My 1st smoke.....

[barneypoo69]

Well, I smoked a 14# brisket (wife wouldn't let me cut any fat off it) on my new Char-Griller with SFB on the 1st. Since I'm still waiting for a shaker basket for the SFB, I just used the ash drawer for my lump coals (Cowboy & B&B's). I sit in the bottom of the smoker the grilles from the SFB & turned the lower pan over & sit it on the grates to have the "poor mans baffle". After a couple of hours, I found my deep-fryer temp gauge & stuck it through a small hole on the smoker & keep my temp close to 250*. I used an instant-read thermo on it & later during the smoke I added 2 "beer-can" chickens.
Well, I started all this around 5:30am....the party was to start at 6pm. At around 5:30pm I checked the temp on the brisket......185*, so I wraped it in foil & brought inside & let it "rest" for about an hour......it was real tuff & not done

. The chickens were great !
I couldn't figure out what went wrong...I had calibrated the thermo right before...........
The next day I was checking my spices etc & looked at my thermo sitting next to another thermo..........it was reading 110* & the old one was reading right under 80*..........I re-checked the thermo I used....yup...it was way off. I started adjusting it & now it adjusts real easy...too easy !!! I guess while sticking it into the brisket I had turned the probe while holding the display...........that won't happen again !
I got my ET-73 dual probe dig thermo in the mail now, ordered my high temp rope gasket & am looking for something to make a baffle..

The quest to smoke something is driving me crazy.....

By the way..........I hate cold weather, but is giving me time to get my smoker ready.........Thanks my friends !

 

[jirodriguez]

Dang.... sorry to hear the brisket didn't work out as planned. But at least the chicken turned out good. Grats on a good start, now we just need pictures!

 

[barneypoo69]

As soon as I get my mods done & fire it up......I'll take some pics !

 

[the dude abides]

Ahhh yes, another addict. The smoke didn't turn out so you're bound a determined to make it work. God bless ya! Bummer about the party not getting that melt in your mouth brisket. How was the flavor? Anything you'll change for the next try? Also, did you slice across the grain and not with the grain? That can make it tough to chew too.

But at least the chickens were a hit.

 

[blue]

The hard part about large chunks of meat like briskets and butts are that you cannot plan on a time for them to be done. When I do a brisket, I try to leave enough time to make sure it is done. I usually plan on 1.5 hours per pound and add an additional 4 hours to that (14# = 21 hours + 4). If the brisket is done on time, then I wrap the foiled brisket in towels and toss it in a cooler. If the brisket takes longer than planned, I got 4 extra hours to get it done.

Briskets are hard to get right so don't get discouraged. It took me a good 6 months to get up the courage to smoke one.

 

[fatback joe]

Bummer that it did not work out as planned, but it sounds like it was a good learning experience. I never learn much from a smoke that goes right by the book.

 

[mballi3011]

I'm really glad you have really stuck your nose to the grind stone to make really good Q from now on. I'm also sorry that your guest and you had to eat the tough brisket but thats one of the things that helps us learn and keep tring to make better the next time for sure. We have to eat our mistakes and then we will learn. I also glad the birds came out alright too.

For your birds and the stick to itness to go on and keep tring.
PS> you need to work on that Qview too.

 

[ciolli]

Keep at it man, i know the feeling all too well. Brisket can be a tricky one, i have turned a couple into shoe leather... But man oh man, once you get it down, you will be glad you stayed persistenent. Good luck, and next time you get er goin and cook something delicious, show us some pics!

 

[scarbelly]

One thing that no one asked you yet that I did on my first brisket that I think made it tough. Were the chickens above the brisket? I painfully remember that my first brisket was greasy and tough from the chicken fat.
The chickens now go on the bottom here

 

[meateater]

I like to take beef in general smoked to 130* and put in a covered pan with broth and take to 180* and let rest. Better the second day.

 

[barneypoo69]

My plan was to get the brisket to 180* then wrap in foil, put back in smoker until 190*.
The end (point ?) was pretty good though.
I'll know now about giving myself plenty of time............
By the way, my dry rub is almost like Jeff's. Mine has one item in it he doesn't have & his has one item mine doesn't have.
Next weekend............there's going to be some good smelling smoke coming from Barney's driveway........
Plan on doing some pork ribs & try Meowey's Mac & Cheese