Frustrating First Brisket with new MES 40

[mattu1665]

Decided to go with a brisket for my first smoke on my new MES 40.  Unfortunately it's been a frustrating experience.  I got out of bed at 5:15 to start cooking up the 5.5 lb flat brisket.  What I have read about the MES and its inability to create smoke at low temperatures is very true.  Outside of the first load of chips I have not been able to create any smoke.  I have been running the smoker at 210 to 215 temp range (using Maverick 732)  to account for the smaller and less fatty cut of meat.  I'm guessing this lower temp is why the heating element won't burn the chips (not water soaked).

I was panicky this morning after the first 1.5 hours when the internal meat temp quickly rose up to 135 degrees.  I thought we'd be eating the brisket for lunch as quickly as the temp was rising.  At about this point the rate at which the internal temp was climbing started to level off and I went to church.  When I got back from Church at 12:30 the IT was only at 151.  At 155 I took the brisket out, double wrapped in foil with a little apple juice and put it back in the smoker.  Now at 3:30 the IT is at 176.  My plan was to pull the brisket out around 3:00, wrap it in a towel and put it in the cooler until dinner.  So much for my plan.

Here is the brisket after spending the night in the fridge with a good coating of the local butcher's rub.

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• mattu1665
• Jul 22, 2012

 

[mattu1665]

Well the brisket turned out better than I had thought.  There was virtually no smokey taste since I couldn't get any smoke generated but it was tasty just the same.  Once the internal temps hit 190 I pulled the brisket, wrapped it in a towel and put it in a cooler for about an hour.  My only complaint beside the lack of smokey flavor was that it could have been a little moister than it turned out.  Overall I'm pleased with the outcome.

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• mattu1665
• Jul 22, 2012

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• mattu1665
• Jul 22, 2012

 

[so ms smoker]

  It still looks good. You can cure the smoke problem with an amnps from Todd at amazin products. It is awesome!

Mike

 

[mattu1665]

  It still looks good. You can cure the smoke problem with an amnps from Todd at amazin products. It is awesome!

I didn't want to spend anymore money after buying the smoker and the Maverick 732 but I'm afraid there's no avoiding it if I want smoke.

 

[so ms smoker]

Trust me, it is worth it. Especially if you get into cold smoking things such as cheese or bacon. With electric smokers, the element cycles like an oven. The better insulated the box, the less time the element is on. The chips are only heated when the element is on. The amnps really brings out the "set it and forget it" of electric smokers. You don't have to keep adding chips and the temps stay in a good range! I hope you will consider it. ,And NO, Todd does not pay me! But I use his product and believe in it.

   Welcome to your new addiction!

Mike

 

[xutfuzzy]

I recently acquired my MES40 this summer, and dropped the extra money on the AMNPS.  The way I looked at it, I can spend just as much money on a dinner out with my wife, but now that money is being saved because we eat at home more.  This weekend, for example, I picked up a 2.5 pound corned beef for 8 bucks, and am currently smoking it for pastrami.  We will get a couple of meals out of that!  I love the AMNPS!
 

 

[JckDanls 07]

ok then... that was a good learning experience and it sounds like you learned quite a bit... my only suggestion would be... next time try injecting the flat with beef broth... that will keep it moist for ya...

 

[stovebolt]

The AMNPS  makes the MES 40 so versatile It's worth getting. You can fix the smoke problem several ways if you don't want to spend the money, but you will never be sorry you own one. It's as close to set and forget as you will find. TBS for hour after hour with no tending. I had a short learning curve to using mine, but after finding what works for me I never want to be without it.

Chuck