First ever attempt at smoking


 
G

Gav K - UK

New member
Hi All,

I got a weber kettle a couple of years ago and have been wanting to try smoking for a while. Finally got around to it last weekend and was fairly pleased for a first attempt. I used the snake method with Weber briquettes. Used the lid guage for oven temp and a Donald Russell meat probe for the brisket. It was only a small piece at 1.5kg (3lbs approx) and cooked it for just over 6 hours.

Next time I would do things differently I think as it was drier than I was hoping (but still tasty as hell) - get a better thermometer for grill temp and meat temp; wrap in foil for the last section maybe?

Be glad of any tips for an English newbie.

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You did good. Nice smoke ring. Small pieces of brisket and flats are hard to do - at least for me. You might try injecting with beef broth and wrapping with foil when the meat hits the stall.
 
Looks good and tasty is what your aiming for. If I had to guess it got a bit overdone and that is why it was dry. I find with brisket once it hits like 185-190f start probing it for doneness every 15-30 minutes. When you stick the prob into the meat it should offer basically no resistance. Kind of like a hot knife through butter.
 
Good on ya, Gav, for diving in and giving it your first try. Now that you've gotten over the first step, the (bbq) world is your oyster! Robert is pretty dead on, these smaller pieces of brisket are a tough order, for anyone! If you are set on a brisket, then find a butcher who can get you a "packer cut" whole brisket (going to be 10-18 lbs), and invite a bunch of the neighborhood over. I find the whole briskets are much easier to get done right than pieces.

Now, as you are waiting for the right time to have a neighborhood party in your yard, you can entertain yourself with smaller cuts of pork shoulder, lamb, chicken, sausages, etc......if you really want to get lost in this WSM/Q/Weber thing, than have a look for the "Bacon Made Easy" post by Bob Corell, and your family and friends will think you are some sort of bacon god. :)

Just read the "Cooking Topics" section of TVWB, and pick out something that looks good to you.......and if you have questions, ask them here.

Cheers, mate!

Rich
 
You either over did it, or my guess is that you under cooked it. At what temp was your grill, and at what temp did you pull the meat off?
I prefer pork to brisket, and it is easier to cook. Give a small pork butt a whirl for your next smoke.
 
That's an outstanding first attempt at smoking Gav. Keep up the good work. Maybe some action shots of the actual cook next time.
 
The first attempt is always the challenge! Now you have started down the rabbit hole, only practice will give you satisfaction!
 
Nice smoke ring, maybe a little done, but not a bad first cook. I know it tasted good
 
Thanks for all the feedback. I'm hopefully going to have another go soon, so will put some lessons to the test and see how it goes.
 
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