I have a 12.5 lb brisket and 2 7lb pork shoulders. was going to put the brisket on at 5pm hoping for a 12pm finish time the next day. My question is, when I put the pork shoulders on later that night(around midnight) should I add more charcoal and some more wood chunks for the shoulder? My thought was that if I added more charcoal at that time then I would be set for the rest of the night and I wouldnt have to add to the charcoal in the wee hours of the morning. Any advice would be appreciated.
Brisket and Pork shoulder Smoke help
- Thread starter Chris C
- Start date
Not one on mixing butts and briskets because I like briskets cooked higher and foiling after 160ish but I wouldn't add more fuel til morning if needed. Just get up early and peek in the door. I get 17+ out of a FULL load of Stubbs if started minion style with 12-15 lit (18.5) or 20 with the 22.5.
Dave Russell
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Chris, other than pulling a grate or two of ribs out to start chicken on the bottom rack, I prefer to start my meats at about the same time since bbq keeps well in a hot cooler for several hours anyway.
To avoid juggling racks since the butts should be done first, and since the brisket isn't too big, I'd put the brisket on the bottom rack. Pork-basted brisket bark is YUMMY.
As for adding charcoal during a cook, I don't remember the last time I had to add. I try to cook at about 235-250* measured in the dome vent, use a Brinkman (ECB) water smoker charcoal pan as my WATER pan (to fit more fuel underneath in the ring), and prefer Stubbs briquettes for their longevity and much less propensity to suffocate on their own ash.
Happy Memorial Day.
To avoid juggling racks since the butts should be done first, and since the brisket isn't too big, I'd put the brisket on the bottom rack. Pork-basted brisket bark is YUMMY.
As for adding charcoal during a cook, I don't remember the last time I had to add. I try to cook at about 235-250* measured in the dome vent, use a Brinkman (ECB) water smoker charcoal pan as my WATER pan (to fit more fuel underneath in the ring), and prefer Stubbs briquettes for their longevity and much less propensity to suffocate on their own ash.
Happy Memorial Day.
Dave Russell
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Glenn, in terms of cooking times to tenderness, I don't notice a difference between the flat and the point when cooking around 250*. I pull the brisket off to rest when it's tender in the thickest part of the flat, and the point is typically just as tender or moreso.
However, if you want more of that point fat to be cooked out, chop a good chunk off the point end so that the brisket fits the grate better, and you'll kill two birds with one stone.
However, if you want more of that point fat to be cooked out, chop a good chunk off the point end so that the brisket fits the grate better, and you'll kill two birds with one stone.
Tender...... absolutely! However I like the point more rendered than when the flat is done. The point is super tender before the flat is done but not to my liking because of the high fat ratio. To me the point is for burnt ends/chili/other left over goodies and the flat is for sliced up goodness!
Dave Russell
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I kind of thought after I posted that was probably what you meant. Lots of good bbq restaurants, especially in Texas, serve the point sliced like the flat, but well before most of the fat is rendered. I like the idea of putting the point back on if going to slice it, but if not, cutting a big chunk off the end is a good way to help it cook faster, get more bark, and help it fit the grate better if you have an 18.5" or similiar sized smoker like an egg.
Dave Russell
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Makes sense to me. Have a good 'un.
Thanks for info, just got done trimming fat off, dropped it Down to just over 9 lbs. I am a little disappointed on the amount of fat on this brisket, Real thin point, only second one I have bought. so I figured I would put them all at same time and cut the point up and add to baked beans for some flavor.