Brisket for a baby shower

[caiguar]

hello guys, This is my first post so i'll use it to indtroduce myself to people here. I am a texan. That's all youguys need to know lol...for now.

Here's the deal, I am going to do the meal for a baby shower that my mother and wife are giving to my sister in law. My plan is to make brisket. This will be for around 30 people. I have previous experience(not that much) I've smoked brisket, ribs, chicken, jalapenos, several times.

Here's the thing, I have everything(Almost) I have dry rub for the brisket(homemade) I have sauce(homemade also) I have my smoker(char-griller pro with side firebox) (pics attached) I am going to use mesquite wood chunks on a bed of kingsford charcoal.

Now to the questions. I would like some pointers on keeping the temperature stable on this smoker. I know this is an issue with every new smoker like myself. What i'm looking for is pointers with this specific smoker. what happens to me is this, I biuld the fire and when I put the brisket in there I always get this. It cooks and sometimes burs on the side where the firebox is. This is because the heat that is entering the grill is a whole lot hotter on that side than on the opposite side, what I try to do is when I'm making two briskets I just switch them around so they don't burn. That is the first question.

My other question is concerning the mopping of the brisket, can you guys tell me things like how often do you guys mop and what ingredients do you use. I've heard things like spray it on, mop it on, use olive oil with apple juice. use coca cola. The thing is this, I need to know something like how much juice to olive oil to use, is it better to mop it or spray it. or is there another thing i could use for this purpose that is better.

So, any pointers and help I could get from you guys would be appreciated. I have included some pics of past meals make on this smoker. enjoy

Attachment 7801

Attachment 7802

Attachment 7803

 

[jfish63]

Here is a link to a good thread about the C Gers.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ead.php?t=9774

It is the same smoker I have.
I do not mop my briskets. I used to but gave it up.

 

[caiguar]

hey thanks jfish. One thing I forgot to ask is do you guys wrap you brisket on foil? or do you let it go all the way. If you do how much time do you guys let it smoke then when to wrap it, I know these are questions that are all around the forums but, I'm looking for answers concerning this specific smoker.

Thanks again J

 

[lawdog]

caiguar,
welcome to the site from a fellow Texan. I don't use that specific smoker but as for the mopping, used to, don't anymore. I wrap at 140* internal temp, and let it stay that way until about 180 or so and then back on the grates unwrapped to firm it up. Comes out very juicey every time.

Lawdog

 

[caiguar]

hey thanks for the tip lawdog, I guess i'll try it without mopping and see how it goes. so lawdog after you unwrap it you put it back jsut to get a little bark in it or whats the purpose? a lot of people leave it in the foil and finish it there. I've heard that if you do it like that i comes out soft. is this the reason or am im way off?

 

[lawdog]

Sorry, I forgot, just before I wrap i run a line of sauce over the topside of the brisket (I cook fat side up) just don the middle and then wrap. As to unwrapping, you are right. I have finished them straight in foil but they dont have the bark that I like so putting them back on unwrapped it produces that bark.

 

[smokyokie]

To fix the uneven heat problem, turn the ash catcher tray in the smoking chamber upside down on it's hangers so that the arch is up instead of down. raise it so that it directs the heat coming from the SFB under itself. If you do this, you should end up w/ no more than 30*-40* difference in temp from one side to the other. This is manageable by turning the brisket side to side from time to time.

If you use the SOB (SmokyOkie Brisket method)http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ead.php?t=2105 , you won't need to mop, no one will want or need any sauce, and the meat will be tender enough for the baby to eat as well.

If you want to try the method and have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Why heck brutha, an Okie's always glad to give a Texan a leg up.

 

[caiguar]

hello, smoky, thanks for the tips, thats what I'm going to do since I wont have time to apply the mods jfish pointed out this time.

I am just nervous to burn the whole thing lol, I don't know why but it seems weird, I guess everyone gets that feeling the first time.

one question, the rub, doesn't doing that burn the rub and then transfer that burned taste into the meat?

one more thing, i'm buying a thermometer for these things, I can't risk guessing this time since it has to be ready for the party lol. I won't have time to experiment. do you guys recommend one in particular? I was thinking of going to academy sports to see if they have good ones. is there any other place i should look around?

 

[reddog]

I take my brisket and marinate in a med. dark beer with onion and brown suger w/ apple cider for 12 hrs min. Take out the marinate and reduce down for dipping. You can take the marinate also for mopping every hr after the first.
I use foil to cover some of the opening at the fire box. I also will wrap the meat half way thru the smoke to keep it from being so powerful. I have heard some smoking for 6 hrs at 225 then put in the oven for 8 hrs at 200.
Mike

 

[smokyokie]

Think of it as a heavy sear, not a burn. Does searing a steak give it a burnt taste? I don't use heavily sugared rubs though a little sugar in the rub is a good thing. I make a mushroom steak rub out of powdered porcini mushrooms, sugar, garlic and oregano. Its fairly heavily sugared but doesn't impart any burn taste, only carmelized.

As to thermos, my fave is the Oregon Scientific AW-131. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...equestid=27232


Cabelas is way high priced, but this link will give you a visual.

 

[caiguar]

thanks for all the help smoky, I am doing a test brisket tomorrow using your method, I will try to take pics for all you guys.

I decided to use jeff's rub, from the threads i've been reading, they've had good results. I rubbed the meat today(friday) at about 8pm, wrapped and its in the fridge already. I will be starting the brisket at maybe 8am to have it ready for dinner. wish me luck.

 

[caiguar]

ok guys its 4:20 here ;) lol I'm doing a test brisket and some wicked beans. here is the Q, enjoy will try to take pics later on see if the people let me before they devour everything.


the beans before going in...

Attachment 7806

Burn baby burn....

Attachment 7807

 

[lawdog]

caiguar,

Looking good, can't wait to see more Q-view.
I haven't ever tried okies sear or Dutch's beans so let me know what you think.

Lawdog

 

[smokyokie]

That looks like a pretty good sear so far.

What do you do to get up to temp w/ your CG after the sear? The CG's I've used, you had to elevate the fire in order to get good temps in the cooking chamber.

 

[kookie]

Welcome to the site..........Great poeple here and info.........

 

[caiguar]

Wood and lump charcoal, I've always used that and seems to work., nothing special really. When I was doing the sear it got a little hot, I think it was 150 or so. After putting the brisket on the cooking side, closed the firebox and got to 250+ pretty quick.

 

[caiguar]

well its 3:00am here and I have 6 briskets in two chargrillers pro along with a couple of racks of ribs. The first 3 hrs were hell. The temperature all of a sudden dropped like crazy and the wind was blowing coooold, needless to say I was going crazy tryig to keep the temperature up.

At one point I tought of taking them out and doind them on the oven, I resisted and at least the wind calmed down and finally I could get my temps up.

The briskets are covered with foil already(im using smoky's method) I did 3 with jeff's rub and 3 with rudy's rub. I'll post pics tomorrow of the whole thing since I'm pretty tired at this point and I have to keep on going. The briskets have been in there since 8:30 I think and the temperature the last time I checked was at 150 on all of them.

I have a while to go to get to that 200, as soon as im there I'll stop feeding the fire and I'm letting them there in the smoker and I will e going to take a nap hehehe see you guys tomorrow, I'll try to be back with pics

 

[cheech]

Welcome aboard,

Couple of thoughts (even though I am getting to this thread late in the game)
1. If the temps are such that one side of the meat gets done faster you can make a diverter out of tin foil. Make a "screen" out of the foil and then place in the smoker to divert the heat before it hits the brisket.

2. I wait til my brisket gets to 140 then wrap until it reaches 190 then place in an ice chest until ready to serve. This gives me time to sleep off the buzz from all the Capt and Cokes.

3. A nice sear on the brisket after the ice chest is always nice for a crisp bark worth the extra effort

 

[smokyokie]

That's something I never thought of, reverse sear. I'll have to try that on my next one.

 

[mdgoos]

Good to see a fellow Texan on here, Welcome!!!!!