Small Packer

[LarryR]

Bryan, your pictures look great!!! I want to do the point like you have here. It looks like you're removing the point from the flat when the flat is done. Then are you putting the point back on for a couple hours? Then pulling, chopping, placing in a tin pan, saucing and then putting back on the WSM? What are you using for sauce? How long back on the WSM?

I've got a 10 lb brisket on now sitting at 146. I'll be foiling at 165 and then checking for fork tender at 180 so I've got a little time here. If there's a link to your process please let me know. Thanks!

 

[Ed Cardoza]

Bryan, your brisket looks killer. I haven't done one in such a long time, I will have to educate myself on what and how to do it. As far as Larry getting up early to put on the brisket, well if I were a betting man I would have to agree with Wayne; since I know how many beers he consumed while he was over here, and knowing Larry I know he didn't stop after he left here. Larry and I have a nasty habit of getting completely hammered when we get together, the only difference is he will always smoke something the follwing day after getting hammered and I will always try to stay very quiet and out of the sun.

 

[Bryan S]

Originally posted by LarryR:
Bryan, your pictures look great!!! I want to do the point like you have here. It looks like you're removing the point from the flat when the flat is done. Then are you putting the point back on for a couple hours? Then pulling, chopping, placing in a tin pan, saucing and then putting back on the WSM? What are you using for sauce? How long back on the WSM?

Larry, The one I did yesterday I wanted to get the bark somewaht done on the flat after removing the point from a top it. So I took the packer off when the flat hit 135º and removed the point. Then I put on some rub where they were joined and placed the flat on the top grate, with the new applied rub side facing down. Point had more rub put on it where they were joined as well, and went cut side down on the lower grate. It was prob another hr I waited before slicing the point and cutting it into cubes, a light spinkle of rub on the cut sides and into the foil pan they went. The flat came off about 1hr 45 min after foiling, then moved the foil pan to the top grate. Cooked them for at least 2 more hrs, you can see how dark they got right before the Sweet Baby Ray's went on. 30 min after saucing I took the burnt ends off. They take a good amount of time to render, and get tender. You might want to drain most of the grease off too before saucing. Temps for the whole cook were in the 335º-350º range. HTH
EDIT: This link here has some pics of the cut sides where I put more rub on, and pics of the point being slided into strips; then cubes, that might help you out some. Some more pics for you to look at.

 

[LarryR]

PICTURES

Sweet Baby Rays, love that stuff and have a ton of it on hand. I'll mix some with honey and a bit of chipotle powder. I'm going to have to do a modified version of what you do as I'm doing low and slow (don't think you or Kevin will ever be able to talk me into high heat) and my temp is currently at 159. At 165 I'll remove the point from the flat. Foil the flat and put them both back on the WSM. When my flat is fork tender I'll remove both, foil the flat in a cooler, chop-up the point, mix with my sauce and put back on WSM for 1 - 2 hours. How does this sound? Is that too long back on the WSM? BTW, the Miller's going down very well right now

EDIT: Or should I foil the entire brisket and then when I'm fork tender remove the point from the flat, cooler the flat, chop the point and put back on the WSM for an hour or two?

Also, what's in the pyrex measuring cup?

Thanks for your (and other's) input.

 

[Bryan S]

Originally posted by LarryR:
chop-up the point, mix with my sauce and put back on WSM for 1 - 2 hours. How does this sound?
Is that too long back on the WSM?

Also, what's in the pyrex measuring cup?

Larry, if your doing low and slow that's fine. Once you take the flat off crank it up. That point needs a long time to render down. Remember that once the sauce goes on and your at high heat. 30 min MAX, tons O sugar in there that will burn. Set the timer once you sauce so you don't forget about them while drinking large amounts of cold beverages. That's why you don't see the finished pic in that other link. They were on for about 1.5 hrs before I remembered them.

In the Pyrex is all the love out of the foil. I save it for when I slice the brisket once cold and vac seal. I take the fat cap off the top and smear all the jellow that's left ontop of the slices then vac seal. It works very well for reheating brisket IMO. I posted a pic of the drippings and fat after a night in the fridge for you in the small packer link in my first post. That brown jello at the bottom is some good, but strong stuff. HTH Looking good Larry. I would seperate when the flat hits 165º and cook them seperate. Because when the flat is done, no opening up the foil and removing the point, and alot bark comes off because it gets soft in the foil.

 

[Alan D]

Originally posted by LarryR:
I'm going to have to do a modified version of what you do as I'm doing low and slow (don't think you or Kevin will ever be able to talk me into high heat) and my temp is currently at 159.

Yeah, it must be a Cali 'thang...low and slow gives one the time to ponder on life, think about things...it is a way of life out west...

I'm looking pretty good, 210 overnight, and 225 for most of the remainder, now I've foiled mine at 170, and it's up to 182 and I kicked up the heat to 240 while it is wrapped. Will pull it at 190-195. My wife made a couple loaves of foccacia bread, will be serving sandos with a touch of pesto, oil/vinegar drizzled over the lettuce, tomato, and onions....the parmesean cheese sets off the bread also...

This is how my wife gets me to eat veggies...but I'll have to ensure a nice slab of brisket to make it tolerable...

 

[LarryR]

Thanks for getting back to me Bryan. OK, since I don't do high heat here's what I'm going to do; I'll remove the point at 165. Foil flat and put both back on WSM, when flat is done I'll check the point and decide whether to chop it at that point or leave her on. When I do finally chop the point I'll sauce and put back on the WSM for roughly 60 minutes. Thoughts?

Yes, the cold beverages are going down very nicely. Got to love Stokerlog, she's tending the fire (see graph in pictures) while I'm working on my forecast and tipping cold ones. Can life get any better than this? Stokerlog has this really cool feature, it's a temp panel that floats on top of all your programs. It shows you your pit temp and fan action, it's pretty cool, this is in addition to your graph, it allows you to work on other stuff but still see what your WSM is doing and its all over my wireless network. Neat Schmidt.

EDIT: Alan you posted while I was composing my message. Maybe it's a west coast thing maybe not. For me, the other areas of my life are so hectic; working minimum of 10 hour days, multi-tasking, conference calls, flights, quotas, deadlines, results, three phones, multiple email accounts, SmartPhone etc. Low and slow allows me to slow life down and relax, not rush things etc. Someone else wrote something to the effect that if he can have the same results in less time why not, my perspective is exactly the opposite; I want to string my cooks out as long as possible as it represents the one thing in my life that isn't rushed. Just my opinion and I don't want to turn this thread into a high heat vs. low and slow discussion. Lastly, your bread looks awesome! Can't wait for my Kamado to get here to start doing some breads, pizzas and calzones.

 

[Bryan S]

Originally posted by LarryR:
Thanks for getting back to me Bryan. OK, since I don't do high heat here's what I'm going to do; I'll remove the point at 165. Foil flat and put both back on WSM, when flat is done I'll check the point and decide whether to chop it at that point or leave her on. When I do finally chop the point I'll sauce and put back on the WSM for roughly 60 minutes. Thoughts?

Larry, After you seperate, put the point on the lower rack. After another hr or 1.5 hrs take it off slice and cube, and into the foil pan. It will cook up way faster once slice and cubed. Once the flat comes off move em to the top and crank the heat to 325º. Cook in the foil pan for at least another 2 hrs. before saucing. Once sauced 30 min max.

 

[LarryR]

Pictures updated: OK Bryan, you suck! You didn't tell me that when cut into the brisket to separate the point from the flat it would explode with juices, it was like F'ing Niagara falls! A Schmidt load of juices went down my drain. Damn!

Anyway, I think I separated her properly. I followed the fat line between the point and the flat. Ended-up with more point than flat. Please see pictures to confirm. They're back on the WSM and I cracked another Miller.

What's interesting is with all my grilling and Q experience this is the first time I've separated a point from a flat. However I do have to say I've shy'd away from briskets in the past as my early ones were not that good. Now that I'm foiling and going by tender vs. temp they're awesome.

 

[Bryan S]

Originally posted by LarryR:
Pictures updated: OK Bryan, you suck! You didn't tell me that when cut into the brisket to separate the point from the flat it would explode with juices, it was like F'ing Niagara falls! A Schmidt load of juices went down my drain. Damn!

LOL! Yeah I put a big sheet of Reynolds double wide down and fold all the ends up. Sorry about that little tid bit. Don't worry, you'll still get plenty. I really, really liked seperating at 135º like I did on yesterdays packer. Minimal juices were flowing and i got some decent bark back on the flat where it was cut from the point before going into the foil. Pics look great Bud.

 

[Bryan S]

Hope all came out well for you Larry. It's 1:00AM here on the left coast, and 6:00Am is right around the corner. Need to be at work at 7:00AM.

 

[LarryR]

Everything turned out great. Ends could have been a bit more done but I ran out of time. I used SBR, honey, chipotle powder and a little Makers Mark. Left a bit of liquid in the pan but overall they were very tasty. Flat was awesome. Great flavor, good smoke etc. Another great day with the WSM.

 

[Tony Hunter]

Dude, those burnt ends look fantastic!