First Brisket in real time

[sadfjnb]

thanks guys... I just now put it in the cooler... so it smoked\cooked for 15 hours... now my questions is how long do I\can I leave it in the cooler... its 730 now and dinner is done so once the juices have redistributed Ill more than likely slice it, keep some for left overs this week and freeze a large potion of it (its just me and the wife and there is no way we will go through 13 pounds of meat) so can I\should I wait till tomorrow to slice it? Give it a few hours in the cooler NOW then slice it later tonight?

One think I know is that when I do slice it... there will be pictures...

 

[the dude abides]

I'd let it rest for at least an hour.

What was the temp when you put it in the cooler?

Congrats on your first brisket and your maiden voyage on your new smoker. Points!

 

[ddave]

Like Dude said . . . let it rest for at least an hour.

Then slice it up. Save the juices from the foil and pour a little bit back in your packaging when you freeze it. That way they will be there when you defrost/reheat. I use zip locs so it works great.

And most importantly . . . make yourself a brisket sandwich.

Should hit the spot as a great late night snack after a long day of smoking.

Dave

 

[bigsteve]

Best advice of the day. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

 

[nysmokes]

Not sure if this is much help, but I also have a Brinkmann Electric that I used today. I struggled to get it up above 215 today, and I only had 3 pds of Ribs.

I did do a few things wrong
1. I was advised to put sand in the bottom pan, and then hot water in a drip pan. The sand is supposed to help conduct the heat. I put cold apple juice & water mixed

2. I dont like to oversmoke, so I started with a few chips, then got concerned that I did not put enough in. Sure enough - I lift the body off to add chips - during this time I lost a ton of heat, and it took quite awhile to get back in the 200's

3. It was a cold day here in upstate NY (55), and a bit windy - and I wonder if that also caused some problems with heat retention.

I finally moved my Ribs to my gas grill and had the temps b/t 225 & 250 - Ribs came out nice, tender, juicy, and good smoke flavor. Ended up 3hrs naked, 2.5 wrapped, and then a little time over the flame to baste with sauce at the end.

Good luck, and let us know how everthing turned out, and how your Brinkmann does on future smokes

 

[richoso1]

What he said can be applied to other cuts besides a brisket. Be sure and use a therm that has been calibrated with boiling water with the temp near 212°, or ice water with the temp near 32°.

 

[mikey]

Practice, Practice, and more practice. It will all come together for you soon enough.

 

[irishteabear]

How did it turn out? Any qview yet?

 

[wmarkw]

My first smoker was the electric ECB. This thing does put out some good bbq but it has its quirks no doubt. I never did a packer, nor did I think one could fit on there so props to you for squeezing one in. I only used water and never did the sand trick. But like NYSMOKES said if you open that lid you use a lot of heat. I read here a couple of years ago that everytime you take the lid off plan to add at least 15+ minutes to your smoke. I would load my unit up with chips, put my meat on and tell myself do not open that smoker for 3 hours!!! Just my $.02.

 

[wmarkw]

Here are some tips I posted a year back on my experiences using the electric ECB. This example was detailing a pork butt but you can modify it, etc.

Here are some of my tips that I will share with you using this electric ecb for several months now:

• Preheat the electric ECB about 30 minutes before you place the butt in the smoker and place a foil packet of wood chips in at this time.
• I would foil your wood chips or chunks; this will keep a clean smoker and also reduce risk of flame ups. I put a decent size pinch of wood chips in a little tube of foil and poke holes throughout. I get about 60 minutes to 90 minutes of good smoke with one packet.
• I’ve learned a lot from this forum and one thing that sticks in my head is, “if you can smell smoke, then you are smoking.” So don’t overload this thing with chips.
• I get better “bark” results placing the butt on the lower rack, right above the water pan. It runs warmer there but it helps with the bark.
• I would also line your water bowl with foil as well. Less of a clean up chore. I also use a squirt bottle to re-fill my water bowl about 3-4 hours into the smoke through the front door. That should be good enough, but check your water when you add wood.
• Besides placing several foil packets of chips in the ECB throughout the smoke using the front door, I rarely lift the lid, unless I’m cooking something else. Even then I act quickly as you lose heat like crazy with this smoker. I do not spray my pork butt every hour like some do here because of that reason. I still turn out juicy pork and great bark. So I would seriously consider leaving this thing untouched for at least the first 3 hours of your smoke.
• Like another poster said, if you plan on eating this thing for dinner, then I would do it the day before or start real, real early. I did 2 butts last week; 6# took me start to finish, including cooler rest time about 15 hours. (8 on the smoker, 5 in the oven and 2 in the cooler.) I also did a butt close to 9# and it took me 20 hours of cook time. My longest yet. Just depends……..
• Follow Meowy’s thread and smoke until you reach 160-165*, foil and place in the oven until 200*, rest for at least an hour and then pull. I drain the juice & fat, let that cool, scrape the fat off and then use some of the juice back in the pork. Also use that finishing sauce!!

 

[wutang]

Sliced it yet?

I was wondering the same thing

 

[sadfjnb]

Hey guys sorry for the delay but thanks for all of the help... Here is a link to my blog where I talked about the brisket and it has pics... I think that that little smoker is just to small to do a 13# packer... plus I dont think I had enough smoke... I had no smoke ring but had awesome smoke flavor... I really was quite impressed with the flavor, we froze quite a bit of it in smaller packages and just pull out some when I want some... Again BIG thanks for all the help, I think Ill either just do a flat next time or get a bigger smoker ;)

http://gambler72.wordpress.com/2009/05/30/brisket/

 

[ddave]

Sadfjnb, take this brisky to the end (however long it takes) and show us some pics of it sliced and you'll get points from me for hanging in there.

Nothing wrong with starting big as long as you're able to improvise. He who improvises best, wins!!/quote]

Way to hang in there. The first ones always seem rough. Looks good to me though.

And . . . as promised . . .

Dave

 

[the dude abides]

Thanks for getting this updated, I was starting to think you were pulling our collective leg.

The brisket looks tasty. I'm glad you stuck with it. Yeah, you had that baby packed in there. Also, it looks like you cut with the grain, with a sliced brisket you want to be sure to cut against the grain. Great job though.

Points for the tenacity!