K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
This brisket I did on Friday night. I put it on at about 10pm using the modified version of my Coffee-Cocoa rub (posted here). It was a 14.5-pounder, very thick on the point end tapering to not-too-thin on the flat end (but I wished it'd been thicker).
The cook ran at 250 lid (230 grate according to my Maverick) till about 9am when the temp had dropped to 190 grate. I was not home, having left around 6am, but my brother (who was visiting with his family) called. It had been raining hard for a while (no cover for the cooker) but I figured it was an ash build-up issue. I explained to him how to stir the ashes; he did, but called me 20 min later to say the temp was dropping still. I told him to re-stir and to open the vents slightly, which he did while I was on the phone. It was then he discovered that the coal bed was deeper than he'd realized. Previously when he stirred he'd only hit the surface so the ash hadn't really fallen through. (He's never seen a WSM.) He stirred a bit deeper. Temps rose and stabilized at 240 lid. I was still gone when he pulled it for me at around 188, wrapped it and stuck it in the cooler. It was about noon, a shorter cook than I'd expected.
My brother has a gas smoker he's not happy with. He was impressed with the WSM, how it held temps all night and, with minimal fussing, re-established a good temp after it had dropped. He was more impressed yet with the brisket, as was his wife, an accomplished cook herself. Tender, juicy (except for the thinner end of the flat which I'd say was tender and a bit dry--which I'd expected--but tasty nonetheless). I served the meat with roasted red pepper mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and three sauces, a lime-jal crema, a KC-style sauce. and a NM pepper-tomato sauce. I think he'll be buying a WSM soon.
The cook ran at 250 lid (230 grate according to my Maverick) till about 9am when the temp had dropped to 190 grate. I was not home, having left around 6am, but my brother (who was visiting with his family) called. It had been raining hard for a while (no cover for the cooker) but I figured it was an ash build-up issue. I explained to him how to stir the ashes; he did, but called me 20 min later to say the temp was dropping still. I told him to re-stir and to open the vents slightly, which he did while I was on the phone. It was then he discovered that the coal bed was deeper than he'd realized. Previously when he stirred he'd only hit the surface so the ash hadn't really fallen through. (He's never seen a WSM.) He stirred a bit deeper. Temps rose and stabilized at 240 lid. I was still gone when he pulled it for me at around 188, wrapped it and stuck it in the cooler. It was about noon, a shorter cook than I'd expected.
My brother has a gas smoker he's not happy with. He was impressed with the WSM, how it held temps all night and, with minimal fussing, re-established a good temp after it had dropped. He was more impressed yet with the brisket, as was his wife, an accomplished cook herself. Tender, juicy (except for the thinner end of the flat which I'd say was tender and a bit dry--which I'd expected--but tasty nonetheless). I served the meat with roasted red pepper mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and three sauces, a lime-jal crema, a KC-style sauce. and a NM pepper-tomato sauce. I think he'll be buying a WSM soon.