Brisket - Central Texas Style


 

Lynn Dollar

TVWBB Emerald Member
Really enjoyed Chris's cook attempting Aaron Franklin style brisket. I just read Franklin's book this past summer and have thought about attempting the same cook, though I've yet to trip to Austin and stand in line for the brisket. Being an Oklahoma Sooner fan, Austin is not on my list to visit frequently ;) , but I hope to make it some time.

But after reading Franklin's book, I've surmised this diff in his brisket and everyone else has much to do with smoke, wood, and the smoker. He's particular about all three. I became so much convinced, that I've even done some shopping for a stick burner.

What really has made me think is doing BRITU. In that cook, the coals have to be white and the chunks of wood " engulfed in flame " before the WSM is assembled, and then the WSM temp has to fall back down to 225. My first time through that, I was worried that there would be no wood left for the cook, that it would be totally consumed. But that's not what happens, I think ya get what Franklin calls the " good smoke " .

How far off target am I here :) ?

Franklin also says the wood chunks I'm buying at Ace Hardware or Home Depot, aren't any good cause they're too dry. Is there something to this ? I've first visited this site in 2003 and from here I bought my first WSM. I've always thought I was getting good smoke flavor .

Is there anyone else here who smokes with WSM and a stick burner ?
 
Franklin is obsessive about every aspect of his process. I think you can see that from his book. Unless you replicate everything he does, you won't get exactly his result. You can cook an excellent Central Texas brisket in a WSM. And there is no "one-way" to do that. Franklin's custom-made cookers are a "Yuuge" part of his process. There is virtually nothing the Franklin smoker has in common with a WSM, so following Franklin's process won't get you to the same destination. If you are new to this, I'd suggest that you choose a process that one of the forum members has found to be successful and follow that for at least a couple of cooks. It doesn't matter which process you choose, just don't mix and match them at first. You'll start to get the knack before long.

Here's one of Franklin's mobile units. (It's the same as his smokehouse units.) I would love to attempt a cook on one of these.
Frank_Rig by Jeff Hasselberger, on Flickr

Jeff
 
He's right that the wood chunks we're buying at HD are very dry and not what he would use in even a small offset pit. In my personal experience, these chunks seem just fine in the WSM to give wood flavor to my barbecue. I find that 1, 2 or 3 fist-sized pieces are usually enough for my taste, but I could use more if I wanted. And if you want wood with more moisture content, you can seek out tree limbs in your area, cut them into usable chunks, and use them right away or season them for a while.

As for whether Franklin is doing "BRITU", I'm not sure because he's constantly throwing unlit split logs onto an already burning fire. In our WSM world, it would be like starting with a batch of fully lit charcoal and adding some unlit charcoal on top every hour for 14 hours.
 
The difference between his brisket and every one else is he starts with very good prime beef and cooks it to very high standards at a very high consistency. It's really that simple.

Offsets are cool. I've cooked on both but I cook on my WSM more. That said, eventually I'd like to get a really nice offset. There's something satisfying in stick burning. Sleep can be really nice too!.
 
Making a trip to Austin, has become a much higher priority after reading Franklin's book. I've not read a BBQ book that's had as much impact on my thinking, as this one.

I think I'm gonna try to source some local wood. Still not sure about the stick burner. I'm afraid I would be trying to sell it on Craigslist within a couple years, cuz I really love my two WSM's.
 
I certainly wouldn't sell your WSM's. A stick burner in the arsenal isn't a bad thing. I'll just say I've made some damn good briskets on my WSM using a lot the tips from that book and from things I've learned on this website. I've been to Franklin and I've gotten pretty close on a brisket or 2. They are just phenomenal at consistency and that's something I'm learning and since I only cook 4 or 5 briskets a year, I'm just not there.
 
Well, I once smoked a lot of brisket, up till a few years ago when the price ballooned. Whenever NYC discovered brisket and it became a fad there, and then Arby's ran with the ball and demand drove the price sky high. Brisket became priced too high for me. I switched to pork butt.

And its still a major purchase. I get sticker shock when I see a CAB Choice brisket for $4 a pound.
 
Occasionally our supermarket will have a CAB in with the the random select briskets and for the same price. Thats rare, though. CAB is pretty damn close to prime. I know what you mean though. I usually buy primes at almost 5 bucks a pound so that makes it have to be a special occasion.
 
I think my interest in a stick burner is curiosity , more than anything else. I've always had an interest, but Franklin's book raised it a lot. I've been intending to reread the chapter on smoke, which is something I had not previously not given much attention. It says a lot that he devoted an entire chapter to smoke.
 
I think my interest in a stick burner is curiosity , more than anything else. I've always had an interest, but Franklin's book raised it a lot. I've been intending to reread the chapter on smoke, which is something I had not previously not given much attention. It says a lot that he devoted an entire chapter to smoke.

He's supposed to be coming out with his own line of pits in 2018.

https://franklinbbqpits.com/

These are pretty much built like the plans in the book. I went through a brief moment of thinking I was going to learn to weld and build my own pit from a 250 gallon propane tank. Eventually the reality of that set in. I've got an Old Country offset, the kind they sell at Academy. As long as I use small splits and very dry wood (kiln dried), it works pretty well. Franklin looks to be using this brand pit in some of the early Youtube videos he did. It scratches the itch, but the thing has to be babysat. Once you get the pit going well, you can add a split every 45 minutes and keep it going. But you have issues, such as piece of wood is too wet and wants to smoulder, or your coal bed dies, etc.

Smoke is important. What I try to do is apply some of the things I learn from the offset to the WSM. I think running the WSM a little hotter at 275 helps get better airflow in the WSM. I think this helps the smoke flavor. Some people try to buy better quality smoke wood.

I think the thin blue smoke thing can be a little overblown. Everyone is going to have some white smoke. It's fine. Think about smokehouses. They use a ton of white smoke. Get as close to the thin blue as you can. Just avoid the gray stuff.
 
He's supposed to be coming out with his own line of pits in 2018.

https://franklinbbqpits.com/

.

And are gonna sell in the two grand range, that's too rich for me, especially since I'm just experimenting.

Local Home Depot, has a Kingsford Rancher XL on the floor priced at $500. I was lookin it over last month and the manager came along and took $50 off the price , if I'd get it out of his way. I'm sure if I offered $400 , he'd help me load it up in the truck :) .

But all I could think about was having to sell it on Craigslist :)

Alan, my understanding is small stick burners don't heat evenly from end to end. But some have mostly solved the problem using baffles. Franklin says in his book, in his early days he used a license plate as a baffle. But the one's I've seen have more to them, than that.

A company makes one for the now cheap Oklahoma Joes, that are made by CharBroil. Baffle sells for bout $80. Directs the heat on one end, down under the cooking grate.

And the guy who once made the quality Oklahoma Joes that sold out to CharBroil in 1998, Roger Davidson , now makes Horizon offsets, and he has an accessory called a " convection plate " to move the smoke and heat.

And there's always the reverse flow stick burners, but I've not read glowing reviews on those.
 
I think Franklin is anti-reverse flow. The Old Country pits are in the 350 range I believe or maybe 400 for the Pecos. It's got a baffle plate and the exhaust is at grate level. Mine actually pre-dates the Pecos model and isn't quite as long. It cooks fairly evenly considering. If you are cooking just one brisket it doesn't really matter. I'd look at it. I think it's the best bang for your buck in the price range, and you can get a convection plate for it here.

http://www.bbqsmokermods.com/

I don't know if I would bother with it. I will point this out. I had the Old Country pit way before I had my WSM.
 
I've checked out the Old Country pits at Academy and they seem to be the best moderately price option. Even the $400 model is made from fairly heavy steel and has a well-thought-out modern design. I'm just not ready to commit to the every-45-minutes tending they require.

Franklin has thought about his pit design for hundreds, if not thousands of hours. I had occasion to check out his mobile pits up close and although they are crude looking (he likes that look), they are obviously carefully designed and meticulously crafted. We are mere mortals in his presence. That said, with enough love and commitment, those of us with WSMs can come within shooting distance of a Franklin brisket.

Dustin, when I decide to take the stick-burner plunge, I'm gonna call you down to show me the ropes. (Lone Star, Shiner or Real Ale?)

Jeff
 
If I had an offset, I would most likely only use it for brisket and maybe pork butt, just the larger cuts of meat. I can't see where a stick burner would improve ribs. I could smoke more ribs, but I don't have the need for more, WSM is just fine. In fact, I'm thinkin bout just smokin a slab at a time on the Kettle. And my WSM's are great for chicken, I'm not changing a thing with my yardbird.

Which is all the more reason to save my money. But its tempting. It would be interesting to play around with.

That Kingsford at HD, is 1/8" steel, I'd like thicker wall , but ya get what ya pay for. Its a quality smoker, it has a good solid feel to it, not tinny like the current Charbroil/Okie Joes. Cooking chamber is 20" wide, not too narrow, and its 40" long. I'm sure Kingsford is not making these smokers, I'd like to know who is making it for them.

Horizon uses 1/4" steel pipe, but out of my price range. There good one is the 20" at about $1,300. I ain't that serious.
 
Dusty, I like that term, anti-reverse flow, but that seems to tells us that there's baffles in there. You're at an advantage as I have never read Franklin's book, I think I should get it. I ponder building a smoker, and I've got the tools to do it, but just seems to me this problem has been solved many times over and one reason I use the WSM is that it's proven to work well, has a crap load of accessories available for it (even after market), and for me is pretty easy to use. I don't know if an offset would make it easier to clean, but it seems so. I would like to see Weber get better in just making using things easier. Yet, despite some of the inconveniences, most of us can achieve great results at a price that is fairly reasonable for what is sold as a "smoker". I see locally made offset smokers in the $1500-$2000 range on craigslist.

So, for me I start pondering..."self, do I really need to spend $2k on an offset?", "self, you get great results with your WSM". The answer is I don't as I could use my old dilapidated Kettle that is literally disintegrating, and my guests will leave with a smile on their face. As I said, a great pit master will never complain about his tools and do the best he can with them.

Yes, Franklin's book is worth the money spent, and more. Not only does he do " purist " BBQ, but he's an interesting fella with a good backstory of how he got to where he's at. Its not just another book of recipes .

I was right there with you, till I read Franklin's book. Next on the agenda, is a trip to Austin. I know some people who claim there's no brisket on the planet worth standing in line for four hours to get, but sometimes a man has to just find out for himself. Same with the stick burner, some things have just got to be experienced.
 
In this household ............ Franklin >> Raichlen .

Raichlen far too fancy and exotic for us, we're just down home BBQ folks.
 
Probably not , we love how Franklin keeps it simple. He's the antithesis of Raichlen.
images
 
(Lone Star, Shiner or Real Ale?)

The answer to that question is yes.

Lynn,
I checked out that Kingsford. Someone else definitely makes that. It looks pretty decent. I still like the design of the Old Country better.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/old-country-bbq-pits-pecos-smoker#repChildCatid=311402

But they both seem decent in that price range.

Alan,

By "anti reverse-flow" I meant that he's against it, lol. I think I misplaced a hyphen. He takes a lot of stock in the importance of air flow and anything that impedes airflow, such as reverse flow is not a good idea. Most traditional offsets these days have tuning plates that can even out the heat. I don't know if these would impede air flow.

Other, than that, this thread took a weird turn. Franklin and Raichlen do completely different things. One is a bbq restaurant guy who does some tv hosting occasionally and one is a tv host that barbecues. I'm sure they have plenty of mutual respect. I happen to enjoy both! Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving guys! My turkey is brined and air dying in the fridge. Should be a nice day. My diet is going out the window and I plan on being a human trash compactor for the day!
 
Dustin, in on-line descriptions of offset smokers, they never give the most important spec, and that is the thickness of the steel in the cooking chamber and fire box. That will impact heat retention and longevity. In the Q&A at your link, that is asked and it gets some ridiculous answer of 3/4" . At Home Depot's site, the thickness question is usually found in the Q&A, also. Total weight of the smoker is usually given, and that can be a clue to thickness of steel, but it seems to be something they want to hide. When the HD manager offered me $50 off on the Kingsford, I had my tape measure out and was measuring everything :)

On Raichlen , many years ago I purchased his books " How to Grill " and " Ribs, Ribs, Ribs " , and honestly, I've gotten more from Chris at this site. I dig the books out occasionally for new ideas, but mostly, its just not in my wheelhouse.

On edit .... Dustin, on that Old Country smoker, I just reread the specs and I missed in the description where it says its made from 14 ga .

14 ga = 0.075 inch.

The answer given at HD on the Kingsford, is " 3 mm to 1.5 mm " . I gotta think the cooking chamber and fire box are 3 mm, which is 0.12 inch.

And I just found who makes these for Kingsford

http://www.rankam.com/CorporateInformation/CoreBusiness
 
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