Ambitious?


 
LMichaels

LMichaels

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
So another brisket puzzle. I have both my daughter's and family here tomorrow. It's been in the works for about a week. Plan is both kids, and son in law loooooove the brisket. So plan was to buy a smaller prime brisket this past week of which I was successful. So then stay up late tonight, and get it on between 11 and midnight, and let it go on Big Z (BTW it's a 13 pounder) unlike the 17 pounder I did over the 4th weekend). So I estimate in looking at it I will lose about 1 or 2 lbs to "trim".
Now they're predicting heavy storms coming in tonight which sticks a monkey wrench into my idea. I could still use the Member Mark under the cover of the garage but no way I'm gonna do that over night.
When I did the big one on Big Z I stuck that one on about 1030 night before and it reached wrapping point about 730 next AM. It was pulled as it [orbed tender and hit about 205 everywhere by about 10-1030. Was wrapped in a towel put in a cooler until guests arrived that afternoon when it was "unveiled"
So I am thinking instead to have this 13 pounder trimmed and ready to go on no later than 6am tomorrow. Also maybe "push" my temps a bit and run the MM around 225? Then wrap like normal and hope to see soft probe and 205 or so by maybe noon to 2 pm? Rest until perhaps 4? and serve?
The front and storms coming in have my whole plan out the window :poop:
 
I think 6am sounds about right for a 13 pounder. To be safe maybe even start a bit earlier, 5:30 or so.

But even at 6 she should be hitting stall around 11 or so, wrap and back on. Probe tender somewhere around 2 puts it resting for three hours or so until you’re ready for dinner. She will be super juicy and nice and tender!

I think you’re on the right track. Good luck!
 
TimA said:
I think 6am sounds about right for a 13 pounder. To be safe maybe even start a bit earlier, 5:30 or so.

But even at 6 she should be hitting stall around 11 or so, wrap and back on. Probe tender somewhere around 2 puts it resting for three hours or so until you’re ready for dinner. She will be super juicy and nice and tender!

I think you’re on the right track. Good luck!
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Thanks. I honestly had been considering putting the darn thing in the freezer and getting steaks or something to do more quickly. I just did not want to ruin it. Plus I have no remote monitoring on the MM grill.
Another thing I had though of or wondered is I know rain = big issues. Has anyone ever tried fabricating a cover for the hopper and control panel only? Keeping rain off that area and still allowing it to run. I put a seal under the hopper lid on my Z, and have been designing something like this in my head.
 
Are we talking a torrential downpour or a mix of mostly light with some heavy?

I wouldn’t think twice about a rain storm rolling through during a cook. My Smokefire is, well mostly, covered by the patio but hasn’t always been.
 
My CC got caught in a pretty heavy monsoon rain for abought an hour when I was doing some bacon. It just kept truckin along. I wouldn't recommend doing that but due to a case of head up a**ites I forgot I had it running until Barb came out to the garage and said, "don't you think you should check the bacon." o_O
 
Rich Dahl said:
My CC got caught in a pretty heavy monsoon rain for abought an hour when I was doing some bacon. It just kept truckin along. I wouldn't recommend doing that but due to a case of head up a**ites I forgot I had it running until Barb came out to the garage and said, "don't you think you should check the bacon." o_O
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How did the cook go? The prediction for our area is some pretty heavy weather warnings. Which is my caution level
 
I had heavy rain roll in for about an hour straight where there was supposed to be none when I was in the middle of a cook. I took the cover and covered the controller with it. I then stayed nice and dry inside. There were no issues at all with the pellets getting wet or the temperature dropping.

The SF was nearly brand new and it was not optimal for sure. I figured it was a grill and sometimes it will happen no matter how much I try to avoid it with a pellet grill. If the cover blew off the controller I was going to hope that the circuit board was waterproof like Weber said it was. I also made sure the extension cord going into the outdoor outlet had some cover as did the connection to the SF cord.
 
All some good things to know. Being relatively new to the pellet world I had nightmares of a drop of water on my grill turning the pellets/hopper into a solid block of wood "concrete" :D This is helping me breathe a little bit of relief. Heck I don't even use the Z Grill cover that came with it because many on their web site indicated it either leaked a little or "sweated" and they would find moisture under it. So I use my NeverLand cover I got from Amazon. It's very heavy, vented, very water tight and has a zipper on one corner, handles as well. And IIRC it cost me all of like $14 on a special sale. Almost felt like I had to see a priest for confession after I saw it
 
LMichaels said:
How did the cook go? The prediction for our area is some pretty heavy weather warnings. Which is my caution level
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The cook was fine no issues. Pellets stayed dry and controller was fine. I was concerned that the GFI would trip but it didn't. I had the plug hanging from the pellet bin and it was partially covered.
When we get these monsoons, we can get up to two inches an hour and really strong winds.
I have actually seen the rain being perfectly horizontal in some cases.
I think what helped was that my pellet box lid opens toward the firebox and it kept falling back because when fully opened it was just vertical to the firebox. So, I got a big heavy magnet and clued it to the lid to hold it open when it clamped on to the firebox. I think that's what kept the wind from blowing the lid open.
 
I left my pellet pooper uncovered during an unexpected monsoon-like downpour and ended up with a seized-up auger. PITA to clean out but no permanent damage. If you're worried about it, a roll of duct tape will take care of the hopper lid and controller/display.
 
Rich Dahl said:
The cook was fine no issues. Pellets stayed dry and controller was fine. I was concerned that the GFI would trip but it didn't. I had the plug hanging from the pellet bin and it was partially covered.
When we get these monsoons, we can get up to two inches an hour and really strong winds.
I have actually seen the rain being perfectly horizontal in some cases.
I think what helped was that my pellet box lid opens toward the firebox and it kept falling back because when fully opened it was just vertical to the firebox. So, I got a big heavy magnet and clued it to the lid to hold it open when it clamped on to the firebox. I think that's what kept the wind from blowing the lid open.
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So, perhaps I can get away with this (since I put felt seal all the way around the lid) and then fasten it down (plus it's under my 24" eaves (over hang). And if I then seal up the control panel and operate it remotely from my app it might just be cool. No GFI on my outside outlet. Codes did not call for it when the house was built. Didn't even have GFI on my kitchen sink outlets.
 
LMichaels said:
So, perhaps I can get away with this (since I put felt seal all the way around the lid) and then fasten it down (plus it's under my 24" eaves (over hang). And if I then seal up the control panel and operate it remotely from my app it might just be cool. No GFI on my outside outlet. Codes did not call for it when the house was built. Didn't even have GFI on my kitchen sink outlets.
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The rain most likely won't be a problem but the wind might. I don't know how your pellet hopper cover works but if it doesn't have a latch, I would put something heavy on it or tape it down so the wind won't blow it open.
Don't get me started on GFIs. The idiots who built this house not only put the outside outlets with a GFI they also wired the garage to the same one. We had some outside Christmas lights trip the GFI in the rain one night. I though no big deal I'll get it in the morning. I didn't realize both our garage refrigerator and our freezer were without power for the whole night. I was lucky because I went out to get some bacon for breakfast and found out both were without power. It took me awhile to put the two together. They were just too cheap to put a separate GFI breaker for the garage.
 
Rich Dahl said:
The rain most likely won't be a problem but the wind might. I don't know how your pellet hopper cover works but if it doesn't have a latch, I would put something heavy on it or tape it down so the wind won't blow it open.
Don't get me started on GFIs. The idiots who built this house not only put the outside outlets with a GFI they also wired the garage to the same one. We had some outside Christmas lights trip the GFI in the rain one night. I though no big deal I'll get it in the morning. I didn't realize both our garage refrigerator and our freezer were without power for the whole night. I was lucky because I went out to get some bacon for breakfast and found out both were without power. It took me awhile to put the two together. They were just too cheap to put a separate GFI breaker for the garage.
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Oh yeah. Not to change the subject. But rather than put in an extra breaker the electrician here simply did "double taps", and if he ran out of electrical tape? No worries he found whatever spare packing tape around the site and wrapped wires with it. And then don't even start me on the plumbing......................watch the 3 Stooges short "A Plumbing We Will Go" to see what mine looks like. It's been 30 years of corrective hard work on electrical. My next project if my body holds out is to pull down all the plumbing and start from scratch. Here I may just use PEX as while I know how to solder very well (go figure but I can't weld), I don't like doing it.
When our bathroom was being remodeled my contractor almost fell through the ceiling as well because they failed to run long enough ceiling joists to make it to the center beam of the house. So then the mystery of the sag in my kitchen doorway was solved. So I hired the guys to restructure the ceiling joists and brace it all up while they were up there insulating. The electrical issues I have found explains why so many of the homes in my sub have gone up in flames from electrical fires
 
OK a quick weather check and rain is totally out of the forecast until Monday. So I prepped the guest of honor while I got Big Z running and stabilized. Then put a little mustard binder on and patted down a 50/50 mix of coarse black pepper and coarse Kosher salt. And on it went. Probe 1 is in the flat and 2 is in the point. The meat is on fat cap down. Grill is rock solid at 185 and smoke is rollin'. Plan is up early, brew some Joe, and have a look at my temps. I'm thinking by 7 or 8 I should be able to flip it if not before. Mean time I'll take it to the stall, wrap in butcher paper and back on. Hoping to be able to pull no later 1 or 2. I want it to have a nice long sleep in the cooler before the kids all come.
Will likely also find some freshly picked sweet corn from a local grower right here in the valley and throw those on the MM at about 375 or so (maybe 425) while the brisket is sleeping. I did not weigh it after trim but it was just a hair over 13lbs to start I think I trimmed about 1.5 off. So my timing should be good
And lucky me I had to run to the local little market/butcher in town and saw a gorgeous point for only $14 just begging me to take it home. That will go in the freezer for a later cook
More pics to follow tomorrow


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Well as of this AM the guest of honor is coming along nicely, Temps held perfectly, she's been rolling coal (good smoke), nice bark forming. I flipped it over to fat side up as well. (love my new BBQ gloves BTW). I set the probe alarm to beep at 180, which I assume will be at or VERY near the stall. It will come off at that point and get wrapped. I'll then put it back on and boost temps to 225 then let it go until 195 to 200 at which point I'll probe it for tenderness. Once there it will go to sleep wrapped in towels in the cooler. (Col Hogan you will go in ze coolah) :D All in all good progress and REALLY good smells outside

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