Recent content by jdrouin

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  1. jdrouin

    Brisket Video

    Fair enough. ;-) With a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old knocking around the house, I need my sleep to keep up with them. Once I build a UDS this Fall, I'm betting on not having to use the oven to finish any of my BBQ.
  2. jdrouin

    Brisket Video

    Haven't posted anything in a while, but thought some of you might like my brother's recent video of my brisket smoking process. The footage was shot in April and he finished editing it today: I thought the background music was an excellent choice. Enjoy! Jeff
  3. jdrouin

    Smoking Small (Brisket & Tri-Tip)

    Thanks for these replies. I use a vertical charcoal/water smoker (Brinkmann), and cooked the brisket at 225*-250* for 5.5 hours, at which point we got torrential rains. The internal temp was 172*, so I foiled it and finished in the oven to an internal temp of 185*, letting it rest for about 45...
  4. jdrouin

    Smoking Small (Brisket & Tri-Tip)

    Hi Everyone, and happy Fathers' Day. Tomorrow I'm going to smoke a small brisket flat (1.8 lbs) and small tri-tip (1.2 lbs), as well as a small-ish (ca. 14") rack of baby back ribs. Given that the beef pieces are so small, how long do you think they'll take to cook (at 225*-240*), and what do...
  5. jdrouin

    Leg of Lamb -- Bone In & Brined

    Hm, good point. I hadn't thought about fat's influence on the brine. Will definitely trim beforehand. I was thinking I'd just smoke it on the bone. Also, how much brining time do you recommend for a 6lb bone-in leg? Would 48 hours be too much?
  6. jdrouin

    Leg of Lamb -- Bone In & Brined

    Hi Everyone, What do you think about trimming leg of lamb if you're also brining it -- should I trim before or after brining? Does it make a difference? I was excited to score a 6lb, fresh leg of lamb with the bone in today. I'll be making a tea brine and a Greek dry rub, using these recipes...
  7. jdrouin

    Leg of Lamb

    This is great! Thanks for posting. An old friend is visiting this week, and we're going to do a day of smoking, with leg and rack of lamb in the mix. Will be trying this rub on the leg.
  8. jdrouin

    Cook Time & Insulation?

    Thanks for the info about your use of the welding blanket, which is encouraging. I only open the smoker if the fire needs prodding or more fuel, or if I have to add water to the pan. In the summer I could go more than 2 hours without having to do this, but in December it was more like every...
  9. jdrouin

    Cook Time & Insulation?

    Sorry to be responding after so much time, but thanks all of you for your replies. Eric, I would love to see your posts about the wet-to-dry method with washed pea gravel / play sand in the water pan. I'm definitely going to try that. In order to minimize heat dissipation and protect from...
  10. jdrouin

    Hello From Tulsa

    Hello Everyone, I'm totally new to smoking and joined the forum last Summer, but am just getting around to an introduction. Back in July I acquired an el-cheapo Brinkmann Vertical Charcoal Smoker that I've modified for better air flow. I'm thinking of trying to insulate it for better cook times...
  11. jdrouin

    Cook Time & Insulation?

    Hi Everyone, I've smoked pork shoulder twice now, and each time it has taken over 13 hours at consistent 220-235F chamber temps, in 85-95F weather, to bring the internal meat temp up to 190F (the temp I've been reading is ideal for removing from the cooker). The first shoulder was 3.5 lbs, the...
  12. jdrouin

    Maintaining Moisture

    Thanks! I just read up on the Minion Method and will try it Saturday. Btw, I've been using Ozark Oak natural lump charcoal. I was also thinking maybe I placed the meat thermometer poorly and was getting a bad read. I have a RediCheck 2-prong digital thermometer that shows the meat & cook...
  13. jdrouin

    Maintaining Moisture

    Thanks for these suggestions. The meat was not frozen when I bought it, but I don't know if it had been frozen before being put on display. I have a Brinkmann vertical charcoal smoker with a water pan. I modded it with high temperature felt in the doors, to get a better air seal. I use a...
  14. jdrouin

    Maintaining Moisture

    Hi Everyone, I've been reading the forum for a while now and am making my first food-related post. The last time I smoked a 4.5lb shoulder, I got the meat temp up to 190F after more than 13 hours, and then wrapped it in foil for an hour. It pulled effortlessly, yet the meat wasn't as moist as...
  15. jdrouin

    Insulating a Brinkmann Vertical Smoker

    Hi Everyone, I'm new to the forum and about to purchase a Brinkmann vertical charcoal smoker as my first rig. I'd like to insulate this smoker for longer-lasting fires and better heat retention. I've seen that some people place fire bricks on the sides of the racks and the top. Others have...
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