Need some brisket help, new smoker, biggest brisket I have cooked

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kilohertz

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Dec 29, 2022
261
329
Vernon, BC Canada
Merry Christmas everyone,

I am trying to decide when to start my Christmas brisket, this is the biggest brisket I have cooked and with a smoker I haven't used for brisket before. The meat is a nice 3.5" thick even point from an 17 lb brisket I cut in 2 and cooked the flat this summer, it weighs 8 lbs. The smoker I have used lots this summer but this is unfamiliar territory for me. It's my hot rodded MES30 (the insulated Sportsman Edition) with PID and optional exhaust fan, stack on top, mailbox mod etc.

My plan was to put it on late this evening at 220* and load a SNPS tray with pellets in the mailbox, should go most of the night. Now that I am thinking about it though, that may be too early. We want to eat about 7pm, I want to let it rest 2 hours so it needs to be 205* by 5pm. I'd also like to sleep in a little Christmas morning, maybe 7am. :emoji_laughing: So by the time I get coffee and the smoker up to temp it will be 8am, that's 9 hours.

Some guidance from those of you who have done this dozens of times would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
 
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Can that new smoker hold 375°-400° temps?
Do you have unwaxed butcher paper or foil?
Ever done an Extreme Hot-n-Fast Brisket cook?
You can have a 18lb brisket smokey, moist and tender in 7-8 hrs.
Start it at 9am, have it resting by 4pm or 5pm and slicing it at 7pm.
Proven cooking science.
I've several such cooks documented in my recipe collection.
Here's one,
 
Can that new smoker hold 375°-400° temps?

No, 275* is about highest steady state.
Do you have unwaxed butcher paper or foil?
Both
Ever done an Extreme Hot-n-Fast Brisket cook?
No
You can have a 18lb brisket smokey, moist and tender in 7-8 hrs.
Start it at 9am, have it resting by 4pm or 5pm and slicing it at 7pm.
Proven cooking science.
I've several such cooks documented in my recipe collection.
Here's one,
Cool.

I suppose I could run the smoker at 275* and do it a little faster but I wanted to try a true low slow cook this time.

Cheers
 
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Reactions: JLeonard
I have held pulled pork - resting in a cooler - for 5 hours. It was still about 165F when I finally pulled it and it was steaming. This was only a 10 lbs (pre-cooked) chunks of meat.

While I don't do brisket often, I am sure a longer rest in a well insulated cooler would be OK. Be sure to warm the cooler up first.
 
I urge you to cook it beforehand and hold the temperature in a cooler. Each brisket is unique in a cook, and the brisket could even go for 18+ hours.

i would cook as low as possible and reload your pellet tray before bed. Then increase the heat in the AM (like 225-245) when you can monitor. When it finishes (probe goes in like butter, can be between 198 to 203 generally), pull and wrap in butcher paper. In your cooler, put towels, brisket, towels to trap the heat. You want to fill the cooler to help retain the warmth. If using an older cooler, I would pour boiling/hot water into prior to preheat the cooler. If a fancy cooler (yeti), i dont preheat. Slice when ready to serve. you ideally want an hour or two rest before slicing
 
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You have the perfect holding cabinet kilo!
Once the brisket is probe tender, turn the temp down to 140°and let it sit for a warm rest. I like wrap in Saran wrap for the rest.

Keith
 
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You have the perfect holding cabinet kilo!
Once the brisket is probe tender, turn the temp down to 140°and let it sit for a warm rest. I like wrap in Saran wrap for the rest.

Keith
With the PID that's exactly what I was thinking.
Why saran wrap? Don't think I've ever seen that. Interesting idea.
 
Well thanks all,

I have a plan in place, start tonight, 220* overnight then depending on IT, continue thru present opening and wife saver casserole and adjust temps accordingly. I usually finish my roasts/butts etc. in the kitchen microwave/convection oven in winter time, once I wrap it, might as well have the heat in the house as it's -7 tonight, wood stove going half throttle.

I'll post pics in the usual manner if anyone wants to follow along. Thank you for all the help.

Merry Christmas

IMG_5983.JPG
 
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Well thanks all,

I have a plan in place, start tonight, 220* overnight then depending on IT, continue thru present opening and wife saver casserole and adjust temps accordingly. I usually finish my roasts/butts etc. in the kitchen microwave/convection oven in winter time, once I wrap it, might as well have the heat in the house as it's -7 tonight, wood stove going half throttle.

I'll post pics in the usual manner if anyone wants to follow along. Thank you for all the help.

Merry Christmas

View attachment 684254
-7 wow! That MES is gonna have to work a little harder tonight.
 
Ok I am digging The online monitor. Hows The cook going?

Jim
Well, I slept in, I just got up, although I woke up at 4:30am and went out to check. At that time it was in for 7 hours and was at 161* and smoker was at 243* so I knocked the smoker down to 220* (indicated on temp monitor) and when I got up at 8am smoker was 220* and brisket at 177*. I repositioned the roast and recentered the temp probe, still 177* so I'll just watch it. It's already tender, probe just slid in.

Maybe we could have it for lunch. :emoji_laughing:

Merry Christmas

PS it used a full tray of pellets, was still going strong at 4:30am, wondering if I should reload the tray and add more smoke or just leave it, no experience with a cook this long. thanks

IMG_5992.JPG
 
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