# Brisket high smoking temp?



## jjw (May 22, 2010)

im smoking a brisket in this smoker, and get get the temps below 350 or so. im using the minion method, perhaps i started with too much lit charcoal. anyway, how will this affect the taste of the brisket, being cooked at such a high temp?


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## fire it up (May 22, 2010)

Never gone as high as 350 on one but have done up to 325, just keep an eye on it, spritz or baste more often and it should come out fine.


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## tom37 (May 22, 2010)

Sorry jjw, I can't remember the details but I believe that there is a couple threads here that talk about running there brisket way on the hot side for a much shorter time and it coming out great. Hopefully someone will offer up the details before long. 

I really want to try it hot and fast once for myself just to see how it turns out. 

Good Luck and have a great day.

Tom


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## mythmaster (May 22, 2010)

I've done them hot and fast but at 250* -- not that high.  I'd foil it when the IT gets around 165*.


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

well id like for temp to be lower, but cant seem to figure that out. but what is the purpose of foiling, is that for retaining moisture?

also i marinated it for about 14 hours, will that keep it moist in such an environment?


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

thanks, i hope youre right.


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## mythmaster (May 22, 2010)

Yes, and the marinade should help, too.

If it's cooking too fast you might not get much bark, though.

I can't help you with getting the temps down...mine is electric.

Good luck


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

well do you think i could cook it longer for that, maybe to 190? or would that dry it out


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## fire it up (May 22, 2010)

You'll want to bring it to 190 anyway for slicing.


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## mythmaster (May 22, 2010)

I think that it would dry out unless you get it in the foil around 165*

Maybe not if you've been keeping it spritzed well, but I'd still foil it just to be sure.


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## mythmaster (May 22, 2010)

Yeah, but in the foil with it cooking that fast.  Foiling it really works for keeping it moist.  Actually, you can take it to 195 for slicing.


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## fire it up (May 22, 2010)

Didn't know exactly what he was asking I guess.
Foiling is a good option for keeping it moist but if possible I would remove from the foil and back onto the smoker for the last 10 degrees or so to firm the bark back up.

Hope all turns out well for you


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

ok i just foiled at about 175. so maybe leave it like that for an hour or so til it gets up to 185 and then let up (hopefully) bark up a bit to 195 (if thats not too high)?

or should i just unfoil now and let cook the rest of the way without foil


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## mythmaster (May 22, 2010)

Wow.  After only 1.5 hours?  That's twice as fast!

I'm guessing that it doesn't have any kind of bark on it at this point.  So it's really your call on whether or not to foil it.  Personally, I'd rather have it not dried out than have no bark.  At this rate I don't think that you'll get much bark either way because it's probably only going to take another hour to finish.


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

this is a very small brisket, only 2.75 pounds. thats why its probably going fast.

and its barking a little on the edges but i agree, i want tender meat. do you think an hour of foiling is enough? i want it to be tender, but not mushy.

i actually like pulled brisket, will i be able to at 195? at what internal temp am i risking it being completely dried out.

thanks by the way for answering questions


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## mythmaster (May 22, 2010)

Oh, ok that is a small one.  Yeah an hour should be fine then you could take off the foil and put it back in like Fire It Up said.  It should bark up some more.

If you want to pull it then I'd take it to 205.  Just be sure to spritz it after you take it back out of the foil.  Save the juices from the foil to add back into it after you pull it, too.  I think that it'll be ok and not too dry.


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## dribron (May 22, 2010)

That seems pretty high too me. I have never done a brisket above 230, and I prefer 200-220. Deffnetly foil when IT temp reached 165 or so. And Take pics, and let us know how it all turns out.... Have fun!


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

well like said earlier, that wasnt the intended temp, although it has dropped about 25 degrees. im still getting used to this smoker, only my second time using it and ive got to figure out how better to keep the temps down.

but ill take a pic or two


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

sounds like a plan.


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## dribron (May 22, 2010)

I do not have one of thouse smokers but have read excellent reviews of it. I'm sure after a smoke or two you'll get it just fine.. I know others whom do have it, are able to keep there temp in the range they want.... Just another reason that smoking is so fun....


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## mballi3011 (May 22, 2010)

Well I know you didn't want to smoke your brisket at 350° it happens spacially if your new to that smoker. Now as far as high temp smoking I haven't done it but I have read alot about it too. Then I also would say to foil it and I would take the brisket to maybe 195° for slicing and 205° for pulling and if you take it out of the foil for the hour or so to let the bark harden maybe you should just leave it out of the foil all together. Then you can pull it at about 195° and you will have a good hard and thick crust/bark what ever.


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## mythmaster (May 22, 2010)

I'm really curious about how "THE WORLD'S FASTEST BRISKET" is gonna come out.   I hope that it's edible and not too dry.


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

well...it was not that great. the outer edges were good, as the smoke ring penetrated to them but barely anywhere else (did not use nearly as many woodchips as first time which was a big mistake). but a lot of the meat was spongy and flavorless. certainly a failure. took it out at 205 internal temp

my pork shoulder was kind of spongy too, but had a ton of flavor.


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

yea, for those interested in trying to cook brisket on high, id suggest againt it unless youve got some other strategy. this certainly wasnt the best result.


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## mythmaster (May 22, 2010)

Sorry to hear that, bro.  It's a lot easier to mess up a brisket than a pork shoulder -- they have tons of flavor pretty much no matter what you do to them.

Maybe do a dry burn or two so you can get those temps under control and use a water pan if you didn't this time (it will help bring down the temp -- I don't know why I forgot about that earlier, sorry).  Those temps were just way too high to expect proper results.  I was hoping that we could kind of salvage it, but at least you didn't have a $30 chunk of brisket in there to lose.

Better luck next time -- once you get the hang of the smoker, you'll be kicking out competition-grade stuff in no time!


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## mythmaster (May 22, 2010)

Yeah, even the "hot and fast" method is only at 250*, not 350*


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## fire it up (May 22, 2010)

Pretty sure it was just however it ended up getting smoked this time for you and not the high heat method itself, I can vouch for some successful BBQ done with HH smoking of meats.
Hell look at Myron Mixon, love him or not the main is a World champion BBQ master and he smokes at 325-350.


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## cliffcarter (May 22, 2010)

I know it's too late now but this is the thread to the high temp brisket- for future reference

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=91829


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

thats exactly why ive started with half cuts of meat, because im still getting the hang of it.

and i think ive discovered the problem. way to much lit charcoal to start off with. wmarkw, the guy who showed me this smoker and has the same one, has given me advice on how he goes about starting up his smoker and getting it to proper temp. i think i should be good from now on, and hopefully can really get some good barbecue.


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

hmmm, funny thing about that is the only thing i can see he did differently from me was cook it in the pan


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## jjw (May 22, 2010)

propably so, im sure there are plenty of things he does when cooking high heat that just werent in my strategical plans at all


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## jjw (May 23, 2010)

actually after having just eaten some leftovers,, it was actually tasting pretty good. for some reason after being pulled and sitting in some sacue in the fridge it actually tastes pretty good.


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## ddave (May 23, 2010)

I don't think 250° is considered "high heat".  It's just at the top of the recommended range of 225° to 250°.  Lots of folks smoke around the 240s as standard practice.  

I think for high heat you're talking in the 300s at least.  Here's an example.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=80976

Haven't tried this (yet) but I'm pretty sure high heat in the 300s works better on larger cuts of meat.  For a 2.75 pound flat, it was probably way too hot though.

Dave


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## caveman (May 23, 2010)

I don't see the ash pan.  Did yours come with one?  I know you have a post about high temps.  Is the bottom closed off or something?  I thought that model came with an "Ash Pan".  Am I missing something?


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## mythmaster (May 23, 2010)

That "high heat" method is a bit different from what I've considered to be a "hot and fast" method.

This is what I call a "hot and fast" method.  It was given to me by an Angus rancher when I bought my first brisket from him:

You take a trimmed brisket (not a packer) and smoke it at 250* for 3 hours, then foil it for another 2 hours.  The IT should be around 185*-ish at this point, so you can leave it in a little longer to reach 195* for slicing or 205* for pulling.

I guess that it's more "fast" than "hot", but it works well.


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## mythmaster (May 23, 2010)

I'm happy to hear that!  All was not lost, then.


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## ddave (May 23, 2010)

Yep, I'd agree that brisket in 5 hours is fast. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Dependent on size of course. 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Dave


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## jjw (May 23, 2010)

yea i does have an ash pan, im not sure why that photo doesnt have it.

and as far as the high temps go i have a new strategy based upon advice given to me from an other owner of this model


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## jjw (May 23, 2010)

yea, it wasnt. but it still wadnt quite right.

heres a question though, is it possible to get bark on a small cut of meat like that? how long does it take for bark to form?


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