Evolving brisket smoke


 
D

Dave Russell

TVWBB Honor Circle
So I couldn't resist this thick, Choice 15lb. packer a few weeks back since they were on sale at RD.
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I wanted to try wrapping with butcher paper instead of foil, but the size of this thing was a little intimidating. Not so much after trimming though, and I probably overdid it. I injected and then rubbed last night, and this is it before hitting with some dalmation rub and going on the cooker at 7am this morning.
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After dumping only half a chimney of KComp on top of my Wicked Good lump and immediately loading up the cooker and adding wood, my grate temp was up to 250* in only half an hour!
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Should I foil or should I use butcher paper? Well, since the IT* was already at 171* by noon, the 5 hr mark, this is how it looked right before wrapping with butcher paper.
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The question is whether it'll get done in time without resorting to the crutch, but I bumped up the temp some and now I'm cooking just shy of 300*. I don't cook briskets near enough though, and it's been a while since I didn't use the crutch. So wish me luck. The natives will get restless if I'm not slicing by 6 pm!
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Well, I couldn't believe I wanted to pull it off only 9.5 hrs. into the cook, but we'll see if I have any business smoking briskets in half an hour or so.
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...well if this post were by anyone else other than Dave Russell I might wonder at the time and temp but I'm thinking this is a well trimmed brisket cross between LNS & HH and it's all good!:wsm:
 
Gary S said:
...well if this post were by anyone else other than Dave Russell I might wonder at the time and temp but I'm thinking this is a well trimmed brisket cross between LNS & HH and it's all good!:wsm:
Click to expand...

...And you would be right, my friend! Terrible photography, but I think you'll get the point.
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I realized I didn't get a shot of the flat, so I just pulled a slice back out of the pan.
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My plate with flat slices. Heffy's is pretty good, but I probably like the new Weber sauce better. The point was so good it would've been a sin to eat it with sauce.
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Moral of the story is that like butts, a briskets thickness determines cook time more than it's weight. If the cook would've been going slow, I would have used foil as I had planned this morning. The butcher paper works great, though! It holds moisture and preserves the bark like you want it. By the way, I flipped the brisket to fat up when I wrapped at the five hour mark, and then flipped back over 3:15 later. I checked 1:15 later and pulled to rest for about an hour.

Thanks for checking my cook out! I don't cook briskets often, but this worked out pretty good. :wsm:
Dave
 
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...at the end of the day it's all good. Nicely done Dave! I've cooked a few biskets but never used butcher paper, always used foil. This year I'm going beyond!!
 
Thanks, Gary.

Basically, foil speeds up the cook more, but paper doesn't ruin the bark. Both allow for higher cooking temps, protecting the bark from drying out and taking on burning grease smoke from the pan.
 
i use nothing. it just goes till done. and yes, it seems that for me, 9.5 hours seems to be the magic time.
and that does look great.
 
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