Masterbuilt Customer Service

[boogalie]

Received the smoking chip assembly early. MB customer service said it would arrive late August, got it on Aug. 6...good for them and me. Removed the old beat up and bent assembly and installed the new one. Not difficult at all. So, on balance they did what they said they would do and I have no complaints. Wiped out unit before installation of assembly with water and vinegar, installed the unit that I also wiped beforehand, ran the temp of the smoker to 275 for couple hours, then added chips for last hour of operation. Think she is ready to rock now. Think my first smoke will be a brisket. Any suggestions from the board would be appreciated.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Welcome. You certainly are jumping in the Deep End, with Brisket, if you are either new to smoking and/or unfamiliar with the MES. We usually recommend Chicken or Ribs for a first run, but I wish you luck...JJ

 

[Chasdev]

Watch Franklin's video on brisket trimming, it can't be beat.
You will need a super sharp knife, also buy some "cut proof" gloves. wish I had done so, I cut my left index finger so deep it severed some nerves.
Franklin's rub of salt and pepper is also not a bad idea, rubs with too much sugar will turn sour if the sugar burns.
Cook temp should be 275/300 and finished temp should be above 200 internal with 205 being perhaps the limit.
If you do get it to 205, let it rest uncovered in the oven for an hour before slicing.
If you cook at a lower temp, say 225, it will take 18+ hours to finish (which is not a bad thing but most guys don't want to wait that long).
You can place the finished meat in a cooler wrapped in foil and towels or newspaper to keep it hot if it gets done before you need to serve it but be aware of "carry over cooking" which can over cook the meat if it's placed in an insulated container or warm oven with the meat at 205 and held there too long.
If you know you are going to "hold" the meat for a while after pulling out of the smoker, a lower finished temp should be chosen, say 195/198 (this is a tricky area, I can't tell you exactly when to pull at what temp and how long to hold to finish at 200/205).
Probing with a chopstick and looking for melted butter level resistance is one indicator that it's fully cooked and lifting and shaking the brisket should produce jello like shivers as well, the meat will really soften up a lot when it's properly cooked.

 

[HalfSmoked]

Agree with the Chef JJ a brisket is a tough first shot if you are new to smoking.

Warren