Hi again.
First off, I would like to disclose that I can afford a WSM (but haven't pulled the trigger), and also own an MES30, but choose to torture myself.
I look at continuing to use the ECB (standard modified) akin to "paying my dues" so to speak.
My first brisket ever (also on my ECB), turned out fantastic, so I figured a butt would be easy....WRONG!
Ok, so Friday night, I do some light fat trimming and score the cap, rub the 8lb. butt with yellow mustard, brown sugar, and Bad Byron's. Then wrap and place it back in the fridge.
Saturday morning 8:30 am:
Pull the butt out, and get to setting up the ECB.
Put a foil pan 1/2 full of water on 2nd rack, actual ECB water pan filled with sand and covered with foil.
Start soaking pecan chunks (which I hate to do, but it makes the flare-ups more manageable).
Set up a minion ring using Ozark Oak lump.
Add 1/4 chimney to ring center.
Get the ET-732 probes in place.
Wait for temps to come down...and wait....and wait some more.
Got to nearly 600* before it started to ease off.
My Redneck Tie ECB (phrase coined by dirtsailor2003 here)
Saturday morning 10:30am:
Temp finally down to 300* and dropping, so I decide to throw on the meat.
Got it fairly steady at 225* - 250* after the waiting and some work.
I decide to spritz the butt every hour (or so) with a mixture of apple cider, apple cider vinegar, Guinness stout and worcestershire.
I then remember to take some pictures at the first spritzing.
11:30am:
12:45pm:
1:45pm: I found a dead, dry branch on an apple tree I have...so what the hell? I'll throw a little of that in.
2:00pm: Spritzing...everything moving along smoothly. Decide it's time to start drinking, probably not the best idea, hindsight being what it is. ;)
My ugly purple smoking shirt:
3pm:
Everyone decides to come outside and hang out with Daddy.
4:15pm:
5:15pm:
7:15pm: You can tell by the pics from here on out that the amount of beverages consumed may be affecting my photo abilities.
8:20pm:
9:15pm: Taking much longer than I thought, but still truckin' along. I stopped feeding wood at around IT of 155*.
11:40pm:
Sunday morning 12(something)am: I'm not totally positive but I think somewhere around this time I'd had enough, brought the remote (temp alarms set) with me, and passed out. My lady was still up with her friends as she had company over. Thank God they brought a porterhouse that I had quickly grilled on my gasser earlier in the evening.
2:45am: Wake up in a panic....remote is nowhere to be found!!!
Run out to the garage. Ask the lady, "WHERE THE F is the remote??!!!???"
"Oh, I put it down on the counter in the kitchen."
Wonderful.
Check temps.
Meat had gone from 180* down to 167*
Grill temp @ 128* Fire out.
I'm not happy (to put it mildly).
3:00am: Start another 1/2 full chimney of lump and make sure temps are stable.
4:00am: Go back to bed and tell her she's coming with me.
7:00am: Get a grill temp alarm...get up and add more lump. Go back to bed.
9:15am: Get a 200* IT temp alarm. Snooze alarm to 203* IT. Go back to sleep.
9:45am: 203* reached!!
Foil > Towel > Cooler to rest.
10:00am: Made a mustard sauce
11:15am: Unwrap, slice and pull.
GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
Made sadwiches, grabbed and dipped....you name it. Turned out incredibly moist and a huge hit.
Total time (Fire start to eat) = 28 hours.
Total cook time (meat on to off of grill) = 22 hours 45 minutes.
Not at all what I was expecting...then again, some unexpected things happened.
Thanks for reading. :-)
First off, I would like to disclose that I can afford a WSM (but haven't pulled the trigger), and also own an MES30, but choose to torture myself.
I look at continuing to use the ECB (standard modified) akin to "paying my dues" so to speak.
My first brisket ever (also on my ECB), turned out fantastic, so I figured a butt would be easy....WRONG!
Ok, so Friday night, I do some light fat trimming and score the cap, rub the 8lb. butt with yellow mustard, brown sugar, and Bad Byron's. Then wrap and place it back in the fridge.
Saturday morning 8:30 am:
Pull the butt out, and get to setting up the ECB.
Put a foil pan 1/2 full of water on 2nd rack, actual ECB water pan filled with sand and covered with foil.
Start soaking pecan chunks (which I hate to do, but it makes the flare-ups more manageable).
Set up a minion ring using Ozark Oak lump.
Add 1/4 chimney to ring center.
Get the ET-732 probes in place.
Wait for temps to come down...and wait....and wait some more.
Got to nearly 600* before it started to ease off.
My Redneck Tie ECB (phrase coined by dirtsailor2003 here)
Saturday morning 10:30am:
Temp finally down to 300* and dropping, so I decide to throw on the meat.
Got it fairly steady at 225* - 250* after the waiting and some work.
I decide to spritz the butt every hour (or so) with a mixture of apple cider, apple cider vinegar, Guinness stout and worcestershire.
I then remember to take some pictures at the first spritzing.
11:30am:
12:45pm:
1:45pm: I found a dead, dry branch on an apple tree I have...so what the hell? I'll throw a little of that in.
2:00pm: Spritzing...everything moving along smoothly. Decide it's time to start drinking, probably not the best idea, hindsight being what it is. ;)
My ugly purple smoking shirt:
3pm:
Everyone decides to come outside and hang out with Daddy.
4:15pm:
5:15pm:
7:15pm: You can tell by the pics from here on out that the amount of beverages consumed may be affecting my photo abilities.
8:20pm:
9:15pm: Taking much longer than I thought, but still truckin' along. I stopped feeding wood at around IT of 155*.
11:40pm:
Sunday morning 12(something)am: I'm not totally positive but I think somewhere around this time I'd had enough, brought the remote (temp alarms set) with me, and passed out. My lady was still up with her friends as she had company over. Thank God they brought a porterhouse that I had quickly grilled on my gasser earlier in the evening.
2:45am: Wake up in a panic....remote is nowhere to be found!!!
Run out to the garage. Ask the lady, "WHERE THE F is the remote??!!!???"
"Oh, I put it down on the counter in the kitchen."
Wonderful.
Check temps.
Meat had gone from 180* down to 167*
Grill temp @ 128* Fire out.
I'm not happy (to put it mildly).
3:00am: Start another 1/2 full chimney of lump and make sure temps are stable.
4:00am: Go back to bed and tell her she's coming with me.
7:00am: Get a grill temp alarm...get up and add more lump. Go back to bed.
9:15am: Get a 200* IT temp alarm. Snooze alarm to 203* IT. Go back to sleep.
9:45am: 203* reached!!
Foil > Towel > Cooler to rest.
10:00am: Made a mustard sauce
11:15am: Unwrap, slice and pull.
GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
Made sadwiches, grabbed and dipped....you name it. Turned out incredibly moist and a huge hit.
Total time (Fire start to eat) = 28 hours.
Total cook time (meat on to off of grill) = 22 hours 45 minutes.
Not at all what I was expecting...then again, some unexpected things happened.
Thanks for reading. :-)
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