Smoking a brisket in the kettle (A beginner's reflection)


 
J

JayHong

New member
I've smoked brisket 3 times in my life (all on a kettle)
All 3 were done Texas style (salt and pepper) using the snake method with a waterpan (filled with boiling water) in the middle of the snake.

Here are my learnings

Attempt #1- I went low and slow around the 225 mark. I used Royal Oak Charcoals 2x2 Snake Method. I didn't know what to expect as it was my first Brisket. I had invited a lot of friends so I bought a big brisket. (dont remember but probably at least 16 lbs. They showed up for dinner. We were all hungry but brisket wasnt ready. I tried to quicken the pace by pulling and putting it in the oven wrapped in Butcher paper. Briskey was dry and tough. I was dejected

Attempt #2- I was cooking for a smaller group. I absolutely did not want to fail. To limit my chance of failure, I went with buying a trimmed Wagyu Point (no flat) and total weight was 7.5 lbs. This ensured I had more than enough room in my kettle to do indirect heat as I did not want any part of the brisket being close to direct heat.
I used Kingsford Briquettes. I had trouble getting the temp up as I did not light enough coals initially. During this time, I also realized that kingsford briquettes were smaller than the royal oak ones so I ended up redoing my snake and going 2x3(height). Once I added more charcoal, I got it to 215 and kept it nice and steady. Even though it was only 7.5 lbs, I gave myself more than enough time. I put the brisket on at 11 PM. Lucky I did because I ended up pulling 1.5 hours before dinner. I think this cook took long because 215 was a bit too low. I also had to readd more charcoals throught the day the next day. I wrapped at 160 and a few hours later, I did increase the temp to 235 as I started to worry about time to finish. The internal temp characteristics of this one was different. At 196, it probed like butter everywhere so I pulled it.
I then wrapped in a towel and put it in a pre warmed yeti cooler. I had prewarmed it by lining it with towels and placing pots of boiled water inside.
The brisket (even though Internal Temp was 196) was delicious. It was better than any restaurant brisket I've ever had. I also received rave reviews which always feels great.
Was it the wagyu or my skills? Was it the small size of the brisket or just cooking the point without the flat? lol

Attempt #3- Still riding off my high of Brisket 2, I attempted brisket 3 a week later. I wanted to test my skills and compare the Wagyu I smoked to a full packer Triple A Brisket from Costco. ( I think Triple A is Choice in the States?) I found the smallest packer I could find (12 lbs). I also wanted to test a different charcoal so I tried the Jealous Devil Maxxx XL Briquettes which are supposed to be twice as big and burns hotter and longer. I pretty much did 3/4 length Snake and went 2x2 with waterpan in the middle. I was also recommended by a friend to try smoking at 250 grate temp as the difference between 225 and 250 is neglegible but will cook faster.

The brisket (12 lbs) was still slightly big in the kettle. I used the weber rib rack and draped the brisket over it. I knew that within 4-6 hours, I would need to turn the grill grate and brisket to keep it away from the coals and the direct heat. (Basically the Brisket was placed on the far side of the kettle as far as it could go and the plan was to remove the rack in 4-6 hours when I opened lid to turn the grate and lay the brisket flat once it shrunk.
This was an overnight cook. I started at 8:30 PM and wrapped around 1 AM when IT was 160. This is when I also removed the rib rack. I set my alarm to wake me up every hour so I could look at my wireless thermometer. I had alerts set if grate temp spiked over 260 but my own alarm was to check to make sure temp didnt fall below 240.

I give major thumbs up to Jealous Devil Maxxx XL. The temp held steady all night. The next morning I woke up and saw lots of charcoal still left which is incredible on a Kettle.

Throughout the night, I realized that the brisket stalled at 174. It then got up to 187 by 10:30 AM and I thought all was going well and then...a big problem occured

A wind storm came. As a newbie, 25 Mph wind is a scary thing. The temps were spiking and I had no idea what to do. I closed the bottom vents full but there was still enough wind that temp was running high up to 270 at one point. I then closed the top vents full and finally got the temp steady at 245.

I thought I was doing fine but the weirdest thing happened. At this point, Brisket was wrapped but I thought I hit a second stall. The temp did not move from 187. It sat there all day long while grate temp was at 245 and wind was howling all around.

It literally sat there and climbed from 187 IT (10:30 AM) to 193 IT (4PM).
Point probed like butter but flat still felt tough. I was running out of time. I pulled and took the brisket into the kitchen and unwrapped to see what the heck was going on. I then realized a big mistake... The butcher paper was soaked and there was pools of brisket juice sitting on the brisket and the bark was all soft and mushy.

When I was fighting the wind and closed all the vents (top and bottom), there was no airflow and no convection so the brisket sat there in 245 temp with no air movement like it was being incubated in a wrapper.

I put it in the oven at 265 with wrapping on and cooked it until 203 IT. It probed like butter in the point but flat was still a bit tough.

I was dejected.

I pulled at 203 and let it rest for 1.5 hours.
The brisket in total was overcooked slightly.
Point was actually very tasty but was slightly overcooked as it didnt pass the finger test and broke off.
Flat, was slightly dry but not like brisket 1. It was much tastier and the dry was more so that the brisket didnt pass the finger test by crumbling. This is when i realized that Brisket 1 was pulled way too soon and thats why it was tough and dry.
This brisket ( brisket 3) was still very much tasty but wasnt perfection as it was overcooked.


Soooooo


What did I learn in all this?

Brisket is hard to do for a beginner but not impossible
main thing is
1) Give yourself more than enough time. If you think you have alloted yourself enough time according to the caluclations, add a few more hours because worst thing that can happen is you finish 3-4 hours early and have it resting in a cooler (which is actually a good thing)
2) Pay attention to the air flow. Ensure top vents are open and on the opposite side of the charcoals to give it air movement and have the brisket under the vents
3) Kind of like point #1, but dont pull too early and if you need to, throw it in the oven.

Now for the seasoned vets, maybe you can help out a newbie

1) In crazy wind conditions, if the brisket was already wrapped, would you advise a beginner to throw it in the oven at that point? I literally felt like there was nothing I can do. Vents were fully closed but grate temp was still at 247 the entire time. If I crackd open the vent slightly, temp was spiking to 275 and perhaps more (I didnt want to risk and find out)

2) What is the largest recommended size to smoke on a kettle for a beginner?

3) Can the flat actually probe like butter the same as the point does? Is that within a realm of possibility?

4) Why did the flat still probe tough at various stages of probing when the brisket turned out overcooked?


All in all Brisket 3 was still a success. It was still tasty and the kids really liked it and asked for brisket again this week (which is a good sign) .
My goal is to replicate brisket 2 but with a full packer and using triple A instead of Wagyu

Is that possible?
 
It is a lot to digest there.
I don't usually do whole packers but that doesn't mean that people do not need to. It feeds a crowd.
I have only done brisket 5 - 7 times but it always comes out, every time on a kettle 22' and once on the new E6 which was the best one ( AAA ).
When I cook mine I generally separate the muscle into the 2 pieces......the flat and point.
This gives me the options to make burnt ends or take them off the grill at different temps ect.
It's not like there is a major advantage to leaving it from my perspective, unlike say maybe a whole turkey on the dinner table. That look amazing and it goes a long ways. Brisket gets sliced and served. It's just my opinion but it works for me.
I also like to cook it a bit warmer. I never start the night before...I sleep like a log so getting up or waking up just isn't the best option for anyone. Just give me a straight 6.5 hours and it's all good again. So I start early though, have everything ready to go and out and right by the door to the bbq so I don't have to waste time or look for anything. Wake up for around 5 and try to get everything moving when there is just enough light to see. The cook and the cooler time generally goes until about 6 or 7 when it's dinner time. No kids to worry about. I usually get the grill to about 250 to 265 grill temp and spray after about 3 or 4 hours every hour or more. Last time I cooked right through most of the stall as I didn't want to risk loosing the bark. Wrapped at 185 or so and it didn't take more than a couple hours till it hit the cooler. I have a thread here called break in brisket and it my cook is there. Trying to remember the numbers here but I may be off a bit from what I said originally. I find a slightly higher temp doesn't is not too high where you start seeing that burnt look to it.
 
Darryl - swazies said:
It is a lot to digest there.
I don't usually do whole packers but that doesn't mean that people do not need to. It feeds a crowd.
I have only done brisket 5 - 7 times but it always comes out, every time on a kettle 22' and once on the new E6 which was the best one ( AAA ).
When I cook mine I generally separate the muscle into the 2 pieces......the flat and point.
This gives me the options to make burnt ends or take them off the grill at different temps ect.
It's not like there is a major advantage to leaving it from my perspective, unlike say maybe a whole turkey on the dinner table. That look amazing and it goes a long ways. Brisket gets sliced and served. It's just my opinion but it works for me.
I also like to cook it a bit warmer. I never start the night before...I sleep like a log so getting up or waking up just isn't the best option for anyone. Just give me a straight 6.5 hours and it's all good again. So I start early though, have everything ready to go and out and right by the door to the bbq so I don't have to waste time or look for anything. Wake up for around 5 and try to get everything moving when there is just enough light to see. The cook and the cooler time generally goes until about 6 or 7 when it's dinner time. No kids to worry about. I usually get the grill to about 250 to 265 grill temp and spray after about 3 or 4 hours every hour or more. Last time I cooked right through most of the stall as I didn't want to risk loosing the bark. Wrapped at 185 or so and it didn't take more than a couple hours till it hit the cooler. I have a thread here called break in brisket and it my cook is there. Trying to remember the numbers here but I may be off a bit from what I said originally. I find a slightly higher temp doesn't is not too high where you start seeing that burnt look to it.
Click to expand...
Sorry, my post was super long and tough to read...

WHen you cut the flat and the point, have you tried smoking both at the same time on the kettle on an additional rack?
Also, does the flat actually proble like butter similar to the point?
 
I don't use multi level in my situation. I have enough room not to do that so it's hard to comment on.
The point and the flat are simple in discussion. The flat is quite lean in comparison to the point, its full of fat, and cooked right it is tender as anything. I always have a bit of trouble regarding the flat. Its either to tough or I cook it until some of the edges will be falling apart.
Good news is it tastes good as long as it isn't rubbery or undercooked.
Visually the flat looks traditional, looks good on a plate and all that but for myself I can keep a lot of people happy with a 9 pound point.
I have the option to buy fulls or halves at my best butcher and I mostly get the points now a days. If I was to feed an army I would buy 2 points.
If you are only able to get full packers then I would try to separate the muscles. There are lots of vids on you tube just to make sure you are not making any mistakes. It sounds like your available real estate on the grill is limited. I wouldn't be scared to try one of those warming type racks that gives you more room, it is hotter on the top level than the bottom for sure so watch that. It would open up a bit more room on the main grill for you too. Maybe check a vid on that setup too, I like to watch vids for cooks I have done 10 times before. Gets my head in the game and maybe I see something I haven't noticed before or even try something new.
 
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I can't touch on all of that, but I will offer a couple of ideas. I wouldn't freak out that much over temp spikes when you are wrapped. The meat is pretty well protected by the paper. You can certainly put the brisket in the oven at that point. I prefer not to myself, but I've had no other choice at times.

If I get that second stall I throw temp out the window and just start checking for tenderness.

I don't know if a flat will probe quite as easy as a point. I would try to get it close. There's a window there and you can go right past it.
 
I’ve only done full packers but, never with my kettle. It sounds to me like you have fire management pretty well under control with the common malady of wind. On a kettle rain can be less a concern as the lid lip goes “over” the bottom whereas a WSM is the opposite. So, that should not be an issue. I have built a windscreen that has helped with that for me.
So, I think in general, you should be able to get your desired results but, it might take a little practice. Just keep in mind that every cook is different and will present individual hurdles. I shoot for a “cushion” of four or five hours from
removing the brisket to serving time. This gives plenty of time for prep of other sides and simply getting your stress back down after worrying about the brisket all night.
I’ve gotten to the point where I can finally get things going and then I hit the rack. I had one that made me buy new BVD’s, on about nine pm Friday night and it was at 205 at 6:00 the next morning! Suffice to say, it had a very long rest in the cooler and was still plenty hot coming out! It was a fluke but, that one turned out really, really well!
Exercise patience and be happy when the great god Hephaestus smiles on you!
Well, he was the blacksmith to the Gods but, a lot of artist renderings show his forge looking very much like a Weber Ranch Kettle!
Tip of the hat to you Tony UK!
 
Why is brisket so darn intimidating? It’s all the pressures of the internet, food shows, and Franklins of the world. Plus a whole packer is a pretty stiff investment if it comes off the pit like leather. Or comes off at 178 when your guests are hungry and drunk 🥴!!!

I had some serious reservations about doing a whole packer but finally got the point where I decided to trust myself and more importantly trust the WSM! It should be fun...not stressful.

Thanks to all for sharing their tips! My only addition is I like going big and going overnight. It might lead to a long rest (for the meat) but I find it much more enjoyable to sleep while the WSM is doing it’s thing and it leaves the day open for other tasks.
 
I think the concern is the cost of the brisket more than anything else for most people. Once TonyUK simply said,”Put on your big boy pants and get to it.” I did and, once you do one, the initial trepidation is gone, you just resign yourself to the possibility of success or failure. It’s an expensive failure but, as long as you are patient, that will be rewarded.
Your closing statement above is exactly how I’ve gotten through the bulk of my brisket cooks.
Setting a hard fast slicing time is also really a concern but once you understand that the thing can get into towels and rest for a number of hours with no diminished product quality makes for a big feast with fewer headaches.
Just an observation.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I think the concern is the cost of the brisket more than anything else for most people. Once TonyUK simply said,”Put on your big boy pants and get to it.” I did and, once you do one, the initial trepidation is gone, you just resign yourself to the possibility of success or failure. It’s an expensive failure but, as long as you are patient, that will be rewarded.
Your closing statement above is exactly how I’ve gotten through the bulk of my brisket cooks.
Setting a hard fast slicing time is also really a concern but once you understand that the thing can get into towels and rest for a number of hours with no diminished product quality makes for a big feast with fewer headaches.
Just an observation.
Click to expand...
Yes once you realize brisket is not like steak where you take it off the grill, rest it and serve it, so much pressure comes off.

The fact you can finish several hours early and have it sitting in a cooler (without taste quality going down) is a game-changer.

I felt like things went really badly for me on attempt 3 and I realized, if that's how bad it gets, bring it on!
 
Brisket is the most difficult meat to smoke and takes practice. I agree with pretty much all the advice above but will add that finding a charcoal that you like and sticking to that one will help you get more consistent results. I've also found that running hotter (275 to 300) finishing "early" and getting the brisket in the cooler a couple of hours before dinner time is the way to go.

Also don't fight mother nature if you don't have to. If you don't have a strong foul weather smoking set up/plan and the weather looks like garbage, scrub the mission and make gumbo instead.
 
I had no idea that brisket was supposed to be tough to smoke and my first 2 smokes on the kettle were briskets, using this video and they were fantastic!
 
Chris Allingham said:
Well documented Weber kettle brisket method published by America's Test Kitchen and validated by Texas Monthly's BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughn.

www.texasmonthly.com

How to Smoke Brisket on a Weber Grill

The secret lies in an old barbecue trick.
www.texasmonthly.com www.texasmonthly.com
Click to expand...
I use that method a lot for doing larger Chuck roasts on my Performer. Last time I got over 9 hours on my snake without adding any fuel.
 
Chris Allingham said:
Well documented Weber kettle brisket method published by America's Test Kitchen and validated by Texas Monthly's BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughn.

www.texasmonthly.com

How to Smoke Brisket on a Weber Grill

The secret lies in an old barbecue trick.
www.texasmonthly.com www.texasmonthly.com
Click to expand...
Great video.
Great point in resting it fatside up.
It was also nice to see a 12 lber and see how it sits on the grill.
My set up (charcoal and water pan) is the exact same except I thought the point had to be even further away from the start of the snake so I almost squished the entire brisket to one side of the grill.
Next time, I'll try centering it more and have the point over the empty space of the snake.
Smoking at 275 also seems to yield great results.
Thanks for posting this. I learned quite a lot watching this.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I think the concern is the cost of the brisket more than anything else for most people. Once TonyUK simply said,”Put on your big boy pants and get to it.” I did and, once you do one, the initial trepidation is gone, you just resign yourself to the possibility of success or failure. It’s an expensive failure but, as long as you are patient, that will be rewarded.
Your closing statement above is exactly how I’ve gotten through the bulk of my brisket cooks.
Setting a hard fast slicing time is also really a concern but once you understand that the thing can get into towels and rest for a number of hours with no diminished product quality makes for a big feast with fewer headaches.
Just an observation.
Click to expand...
I totally agree with the cost concerns, especially now what with meat prices going up the way they are. Not all of my briskets have been raving successes as far as slice and serve goes. But none have been failures in the sense I felt the meat needed to be tossed out, or given to the dogs. So much can be done with brisket, chili, stew, or tacos come to mind, that I really don’t think of them as failures. IMHO
 
Chris Allingham said:
Well documented Weber kettle brisket method published by America's Test Kitchen and validated by Texas Monthly's BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughn.

www.texasmonthly.com

How to Smoke Brisket on a Weber Grill

The secret lies in an old barbecue trick.
www.texasmonthly.com www.texasmonthly.com
Click to expand...
I’m a total beginner so apologies for the newb question. The video shows them cooking until 205 in the point. From youtube, internet articles and the fine people here at tvwbb.com, I thought I was supposed to measure temp in the flat and probe the flat for tenderness. Is Cooking to 205 in the point, particular to the Weber kettle or can I adopt it for the WSM.
 
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