Hey y'all! I wanted to share with you my first brisket! This is my 2nd time ever smoking something and I'm using my 18" WSM that I got a few days ago. Let me just say, I am so happy with my purchase bc it help temps like a champ!
I prepped a 13.5 lb USDA choice brisket, that's all we have in our small town. I trimmed it, which I still need a lot of practice on. I used a combination of rubs just to use them up. It was mainly salt, pepper, paprika and garlic. I meant to put a binder on it, like mustard, but I forgot.
I let this sit in the fridge for 24 hrs.

Then I fired up the WSM the next morning with some JD XL briquettes with some apple and mesquite chunks. Still waiting on my chimney to be delivered so this part took longer than expected. However, I went ahead and threw it on at 275. I put some wood chunks under to make it fit and to try to keep it from pooling liquid.
It was running hot, then started running low, then I got her steady at 275 exactly. It maintained exactly 275 over 12 hours. Here is the half way pic:

Oh yeah, at the last minute I decided to put the water pan in, without water, but wrapped in foil.
After 5 hours I started spritzing every 45 minutes or so and then would check for rendering. I also went ahead and wrapped the bottom of the brisket with foil and threw it back on.
Once it felt rendered enough to me, I went ahead and temped and it was right at 205 on each end and in the middle, so I pulled it. Total cook time was around 9 hours.
Here's the finished product:


I was really impressed for my first brisket. The flat was just slightly dry, but I tried from the very end and didn't eat much since I was exhausted from work and smoking. I also had some really hard pieces at the bottom, I am not sure what that is from, but I chalked it up to a not so great trim job. If you've read this far and have any ideas I would love to hear them!!
Last but not least, I had my husband pick up some BBQ sauce and told him to pick a kind that looked like it came from a pit master or a backyard BBQer. We used to only get name brand stuff. Let me tell you tho, we will never go back!!! We tried the Blues Hog Original and their Championship blend. It was AMAZING! I can only hope the other ones I try, as I go on the rub and sauce exploration, are this good or even better.
If you read it all, thanks for sticking it out. Look forward to many more cooks with y'all. Have a blessed week!

I prepped a 13.5 lb USDA choice brisket, that's all we have in our small town. I trimmed it, which I still need a lot of practice on. I used a combination of rubs just to use them up. It was mainly salt, pepper, paprika and garlic. I meant to put a binder on it, like mustard, but I forgot.


Then I fired up the WSM the next morning with some JD XL briquettes with some apple and mesquite chunks. Still waiting on my chimney to be delivered so this part took longer than expected. However, I went ahead and threw it on at 275. I put some wood chunks under to make it fit and to try to keep it from pooling liquid.
It was running hot, then started running low, then I got her steady at 275 exactly. It maintained exactly 275 over 12 hours. Here is the half way pic:

Oh yeah, at the last minute I decided to put the water pan in, without water, but wrapped in foil.
After 5 hours I started spritzing every 45 minutes or so and then would check for rendering. I also went ahead and wrapped the bottom of the brisket with foil and threw it back on.
Once it felt rendered enough to me, I went ahead and temped and it was right at 205 on each end and in the middle, so I pulled it. Total cook time was around 9 hours.
Here's the finished product:


I was really impressed for my first brisket. The flat was just slightly dry, but I tried from the very end and didn't eat much since I was exhausted from work and smoking. I also had some really hard pieces at the bottom, I am not sure what that is from, but I chalked it up to a not so great trim job. If you've read this far and have any ideas I would love to hear them!!
Last but not least, I had my husband pick up some BBQ sauce and told him to pick a kind that looked like it came from a pit master or a backyard BBQer. We used to only get name brand stuff. Let me tell you tho, we will never go back!!! We tried the Blues Hog Original and their Championship blend. It was AMAZING! I can only hope the other ones I try, as I go on the rub and sauce exploration, are this good or even better.

If you read it all, thanks for sticking it out. Look forward to many more cooks with y'all. Have a blessed week!


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