Smoking Brisket for my first time and first time poster w/q-view

[ohm]

Greetings everyone...I have been lurking around the forums for some time now and decided to finally join in on the fun. Just bought a new Char-Broil barrel smoker a few months ago and have been smoking something new each weekend ever since. My friend and I have smoked everything from a few Top Rounds, Whole Chickens, Suckling Pigs, Tenderloins, and even Boudin (a Cajun thing).

This weekend I decided to jump in and ended up getting a 14 pound cut of brisket and try my luck. I started out by making my rub from brown sugar, and other Cajun spices. We lathered up each side and placed it into an aluminum pan on the smoker. Earlier in the day I went out and picked up a truck load of Oak and Cherry wood mix. We started a good base of coals in the side smoker while soaking a few logs in water. Once the smoker was pre-heated we placed the brisket into the smoker. We started the smoking at 7PM and are in for the long haul.

First I would like to thank everyone here for all the great posts and suggestions that empowered me to attempt this great feat. I am taking pic's through out the process and will update as I have them.

Our first few hours have just passed and I have started up the mini grill for some burgers while we wait for the 4 hour mark and flip/mopping.

This will be the first time we are using whole logs for the smoke anyone have any heads up? Here is what I am currently doing. I have a bucket of water I soak a few logs and when I need to add some wood I add one wet and one dry. This seems to be working ok so far the firebox is about 325 and the smoking chamber is at 200 - 210.

 

[waysideranch]

Welcome Ohm.

 

[ohm]

2:12 AM and at 148 degrees.... Lots of Red Bulls!!!!! More pic's...

 

[mossymo]

Ohm
Glad you joined us and welcome to SMF !!!
The brisket is looking great. As a suggestion, and it is all in personal taste preference, but (in the picture) the smoke looks thick and may give a stronger taste than most are looking for. Might just be how the camera took a night time photo shot also though; just thought I would mention it. I am eager to see and hear of your morning brisket results !!!

 

[ohm]

It was a picture with a flash but the smoke was a bit thick at the time I took the photo. I have been trying to keep the thick smoke to a minimum but having a bit harder time with using split wood instead of wood chunks. Do you or anyone else have any suggestions on keeping the thick smoke down to a minimum? I love the split oak/cherry split logs instead of the wood chunks I get from our local store due to the consistent temperature this wood is providing.

 

[mossymo]

Ohm
I have never smoked with wood being my primary fuel source, but to my knowledge and what I have read is preburning the wood before it goes in the firebox will cut down on smoke, still retain the heat and eliminate creosote taste, that the thicker smoke may tend to flavor your meat.

 

[ohm]

I do remember a post about that... I have to try and dig that back up. Thanks for the heads up.

I took some more photos but I think you are right my camera is not doing justice...This is a better photo of how I have been trying to keep it.


-----Update

5:45 Am and still going..... Sitting at 167 for a while now few more hours and should be ready. WoW it gets bright out at 5:45 Am..hehehe

-----Another Update

Well just put the sucker in the cooler after a long night! I am sure it was worth it, I can not wait to tear into it. Once I pull it from the cooler I will snap a few final pic's :-)

 

[agmeyer]

Great looking briskets. I am pretty new at this and I've only done 6 briskets so far with 2 more on the plate for tomorrow. I generally smoke from early morning (0900) to about 6 pm or so. I have done longer. The very first brisket smoke was send home after about 6 1/2 hrs because of rain; so I finished it in the oven with the double foil still on and the remoter thermometer still hooked up. I took it to 195 internal temp and then rested it for 4 hours while watching TV in my air-conditioned, non-buggy apartment. I decided that I would continue to finish my briskets that way. Since then; every brisket has turned out great. The ones tomorrow are done with a different rub so we will see. I do apply the mustard and rub 2 days ahead and plastic wrap them and store them in the fridge in some Aluminum foil roaster pans to prevent leaks. That is what I also put the briskets in to finish them in the oven and to refrigrate after resting (4 hr.). Hope this helps you; I like being close to the fridge for liquid refreshments and comforts of home? Someone said they did their briskets ahead and even froze some for serving later. Rich.

 

[tybo6]

Looks like ya did a fine job to me......Cant wait till ya let us know how they taste....Along with some slice pics

 

[tell you what bbq]

Ohm...your setup looks good. ALTHOUGH, I can't see the cooler!! If you are concerned about smoke, wrap your meat.

I smoke my brisket until 165 -- then foil with a beer/sweet mop. When meat hits 185 I 'cooler' it for 1+ hours...

Watch the brown sugar from beginning, could 'burn'. Try turbinado...not as sweet...but has a higher 'burning' point.

Enjoy your meat!!!

 

[ohm]

Everything turned out great for my first time I think. The main part of the brisket was a bit dry for some reason and all of the fat did not melt away. But the rest was outstanding I was able to use some of the outer parts for pull and sliced the rest.

This was one of the first meats I did not marinate before smoking and only used a rub. I think I like my meat marinated better. Here are the final pic's after everything was done.

Here is where I think my problem started. At about 6:00 AM the meat was peaked at 170. And my smoker was just about ~200 as it had been all night. The smoke was a bit heavy at time but I was able to keep it down for the most part. Every time I tried to add any wood the darn thing would jump to like 300 and billow smoke...Nothing I did could keep it from happening. I even started a side fire and tried to just use coals from the wood only. I finally had to just suck it up and deal with the thicker smoke to keep it at 200 by adding pieces of soaked wood.

I am doing some research now to try and figure out why and what happened. To my best guess the coals from the night that had fallen kept bringing my temp up and up. I even at one point emptied the smoking chamber out and tried to start over with the coals. Any suggestions on how to deal with these whole split logs instead of the chunks to achieve the "Thin blue smoke".


BTW even though I did not have a huge smoky flavor I am worried about the creosote and q-view on the way..

---Edit
I found what I was looking for http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...60770#poststop

And for sure mine is the one on the left. Guess I have some work to do. Still searching on what to do about the whole split logs I am using.

 

[capt dan]

the answer is simple. LUMP CHARCOAL. The silvers are great lil smaokers. I still have mine, and probably won't part with it, but it is NOT a stick burner, no matter what anyone tells ya. I tried it for 2-3 months before I gave up on burning wood splits in it and went to Lump. Then everything changed. When you go to lump a few things happen. Less smoke, but higher heat. You'll need to choke off the intake a bit and make some modifications to the silver to keep from having hotspots( baffles and tuning plates).



Next thing is Lump burns a lil bit faster then splits(cuz they are already half burned), so you need a charcoal basket.



Start the lump in a chimney, and dump it in next to unlit lump. It will work its way across the basket to the other side. Usually 1- 1 1/2 hrs per load on the basket.

These two things will get ya on the right track to thin blue smoke and more stable temps. Read about other mods in the charcoal smoker forums. After 3 months of toying with the mods on my silver, I had her dialed in pretty good. About a 15-20 degree difference from end to end.

You still have to add small chunks of wood for added flavor, but the temp stability is ket, especially for the long smokes. The basket helps keep the air under the coals to keep it hot . I think your problems late in the smoke were do to low air supply/ash build up in the fire box.

Keep at it, you'll get it tuned in. Great post and I aplaud your effort with a huge chunk of beef. Alnighters are great, especially if the family leaves ya alone the next day!

 

[ohm]

Thank you very much I will check out the other forum and see what I can do.

You can’t learn unless you try. And you are right I had one of the best times in a long time trying this.

And for the splits well at least I have wood for the outdoor fireplace :-)