This Southern California girl made her brother in Texas proud!!
Let me preface this by saying thank you, thank you, thank you to all the men and woman dedicated to the art of smoking that post their advice, trials, errors and successes to this site, that made my brisket and ribs possible.
I received an offset smoker for my birthday and decided to break it in this past weekend. I read every possible thing I could get my hands on for the entire week prior to lighting the charcoal. I couldn't get any pecan, so I decided on apple, oak and a small smattering of hickory (since I heard it can get bitter if over used).
I did the chimney mod as well as the heat baffle...buffer (?) Anyway, I used a piece of sheet metal and attached it to the screw above the opening to the heat chamber and across under the racks. I created various size holes, smaller closer to the heat, and larger as I moved down the sheet. I moved the thermometer next to the handle and added two remote thermometers shoved through potatos as well. One on each side of the meat chamber. I also made a charcoal box.
I created my own rub from scratch as well as 8 different sauces that we whittled down to 3.
I used the alternative Minion method, where the charcoal circles the outside of the box and you put your lighted charcoal at the start of the line and it slowly burns around the box. I placed the wood chunks along the line of charcoal and I had a water bowl at the opening to the fire box.
The beautiful brisket went on at 11:00 pm Friday night. I watched the heat on my remote thermometers for an hour and then I set my alarm for every two hours through the night. About every 4 hours I had to rebuild the fire.
At 2:00 pm Saturday (After about 15 hours) the brisket hit 180 and I took it off, wrapped it tightly in foil and put in the cooler with loads of blankies. I had also started spare ribs at 9:30 that morning using the 3-2-1 method.
We were having company for my birthday so I was sweating it...convinced that we'd be ordering in pizza!!
It came out wonderful!!! The smoke ring was gorgeous, it was moist and smokey and wonderful. The flavor was so great we didn't end up using ANY of the sauces. I'm so happy!! Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures in all the excitement, but I won't forget next time!!
My biggest concern now, is can I ever replicate what I just did!! I kept notes, but I have to assume my success was 90% beginners luck. What if I never hit brisket euphoria again????
Alas...won't know until I try!! :0-)
Let me preface this by saying thank you, thank you, thank you to all the men and woman dedicated to the art of smoking that post their advice, trials, errors and successes to this site, that made my brisket and ribs possible.
I received an offset smoker for my birthday and decided to break it in this past weekend. I read every possible thing I could get my hands on for the entire week prior to lighting the charcoal. I couldn't get any pecan, so I decided on apple, oak and a small smattering of hickory (since I heard it can get bitter if over used).
I did the chimney mod as well as the heat baffle...buffer (?) Anyway, I used a piece of sheet metal and attached it to the screw above the opening to the heat chamber and across under the racks. I created various size holes, smaller closer to the heat, and larger as I moved down the sheet. I moved the thermometer next to the handle and added two remote thermometers shoved through potatos as well. One on each side of the meat chamber. I also made a charcoal box.
I created my own rub from scratch as well as 8 different sauces that we whittled down to 3.
I used the alternative Minion method, where the charcoal circles the outside of the box and you put your lighted charcoal at the start of the line and it slowly burns around the box. I placed the wood chunks along the line of charcoal and I had a water bowl at the opening to the fire box.
The beautiful brisket went on at 11:00 pm Friday night. I watched the heat on my remote thermometers for an hour and then I set my alarm for every two hours through the night. About every 4 hours I had to rebuild the fire.
At 2:00 pm Saturday (After about 15 hours) the brisket hit 180 and I took it off, wrapped it tightly in foil and put in the cooler with loads of blankies. I had also started spare ribs at 9:30 that morning using the 3-2-1 method.
We were having company for my birthday so I was sweating it...convinced that we'd be ordering in pizza!!
It came out wonderful!!! The smoke ring was gorgeous, it was moist and smokey and wonderful. The flavor was so great we didn't end up using ANY of the sauces. I'm so happy!! Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures in all the excitement, but I won't forget next time!!
My biggest concern now, is can I ever replicate what I just did!! I kept notes, but I have to assume my success was 90% beginners luck. What if I never hit brisket euphoria again????
Alas...won't know until I try!! :0-)