Struggling with Brisket

[Young_Bourg]

Hello fellow smokers!
I am new here and notice there is a lot of support. I am in the process of opening up a food truck and bought a Smokintex 1460 as space is limited. I am used to smoking in a massive Southern Pride smoker and I am struggling getting a hang of the Smokintex.

I smoked a 10lb choice brisket last night at 225 for 12.5 hours, overnight. No spritz and no wrap. It was really dark and hard on the bottom and up the sides, and the flat was totally dry. The point was actually very nice (other than the burnt bottom)

I am really trying to dial in a process where I can set it and forget it. I wont have time to stay up all night nursing as I will need to sleep at some point. I am wondering if anyone has any advice. I keep trashing $100 briskets and I am kind of frustrated. Any help would be profoundly appreciated!

 

[SmokinEdge]

The grate temp of the cooker is much higher than 225*. You need a dedicated thermometer remote probe laying on the grate and adjust your fire from there. Don’t trust lid thermometer. You need a multiple probe thermometer and stagger those probes across the grates. Light a fire and learn your cooker and fire management. Hope this helps.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Oh, and welcome to SMF

 

[Young_Bourg]

The grate temp of the cooker is much higher than 225*. You need a dedicated thermometer remote probe laying on the grate and adjust your fire from there. Don’t trust lid thermometer. You need a multiple probe thermometer and stagger those probes across the grates. Light a fire and learn your cooker and fire management. Hope this helps.

Thanks so much for your response and advice. The Smokintex is an electric box cooker, so not much in the way of fire management beyond turning the knob. The bottom of the brisket was not just a dark bark, it was burnt, crusty and dry.

So you think that if my knob says 225, I am likely cooking much higher than that?

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

It does sound like the smoker is running hot. Only way to know for sure is to verify the grate temps with a digital probe thermometer. This will also indicate if the thermostat is sticking.
How close to the element did you have the rack set?

 

[SmokinEdge]

Thanks so much for your response and advice. The Smokintex is an electric box cooker, so not much in the way of fire management beyond turning the knob. The bottom of the brisket was not just a dark bark, it was burnt, crusty and dry.

So you think that if my knob says 225, I am likely cooking much higher than that?

That’s obvious. Might also try including a water pan.

 

[Young_Bourg]

It does sound like the smoker is running hot. Only way to know for sure is to verify the grate temps with a digital probe thermometer. This will also indicate if the thermostat is sticking.
How close to the element did you have the rack set?

Thanks for taking the time to respond. The rack was set in tze middle of the box, so I would say 10-12 inches from the element. Any recommendations for a good probe thermo?

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Unrelated to your issue with briskets, but the 1460 is not commercially NSF/ANSI-approved equipment. Does your state and local ordinances require it for food trucks?

 

[Young_Bourg]

Unrelated to your issue with briskets, but the 1460 is not commercially NSF/ANSI-approved equipment. Does your state and local ordinances require it for food trucks?

Hey, I am in Canada and there really is nothing I have found that would suggest I cannot run it in my truck.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Thanks for taking the time to respond. The rack was set in tze middle of the box, so I would say 10-12 inches from the element. Any recommendations for a good probe thermo?

Ok, the brisket wasn't too close to the heating element. As for thermos, check out Inkbird.

 

[Young_Bourg]

Ok, the brisket wasn't too close to the heating element. As for thermos, check out Inkbird.

Ok great. Thanks a lot. So do you think that its likely a general temp issue? Or maybe too long for the size of the brisket? The point was actually amazing but the flat was inedible.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Hey, I am in Canada and there really is nothing I have found that would suggest I cannot run it in my truck.

That's a relief. A buddy of mine runs a food truck too. The county had him jumping through hoops to be compliant when they updated theregulations. They would not "grandfather" him whatsoever.

 

[Young_Bourg]

That's a relief. A buddy of mine runs a food truck too. The county had him jumping through hoops to be compliant when they updated theregulations. They would not "grandfather" him whatsoever.

That sounds like a nightmare. It seems like no matter where we are the municipality/county is always trying to bend us over a barrel.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Ok great. Thanks a lot. So do you think that its likely a general temp issue? Or maybe too long for the size of the brisket? The point was actually amazing but the flat was inedible.

Analog electric smokers are notorious for not being accurate on their temps, so I would say a it is a general temp issue. The only way to know for sure is to verify the actual grate temp.
As for time, I don't smoke by time. I use a meat probe to monitor the internal temp of the meatnduring the cook and start probing for tenderness.

 

[Young_Bourg]

Analog electric smokers are notorious for not being accurate on their temps, so I would say a it is a general temp issue. The only way to know for sure is to verify the actual grate temp.
As for time, I don't smoke by time. I use a meat probe to monitor the internal temp of the meatnduring the cook and start probing for tenderness.

Ok that all makes sense. Thanks agaij for taking the time. As for inkbird, I see many different products. Is there a specific unit for this specific function or will any temp controller be sufficient?

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

That sounds like a nightmare. It seems like no matter where we are the municipality/county is always trying to bend us over a barrel.

That's for sure. My buddy was thinking about throwing in the towel but his wife, friends, and customers talked him out of it. To make matters worse, this happened during the height of Covid. His application for a PPP loan was approved so that helped him out tremendously.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Ok that all makes sense. Thanks agaij for taking the time. As for inkbird, I see many different products. Is there a specific unit for this specific function or will any temp controller be sufficient?

Inkbird offers less expensive bluetooth multiprobe models that allow you monitor with an app and graph the temps during the cook. Though personally, I prefer the IRF-4S since it is a radio frequency multiprober that has better range than bluetooth. It doesn't not have an app, though.

 

[Young_Bourg]

Inkbird offers less expensive bluetooth multiprobe models that allow you monitor with an app and graph the temps during the cook. Though personally, I prefer the IRF-4S since it is a radio frequency multiprober that has better range than bluetooth. It doesn't not have an app, though.

??

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

??

That's the one.
Send a PM to Inkbirdbbq
They are a SMF sponsor and will probably give you a discount code.

 

[Young_Bourg]

That's the one.
Send a PM to Inkbirdbbq
They are a SMF sponsor and will probably give you a discount code.

Awesome. Thanks so much for your help friend!