Mike in Roseville
TVWBB Fan
Hey all,
So after not having done a whole packer brisket in probably 12 years, I am going to attempt one on July 4th (or maybe a few days prior...depending on who is heading over to help me eat it).
Anyway, I wanted to get an opinion on which cooker to use? I could either use my newly acquired 26.75" kettle with a fuse burn or the 18.5" WSM with the good ol' minion method.
I am somewhat leaning toward the WSM just because I know I would probably need to add to the 26's fuse after it went all the way around. I checked the USDA Prime packer's at Costco and they range from 11.5-15lbs untrimmed. A smaller packer, all trimmed, should easily fit on the 18.5. However, if I get there next week and all they have are big ones...I may have to cut it, curve it, or use the 26."
One thing to note is, I tried a low and slow fuse with the 26" and could only really get the temp to stay firmly at 250 with a 2-1 charcoal fuse/stack and the bottom vents nearly choked. Now I have never really experimented with the stack so I started with 2-1. I could try a 1-1, but that seems it could potentially burn awfully low or snuff itself out overnight. With the WSM, I know I can run it pretty much at 215-225 for hours on end with the minion method...no issues.
Just curious as to what some of you would do?
So after not having done a whole packer brisket in probably 12 years, I am going to attempt one on July 4th (or maybe a few days prior...depending on who is heading over to help me eat it).
Anyway, I wanted to get an opinion on which cooker to use? I could either use my newly acquired 26.75" kettle with a fuse burn or the 18.5" WSM with the good ol' minion method.
I am somewhat leaning toward the WSM just because I know I would probably need to add to the 26's fuse after it went all the way around. I checked the USDA Prime packer's at Costco and they range from 11.5-15lbs untrimmed. A smaller packer, all trimmed, should easily fit on the 18.5. However, if I get there next week and all they have are big ones...I may have to cut it, curve it, or use the 26."
One thing to note is, I tried a low and slow fuse with the 26" and could only really get the temp to stay firmly at 250 with a 2-1 charcoal fuse/stack and the bottom vents nearly choked. Now I have never really experimented with the stack so I started with 2-1. I could try a 1-1, but that seems it could potentially burn awfully low or snuff itself out overnight. With the WSM, I know I can run it pretty much at 215-225 for hours on end with the minion method...no issues.
Just curious as to what some of you would do?