Newbie from North Carolina

[tomachop]

Evening! Name is Craig here - relatively new to smoking, but wanting to begin smoking on a regular basis. 

As far as skill level, probably around the bottom of the ladder. I have 2 smokes before; a london broil and a small rack of ribs (let me tell you - the ribs were tough as a shoe). The Broil came out very tasty though.

I have a small electric Brinkmann. Through my first 2 smokes it has held temp at 250 pretty dang good for a little smoker.

Tomorrow I am planning to fire up (or plug up, in my case) a small brisket (~3lbs) for the wife and a friend. I am concerned that at 250 degrees, the brisket may cook too fast. I definitely do not want this to turn out like the ribs. 

My plan is to smoke the brisket for guessing around 4-5 hours, or until the IT reaches ~180. At 180, I was thinking about pulling off, foiling, and letting sit in a cooler for about an hour. 

I have had the brisket taking on some rub for about 18hrs and plan to use some mesquite wood chips in the bottom (not soaked).

Any feedback or suggestions would be great. I appreciate it and have a great 4th of July!

 

[s2k9k]

Hi Craig! :welcome1: to SMF!!! We're happy you found us! You've come to the right place, we have over 50,000 members who just love to share their experience and over 900,000 posts describing it!

The search bar at the top can be your best friend when you are trying to find answers to your questions but you can still ask too if you want!

We have an Articles section that is full of great information about smoking to include a lot of recipes and instructionals. Check it out there is a lot to learn in there!

Would you do us a favor and add your location to your profile, it helps others to know where you are when they offer advice, Thanks!

You might want to check out Jeff's Free 5 day E-Course, it will teach you all the basics plus a whole lot more!

 

[wjordan52]

Welcome neighbor! Happy to have you here.

There are a couple of ways to cut the heat back on an ECB. If you have a few bucks a router speed controller would add the ability to reduce the power to the element. Have a 100' extension cord? Run your smoker through that to add resistance to the circuit. It'll cut the power to the element, reducing the heat output a little. As a last resort you could leave a gap in the lid, allowing some of the heat to escape.

I really don't think 250* is hot enough to go to the trouble. (just my opinion) But there are plenty of folks here that are very experienced with briskets. One of them will be along soon with their advice.

Keep us posted on your smoke! 

 

[tomachop]

Thanks Bill. Thats a great idea there with the extension chord. 

250 worked good for the London Broil - some of the posts on here though mention that a brisket needs more time. I do appreciate the advice. 

Thats a nice area down there (Charlotte). Im up near Raleigh, but spend a good bit of time down there for work. 

Enjoy the 4th!

 

[seenred]

Welcome to the forums, Craig!  Glad you've joined us.  You've found a great place to learn and share ideas on our favorite pastimes...grilling, smoking, and curing great food!  There are lots of friendly and knowledgeable folks here who really enjoy helping one another.  Just ask any time you need help and you'll get plenty!

250* is not too high for cooking a great brisket...I know of cooks who actually do them even hotter.  The key is to monitor the internal temp.  I take my briskets to around 190*, then begin periodically testing tenderness with a toothpick...when it slides in easily in several places on the brisket, its done!  This will usually be at an IT of somewhere in the range of 195-205*.  Good luck!  Be sure to let us know how it turns out!

  Happy Independence Day!!  

Red

 

[tomachop]

Thanks Red, good to know that 250 shouldn't be too high of a temp. Getting everything ready now. I saw lots of people mentioning some temperature gauges that you can leave in the meat while your smoking. I might need to invest in one of those. Just using a basic meat thermometer these days.

Look forward to posting the outcome later tonight. 

Happy 4th everyone.

 

[kathrynn]

to SMF!  We are so glad you joined us! Happy July 4th!

If you didn't read the Terms of Service notes.....please do.  There are a few things that everyone should know about those pesky little rules before plunging into the forums. Rule #11......"Off Site Links are not allowed here at SMF" is something new. There are other simple guidelines for all of us to remember as we interact here.

If you need any help roaming around here in SMF....just give me a shout.  Happy to help any time!

Kat