Going where many have gone before...still undecided!
- Thread starter Jim Kennedy
- Start date
Jim Kennedy
TVWBB Member
I think for the first cook 1) on a new smoker 2) believe it or not, my first brisket 3) with new charcoal.......it turned out really well.
I learned a lot about the heat and realize I was cooking a little hotter than I thought on the top grate so the brisket was done much sooner, but was only about 10% what I'd call, not quite there as far as it taking a little more effort to pull apart. I tossed the point back on for about 4 hours and should have gone longer but I was pushing 12 hours and finally, the temp was dropping to around 200 and it was about out of fuel.
I also let it get too hot up front, over 300, then brought it down. I'll be more comfortable with less initial heat and shutting the vents well before it reaches 200. I think even though I brought the temp back down, it was still hot enough to tighten it up too fast. The smoke ring wasn't what I expected but I think the mesquite saved me as it gave it a great smoke flavor.
It went that whole time on 1 load of charcoal which might have been 4 to maybe 5 lbs lbs, plus hickory and mesquite chunks.
I still wish I would have gotten the 22, but honestly, the 18 will do everything I need and is easier to move around. And I'm blown away at how little charcoal it used. A friend complains about how much it uses, but I think he was using 100% lit charcoal. I need to check and see how it's working now that I explained the minion method. Heck, I'm still trying to get comfortable starting with even less CC. I can honestly say, I think 10-15 are plenty to get the nice slow start.
I learned a lot about the heat and realize I was cooking a little hotter than I thought on the top grate so the brisket was done much sooner, but was only about 10% what I'd call, not quite there as far as it taking a little more effort to pull apart. I tossed the point back on for about 4 hours and should have gone longer but I was pushing 12 hours and finally, the temp was dropping to around 200 and it was about out of fuel.
I also let it get too hot up front, over 300, then brought it down. I'll be more comfortable with less initial heat and shutting the vents well before it reaches 200. I think even though I brought the temp back down, it was still hot enough to tighten it up too fast. The smoke ring wasn't what I expected but I think the mesquite saved me as it gave it a great smoke flavor.
It went that whole time on 1 load of charcoal which might have been 4 to maybe 5 lbs lbs, plus hickory and mesquite chunks.
I still wish I would have gotten the 22, but honestly, the 18 will do everything I need and is easier to move around. And I'm blown away at how little charcoal it used. A friend complains about how much it uses, but I think he was using 100% lit charcoal. I need to check and see how it's working now that I explained the minion method. Heck, I'm still trying to get comfortable starting with even less CC. I can honestly say, I think 10-15 are plenty to get the nice slow start.
Jim Kennedy
TVWBB Member
It's an evil plot to tease me.
When I ordered the 22, it was $342. With in 2 days it jumped up to $375 then $399.
Today Amazon has the 22 for $335. It's not about being $7 cheaper, it's about taunting me about changing my mind. I've been having some concerns about my mind lately....
When I ordered the 22, it was $342. With in 2 days it jumped up to $375 then $399.
Today Amazon has the 22 for $335. It's not about being $7 cheaper, it's about taunting me about changing my mind. I've been having some concerns about my mind lately....
