Brisket Time & Temp

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Gebo

Newbie
Original poster
Jul 11, 2020
8
4
Got my Kamado Big Joe fired up at this morning at 5:30 am . Got dome to 250 degrees. Thermoprobe on the grate said 350 degrees.
Laid on my 47 degree brisket on at 6:00 am.

At 9:00 am and the brisket temp is 195 degrees 3 hours into the cook. What should I have done to slow it down? Maybe misted it?
I wrapped in in butcher paper at 190 degrees.


It got to 210 in 5 hours with dome temp between 240-260. I shut off the grill air and vent and left the brisket in the heat for 1 hour. Removed and it is resting in a cooler.

What could I have done wrong? It seems I am overcooking all my meat.


I did do the boing water temp check for my dome thermometer and adjusted in accordingly.

It just seems my grill temp is alway way higher than my dome temp. The grate temp will "always" be at least 75 degrees higher than the dome temp.
 
This is what’s so confusing. At the Kamado Joe forum, they say ignore the grate temp and go by the dome temp. I’m starting to believe what you are saying.
 
Is it cooking up in the dome, no.
Is it cooking on the grate, yes.
Simple.

As for your Brisket, your cook time is at the grate temps posted are pretty consistent for a borderline Extreme Hot-n-Fast method.
No need to slow it down unless you like and prefer Low-n-Slow vs Hot-n-Fast, just let them rest till time to eat.
Or if you're cooking a smaller Brisket, Butt, Shoulder or whatever as they do better with those methods rather than the Extreme Hot-n-Fast.
 
I gave up cooking briskets on my Kamado, the ceramic deflector heats way up and radiates the underside of the meat even if the air temp is reading low.
If I could figure out how to lower the deflector or raise the brisket I would try again.
Perhaps direct with no deflector over a smaller fire would work too.
 
Yeah, today’s brisket was a burnt end bottom. You may be onto something. Maybe cook the fat side down?
 
As stated your grill temps are what you are actually cooking at. The dome temp gauge I never even use because of the position of the gauge and the fact that they are very unreliable for accuracy. If you want to cut down on the temp your diffuser plate reaches, try wrapping it in foil, or install it on the accessory rack, to place it higher above the coals. I have cooked many briskets on my Big Joe and never had a problem with burned bottoms. I cook mine at 225° grate temp, usually takes about 15 hrs, depending on the size. Don't give up on doing briskets on your BJ, they can come out fantastic, just try a lower cooking temp.
 
It really bothers me that on the Kamado Joe Forum they stress to only use the dome temp. They say the placement of the temp probe really affects the temp reading. Too close to the edge, too close to the meat, etc.

Anyways, I'm gonna try and get the greatest distance between my diffuser and my grill. I'm gonna use less charcoal so it won't be so close to the diffuser.

Everybody loved the brisket so it worked out ok.

Do ya'll understand how my mind is messed up? The supposed experts in Kamado Joe say one thing and ya'll say something opposite. The facts are in front of me verifying what you are saying but yet I am still struggling. Why even have dome thermometer? I'm just ranting.

I'm looking at the Big Joe Grill Expander or the Sloroller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber.
 
chilerelleno chilerelleno said it quite accurately, you don't cook up in the dome! While not "all" built in therms are inaccurate, the general consensus is to not trust them and only rely on proven calibrated units that can measure grate temps. The fact that you reported a 100º difference drives the point home. I'm suspecting your particular dome therm needs replacing and might be the cause of messing with the mind.

Bottom line: use a proven calibrated thermometer to measure your grate temps and meat IT's.
 
My, am I an idiot? Well, maybe ignorant....

Based on yall's responses, I decided to recheck my dome thermometer. I calibrated it when I first got the Big Joe II and got it adjusted for 210 F based on my altitude. I have cooked 8 times since my initial calibration

Guess what? My dome thermometer was off 70 degrees. It was reading 70 degrees low. So, at
250 it was really at 320.

I want to thank all of your for your help. This at least explains the huge temp difference.
 
I have Big Joe II. I had heard they are gonna make one for the Big Joe II.
I think you can use the Big Joe III in a II but it jams everything up.
 
Ahhhh, technology. Most of the time, it works, but it can fail.

Temp probes of all types are notorious for failures. My chamber temp fan probe on my several years old, but trusty BBQ Guru DigiQ DX2 failed on my last overnighter last month. I only use my Guru as a backup against falling temps. I had it set for 220F for a 225F overnight target temp.

I woke up about 3 AM and checked on my temps. Inkbird receiver in the house indicated 220F. I'm up, might as well check on the meat.

As soon as I opened the slider, I heard the Guru alarm. The adjustable River Country dome therm indicated 215F. The Inkbird showed 220F. The DigiQ was beeping it's little red tail off at 280F and climbing for a difference greater than 50F from the set temp. I unplugged it, opened my lower WSM vents a tad, and went back to sleep.

Chamber temp was 235F when I woke up in the morning. Don't know if I'll replace the Guru probe or not since I'm not really using it nowadays. The lesson is to know what to trust, and that can be hard in the beginning.
 
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