Dan Hampton
New member
Well, I've been lurking here for months now soaking up everyone's knowledge of and enthusiasm for barbecue. I live in Austin Texas so have ready access to excellent brisket in lots of places, but I want to make my own! I can cook a good brisket in the oven, but it isn't barbecue. Before doing any research into the right way to slow cook, I once charred a poor unwitting brisket into a blackened hunk just putting it on my previous grill and letting it cremate for way to many hours at way too high a temperature. I learned a lot from that experience.
I've had my Genesis Gold C (natural gas) for a little over a year and do a fine job of grilling with it several times a week. This community has caused me to add a WSM to my wish list for long slow cooks. I have no doubt, however, that I would quickly outstrip my family's capacity to consume smoked meat if I got a WSM. For the moment I'm hoping to satisfy my smoke jones with the gasser.
I've experimented with burner settings and find that my grill will hold at just under 250 with one burner on low when it is empty. On my most recent brisket attempt, the temp went way down when I loaded the meat on the grill and I got nervous, overcompensated and generally blew my cool. I wound up pulling the brisket off too soon and didn't hold if for any time. It came out pretty tough and not so tasty. This time I'm thinking I'll leave that single burner on low and just let it go. I really appreciate the record keeping concept promoted here, so plan to keep a record of times and temps during the cook to see how it goes.
I bought the Steam-N-Chips accessory when I got the grill and haven't been particularly pleased with it. Seems that I loose a lot of smoke out of the left end of the grill and never really get a good smoke flavor in my meat. I've never gotten anything close to a smoke ring. This time I'm taking the Steam-N-Chips unit out and going with soaked hickory chunks wrapped in a heavy-duty foil pouch running the width of the grill and sitting on top of the back edge of the back flavorizer bar.
I've trimmed my 13 pound brisket, rubbed it with mustard and my own rub mix. I usually use Worcestershire and rub, but hope to get some of the exalted bark by using good old yellow mustard this time.
I'm thinking I'll put it on tonight about 9:00 PM. At an hour and a half per pound, I should need to flip it for the first time at about 6:00 tomorrow morning. I'm thinking I'll load up another pouch of hickory chunks at that time and start misting with apple cider each time I flip it.
I was considering putting a few pieces of Kingsford in with my hickory chunks. Does that sound like a good idea or not? Anyone have suggestions to offer before I take the plunge this evening?
Alton Brown made a comment on his flower pot smoker show about issues with water vapor and gas grills that cause a reduction in smoke absorption, but he said that was an issue for another show. Anyone know what he means by that? Am I attempting an impossible task? I've seen LP-fired smoker units at Sam's Club and online. Do they work or does the burning gas and resultant water vapor reduce the smoke effect?
Thanks for all the assembled knowledge. I feel like I have a lot more to go on than I ever have before. I'll be back tomorrow night with a follow up.
Dan
I've had my Genesis Gold C (natural gas) for a little over a year and do a fine job of grilling with it several times a week. This community has caused me to add a WSM to my wish list for long slow cooks. I have no doubt, however, that I would quickly outstrip my family's capacity to consume smoked meat if I got a WSM. For the moment I'm hoping to satisfy my smoke jones with the gasser.
I've experimented with burner settings and find that my grill will hold at just under 250 with one burner on low when it is empty. On my most recent brisket attempt, the temp went way down when I loaded the meat on the grill and I got nervous, overcompensated and generally blew my cool. I wound up pulling the brisket off too soon and didn't hold if for any time. It came out pretty tough and not so tasty. This time I'm thinking I'll leave that single burner on low and just let it go. I really appreciate the record keeping concept promoted here, so plan to keep a record of times and temps during the cook to see how it goes.
I bought the Steam-N-Chips accessory when I got the grill and haven't been particularly pleased with it. Seems that I loose a lot of smoke out of the left end of the grill and never really get a good smoke flavor in my meat. I've never gotten anything close to a smoke ring. This time I'm taking the Steam-N-Chips unit out and going with soaked hickory chunks wrapped in a heavy-duty foil pouch running the width of the grill and sitting on top of the back edge of the back flavorizer bar.
I've trimmed my 13 pound brisket, rubbed it with mustard and my own rub mix. I usually use Worcestershire and rub, but hope to get some of the exalted bark by using good old yellow mustard this time.
I'm thinking I'll put it on tonight about 9:00 PM. At an hour and a half per pound, I should need to flip it for the first time at about 6:00 tomorrow morning. I'm thinking I'll load up another pouch of hickory chunks at that time and start misting with apple cider each time I flip it.
I was considering putting a few pieces of Kingsford in with my hickory chunks. Does that sound like a good idea or not? Anyone have suggestions to offer before I take the plunge this evening?
Alton Brown made a comment on his flower pot smoker show about issues with water vapor and gas grills that cause a reduction in smoke absorption, but he said that was an issue for another show. Anyone know what he means by that? Am I attempting an impossible task? I've seen LP-fired smoker units at Sam's Club and online. Do they work or does the burning gas and resultant water vapor reduce the smoke effect?
Thanks for all the assembled knowledge. I feel like I have a lot more to go on than I ever have before. I'll be back tomorrow night with a follow up.
Dan