Monster brisket

[Richard B.]

Hi all:

Long time-lurker here, been watching from the sidelines for years but only now need some advice.

I know there's been much discussion of high-heat brisket, but I've sort of get low and slow down to a science, and can produce pretty consistently good brisket in 12-14 hours depending.

But now, the only brisket my butcher could give me is an 18 pound monster that won't fit on my old 18 inch WSM.

So: How to handle this thing? My temptation is to cut it in half, put the fat end on the bottom (which tends to run a little hotter in my smoker) and the flat on top, and hope for the best. Or I could sort of tie the two together... Or I could squeeze both pieces onto the same level, and re-arrange when they shrink (which they always do, significantly)...

Anybody with experience with something like this?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Brian Bo.]

Welcome, Richard.

If he's a "butcher", why can't he separate it for you? Then you can do the cutting (down-to-size) afterward.

 

[Richard B.]

He could, although I am perfectly capable of cutting meat myself. The question was the best way to cook the two resulting pieces of meat, not how to create them.

 

[Tony C.]

i would foil the ends and wedge them under the handles. the middle will arch up and after it shrinks down some it should lay back down flat. i did this with a 16# brisket once. i would think it would work with an 18# one.

 

[Dan H.]

i've wedged between handles before, the next time i swore i would rig something up to hang it from the top grate or something similar, I think It would work but i've never tried before.