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Butts and brisket on... couple of questions


 
A

Allen

New member
Afternoon all; Glad to be back and able to "get my smoke on"!

Anyway, I have just put on a whole brisket (14 pounds, about 12# trimmed) and 2 butts (a little over 7# each).

I'm cooking on a 22" smoker, using a full water pan, packed ring of Competition K lit using MM (about 25 lit briquettes) with the 2 butts on the top and the brisket on the bottom grill. My target temp is 200, right now running at 185.

My question is mainly about the brisket. I have run this setup in the past and the butts seem to come out OK but the brisket doesn't seem to get done. I got a new thermometer for my b-day (love my wife
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) so I can get a better read on temps. I am monitoring the brisket temps, but it seems like that may not give a good indication since the general consensus I have found is that it's done when it's done!

With that said, should I maybe swap the food temp sensor to one of the butts or stay on the brisket and get it to 190ish? Also, for a full brisket some have suggested foiling it, but wondering at what point you would suggest?

BTW, meat went on at 4:00 PM and intend to run thru the night until complete.

Thanks!

Allen
 
I would do the brisket on the top, foil at 160ish, cook till tender then rest in foil untill the butts are done.

Eat the brisket, pull the pork and have for leftovers.

Thats the way I do this cook quite often, IMO the brisket is better fresh than reheated.

PP is good no matter!

Good luck to ya!
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Swapping the two is interesting; I had always heard B-over-B to be butts-over-brisket. Maybe I misunderstood the idea since I thought the butts would need a tad higher heat based on how thick they are and the bone.

Thanks for the points on foiling. I'll keep an eye on the brisket and plan on pushing the temps up to 225 tomorrow AM after foiling.

Would you foil the butts too at the same time?

/r

Allen
 
I never foil butts unless I am in a hurry to get done!

Thats the reason I do brisket on top, so I can tend to it and leave the butts be.

I cook with the foiled pan with clay saucer at 240ish on average!
 
First, I would suggest a higher target - 35-50? higher. There is no benefit -just a much longer cook - running at 200?.

I don't do mixed meat cooks but the usual for butts and brisket is butts over brisket for the constant basting this affords. If in the past the brisket wasn't done then it did not cook long enough. At 200? (a lower temp, actually, on the lower grate if you are using water in the pan), you are looking at a long cook.

If you want to temp the brisket use it as a guide. When it gets into the upper 180s check it for tender; if not there yet check 30 min later or so, and every 30 thereafter.
 
Just swapped the butts to the lower rack, foiled the brisket (at 165) and put on top and added a little fuel.

The butts are looking good, just starting to pull away from the bone and the brisket is coming along well. I re-inserted the temp probe into the brisket and it is still a bit tough but the internal temp is only at 165.

Everything buttoned back up and running at 230-240. I intend to check the consistancy of the brisket again when the internal temp hits 185 or so.

Thanks again for the pointers; hope this comes out goooood!

/r

Allen
 
Just hit 195 on the brisket and pulled it off. It is still wrapped with a little extra marinade (added when I initially wrapped it a few hours ago). The butts were reading about 180 and pulling away from the bone nicely, so they came off too.

Wrapped everything in foil and tucked in towels, sitting on the counter peculating!

Intend to let them set for an hour or so (until about 5:00), then cut the brisket and pull the pork!

/r

Allen
 
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