Cut chicken quarters into thighs and legs.* Brined chicken in 0.5 gal water, 0.25 cup iodized salt, and 0.5 cup brown sugar.*
Coated a 4 lb brisket flat with worchestershire with fat left on, abt .25 inch thick, and rubbed it with garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, paprika, montreal steak seasoning, Accent lightly.
Put chicken and beef back in fridge overnight, about 14 hours.
Start smoker at 0920.* Used soo's start method.* Initially have all vents closed.* Remebered to foil water pan.* Full bowl of hot water.* Use potato for probe thermo.* All vents closed, chimney closed, top grate temp 248 deg.* Put 4 lb brisket on top, temp falls to 202.* Opened all vents about .25 inch.* Open chimney all the way.* Temp slowly rising.* Of note, dome thermo reading about 20 deg low.* This may account for why my chicken and country ribs got done faster than i expected the other day.*
One vent now open .75, other still .25.* Temp at 1000 is 225 deg.* Will bring up to 250 deg per malcolms instructions.* At 1003, two vents at .75, one at .25.* Chimney wide open.* Temp 239 deg at top grate.*
*At 1021, temp 257 deg.* Vents now one closed, two vents .25 open, temp still rising.* So closed all 3 vents.* Chimney open 100 pct.* Since a little hot, peeked.* Brisket is med brown color with little dark area on end.* Staying a little hot, so will shut chim to 50 pct.* Will shut 100 pct in 5 min if no change, have false chimney around lid.*
Now 1028,* will close chim vent 100 pct. now 250 deg at 1030.
At 1040, brisket internal temp 120 deg.* Set timer for another hour.* Once at 160 deg,* will texas crutch with .33 cup apple juice and insert probe into meat and move to oven at 225 deg., and cook until 203 deg internal temp.* After placing beef in oven, will move chicken to smoker and add two more chunks cherry and smoke until done.
Seasoned chicken with rub recipe i got at work.* Used exact measurements.* Placed back in fridge while brisket cooks.
At 1120, top grate temp 237, so one vent wide open, one 50%, ecother closed.* Top vent now at 85 percent open.
Now 260 deg, closed my vents to 50 25 and 0.
At 1215 beef reached 160 deg.* Oven preheated to 250 deg and brisket placed in foil with probe into thickest part.* .33 cup apple juice used for braising fluid.* Increased temp to 275 after increase from 160 to 165 over 40 min.* Now 1335 and brisket temp is 175.* At 1625 brisket it 200 and was placed in 2 small towels and two extra large towels and placed in a cooler that holds maybe 16 to 20 beers.*
Chicken legs placed on lower rack and thighs on upper.* 3 small cherry* wood chunks placed in smoker.* Kept between 220 and 255 deg.* Internal temp of chicken at 1330 is 150 deg,* will cook for 25 more minutes and check temp again.
At 1410 chicken is done.* Skin is tough and cayenne may be too spicy for some fam members.* Otherwise good mellow smoke flavor and rub was good.*
Removed brisket from cooler after two hours, and brisket was at 143 deg.* Bark ( more like loose seasoning) was wet and loose and mostly in the jus.* Put on grill for a few minutes and seemed to help dry up bark a bit.*
Sliced, not much smoke ring.* Was a bit dry but not terrible, have had worse commercial brisket.* Was too salty,* will back off the salt in the rub next time.**
Plan for future-
-will cut 13 lb brisket in two instead of 3rds.
-remove chicken skin?
-bark wasn't set, leave on smoker longer?
-reduce cayenne
-foil leaked abt 2 tbsp liquid, wrap tighter
-dont forget to add apple juice to crutch
-rub for chicken is great, no change except maybe cayenne if sharing
-less salt on brisket
-let bark set before removing from smoker (more patience)
-remember to foil water pan
-smoke wood wasnt consumed for brisket, just turned to charcoal, maybe not enough O2 into bottom vents due to false chimney?* Will make foil gasket for lid next time to see if improves.
-should have scratched at bark while the top was off to see how bark was doing
-crutch at* 170 deg may help bark problem?
-mustard4 bark
Coated a 4 lb brisket flat with worchestershire with fat left on, abt .25 inch thick, and rubbed it with garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, paprika, montreal steak seasoning, Accent lightly.
Put chicken and beef back in fridge overnight, about 14 hours.
Start smoker at 0920.* Used soo's start method.* Initially have all vents closed.* Remebered to foil water pan.* Full bowl of hot water.* Use potato for probe thermo.* All vents closed, chimney closed, top grate temp 248 deg.* Put 4 lb brisket on top, temp falls to 202.* Opened all vents about .25 inch.* Open chimney all the way.* Temp slowly rising.* Of note, dome thermo reading about 20 deg low.* This may account for why my chicken and country ribs got done faster than i expected the other day.*
One vent now open .75, other still .25.* Temp at 1000 is 225 deg.* Will bring up to 250 deg per malcolms instructions.* At 1003, two vents at .75, one at .25.* Chimney wide open.* Temp 239 deg at top grate.*
*At 1021, temp 257 deg.* Vents now one closed, two vents .25 open, temp still rising.* So closed all 3 vents.* Chimney open 100 pct.* Since a little hot, peeked.* Brisket is med brown color with little dark area on end.* Staying a little hot, so will shut chim to 50 pct.* Will shut 100 pct in 5 min if no change, have false chimney around lid.*
Now 1028,* will close chim vent 100 pct. now 250 deg at 1030.
At 1040, brisket internal temp 120 deg.* Set timer for another hour.* Once at 160 deg,* will texas crutch with .33 cup apple juice and insert probe into meat and move to oven at 225 deg., and cook until 203 deg internal temp.* After placing beef in oven, will move chicken to smoker and add two more chunks cherry and smoke until done.
Seasoned chicken with rub recipe i got at work.* Used exact measurements.* Placed back in fridge while brisket cooks.
At 1120, top grate temp 237, so one vent wide open, one 50%, ecother closed.* Top vent now at 85 percent open.
Now 260 deg, closed my vents to 50 25 and 0.
At 1215 beef reached 160 deg.* Oven preheated to 250 deg and brisket placed in foil with probe into thickest part.* .33 cup apple juice used for braising fluid.* Increased temp to 275 after increase from 160 to 165 over 40 min.* Now 1335 and brisket temp is 175.* At 1625 brisket it 200 and was placed in 2 small towels and two extra large towels and placed in a cooler that holds maybe 16 to 20 beers.*
Chicken legs placed on lower rack and thighs on upper.* 3 small cherry* wood chunks placed in smoker.* Kept between 220 and 255 deg.* Internal temp of chicken at 1330 is 150 deg,* will cook for 25 more minutes and check temp again.
At 1410 chicken is done.* Skin is tough and cayenne may be too spicy for some fam members.* Otherwise good mellow smoke flavor and rub was good.*
Removed brisket from cooler after two hours, and brisket was at 143 deg.* Bark ( more like loose seasoning) was wet and loose and mostly in the jus.* Put on grill for a few minutes and seemed to help dry up bark a bit.*
Sliced, not much smoke ring.* Was a bit dry but not terrible, have had worse commercial brisket.* Was too salty,* will back off the salt in the rub next time.**
Plan for future-
-will cut 13 lb brisket in two instead of 3rds.
-remove chicken skin?
-bark wasn't set, leave on smoker longer?
-reduce cayenne
-foil leaked abt 2 tbsp liquid, wrap tighter
-dont forget to add apple juice to crutch
-rub for chicken is great, no change except maybe cayenne if sharing
-less salt on brisket
-let bark set before removing from smoker (more patience)
-remember to foil water pan
-smoke wood wasnt consumed for brisket, just turned to charcoal, maybe not enough O2 into bottom vents due to false chimney?* Will make foil gasket for lid next time to see if improves.
-should have scratched at bark while the top was off to see how bark was doing
-crutch at* 170 deg may help bark problem?
-mustard4 bark