# brisket on top or bottom rack?



## g82martin (Feb 24, 2008)

I have a Brinkman ECB H2O smoker and I'm smoking a 7lb brisket today. Should I put the brisket on the top or bottom rack? The smoker has a couple of slight mods including a real temperature gauge on the lid and a rack on the coal pan to raise the coals above the fans for better air flow. 

Thanks in advance for any advice.


----------



## flash (Feb 24, 2008)

I would put it closes to the temp gauge rack. IMHO


----------



## g82martin (Feb 24, 2008)

Thanks Flash. Follow up question. If my temp at the top of the lid (which is where my temp gauge is) is registering about 265F, then what would the estimated temp on the lower rack be? The lower rack rests on top of the water pan. Again, I am using a Brinkman ECB. The reason I ask this question is that I want to smoke the brisket at around 225F and as you can see, the lid is at 265F.


----------



## zapper (Feb 24, 2008)

That is simple!











One on each rack!    
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	













If you are only smoking one thing, then it doesn't really matter unless you have noticed a difference between the two racks that would affect the smoking. However, if you are cooking things that will be done at different times or will need more tending to while they cook or you don't want drippings from one down on to the other, then you may want to consider food placement. Me? I put the slower foods on the bottom so that I can get the faster cooking foods off of the top with out having to shuffle the generally bigger foods out of the way. Also for the most part the top rack smaller and faster foods tend to be the "daintier" stuff that I wouldn't want drippings on (ABTs , Mushrooms, small fish fillets and the likes) Some folks would think that the fish dripping on to the lower meat would be undesirable, and I agree, so I tend to cook it with foil under it>


----------



## g82martin (Feb 24, 2008)

Thanks Zapper. I'm struggling with my smoker a bit. The temp at the lid is approaching 300F 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  How do I get this under control? The brisket has been on for just about an hour now.


----------



## flash (Feb 24, 2008)

The dome lid of the ECB does seem to get hotter on the top rack, especially if you have no vents in it. I do not use my lower rack due to it being hard to get too. I have a vertical GOSM that I use if I need more than 1 rack. Now on that smoker, the lower racks are the hotter ones by about 15º


----------



## desertlites (Feb 24, 2008)

maybe drop your coals & play with your vents to control temp?


----------



## zapper (Feb 24, 2008)

Choke off the combustion air and or remove fuel. I haven't played with charcoal in a long time, but I seem to recall that the closeness of the coals to each other could affect the heat output too. And as always with anything that I do and the equipment that I have I worry about my thermometers being accurate


----------



## g82martin (Feb 25, 2008)

Thanks for all of your tips. The brisket was outstanding! I ended up struggling with the temp a bit as this was the first time I did a really long smoke. Not to mention that I'm in New England and it was still a bit cool outside today (about 45F). The brisket ended up going about 9 hours. The internal temp was just under 180F, so I wrapped it in foil and finished it in the oven at 300F. I pulled it out of the oven at 195F internal temp.


----------



## richtee (Feb 25, 2008)

Geeezsus...give this guy a medal! 300 in an ECB! I did it once... full chimney of hot lump on a hardwood coals base...


----------



## crockadale (Feb 25, 2008)

I'm with you on that rich...I've never got mine up to 300.


----------

