All Things BBQ

[bryndavies]

Let's talk BBQ, smokers, meats, tips and tricks.

Currently working with an Oklahoma Joe's offset highlander cooker modified with fire gasket and high temp silicone, and added tel true temp gauges.











First brisket. Did mesquite chunks and logs, not chips. Great powerful smoke flavor, but didn't let it rest long enough. Dried out quick after cutting. Potentially was also undercooked (approx 11 hours).



Started my second brisket attempt today at 2:45. Got it on around 4am after trimming and seasoning.


Working with royal oak lump charcoal for base fire. Oak logs for smoke, which then basically burns down to oak coals.

Btw, I'm done with charcoal briquettes. They take to long to start, don't seem to hold that long, and you seem to need a lot for a hot fire. Lump charcoal starts ways faster and burns hotter. The last time I used briquettes was on the pork pictured above. The temp was too low, and if you let the fire get too low, you're kinda screwed since they take so long to catch. This added hours and hours to my cook time.


My cooking canopy, cooker, and couch.

[bryndavies]

For direct heat grilling, I just got this PK grill. It's supposed to be the fudge, and Aaron Franklin uses this for grilling at his home. It's cast aluminum, and it's supposed to get hot and hold like a ceramic green egg, just at 1/4-1/3 the cost of an egg. Will be firing this up today as well for direct heat wings.

[MacDaddy]

Anyone ever tried this?

http://www.bradleysmoker.com/digital-food-smoker/

[bryndavies]

Anyone ever tried this?

http://www.bradleysmoker.com/digital-food-smoker/

My buddy has a digital pellet smoker (a trager type). It's easy to cook on with dial in temp, but it takes a lot of the fun and skill out of it. He's since bought an egg, and he's in the process of making his own offset Aaron Franklin style out of emptied propane tanks.


My opinion is that the digital pellet type smokers are easy and produce a nice result, but the offsets are just fun, especially if you like to play with fire. But cooking on offsets is super time intensive because you're always monitoring the fire, and for brisket, that's a 10-14 hour commitment. I guess it also depends on what you're smoking and making. I think the digital ones would be best for making smoked fish and jerkeys.

[davemfan]

Absolutely love bbq'ing. I have a 18.5 WSM. Produces so e amazing food. I want to upgrade to an insulated cabinet smoker at some point. The key to brisket is to cook by feel and not by time. Do not pull it until it is probe tender. You should be able to slide a probe in and out of the thickest part with ease. Also a key temp for doneness is around 205 internal.

[bryndavies]

Absolutely love bbq'ing. I have a 18.5 WSM. Produces so e amazing food. I want to upgrade to an insulated cabinet smoker at some point. The key to brisket is to cook by feel and not by time. Do not pull it until it is probe tender. You should be able to slide a probe in and out of the thickest part with ease. Also a key temp for doneness is around 205 internal.

203-205 is what I've heard too. Thanks! But another thing I keep hearing about brisket is that it's done when it's done, that all smokers/cookers are different, and then there are a multitude of smaller factors like humidity, etc. I find ribs and pork butt to be a cakewalk after trying briskets. Ribs are kind of my go to because it's a 3-4 cook, so less time consuming, and I just enjoy the taste of ribs compared to pork butt. Maybe I'll have to give beef ribs a shot soon.

The question I'm wrestling with today 5 hours into my cook is whether to wrap or not wrap at some point. I e also noticed that the oak logs I bought are just too big because when they catch the fire goes too hot, but when I dampen it goes too cool. I did just spit them into smaller pieces, so hopefully that helps moving forward.

[rhythmgtr5]

My set up leaves a lot to be desired. It's a weber kettle, water pan, and 2 charcoal trays. I use royal oak lump charcoal with various types of wood chips for smoke. About halfway through the cook for ribs I have to add another 1/2 chimney worth of coal. My brother has an egg with a fan control system - that seems like the way to go if you dont have the time / desire to babysit the grill

[bryndavies]

Nice! I'm really digging royal oak. I'm keen to do some direct heat cooking with it later today and see the results.

[bryndavies]

6.5 hours in and at the stall. Ended up wrapping at this point. Still cooking...

[HisBobness]

I feel that one of the advantages of owning a home is being able to have the privilege to own a smoker. I'm in an apartment, so I make do with my Weber Genesis. Best $400 I ever spent.

Meat of choice hands down is tri-tip.

Anybody have the green egg?

[HisBobness]

That brisket is gonna make for some bomb ass sangwiches tomorrow!

[davemfan]

I wrap my brisket in butcher paper. Here is a method that works wonderfully. I used it on my first one and I ended up with a perfect brisket. Not my method, I stole it. Mine do take longer than the method calls for on my WSM. Just keep checking it every hour after you wrap.

K.I S.S. some of the best brisket you will ever eat! Total cook time including the rest 8 hrs or less. I promise it will be as moist as mornin dew on the lilly, tender as a mothers love, pure beefy smoky goodness.

1 packer 12-15 lb
Trim off the hard fat on each side of the flat thin the fat cap to 1/4"

Pre heat the pit to 300 deg
place brisket on the pit Fat Cap Down and point to the firebox unless it is a RF cooker then point to away from FB

Maintain pit between 275-325 if cookin on a stick burner
cook Brisket 4 hrs
remove from pit wrap in a single layer of Butcher paper Return to pit Fat cap up.
after 1 hr probe the thicket part of the Flat only! If it isn't *probe tender it should be within 1 hr.
once it is probe tender remove from the pit keep it wrapped in the paper you cooked it in and allow it to rest on your counter until the Internal temp reaches 150 this will take about two hrs.
Don't ever slice more than you can eat big pieces retain moisture and won't dry up on you like slices will.
*PROBE TENDER>This is the feel that is mimicked by cutting room temperature butter with a hot knife, there should be no drag

[bryndavies]

Meat of choice hands down is tri-tip.

Anybody have the green egg?

Just cooked up a Costco seasoned tri tip last night. fudge is good, and cooks fast and easy.

My buddy owns a knock off egg, and another buddy owns another version of a knock off. They both work great, but word on the street is the PK is just as good, and I'll be testing that tonight. Space can get awkward on the egg when smoking, and then you need to buy a deflector plate, and racks for Moore room if you're doing 2-3 racks. It sounds like it's a matter of personal preference, but the name brand does not seem to be worth the cash. The whole awesome thing about them is that they're ceramic and they hold heat really well.

[piper27]

Love my Weber Smoky Mountain 18.5. I use Kingsford charcoal and start it with my chimney. No crappy lighter fluid taste and they are white hot in 15 mins. My Redi Chek is what I use to measure smoker true temperature and meat internal temp. It's wireless and the best add on investment. I use amazingribs.com for all their free rub recipes and their website is a wealth of knowledge on smoking.

[1000steps]

bend that handle and give that bad boy a smile!

great thread idea...I'm hooked