Newbie mistakes and dogs.

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I started my first brisket last night at 8 p.m., hoping for a noon today lunch. The Minion Method absolutely rules for temperature control. It was around 40 so I went extra on the hot coals, but things went well.

I went to sleep at 11 p.m. My dog woke me up at 3 a.m. and I let her out and checked, rotated, basted and otherwise admired my coming masterpiece. I went to sleep and my dog woke me up at 6 a.m. I went back outside. Turned, basted, marvelled again.

Unfortunately, I think I made a rookie mistake. I filled the water pan too high. The flames started kicking up and the smoke went from a nice smell to a harsher one. I removed the brisket for 30 minutes and have not heard any more dripping, but, it still seems a bit off in terms of smell, and the temp is running well with just 25 percent open on the bottom vents at 11 hours of cooking, so I'm guessing there's still grease feeding things.

Anyway, what is the likely outcome of this error? Will the meat taste of off flavor burning, wet coals and grease fires? Or should I be ok?
 
I would not think so. I think as you described the incident, the overfilling happened in the morning. The flavor should have developed overnight as the fat was rendered. The burnt ends will tell the story.

How was the temperature in the flat?
 
My dogs have learned that every time the smoker is used very good things happen. Usually, they both do not leave site of the Smoker while it is working.

Last week, Romeo (German Shepherd) slept outside, kept an eye on the smoker. Maggie (Border Collie) slept in the house and kept an eye on Romeo.
 
Thanks for the reply David.

I hadn't checked the flat temperature until just now. I'm at about 168 as we speak, it was probably 162 or so when I had my incident, but I just brought out the Polder to check.

I threw two extra small pieces of Mesquite in just to even things out and it seems to be better and under control. I've turned the meat again and given it a sniff and it seems fine, smell wise.

My dog is also learning that the smoker means good things and is very encouraging when we go outside to check the cooker /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif .
 
I'm doing my first brisket as well. Briskets are pretty scarce around here. I finally saw a 7.5 lb untrimmed cryovaced brisket in the store and bought it. I trimmed a little less than a pound of fat of yesterday and rubbed it with the Braggin Rights Brisket recipe from "Smoke and Spice."

Because of its size, I didn't do an all night cook for fear it would be done early this morning. Much to my wife's incredulation, I got up at 4:20am and fired things up (figuring 1 1/2 to 2 hours per pound cooking time. At best done early in afternoon, at worst around dinner time /infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif ). Minion method. The meat went on at 5am and has been smoking along ever since. 4 fist sized chunks of oak, and 2 of hickory.

I just turned and basted. My cooker temps at the lid have been 255-260 the whole time. My vents are set at about 15-20%. I keep expecting the temps to drop, but they haven't. I even add cool water to the pan when it needs more water to get them down and it works for a while. I really don't care, the temps are fine and they are solid without any adjustments. Anyway at the 5 hour mark my meat temp was 172. It looks like a good thing I didn't do the all nighter like I do with pork butts. (My butts seem to take about 2 1/2 hours per pound to cook, so 17 hours cooks have been the rule) We shall see how it turns out. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
I think I'm almost done. Hovering around 185. I just turned it over a last time and took a bite from an end piece. Pretty happy with it I think. Mine was a big brisket though at nearly 14 pounds. I trimmed a couple of pounds almost of fat and figured I'd be done by about noon, but, due to pulling it off and some other peeks at my magnificance I'm guessing more like 2 p.m.
 
Now I'm confused. I turned the brisket over to finish and inserted the therm into the other end of the middle of the flat and I'm down to 175 and holding for the last hour or so. Not sure what happened, so, looks more like 3 for the pull off. Temp is verified with two different readings, so, this is a very strange thing, but, given it's my first one, perhaps it's just how it's supposed to be /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif .
 
Oddly enough my brisket seems to be doing the same thing re temps. I have the Polder probe in the middle of the flat from one of the sides. It read 172 at 10 am. I turned and basted and the temp dropped to 165. At 12:30 the temp was up to 174. Turned and basted again, now temp is 167. The probe is in the same place. My guess is that my warm mop is not warm enough and is having a cooling effect on the rather thin flat (approx 1 1/2 inch thick). /infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif Interesting. Fortunately, I have there is still alot of day left to cook.
 
I pulled mine off at 3 p.m. and it was 184. Let it rest 30 minutes and cut the flat while returning the point to the smoker for burnt ends. Absolutely splendid taste. To be honest, I thought it would be tough and leathery and not all that good, but the taste was great. My family can't believe it and already asked when I can make it again /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif .

Hello. My name is Art Mills and I'm a smoke-aholoic. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif .
 
There is a price for the addiction. Now you got to get a Tilia vacuum machine. You will find yourself feeling the 13 pound brisket in the store, wondering if it comes from the left or right side. Eyeing the pork butts. Watching Kingsford prices and stocking up.

In the end, you get to say ?Honey, this is nothing like what your mommy cooked or your daddy grilled?.
 
David M,

You couldn't be more right. Got my WSM on Dec. 12th. My birthday is Jan. 7th. had 3 cooks under my belt by then...no problem getting a FoodSaver Vac machine as a birthday present.

GOD...I love when a plan comes together! /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
 
I already bought the Tilia, such is my insanity /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif . I feel very little guilt. Oh, wait. The wife just bought a new suit from Ann Taylor. Ahh, the price of poker is going up /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif .
 
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