwrapped it in hopes of drying the bark and adding one last coat of smoke for those last 5 or 10 degrees. Evaporation took over, and in about 15 minutes my temperature was down below 170. I guess that was a bad idea :) 

Is there a magic temp for unwrapping the foil after the stall, or after you start are you pretty much committed to keeping it wrapped until it's completely done?

I did a better job of keeping the temp in range this time. It still seems like it takes constant attention, but I had my charcoal chimney burning beside the smoker all day, and having charcoal ready helped. I'd use tongs to put in a couple bricks when the temps got low, and restocked the chimney so that more was ready for the next go. It seems like I used up quite a bit of charcoal, though. I had an 18# bag, and probably used 2/3 of it yesterday. I do wish that I had a smaller chimney that could do 4 or 5 bricks at a time, though. It seems like a small batch starts better when it can be more vertical than a spread out horizontal layer. Maybe I'll make my own out of a soup can or some ductwork. 

Another problem that I think I'm uncovering is that the ashes from the spent charcoal build up and restrict the airflow to the parts that are still burning. I took out the fire tray a few times with welding gloves and gave it a jiggle to let the ashes fall out of the air slots in the bottom of the pan. I also fought flare ups from my wood chips more than previous times. I was using larger chunks, but they were wrapped in foil like I'd done previously. Mixing charcoal and foil chip packets in the same pan is just too close to realistically try and keep them from catching each other on fire. 

So I'm thinking about building a fire "insert" to replace the existing pan. Something like an ash pan with a mesh layer for the charcoal to burn on, and a semi-enclosed chip pan a few inches above that. And if I go that far, I've also been thinking about an automatic watering setup like the reservoir for an "auto" dog bowl that uses the vacuum of the tank to limit the water level... I've got some googling ahead of me. 

I'll probably do another brisket next weekend. I think I'll do a 2 something pound one, if I can find one with a nice marble. I'll start earlier in the day so that I don't have a rush at the end, and I'll go 100% traditional. Dry rub only, no injection, no foil, and just wait it out until I get to temp. Should I try coating the meat in mustard before the rub? I'm also debating on whether or not to do the towel and a cooler thing. Chances are pretty good that it'll get finished right at about supper time, so I doubt that I'll want to delay things much longer :) I'll have to set an alarm and wake up extra early if I want to do that. 

Anyway, I'll check in then. Wish me luck! 
 
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I hope everything is going go . In 2 weeks I am having a party at the house and I am going to smoke a 10 pound brisket . I am thinking of getting up around 4:00 am to put it on
 
I hope everything is going go . In 2 weeks I am having a party at the house and I am going to smoke a 10 pound brisket . I am thinking of getting up around 4:00 am to put it on
Now that I've got a meat thermometer, I can tell you that the 1.5 hours per pound rule is a bit conservative in my smoker, at least. I've never tried anything that big, so don't take my advice :) Maybe some of the more seasoned pros can tell you about what time to expect on that one. 
 
Welcome Jim ! 
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 looks like you have it going on! keep us posted and throw in some pics if you can on your progress. Lots of Great info here on the SMF with lots of knowledgeable members more than  willing to jump in to help you.
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