First brisket is on! Now what? (Edit: Pics added at bottom)

[Pinny]

Well I got this beautiful cut of brisket from the butcher (4lbs cost me $28 - yes kosher meat costs a fortune).

I spiced it with my homemade rub:
8 T salt
6 T sugar
4 T black pepper
2 T garlic powder
2 T onion powder
2 T ancho
2 t oregano
2 t thyme
2 t corriander
2 t celery seed
2 t cayenne
1 t nutmeg
1 t fennel
(t-tsp, T-Tbsp)

I put it on the smoker at 11:15. I'm so proud of myself for catching the smoker at 200 (last time it flew up to 280 and I had to bring it down - a pain). I want it to be done for 8:30 supper (that gives me 9:15 to work with). What's a good target temperature to cook at? Maybe 250 for 7 hours then take off and foil for 2 more? Remember it's only 4lbs (with no point).

Also when I cook brisket in the oven, I like the glaze. This is my first time bbq'ed. Should I skip glazing, or try something simple?

Thank you so much!!
Pinny

 

[K Kruger]

You shouldn't have a problem. It is small though (and I hope not overly trimmed). I'd suggest foiling when it is in the 160s and then cooking till tender in the foil. If you wish, once tender, you can paint with glaze and return to the cooker to set it, then rest 20-30, tented, and slice.

Who knows whether 7 hours will be right. Maybe, maybe not. The whole thing could easily be done before then. Foil when the internals are right then check for tenderness when the internals rise to the upper 180s. The probe will go in with little to no resistance when the brisket is tender. If not yet tender, reseal the foil and try again in 15-20 min.

 

[Dan Wicker]

Kosher meat, you say? Then disregard my suggestion of pulled pork in your other thread.

Sorry 'bout that.

I'm with Kevin on this one. It needs to have the necessary fat to prevent over-drying, and the foil at 165 is by far my favorite way to do the brisket. Remember that the temps will rise quickly once you foil, so just keep an eye out for it. It's done when the probe goes in like a warm stick of butter.

 

[Pinny]

Thanks for the replies. It's really pretty trimmed. What can I do about that? I have had it at 235 until now (last 2:30 hours).

 

[Bill Spearman]

Just let it go and follow Kevin's suggestion. I personally would let the temp creep up about 30 to 40 degrees. You will be fine.........

 

[Pinny]

Will do Bill. Only problem is temps are holding steady at 245 with all vents open. I'm afraid I didn't start with enough lump (just over 1/3 bowl). Can I just dump 10 more pieces on top now through the access door?

Thanks.

 

[Dan Wicker]

Pinny, have you read over the Minion Method under Operating Tips? It's really the only way to go on long cooks. Since you're using lump, it's alright to load the charcoal chamber full - whatever lump is not used can be extinguished (close all vents, top and bottom to extinguish) and reused for your next cook.

Adding charcoal can often wreak havoc on the temp stability of the WSM, not to mention stirring up the ashes. It's best to start out with a large, "play it safe" amount. Unless you notice the temps dropping significantly (below 200), don't worry about adding charcoal. If your temps do drop too low, make sure you're adding fully-lit charcoal from your chimney, not just throwing unlit lump on the pile.

 

[Pinny]

The temp is at 190 now

. I just put in another 1/4 chimney of charcoal in the chimney starter. As long as I'm carefull with the vents, I should be able to put that in and get a stable temp at around 250.

How do you lift the grates to clean the ash without all your charcoal falling into the ash? I have a SJP. I should really do the criss cross grates thing - I would save a 1/4 bag of charcoal. Seriously, this bag of Cowboy I got was at least 1/5 tiny chips.

 

[Dan Wicker]

I'm not sure I follow your question. Are you trying to remove the spent ash from the cooker right now? I wouldn't worry about it until you're done with the cook - it will fall in the bottom of the WSM below the grate, and you can dump it when it's cool. The bowl of the WSM can hold a lot of ash.

Also, if you're messing with the charcoal and possibly stirring up ash, make sure to remove the grate with the food and set it on your SJP. You don't want ash flying up and getting on your food. The alternative to this is a dangerous maneuver called the "Hot Squat", where you lift an entire WSM middle section, water pan and all, to add more charcoal or stir it up.

Did you read up on the Minion Method? It's essential reading.

 

[Bill Spearman]

Pinny, I may be a bit late, but hang in there. A bit more lit may be in order. Just keep poking that meat. When it gets buttery you are home. A learning lesson. Does not sound like you are in danger of a bust.......

 

[Pinny]

So I wound up adding another 1/2 chimney which brought the temp up to 235 for an hour, and now it's down to about 215.

Just stuck the thermometer in and it went in, not quite with no resistence, but quite smoothly. I think this thing may actually be finish soon. I am so excited as it looks and smells out of this world.

I'll try hard to take pics before people grab at it once it's done.

Thanks,
Pinny

 

[Pinny]

So it finally finished. Unbelievably yummy. Everyone, myself included, loved it. I did no added wood (although a bit of hickory may have been left over from my last cook), then about 7 hours at 200-235 degrees, and then wrapped and cooked another 1:15 then unwrapped for 20 minutes then took off and rested for 25 minutes.

 

[r benash]

Wow looks like you adjusted to the challenges just fine! Looks great. One suggestion when adding fuel that I've used on occasion on long duration cooks where I found that I went a little light on fuel or actually had to add some that ran longer to get the meat "done".

Start your chimney full of fuel until it's ready to load in. Put on your pair of leather gloves (heat resistant). Firmly grasp the middle section leaving the lid intact (do not remove the lid!). Set it aside. Dump on the chimny of lit and arrange as you wish. Grab the midsection and place on the bottom section.

The times I have done this I at max only dropped about 5 to 10 degrees in dome temp since the residual heat stays in the upper section for the short period of time of loading the coals. Temps then ramped back up very quickly. You may have to shut down vents first to let it come back up slowly and adjust to all the lit fuel.

I've done this with a water pan in place. You just need to be very gentle to avoid dumping the pan. A little water won't affect the fire all that much though.

I no longer use water in the pan so that is no longer a concern for me though. Some people actually install handles or knobs on the mid section to make this move easier. I have a set of porcelain knobs that have been waiting for installation for about a year

Adding Fuel/Handles

I have also added the lit lump through the side door using a piece of sheet metal as a chute and adjusted with a coal rake (got a nice one from Tejas a while back). This works but the mid section lift I like much better.

BTW - I like the ingredients of your rub. Looks good to me!