- Dec 23, 2014
- 78
- 12
very first smoke (ever) using an MES 30" digital (controller on top, no window), with mesquite wood chips... smoked a 5lb bone-in turkey breast, salt water brined overnight and seasoned with salt and pepper before smoking
cooked it to 145 while basting with apple juice and butter every 45 mins, then put it on the bbq to bring it up to 160-165, then foil tent
skin was rubbery, outer parts (nearest to the skin were a little dry) i used didn't use water in the pan....... the rest of the bird was moist. wife loved it and could taste the smokey flavor more than i could... i think i'll try the mayonnaise coating followed by seasoning next time
tomorrow i have a big challenge. i have a 15lb brisket that is 21" long, the MES is about 14" wide... i figure i only need about 8lb for tomorrow, so do i cut it in half (ie flat/point) and smoke the rest another day?
also, i don't have a boning knife, but i plan to trim the fat to 1/4-1/2 inch as uniformly as possible (not sure which knife to use given my limited selection)
my plan is to wake up early (need the food to be ready around 7pm) and cook at 225F using 1.5 hrs/lb as a rough guide.... i plan to season tomorrow morning with just salt and pepper (is overnight necessarily better???) and let the brisket sit at room temp for 1hr
wood chips i have are hickory, mesquite and apple... i plan to use just hickory
my biggest concern is the brisket drying out given that i don't want to open the smoker at all (no basting or spritzing). i have an oregon scientific wireless digital thermometer which may be off a little, not sure whether to stick that in a potato on the same rack as the meat (to get a different reading and aim for a 225F smoker temp) or simply stick it in the brisket... i feel like i need another thermometer
off to roll call now and to continue reading this site and the ebook i got from amazon
cooked it to 145 while basting with apple juice and butter every 45 mins, then put it on the bbq to bring it up to 160-165, then foil tent
skin was rubbery, outer parts (nearest to the skin were a little dry) i used didn't use water in the pan....... the rest of the bird was moist. wife loved it and could taste the smokey flavor more than i could... i think i'll try the mayonnaise coating followed by seasoning next time
tomorrow i have a big challenge. i have a 15lb brisket that is 21" long, the MES is about 14" wide... i figure i only need about 8lb for tomorrow, so do i cut it in half (ie flat/point) and smoke the rest another day?
also, i don't have a boning knife, but i plan to trim the fat to 1/4-1/2 inch as uniformly as possible (not sure which knife to use given my limited selection)
my plan is to wake up early (need the food to be ready around 7pm) and cook at 225F using 1.5 hrs/lb as a rough guide.... i plan to season tomorrow morning with just salt and pepper (is overnight necessarily better???) and let the brisket sit at room temp for 1hr
wood chips i have are hickory, mesquite and apple... i plan to use just hickory
my biggest concern is the brisket drying out given that i don't want to open the smoker at all (no basting or spritzing). i have an oregon scientific wireless digital thermometer which may be off a little, not sure whether to stick that in a potato on the same rack as the meat (to get a different reading and aim for a 225F smoker temp) or simply stick it in the brisket... i feel like i need another thermometer
off to roll call now and to continue reading this site and the ebook i got from amazon