M Strickland
TVWBB Member
We had our Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday this year due to scheduling conflicts. Our son smoked the turkey, so I decided to try smoking a brisket on my WSM! I've done a LOT of smoking over the last 40 years, and have had excellent success with everything else, but this was my first brisket and it was easier than I expected and turned out great!
I used a 5 1/2 pound flat and, in the process, I accidentally hit on a technique that I plan to try again. Since I wasn't sure how long it would take, I cooked it on Friday, planning to re-warm it Saturday.
I have a dry rub that I developed that I use for everything else, so I decided to use it on the brisket. It's similar to the Cajun rubs, but I think anyone's favorite rub will work.
To prepare the flat, I rinsed it off and then put some apple cider vinegar over the meat. Then I slathered it with ballpark yellow mustard, sprinkled kosher salt on it and liberally added my dry rub. Then I rubbed it all into the meat. I did this on both sides.
Then I fired up my 18.5 inch WSM using the Minion Method using about 30 lit coals and mixed pecan chunks in with the charcoal. I put the smoker together immediately and added 1 1/2 gallons of hot water to the water pan.
Using 1 1/2 gallons of hot water turned out to be the key to my accidental discovery.
I put the meat on, closed the lid and opened all the vents. This was at about 8:30 am. When the smoker hit 210 degrees, I partially closed the bottom vents. Then I left it alone. At between 4 and 5 hours, I checked the internal temperature of the meat looking for around 165 degrees. It wasn't there yet, so I let it go for a little longer.
A while later, I looked out and the smoker temperature had gone up to 300 degrees. I hadn't added water when I checked the meat temperature! I checked the meat and it was right at 170 degrees, right in the sweet spot. I had read about cooking it to that range, wrapping it and then finishing it in the oven at around 300 degrees, so I used the Texas Crutch and wrapped it in aluminum foil and put it back on the smoker, since it was running at 300 degrees.
At about 3:30, it was at 205 degrees, so I declared it done! After letting it rest, we sneaked a bite and it was wonderful!! The next day, we re-warmed it in the kitchen oven. It still tasted great, but was at its best right off the smoker. Big hit!!
So, my "discovery" was that the 1 1/2 gallons of water boiled off at about the point that the brisket was ready to wrap so that the smoker automatically went from smoking temperature to 300 degrees. I just wrapped it in aluminum foil and finished it at 300 degrees on the smoker. Once it got to smoking temperature, I was able to leave the vents in the same position the entire cook!
I don't know why I was so hesitant to try smoking a brisket! With the WSM, it's almost automatic!! I got my WSM in 2007 and I think it's going to outlive me!!
I used a 5 1/2 pound flat and, in the process, I accidentally hit on a technique that I plan to try again. Since I wasn't sure how long it would take, I cooked it on Friday, planning to re-warm it Saturday.
I have a dry rub that I developed that I use for everything else, so I decided to use it on the brisket. It's similar to the Cajun rubs, but I think anyone's favorite rub will work.
To prepare the flat, I rinsed it off and then put some apple cider vinegar over the meat. Then I slathered it with ballpark yellow mustard, sprinkled kosher salt on it and liberally added my dry rub. Then I rubbed it all into the meat. I did this on both sides.
Then I fired up my 18.5 inch WSM using the Minion Method using about 30 lit coals and mixed pecan chunks in with the charcoal. I put the smoker together immediately and added 1 1/2 gallons of hot water to the water pan.
Using 1 1/2 gallons of hot water turned out to be the key to my accidental discovery.
I put the meat on, closed the lid and opened all the vents. This was at about 8:30 am. When the smoker hit 210 degrees, I partially closed the bottom vents. Then I left it alone. At between 4 and 5 hours, I checked the internal temperature of the meat looking for around 165 degrees. It wasn't there yet, so I let it go for a little longer.
A while later, I looked out and the smoker temperature had gone up to 300 degrees. I hadn't added water when I checked the meat temperature! I checked the meat and it was right at 170 degrees, right in the sweet spot. I had read about cooking it to that range, wrapping it and then finishing it in the oven at around 300 degrees, so I used the Texas Crutch and wrapped it in aluminum foil and put it back on the smoker, since it was running at 300 degrees.
At about 3:30, it was at 205 degrees, so I declared it done! After letting it rest, we sneaked a bite and it was wonderful!! The next day, we re-warmed it in the kitchen oven. It still tasted great, but was at its best right off the smoker. Big hit!!
So, my "discovery" was that the 1 1/2 gallons of water boiled off at about the point that the brisket was ready to wrap so that the smoker automatically went from smoking temperature to 300 degrees. I just wrapped it in aluminum foil and finished it at 300 degrees on the smoker. Once it got to smoking temperature, I was able to leave the vents in the same position the entire cook!
I don't know why I was so hesitant to try smoking a brisket! With the WSM, it's almost automatic!! I got my WSM in 2007 and I think it's going to outlive me!!
