What's for Dinner?

Ok pros, I’m not sure I’ll do this but am considering cooking a brisket this Saturday/Sunday.

i have a small frozen brisket in the freezer, about 12.5lbs
-take out of freezer around noon tomorrow and leave in the fridge to thaw
-Saturday afternoon start trimming and season with kosher salt first and then some beef seasoning (something with very little salt or no salt at all, and lots of pepper and some garlic powder)
-put it in the fridge for a couple hours
-My plan and hope is put it in the Weber charcoal grill a bit late at night (this time I need to master the sneak method to prevent running out of charcoal and fire). Somewhere maybe like 10pm
-continue Sunday according to plan

what da ya think

Oh, Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be nice days in the 60s and hopefully 70 Sunday, overnight in the 40s, so fire management would be key as always.

Sounds like a great plan, I'd pull it out of the freezer right now though.
Mike

Agree with Mike on the thawing. You may even need to put it in a big bowl of water (assuming it is hermetically sealed in plastic) to get it to thaw in a reasonable time. That can be in the fridge.

Yeah, wife said the same thing.
My main concern would be the overnight temps in the low 40s and keeping a good grill temp with the fluctuation.

Let me send you some sunshine (and heat!)

Communal BBQing and social distancing with BFF's. Pork Butt is on, BFF's will show up soon with an 8lb Flat Brisket and some BB Ribs (for drop off). I have some Ho-made Snasuage to toss on later. Will split it all up for dinner and deliver a nice pan of smoked meats to them tonight. Perfect day for smoking. Sunny, warm and light winds.

Varis......

Use the force......

geek said:

Ok pros, I’m not sure I’ll do this but am considering cooking a brisket this Saturday/Sunday.

i have a small frozen brisket in the freezer, about 12.5lbs
-take out of freezer around noon tomorrow and leave in the fridge to thaw
-Saturday afternoon start trimming and season with kosher salt first and then some beef seasoning (something with very little salt or no salt at all, and lots of pepper and some garlic powder)
-put it in the fridge for a couple hours
-My plan and hope is put it in the Weber charcoal grill a bit late at night (this time I need to master the sneak method to prevent running out of charcoal and fire). Somewhere maybe like 10pm
-continue Sunday according to plan

what da ya think

Oh, Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be nice days in the 60s and hopefully 70 Sunday, overnight in the 40s, so fire management would be key as always.

Click to expand...

ibglowin said:

Let me send you some sunshine (and heat!)

View attachment 60558

Click to expand...

wow, great looking forecast. Here is basically rain, rain and more rain....

I've lurked on this thread for quite awhile now watching the amazing food you guys cook. Kind of got out of the winemaking after my 130 vines froze out a couple winters ago. I don't think I have the ambition to start from the ground with them again, although they do still have some life in them.

To comment on the brisket cook, I'm guessing you're starting the night before to run low and slow near the 225 mark. I used to but have since switched to around 275 and am getting probe tender on a full packer in about 7 hours. I've got a Lang Stretch 36 offset and I got tired of having to maintain the fire for 12-16 hours to do a brisket and the smoker just seemed to like running at the 275 temp more. I think the brisket has been just as good if not better at the higher temp cook. It may need to go a little higher on the finish temp, towards 210, before you'll get the tenderness you get at 203 when cooking at 225. You could fire up the grill at 5am, meat on at 6am, off to rest by 1-2pm, and then chow time at 4. You'll be able to get a little sleep then Also, I do wrap in butcher paper around 165, or when the color is right.

@LittleBearGameFarm WOW, that looks great.!!

Yeah, I thought about starting at 5am but not sure if good option or not. I'd like to be chowing around 2pm if possible considering I also need to let it rest for at least 1 hour or so. Takes a bit of time to master the fire on these charcoal grills compared to the pellet grills (set it and forget it).

We'll see.

ibglowin said:

Varis......

Use the force......

Click to expand...

Yup, I remember those videos and in fact used them last year for my first ever brisket for my daughter college wish well party, the brisket was the WOW of everyone, really it came out absolutely perfect, tender, nice smoke ring, very good flavor and juicy.

The main thing once you get your fire going be it 225 or 275 is to watch your temps. Wrap @ 160-165. I like the butcher paper but foil will work in a pinch and then watch your temps again. Start probing around 195 and if it goes in and out like buddah pull it and let the rest begin. The 203 is not a full proof temp and you can overcook a brisket (dry) if you pay attention to only temp and not what your probe (test) tells you.

Salad and salmon Friday, good!!

LittleBearGameFarm said:

I've lurked on this thread for quite awhile now watching the amazing food you guys cook. Kind of got out of the winemaking after my 130 vines froze out a couple winters ago. I don't think I have the ambition to start from the ground with them again, although they do still have some life in them.

To comment on the brisket cook, I'm guessing you're starting the night before to run low and slow near the 225 mark. I used to but have since switched to around 275 and am getting probe tender on a full packer in about 7 hours. I've got a Lang Stretch 36 offset and I got tired of having to maintain the fire for 12-16 hours to do a brisket and the smoker just seemed to like running at the 275 temp more. I think the brisket has been just as good if not better at the higher temp cook. It may need to go a little higher on the finish temp, towards 210, before you'll get the tenderness you get at 203 when cooking at 225. You could fire up the grill at 5am, meat on at 6am, off to rest by 1-2pm, and then chow time at 4. You'll be able to get a little sleep then Also, I do wrap in butcher paper around 165, or when the color is right.
View attachment 60565

View attachment 60562View attachment 60563View attachment 60564

Click to expand...

Looks like someone's been doing some competition cooking! Nice work!

geek said:

@LittleBearGameFarm WOW, that looks great.!!

Yeah, I thought about starting at 5am but not sure if good option or not. I'd like to be chowing around 2pm if possible considering I also need to let it rest for at least 1 hour or so. Takes a bit of time to master the fire on these charcoal grills compared to the pellet grills (set it and forget it).

We'll see.

Click to expand...

If you're using the Performer, you may find it easier to hold the higher temp. When I do ribs on mine, I'm running 275-300. Much quicker than the smoker and the results are just as good.

Boatboy24 said:

If you're using the Performer, you may find it easier to hold the higher temp. When I do ribs on mine, I'm running 275-300. Much quicker than the smoker and the results are just as good.

Click to expand...

Do you use both vents to control the temp, top and bottom?

Hit the easy button once again, but I did get to grill, I thought it was supposed to rain at least this morning, but they were wrong (yea). Brats on the grill. Seven pound hotel turkey breast tomorrow on the bullet smoker (was cheap, they must not be filling up the hotels these days). Pizza now for Sunday since it's supposed to rain, really thick pork chops for Monday. I love when I can grill (and drink a beer or three watching things cook).

Today I am running both the Kamado and the 22" Weber. Lots of smoked meats! The Kamado has had the 8.6lb flat on since 9AM and the Weber has cooked the 9lb Pork Butt. On at 730AM and off at 3PM and resting since then. Ribs went on the Weber at 12PM and did the usual 3-2-(0) and resting in the cooler since 5PM Sausage went on the Weber at 3PM and off at 4PM and resting in the cooler.

I open the bottom vent on the Weber full open and usually dampen the heat/temp with the top vent. I installed a dome temp gauge in my Weber years ago and use that as a guide as well as temp probes for meat. If things get too hot and the top vent is not shutting the temp down fast enough then I will damp the bottom vent as well as the top until the temp drops to where I want it and then reopen the bottom full and leave top damped until temp rises back. At some point just opening the top full open will usually raise the temp 50-75 degrees in 30 mins.

I am struggling with the Brisket from hell at the moment. Everything is done by 5PM except for the Brisket. I have had the Kamado at 250-275F all day and at 4PM the Brisket was still sitting at 160F. I pulled it and wrapped in foil (as well as paper) and after about 45 mins its now climbing better. Last check was 175 at 530PM. Should reach ~195 in another hour hopefully or dinner will be a little late!

ibglowin said:

I am struggling with the Brisket from hell at the moment. Everything is done by 5PM except for the Brisket. I have had the Kamado at 250-275F all day and at 4PM the Brisket was still sitting at 160F. I pulled it and wrapped in foil (as well as paper) and after about 45 mins its now climbing better. Last check was 175 at 530PM. Should reach ~195 in another hour hopefully or dinner will be a little late!

Click to expand...

I rarely get to cook a brisket these days, but when I do I usually aim for it to be done 3 hours early and put it in a cooler like you did the ribs. If you need it for dinner it will take longer, just because it can!

I've had a group over for brisket and we ended up doing burgers and dogs and when the brisket got done I wrapped some for each of the guests and sent them home with it, once again because it's a brisket and it just does that sometimes, very frustrating.

geek said:

Do you use both vents to control the temp, top and bottom?

Click to expand...

Primarily the bottom. If I have the choice, I keep the top (exhaust) full open and control temps with the bottom vents. But if I'm going below 300F, I find I have to close the top vent - sometimes as much as 75%.