Brisket in Fort Collins - with Pics!

[gunslinger]

Was your smoke thin and blue or white/grey and puffy? Might have a creosote problem.
Check your therms.
I personally find that if it is windy, it helps to turn my vents somewhat into the wind and use the vents to control the heat. My theory is that if the vent is away from the wind, oxygen is actually get sucked out of the firebox. Just a theory. But I know if it's windy and my vents are away from the wind, I have a real problem with low temps.
Some of that theory stems from the fact that lot of professional rigs use a blower to force air into the vents. A modification I have seriously considered.

 

[bigal]

Ft.Collins, Herman is the last name of a family that lives there. Don't know why I'd think that if you live in a town you'd know everyone that lives there. Just a try. Kinda like ask'n someone in NY if they know "Bob".

I think your brisket looks fine. Learning experience. If it is dry, make some au jus. It's all a learning process.

If you make a mistake and do it again, then your stupid and need to be sent to a "mental-smokers hospital". Learn from mistakes and make it better.

BTW, I'm in room 118 of the M-S hospital. I'm still work'n on ribs.

Best part of this hobby is "trial & error". We can all give you 279 different reasons why your brisket wasn't perfect. But only you and your family can do the perfect brisket for YOU.

I expect to see pics of another brisket your try'n by Wed. afternoon.

Enjoy the mountains, last thing God made was the rockies...........and He made them perfect.

later

 

[cajunsmoker]

When I first started smoking briskets they were referred to as "Texas Meteorites" Yours look like about 100 I've done. I ate every one of them and enjoyed every bite. I bet you will too.

 

[smoking in ft. collins]

So it turned out pretty good after all. I figure that the smoker was not hot enough. The black was mostly fat which was trimmed off and the meat was tender and juicy.

In the future, I will make sure I keep a better temp control. I flipped the grate over in my smoker and now have trouble getting it hot enough. This time I built up a coal basket.

At the end, it was delicious and my brother (who is visiting) was quite impressed.

Here are the dinner shots! Thanks for all of your encouragement and suggestions.

 

[bigal]

WHAT???????? AND YOU WERE WORRIED??????? Looks PLENTY good for me. I was expect'n to see some thin' similar to what I've made before, but by the pics it looks great. What ever you do, don't tell the guests what went wrong unless they ask.

BTW, I'd like to see some CLOSE UP PICS! I wanna see cell walls!

Good job Ft.Collins. Stay warm up there.

 

[cajunsmoker]

tunneling electron microscope mod

 

[deejaydebi]

SIFC -

The temperature shouldn't drop until it's at the dinner table. Maybe you need to add more fuel to the smoker. SOund like your cooling off to much. Plateu is when it stays at the same temperture for a long long time.

So far the picture look great!

 

[gunslinger]

Looks good to me too. Though I don't see a smoke ring. Might not be close enough for me to see, or maybe it's time I see the eye doctor.
Anyway, just goes to prove you can't judge a peice of meat by the surface. I think we all fall into that trap from time to time.
Nice job.

 

[tonto1117]

Sounds like you had a real challenge today weather wise, glad it turned out good for you.

 

[gypc]

Wow........looks like it will melt in your mouth!!

 

[smoked]

has me thinking....I spent some of the best years of my life in fort collins.....granted that was my college days!!!!! yup, CSU alum here

 

[short one]

Smoking: You have to start somewhere. If this wasn't your best [your 1st how would you know if its your best]all you can do is get better. We've all had our not so good times. Looks good though.
I've found with my big barrel that you have to keep your air inlet on your firebox facing into the wind. Sometimes this real hard, esp. around buildings, where the wind swirls around and comes from all directions. Keep your chin up and try, try again. Hopefully it will only get better. Steve

 

[chris_harper]

my first brisket sucked. i cooked it on a LP grill, set on low. i didn't know that if you put bbq sauce on it before cooking it, it would burn. i put it in and cooked it for like 4 hours. the meat was good, but the crust was so burnt, you couldn't eat it. then i got an old smokey p.o.s. that was left by previous tenants. had parts missing out of it that i didn't know about. i tried a brisket in it next. another disaster. i threw that p.o.s. in the backyard and will never use it again. that ia about the time i found this forum. i then built my smoker i have.

 

[smokyokie]

That's the beauty of cooking whole packer trims, they have a built in safety zone. I'm a member of the "sear your brisket before you smoke it " club. You'll find that most here don't sear. If you try it once, you'll always do it that way. At any rate, mine are always burnt black on the outside before they even go in the smoker.

Tim

 

[deejaydebi]

Searing does keep the juices in but I just lay the fatty side down it'll get cut off before eatting anyway.

So far ... except the first two times I "planned" to smoke and got called away for a family emergencies at the start of the smoke I added extra wood so it wouldn't go cold - I haven't had anything get burnt. Not good to put 6 hours worth of wood in a ECB all at once. LOL

Now I try not to answer the hone when I'm smoking ...

 

[smokyokie]

Searing is more a flavor issue than a juiciness issue. Which tastes better, a seared steak, or an unseared steak? It's the same for brisket. Mine would stay juicy even w/o searing because I do them in a foil pan. I leave them fat side up for all but about an hour of the cook only flipping long enough for the bottom side to get some smoke. The fat on top keeps it juicy and also bastes the meat as it cooks. The flavor created by the carmelization of the protiens and sugars in the meat cannot be created w/o high searing temps, and a good brisket has too much of that kinda stuff to waste IMHO.

Tim

 

[msmith]

Smokyoky thats how I allways did my briskets, I kinda strayed from that lately and seems everyone liked them better when I was cooking them in the pan. Maybe some things are better left alone.

 

[dgross]

Hey Debi, I like that idea, nothing to get in the way of the TBS

except music and favorite beverages

.

 

[jaynik]

I haven't smoked anything in a foil pan before, but I can see how it would keep things extra-juicy. How's smoke penetration when you smoke it in a foil pan? I'm planning to smoke a brisket on the 10th and am open to any ideas. I've done one before and it was awesome. Not sure if I'll change anything. If I can get a good price, I may buy two of them and try both methods.

 

[smokyokie]

Smoke them fat side up for 2 hrs., then flip them over for one hour, flip them back, and foil them tightly. You will be rewarded with some of the most delicious au jus you ever tasted, especially if you sear them first.

Tim