Rookie smoker - 1st brisket

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cyclonesmoker

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jan 29, 2011
33
11
Iowa
Attempting a 5.5lb brisket tomorrow...have a Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain Series(GOSM) propane smoker - how long can I expect to smoke this bad boy? Dinner at 6pm...thinking I'll put it on at 8am...its already rubbed...I'll mop it once an hour and put the smoker on low right at 200 degrees...I'll pull it once it reaches 165...wrap it in foil and put in cooler with towels until internal temp is 190. Thoughts or anything I should do differently?
 
Plan on eating pizza.

First off welcome to the SMF.

Now as far as your plan goes, you are confused about a few things.

You need to have your smoker a little hotter like 220 to 230 or so. Next, you want to bring it to 165, foil, then put it back into the smoker (not the cooler) until it hits 190. Now you can pull it out, wrap with towels or whatever and put into the cooler. You want it to rest for about an hour, no less than 30 minutes.

If you want to slice and serve at six, you had better be wrapped up by 5 at the latest, 4 to 4:30 would be better. That thing is five pounds so it will take a healthy eight hours to smoke. If it goes into a good stall it can take quite a bit longer. If I were you, I would have that thing in the smoker between 0500 and 0600 tomorrow. It can always rest in the cooler if it gets done sooner than planned but you won't be able to speed it up if it takes longer. There's not much worse than having everyone stand around hungry while you are still cooking.

I would also advise against opening your smoker every hour. Briskets like to be left alone and everytime you open that smoker, propane or not, you are gonna lengthen your smoke time. Is there any fat on it? If there is, score the fat with a knife and smoke it fat side up..
 
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Nice job Pit

He nailed it right on the nose. Follow those directions and you will have  great success.
 
Welcome!

Got a picture of this brisket???

 Good luck and have fun!!!!!

  Craig
 
Thanks for all the advice...I'll definitely take all the tips I can get...I'm new to this but love cooking on the smoker!

here she is before she went on this morning

5b8a04ac_brisket.jpg
 
 ?? i am new to smoking and my smoker is ordered and shipping on monday. my question is about wrapping and putting in the cooler. is cooler empty or does it have something in it? ice?
 
 ?? i am new to smoking and my smoker is ordered and shipping on monday. my question is about wrapping and putting in the cooler. is cooler empty or does it have something in it? ice?


 I am new to this as well. I believe the reason for wrapping and into the cooler is to redistribute the juices and it will stay hot in there for a few hours if need be. No Ice, just double wrap in foil and wrap in a bath towel or two and into the cooler. If something is not correct in this please set me straight.

Lance
 
 ?? i am new to smoking and my smoker is ordered and shipping on monday. my question is about wrapping and putting in the cooler. is cooler empty or does it have something in it? ice?
Take a dry cooler, put a folded towel on the bottom, put in your foil wrapped meat, fill the rest of the cooler with towels. Large pieces of meat will hold for 5+ hrs and still be almost to hot to handle with bare hands.
 
 
Pit pointed you in the right direction.
 
 ?? i am new to smoking and my smoker is ordered and shipping on monday. my question is about wrapping and putting in the cooler. is cooler empty or does it have something in it? ice?
The cooler is a magical thing.

Put in some old towels in a warm dry cooler. After you pull your meat wrap it in foil and another towel then put it in the cooler for a couple of hours - it will stay hot for a long time.
 
I have yet to try a brisket but it sounds like you are on the right track. The cooler trick WORKS for pulled pork and other smokes I've done. Good luck and post some pics of the finished product!
 
so now you have to decide, pepperoni or sausage? thick or thin crust?

Stick with it. i sure hope you are taking notes to the finest detail.

Whatever you do, don't try to rush it by cranking up the temp.
 
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Turned out pretty darn good for my first brisket......kept the temp right around 210-220 and smoked for a solid 10hrs....it was a hit
 
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