Need Help For Sunday Smoke

[griff123]

Howyd All,

I am having about 12 people come over on Sunday and I am smoking a Brisket and Ribs. Cooking chicking and burgers but the quick way nice and hot.

I need help with smoking and to make sure I am going about it the right way. I am using a charcoal grill about 550sq inches, two grates, and vents on bottom on both sides and one vent on top. It also has a built in tempature gauge.

I have bought an 8 lb brisket and 2 stacks of baby back ribs. I am using a dry rub on both them. From reading the brisket will take around 12 hours to cook and the ribs around 4 to 5 hours cooks if my temp stays at or around 220. I am going to use an apple juice mop to spray on the brisket while smoking. I plan on using about 10 lbs of charcoal and to buy some mesqute smoking wood. I will keep the carcoal and wood on one side with a pan of water over it. Tehn on other side of grill have the brisket and ribs.

My biggest concern is keeping the temp right in the grill. I am assuming, this is where i need help, how often to I add more wood and charcoal to the grill. Also my grate that holds the charoal I can lower and raise while cooking. Also how reliable are the temp gauges on grills, orshould I buy one. Second, if I keep my temp around 225, how long should i plan on cooking the brisket for, is 12 hours about right or will it be a shorter period of time. I don't plan on using foil to wrap it up, so how long should i mop it.

Please let me know if I am on the right track and what I need to watch out for. I want to make sure my brisket is damn good.

Thanks
Griff

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Hello Griff,
Several comments. First of all go on over to Roll Call and introduce yourself. We'd like to get to know you better. Then, regarding Sunday ..... I assume you are talking about tomorrow, lots of learning. It would have been great if you could have enrolled yourself in Jeff's smoking e course. Why not go ahead and get started with that. Now, back to Sunday, first of all, no, the analog thermometer in your smoker is not accurate. I'd strongly suggest that you go to your local Wallmart or Lowe's or where ever and get yourself a good digital thermometer. And by the way, you'll need two of them. One to monitor the smoker temp and another to monitor the internal temp of the meat. You have mentioned some time frames for the cook. I understand the need to have an approximation but the internal temp of the meat is the ruling factor as to when the meat is done. For example, on the brisket, it may take 12 hours or 15 hours or more. Different samples of the same cut vary significantly in terms of the time required to smoke. I'd smoke the brisket to an internal temp of about 190*. Also, you don't have to foil it but I think it makes a much more moist meat to foil. Actually, I like to smoke it to about 160* internal. Then foil it and take it on up to about 190*. Then wrap it in a couple of heavy towels and let it rest in an insulated cooler (no ice of course) for two or three hours. Bottom line, you've got a lot of smoking to do. You might seriously consider knocking the brisket out today. Just my $.02 worth. Hope this helps and I wish you luck.

 

[griff123]

BW,

Thanks, I will go over to Roll Call here shortly and also enroll into Jeff's Smoking course.

Thanks for letting me know about the two thermometer, I would have only bought one. When you foil the brisket to you put a heavy layer of foil or just a single wrap on it. I am also assuming that when I put the towel on it, the internal heat will keep cooking and distributing the juices while in the cooler. If I cooked the brisket today how well will the juices stay in it for the next day.

Lastly will the e course tell me how to ensure that I keep the right amount of coals and wood to keep my temp at 220.

Griff

 

[griff123]

Thanks again, I am going to use the towel method. Right now for mopping I am only going to use apple juice, and I will start mopping once the brisket has been cooking for about 2 hours, then I will mop every 45 minutes or so....I would say by biggest concern right now is keep the temp at 225. Reading the 5 Days course, I have decided to use the "minion methond". Any advice to help me would be great.

Griff

 

[crewcab4x4]

I would do every hour on the mop. The more you can keep the lid closed with that brisket the better chance you'll have at holding your pit temp.
You want to keep you temp between 225 and 250 . You want to keep your pit temp. because that's a dense cut of meat. The less you open the lid the better. Welcome to smf.
Hope this will help
Jason

 

[sumosmoke]

Welcome to the SMF, Griff. Sounds like a tasty meal you've got going for your friends.

If you have time, we're all anxious to see pics of your smoke. Here's a link that helps with posting them in your thread, if you need it.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ead.php?t=9916

Glad you've joined us!

 

[griff123]

I have my grill lit and coming up to temp. I used a charcoal chummy to light the all-natural charcoal lumps. How often do I need to add more lumps. Should I add them straight on top of the burnings, while the news are cold, or should I use the chimney and get the new ones white ash hot, then put them on?

 

[richtee]

I will typically add a few fresh right to the firebox...but if I need ALOT of coals...if the firebox has burned way down or my temps are way low- I'll get 'em going first.

Also watch out for ash build-up. It will prevent your coals from burning properly.