WSM 1st overnight brisket, advice please -- Weber Smokey Mountain

[mng024]

Hi guys,

Doing my research to get prepared for my first overnight smoke on my Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5"! I will be using Kingsford blue for my charcoal. I would like to try and get some sleep throughout the night so looking for the best "set it and forget it" advice. I will be using a Thermoworks Smoke so I can set my temp limits for the alarms. Few questions:

-Using the minion method with a full ring of charcoal, how many do you guys usually pull out to start, 25ish?

-Regarding the water pan, I live in southern WI and temps are mid 70s, maybe dropping to mid 40s on the cooler nights currently. Will I be okay leaving the pan empty so I don't have to worry about refilling? Or should I just fill it up most of the way and hope it stays full until morning.

-I usually run all 3 bottom vents cracked maybe 1/3 of the way to keep it around 230*, I'll probably shoot for around 250* for this, anything I should be aware of vent wise?

-I prefer fruit wood, is there one that is better or more common for brisket between cherry and apple?

Otherwise the plan is to wrap it once I hit my stall, either butcher paper or foil (not sure yet) with some beef broth, and get it to around 200* and then I will wrap it and let it sit for quite a few hours until dinner time.

I have searched this topic here and tried to go over some of the questions I have, but please, give me as much info as you can! I'm pumped! Watched plenty of videos on trimming, will go with a seasoning of course ground pepper, kosher salt, garlic and cayenne (anyone have a good ratio they prefer for this)?

Thank you!!

 

[jbellard]

Don’t have an answer for your questions but man the only 40’s we see here in Louisiana are if I leave my fridge door open a bit too long.

 

[mng024]

Don’t have an answer for your questions but man the only 40’s we see here in Louisiana are if I leave my fridge door open a bit too long.

Gotta love the seasons! Or something like that...

 

[SonnyE]

Don’t have an answer for your questions but man the only 40’s we see here in Louisiana are if I leave my fridge door open a bit too long.

LOL! ROTFLMAO!

 

[SonnyE]

One thing about over night smokes, and catching some shut-eye...
Sure saves on the beer!
I'll come out of my cave here and say, I never use a wet pan.
I don't know when we got so smart we had to steam our BBQ, but I don't.

OK, I'll go back to hanging my meat and fish over the smoking fires now...

 

[mng024]

I'll come out of my cave here and say, I never use a wet pan.
I don't know when we got so smart we had to steam our BBQ, but I don't.

I thought it just helped with temp regulation

 

[humdinger]

Gotta love the seasons! Or something like that...

I LOVE this time of year in the midwest/great lakes region. Warm days...cool nights. Perfect for outdoor activities.

I've been contemplating a long cook on my Weber, just haven't had the cajones to do it yet. I'll be watching to see how yours turns out as well as any lessons learned. As for the water pan regulating temps...maybe try a few paver blocks, or stones instead. Just don't impede the airflow.

-Kurt

 

[SonnyE]

I thought it just helped with temp regulation

In my experience, fires get hotter and cooler anyway. So we tell the Woman to put another log on the fire. :confused:
Nature of the beast to vary. Wouldn't you say? ;)
(And its become the nature of the beast to tell me to do it myself. Yes Dear...) o_O:rolleyes:

The only one anybody has to please is themselves. If somebody else likes it, that's a compliment.
If they don't, it's more for you. :D

 

[mng024]

I LOVE this time of year in the midwest/great lakes region. Warm days...cool nights. Perfect for outdoor activities.

I've been contemplating a long cook on my Weber, just haven't had the cajones to do it yet. I'll be watching to see how yours turns out as well as any lessons learned. As for the water pan regulating temps...maybe try a few paver blocks, or stones instead. Just don't impede the airflow.

-Kurt

I really do too, I'm actually getting married in a few weeks because we love this time of the year so much. Big mountain biker as well and this truly is the best time of the year for it. As for the blocks, maybe I'll try a few balls of crumpled tin foil.

In my experience, fires get hotter and cooler anyway. So we tell the Woman to put another log on the fire. :confused:
Nature of the beast to vary. Wouldn't you say? ;)
(And its become the nature of the beast to tell me to do it myself. Yes Dear...) o_O:rolleyes:

The only one anybody has to please is themselves. If somebody else likes it, that's a compliment. If they don't, it's more for you. :D

Lol, touche!

 

[noboundaries]

I'm going to put my answers in the quote in bold print.

Hi guys,

Doing my research to get prepared for my first overnight smoke on my Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5"! I will be using Kingsford blue for my charcoal. I would like to try and get some sleep throughout the night so looking for the best "set it and forget it" advice. I will be using a Thermoworks Smoke so I can set my temp limits for the alarms. Few questions: Set the temp controller at your minimum desired chamber temp in case it over stokes your fire.

-Using the minion method with a full ring of charcoal, how many do you guys usually pull out to start, 25ish? Okay, you're using KBB. First, overfill your charcoal ring, then pull out the 25. For KBB, that's a good number. In my 22.5", when I used KBB, I used to fill a large chimney about 1/4 full, which was about 25.

-Regarding the water pan, I live in southern WI and temps are mid 70s, maybe dropping to mid 40s on the cooler nights currently. Will I be okay leaving the pan empty so I don't have to worry about refilling? Or should I just fill it up most of the way and hope it stays full until morning. Don't bother with water. Use your vents to control temp.

-I usually run all 3 bottom vents cracked maybe 1/3 of the way to keep it around 230*, I'll probably shoot for around 250* for this, anything I should be aware of vent wise? I'm assuming you're setting your vents 1/3rd open with water in the water pan. Water is a mass that must be heated to raise the temperature of the water. That's a waste of fuel for something that's just going to evaporate.

When dry smoking, you may only need to use one vent. I'm using Royal Oak Ridge (denser product), and I start an overnight smoke with 8-10 hot briquettes and two vents at maybe 1/16" to 1/8" open, and usually end up closing one of them. Top vent is full open.

-I prefer fruit wood, is there one that is better or more common for brisket between cherry and apple? Whatever you like best. Wood preference is VERY personal. On beef, I like a stronger wood, but that's me.

Otherwise the plan is to wrap it once I hit my stall, either butcher paper or foil (not sure yet) with some beef broth, and get it to around 200* and then I will wrap it and let it sit for quite a few hours until dinner time. Use the butcher paper. I've been impressed with the results on tri tips and butts; firm bark, not crunchy, very flavorful.

I have searched this topic here and tried to go over some of the questions I have, but please, give me as much info as you can! I'm pumped! Watched plenty of videos on trimming, will go with a seasoning of course ground pepper, kosher salt, garlic and cayenne (anyone have a good ratio they prefer for this)? Cayenne, interesting. Never tried that on brisket, but you have my brain gears turning. If it was me, I'd do 2-2-1-1/2 of whatever measure you're using of the ingredients (in order) shown above.

Thank you!!

You're welcome.

 

[gmc2003]

First I'd like to ask what type of brisket are you smoking full packer or a flat(different beasts and cooked differently)?

Below are general answers to your questions. I don't do the over-night smoke. To many wild animals living around my house. I have done long smokes - just during the day and going into the night.

-Using the minion method with a full ring of charcoal, how many do you guys usually pull out to start, 25ish?

Pack the coals tight and leave a devot in the center to the charcoal grate. Add about 6 - 8 lit coals in the devot. Bury your wood at various places and depths in the coals. Start closing down your bottom vents when your about 30* degrees from your target temp. Leave your top vent open. With a WSM 18 you may need to use less coals when starting. It's easier to bring the temps up then to throttle them down.

-Regarding the water pan, I live in southern WI and temps are mid 70s, maybe dropping to mid 40s on the cooler nights currently. Will I be okay leaving the pan empty so I don't have to worry about refilling? Or should I just fill it up most of the way and hope it stays full until morning.

I don't use water in my WSM 22. So I can't comment. Except that you'll be using coal energy to bring the water up to temp. Which in my opinion is wasted coals and time. If you do go without water cover the pan with foil.

-I usually run all 3 bottom vents cracked maybe 1/3 of the way to keep it around 230*, I'll probably shoot for around 250* for this, anything I should be aware of vent wise?

This ones tricky. First I'd like to ask why you want to vary from something that is working for you on your first over-nighter. If your WSM runs fine at 230 with the vents set the way you mentioned, you have water in the pan and you can maintain 230* then why change it? A brisket will take roughly an hour and a half per pound at 230*, and a tad over an hour/pound at 250*. Going overnight I would think you'd want the lower temp.

-I prefer fruit wood, is there one that is better or more common for brisket between cherry and apple?

Personally I like hickory with beef. I've never used cherry, but I do like apple with pork.

Otherwise the plan is to wrap it once I hit my stall, either butcher paper or foil (not sure yet) with some beef broth, and get it to around 200* and then I will wrap it and let it sit for quite a few hours until dinner time.

I like disposable aluminum foil pans when wrapping. It's quicker, makes life easier, and you loose less juice. Remember 200 or 205 is just a number. At 190* you'll want to probe the meat with a toothpick or something similar to check for tenderness.

I have searched this topic here and tried to go over some of the questions I have, but please, give me as much info as you can! I'm pumped! Watched plenty of videos on trimming, will go with a seasoning of course ground pepper, kosher salt, garlic and cayenne (anyone have a good ratio they prefer for this)?

Sounds fine to me. Be careful with the cayenne unless you've used it before and like it. Please don't over trim. A little extra fat isn't going to hurt anything.

Rays instructions and mine are fairly similar. As there are only small differences. So you should have a good understanding of the basics. Ask any questions you may have, but mostly enjoy that brisket and cook. Good Luck.

Chris

 

[wbf610]

First I'd like to ask what type of brisket are you smoking full packer or a flat(different beasts and cooked differently)?

Below are general answers to your questions. I don't do the over-night smoke. To many wild animals living around my house. I have done long smokes - just during the day and going into the night.

-Using the minion method with a full ring of charcoal, how many do you guys usually pull out to start, 25ish?

Pack the coals tight and leave a devot in the center to the charcoal grate. Add about 6 - 8 lit coals in the devot. Bury your wood at various places and depths in the coals. Start closing down your bottom vents when your about 30* degrees from your target temp. Leave your top vent open. With a WSM 18 you may need to use less coals when starting. It's easier to bring the temps up then to throttle them down.

-Regarding the water pan, I live in southern WI and temps are mid 70s, maybe dropping to mid 40s on the cooler nights currently. Will I be okay leaving the pan empty so I don't have to worry about refilling? Or should I just fill it up most of the way and hope it stays full until morning.

I don't use water in my WSM 22. So I can't comment. Except that you'll be using coal energy to bring the water up to temp. Which in my opinion is wasted coals and time. If you do go without water cover the pan with foil.

-I usually run all 3 bottom vents cracked maybe 1/3 of the way to keep it around 230*, I'll probably shoot for around 250* for this, anything I should be aware of vent wise?

This ones tricky. First I'd like to ask why you want to vary from something that is working for you on your first over-nighter. If your WSM runs fine at 230 with the vents set the way you mentioned, you have water in the pan and you can maintain 230* then why change it? A brisket will take roughly an hour and a half per pound at 230*, and a tad over an hour/pound at 250*. Going overnight I would think you'd want the lower temp.

-I prefer fruit wood, is there one that is better or more common for brisket between cherry and apple?

Personally I like hickory with beef. I've never used cherry, but I do like apple with pork.

Otherwise the plan is to wrap it once I hit my stall, either butcher paper or foil (not sure yet) with some beef broth, and get it to around 200* and then I will wrap it and let it sit for quite a few hours until dinner time.

I like disposable aluminum foil pans when wrapping. It's quicker, makes life easier, and you loose less juice. Remember 200 or 205 is just a number. At 190* you'll want to probe the meat with a toothpick or something similar to check for tenderness.

I have searched this topic here and tried to go over some of the questions I have, but please, give me as much info as you can! I'm pumped! Watched plenty of videos on trimming, will go with a seasoning of course ground pepper, kosher salt, garlic and cayenne (anyone have a good ratio they prefer for this)?

Sounds fine to me. Be careful with the cayenne unless you've used it before and like it. Please don't over trim. A little extra fat isn't going to hurt anything.

Rays instructions and mine are fairly similar. As there are only small differences. So you should have a good understanding of the basics. Ask any questions you may have, but mostly enjoy that brisket and cook. Good Luck.

Chris

Pretty much this.

If not using water, you will be hotter with the same vent positions. Close them down, get temps up to 250 ish before putting meat on, then put it on. Should settle to 225-230. If you use water, it’ll evaporate, and temps will go up as it does.

Why wrap? Just set the temp alarms, and let that sucker cruise all night.

Last over night I did was two butts. With a full water pan, I had it cooking at 230, at 7:30 pm. Woke up at 6, temps were at 260 with no water in the pan, and climbing. I reduced the gap, brought temps down, and went back to bed. No wrap, awesome bark.

I started with a full charcoal basket, as many as I could cram in, and it still ran for a few hours after I took the butts off.

Wood, I prefer hickory or oak for savory flavors with beef, not sweet.

 

[mng024]

gmc2003,

First I'd like to ask what type of brisket are you smoking full packer or a flat(different beasts and cooked differently)? Still figuring this out, from the stores and markets I've called, it's looking like choice angus flat :/

Pack the coals tight and leave a devot in the center to the charcoal grate. Add about 6 - 8 lit coals in the devot. Bury your wood at various places and depths in the coals. Start closing down your bottom vents when your about 30* degrees from your target temp. Leave your top vent open. With a WSM 18 you may need to use less coals when starting. It's easier to bring the temps up then to throttle them down. I've started putting my meat on immediatly as I heat the charcoal, any reason not to do this with brisket?

This ones tricky. First I'd like to ask why you want to vary from something that is working for you on your first over-nighter. If your WSM runs fine at 230 with the vents set the way you mentioned, you have water in the pan and you can maintain 230* then why change it? A brisket will take roughly an hour and a half per pound at 230*, and a tad over an hour/pound at 250*. Going overnight I would think you'd want the lower temp. The main reason is so I can run my water bowl dry and not have to worry about losing all the water and temp spiking. ALso, like you said, a waste of fuel.

Personally I like hickory with beef. I've never used cherry, but I do like apple with pork. I just ordered some Western oak chunks, going to give that a try!

 

[mng024]

Pretty much this.

If not using water, you will be hotter with the same vent positions. Close them down, get temps up to 250 ish before putting meat on, then put it on. Should settle to 225-230. If you use water, it’ll evaporate, and temps will go up as it does.

Why wrap? Just set the temp alarms, and let that sucker cruise all night.

Last over night I did was two butts. With a full water pan, I had it cooking at 230, at 7:30 pm. Woke up at 6, temps were at 260 with no water in the pan, and climbing. I reduced the gap, brought temps down, and went back to bed. No wrap, awesome bark.

I started with a full charcoal basket, as many as I could cram in, and it still ran for a few hours after I took the butts off.

Wood, I prefer hickory or oak for savory flavors with beef, not sweet.

I guess just from watching quite a few videos of wrapping in foil vs butcher paper vs naked, I feel like wrapping fits the end product I'm most shooting for. And I did order some oak chunks so I will have those for the smoke.

 

[SmokinAl]

Well since you have a flat, personally I would smoke it in a pan with some French onion soup & also inject it with beef broth. But most guys won't do it that way cause they think the bottom won't get any bark or smoke. I put it in the pan fat side down, and baste it often with the pan juices. You end up with a very juicy brisket, and a ton of very smokey Au Jus to put on it when you slice it. But then I do a lot of stuff that most don't do. I like to experiment! But I have used this method several times on flats with great success each time. For wood, I use hickory or oak, cause it's cheap & readily available around here.
Al

 

[gmc2003]

First I'd like to ask what type of brisket are you smoking full packer or a flat(different beasts and cooked differently)? Still figuring this out, from the stores and markets I've called, it's looking like choice angus flat :/

Ok so if it's a flat then I wouldn't bother with the overnight smoke. I would recommend getting up a little earlier and smoking it that day. If you go overnight with a flat you'll be done in time for breakfast/lunch. Brisket doesn't need to sit for a few hours before serving.

Pack the coals tight and leave a devot in the center to the charcoal grate. Add about 6 - 8 lit coals in the devot. Bury your wood at various places and depths in the coals. Start closing down your bottom vents when your about 30* degrees from your target temp. Leave your top vent open. With a WSM 18 you may need to use less coals when starting. It's easier to bring the temps up then to throttle them down. I've started putting my meat on immediatly as I heat the charcoal, any reason not to do this with brisket?

Your meat will be exposed to the start up smoke and it will be harder to dial in your temps. Let the smoker settle in to the desired temps before putting your meat on. I usually fire up my smoker then go inside and trim the meat and apply the rub to whatever I'm smoking. The smoker is usually settled in by the time I'm done and may only need a small tweak or two to the bottom vents.

This ones tricky. First I'd like to ask why you want to vary from something that is working for you on your first over-nighter. If your WSM runs fine at 230 with the vents set the way you mentioned, you have water in the pan and you can maintain 230* then why change it? A brisket will take roughly an hour and a half per pound at 230*, and a tad over an hour/pound at 250*. Going overnight I would think you'd want the lower temp. The main reason is so I can run my water bowl dry and not have to worry about losing all the water and temp spiking. ALso, like you said, a waste of fuel.

I was just curious as to why you wanted to experiment with a new approach during an overnight smoke. When I try something new I like to be there and awake in case something goes awry. Your adding new variables to your routine and you don't know how your smokers going to react to them. It would be a pity if you smoker spiked or went out during the overnighter and you weren't aware of it. Once you've dialed it in then go on to the overnight smokes.

Personally I like hickory with beef. I've never used cherry, but I do like apple with pork. I just ordered some Western oak chunks, going to give that a try!

Sounds like a plan. Many folks here like oak.

SmokinAl is correct. Flats can be difficult to smoke by themselves. He has wonderful step-by-step to help people with the process. Below is the link. Give it a read and see what you think.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/brisket-flat-my-way.277499/

Good luck and have fun. Remember to post pics and let us know how it turms out.

Chris

 

[noboundaries]

I've started putting my meat on immediatly as I heat the charcoal, any reason not to do this with brisket?

Ash and creosote. Your meat can end up tasting like a bitter cigarette ashtray.

If you watch your smoke while the WSM heats up, it starts out kind of a light grey, then gets heavier whitish-grey as the volatiles in the wood are released by the increasing heat. There's lots of ash and creosote in this smoke.

As the wood carbonizes, the smoke will start getting hints of blue. This is about the earliest you want to load meat. Eventually it ends up very light blue, which is perfect for flavor.

There are as many ways to load wood in a WSM as you can imagine. Some folks place all the wood on top. Some bury wood in the charcoal. Some do both. I've tried them all and found burying the wood in the charcoal gives me a better smoke flavor and helps minimize the carbonizing time-frame because the wood gets pre-heated. Nowadays I generally load meat about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes after adding the hot briquettes.

 

[gmc2003]

Well how'd it turn out?

Chris

 

[mng024]

Ash and creosote. Your meat can end up tasting like a bitter cigarette ashtray.

If you watch your smoke while the WSM heats up, it starts out kind of a light grey, then gets heavier whitish-grey as the volatiles in the wood are released by the increasing heat. There's lots of ash and creosote in this smoke.

As the wood carbonizes, the smoke will start getting hints of blue. This is about the earliest you want to load meat. Eventually it ends up very light blue, which is perfect for flavor.

There are as many ways to load wood in a WSM as you can imagine. Some folks place all the wood on top. Some bury wood in the charcoal. Some do both. I've tried them all and found burying the wood in the charcoal gives me a better smoke flavor and helps minimize the carbonizing time-frame because the wood gets pre-heated. Nowadays I generally load meat about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes after adding the hot briquettes.

Good to know, thank you!

Well how'd it turn out?

Chris

I'm doing it this upcoming weekend, just trying to prepare as much as possible lol.

I just received Aaron Franklin's book on BBQ and now he has much considering a few different ways to go about the smoke. He is all about having the water pan full to keep the smoker humid and also smokes at a bit of a higher temp than the 225-250, hmm. I'm sure it won't make much of a difference.

GMC, I did find a butcher shop in the area that carries flat and point combos, over $5/pound though. Can't decide if I should go that route or go a little cheaper and get just a flat. They say that the brisket won't cook as even if it is a flat and point combo vs just a flat, any thoughts on that?

 

[gmc2003]

I can't speak for how Franklin cooks his briskets, but I'm pretty sure he's using an offset smoker and not a WSM. I also can't argue with his success or wisdom. The man is the brisket king.

Most folks prefer to cook the point/flat combo. You'll need to separate them when the flat is done. The point is much fattier(internally) then the flat. Also you can make burnt ends with the point. If you decide on a full packer then you'll probably need to go overnight, if the flat - then I'd start it the morning of.

Good luck and keep on asking questions.

Chris