Danny B (Albany GA)
TVWBB Fan
After learning so much from you nice folks I thought I would share a successful cook I had last Saturday and some details that hopefully some may find useful. I was expecting 12-15 guys to watch the Saturday afternoon round of the Masters. I have a big screen TV outside on my screened porch. My goal was to 1.) not do an overnight/start in the middle of the night cook. I wanted to start around 8 a.m. and eat around 8 p.m. and 2.) I was going to be outside all day and had time and wanted to achieve better bark than the HH method would allow so I read several threads on this site and took a chance on MEDIUM heat.
I bought a 16 lb. choice packer from Sam's and Thursday night trimmed a good bit of fat and rubbed it down with peanut oil and 1/2 hot and 1/2 mild mix of Smokin Guns Rub. Put in a foil covered pan in the fridge from Thursday night to Saturday morning.
Set up the 22 WSM Friday night with foiled clay saucer in empty water pan and filled ring to the top with Stubb's briquettes around a empty bottomless coffee can for a minion start Saturday morning.
Got up early Saturday and at 6:45 am lit about 1/3 chimney of Stubb's coals and when ready dumped in coffee can and pulled can out with tongs. After 5 minutes I put the cooker together and opened all 3 vents and top vent wide open and waited for temp to reach 225 then shut down 2 vents and just used one vent the rest of the day.
Was shooting for cooking temps of 275-300 and it settled in around 290. While charcoal smoke cleared I injected the brisket with Low sodium beef broth and re rubbed with Smokin guns mix and put brisket in aluminum pan fat side down on a rack that sits about 2-3 inches above pan bottom. At 8:10 a.m. with a William Sonoma temp probe put in the side of the flat in the thickest area the brisket went on the WSM. With tongs through the middle door I placed 3 wood chunks - 2 hickory and 1 apple around the lit coals but not on them. Meat was 51 degrees at start.
Took a shower then had an appointment and left my wife in charge of the WSM until I got back at 9:45. To my surprise the meat temp was already 136. Temp was at 285 when I got back. Put 3 more wood chunks on and watched meat continue to rise until it hit 150 around 10:15 and then it hit the stall. The stall at 150 lasted until 4:00 (yes and temp backed up to 146 around 2-3pm). I confirmed the internal temp with my thermapen at this point and it was 154 in the deepest part of the meat. Changed to a clean smaller aluminum pan(meat had shrunk down some) and poured mixture of low sodium beef broth, apple juice and worcestershire sauce in the pan and wrapped the brisket and pan in foil.
I never added any charcoal all day by the way! WSM is a great cooker as we all know.
Cooked in foil for 2.5 hours then opened up and one of my friends who has cooked in competitions suggested to glaze it so I let him glaze it with Bone Suckin Sauce. Temp had dropped in WSM by then to 225. Stayed on unfoiled until 7:45 when I took it off and it sat on a cutting board in the kitchen until 8:15 when we started slicing it up. Had a very nice smoke ring and was tender but not overdone anywhere. My competition cook friend had also grilled(and I mean fire grilled) a de-boned leg of lamb he had marinated since thursday. That lamb is worth a future post.
Sides were sharp cheddar cheese covered twice baked potatoes and a layered salad with iceberg, spinach leaves and english peas. Homemade pound cake with whipped cream and strawberries for dessert.
Not sure if I got lucky or just had a decent plan but it was my best brisket result to date and I think next time I do a brisket I will follow the same plan.
I could never have put this plan together without this site and the information posted here. I hope someone here finds this post useful.
I bought a 16 lb. choice packer from Sam's and Thursday night trimmed a good bit of fat and rubbed it down with peanut oil and 1/2 hot and 1/2 mild mix of Smokin Guns Rub. Put in a foil covered pan in the fridge from Thursday night to Saturday morning.
Set up the 22 WSM Friday night with foiled clay saucer in empty water pan and filled ring to the top with Stubb's briquettes around a empty bottomless coffee can for a minion start Saturday morning.
Got up early Saturday and at 6:45 am lit about 1/3 chimney of Stubb's coals and when ready dumped in coffee can and pulled can out with tongs. After 5 minutes I put the cooker together and opened all 3 vents and top vent wide open and waited for temp to reach 225 then shut down 2 vents and just used one vent the rest of the day.
Was shooting for cooking temps of 275-300 and it settled in around 290. While charcoal smoke cleared I injected the brisket with Low sodium beef broth and re rubbed with Smokin guns mix and put brisket in aluminum pan fat side down on a rack that sits about 2-3 inches above pan bottom. At 8:10 a.m. with a William Sonoma temp probe put in the side of the flat in the thickest area the brisket went on the WSM. With tongs through the middle door I placed 3 wood chunks - 2 hickory and 1 apple around the lit coals but not on them. Meat was 51 degrees at start.
Took a shower then had an appointment and left my wife in charge of the WSM until I got back at 9:45. To my surprise the meat temp was already 136. Temp was at 285 when I got back. Put 3 more wood chunks on and watched meat continue to rise until it hit 150 around 10:15 and then it hit the stall. The stall at 150 lasted until 4:00 (yes and temp backed up to 146 around 2-3pm). I confirmed the internal temp with my thermapen at this point and it was 154 in the deepest part of the meat. Changed to a clean smaller aluminum pan(meat had shrunk down some) and poured mixture of low sodium beef broth, apple juice and worcestershire sauce in the pan and wrapped the brisket and pan in foil.
I never added any charcoal all day by the way! WSM is a great cooker as we all know.
Cooked in foil for 2.5 hours then opened up and one of my friends who has cooked in competitions suggested to glaze it so I let him glaze it with Bone Suckin Sauce. Temp had dropped in WSM by then to 225. Stayed on unfoiled until 7:45 when I took it off and it sat on a cutting board in the kitchen until 8:15 when we started slicing it up. Had a very nice smoke ring and was tender but not overdone anywhere. My competition cook friend had also grilled(and I mean fire grilled) a de-boned leg of lamb he had marinated since thursday. That lamb is worth a future post.
Sides were sharp cheddar cheese covered twice baked potatoes and a layered salad with iceberg, spinach leaves and english peas. Homemade pound cake with whipped cream and strawberries for dessert.
Not sure if I got lucky or just had a decent plan but it was my best brisket result to date and I think next time I do a brisket I will follow the same plan.
I could never have put this plan together without this site and the information posted here. I hope someone here finds this post useful.
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