Advice on full packer #13 prime brisket, technical advice

[jceroli42]

Looking for advice on 13# Prime Whole Packer Brisket setup on my XL BGE. I have the entire adjustable rig from ceramic grill store. I've done few in the past with so-so results, have an idea of the actual cook and everything based on reading past posts, but looking for some info on:

1 - Placement of Brisket - use the Woo with ceramic plate/drip pan then place packer on the main large grid OR use the upper part of the adjustable rig and get the brisket up a little higher

2 - Planning on cooking at 225*, am I looking more around 1.5hr/lb or 2hr/lb based on your guys experience. I'm not a morning person and hoping to have this ready for Sunday anytime between 1pm-6pm. Debating on putting it on late tonight maybe 10-11pm.

3 - Fat cap up or down?

4 - Smoke chunk placement, I've found that when I do any longer cooks I get some good smoke in the beginning but then dies off and I have to mess around with the lump (which causes spikes and bad smoke). I've tried chunks on the bottom of the coals, throwing them on top, and mixing in. What do you all find work best?

5 - Point - when to remove for making some burnt ends or any links to burnt end recipes?

THANKS IN ADVANCE....

 

[tallbm]

Looking for advice on 13# Prime Whole Packer Brisket setup on my XL BGE. I have the entire adjustable rig from ceramic grill store. I've done few in the past with so-so results, have an idea of the actual cook and everything based on reading past posts, but looking for some info on:

1 - Placement of Brisket - use the Woo with ceramic plate/drip pan then place packer on the main large grid OR use the upper part of the adjustable rig and get the brisket up a little higher

2 - Planning on cooking at 225*, am I looking more around 1.5hr/lb or 2hr/lb based on your guys experience. I'm not a morning person and hoping to have this ready for Sunday anytime between 1pm-6pm. Debating on putting it on late tonight maybe 10-11pm.

3 - Fat cap up or down?

4 - Smoke chunk placement, I've found that when I do any longer cooks I get some good smoke in the beginning but then dies off and I have to mess around with the lump (which causes spikes and bad smoke). I've tried chunks on the bottom of the coals, throwing them on top, and mixing in. What do you all find work best?

5 - Point - when to remove for making some burnt ends or any links to burnt end recipes?

THANKS IN ADVANCE....

I can't exactly help you with the green egg stuff but I can lend a little help in other areas.

#2 - I don't know what the timing roughly is at 225F for a brisket. I do know that the brisket won't care what temp you smoke it at and will do just fine if you have spikes or fluctuations as long as it doesn't catch fire :)
I also know that smoking a naked brisket without opening the smoker at a constant 275F, the brisket takes a hair over 1hr a pound.
Check for tenderness around 198F Internal Temp (IT). A brisket is done when it is tender and it is tender when you stab all over with a kabob skewer and there is no resistance.
Also place your temp probe(s) in the thickest yet center most portion of the Flat muscle, NOT the point muscle and NOT between the two muscles in that fat layer.
Plan for the brisket to be done 4-5 hours before you want to slice it and eat it.
If it finishes that early you double wrap in foil, then wrap in 3 bath towels, and set it on the counter until just before time to eat. The thing will be piping hot still 4-5 hours later I do it all the time with my briskets and pork butts. If you are running late you have an extra 4-5 hours to turn up the heat and get it finished before dinner time :)
Proof of me doing it with 2 pork butts, 17.5 pounds total:

DSC_9336[1]

• tallbm
• Jul 3, 2019

DSC_9342[1]

• tallbm
• Jul 3, 2019

DSC_9344[1]

• tallbm
• Jul 3, 2019

#3 - up to you. If your meat is close to the heat source then the fat side down will protect the meat BUT I like fat side up for more juiciness.

#5 - I feel this way when the point gets massacred lol.
I take a slightly different approach to burnt ends based on my brisket trimming approach. I always recommend people trim off the thin portion of the Flat (end of the flat) so that what is left of the flat is about uniform in thickness with the rest of the flat muscle. This provides even cooking and saves that good meat from turning into dry crusty charcoal.
I discuss it in detail here: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/my-brisket-flat-trimming-approach-explained-qview.286564/
See this image for a quick visual explanation:

BrisketFlatTrimAway

• tallbm
• Oct 7, 2017

In that post I talk about how I repurpose that good meat and how it can be easily turned into burnt ends with the same process you plan to use on the point. This way that good meat does not get wasted and those who love burnt ends can always get burnt ends without sacrificing the point.
My approach in that post means that basically any point towards the last few hours of the smoke you can turn that meat into burnt ends so timing would basically be up to you :)

Best of luck on the bisket and I hope this info helps some

 

[jceroli42]

tallbm Thanks! Great info really appreciate it!