Smoked Brisket

nepas · Post by **nepas** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 16:58

Did a brisket on my MAK pellet grill.

Elevated it on the extra rack and put a couple pans under. Used peach pellets for the smoke. Put some beer in the pans

Total time was 9.75 hours. 3 hours of smoke at 180 then bumping to 250.

Wrapped in clear wrap and foil.

FTC for 2.5 hours

After the FTC its slice time.

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 19:01

Since I'm a little thin on barbecue/smoking knowledge, what is FTC? Also, props on the F.Dick slicer, classic!

DLFL · Post by **DLFL** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 20:51

Sure looks good. Had my F.Dick slicing knife for 20 years and still love it. I also have had a Henckel slicing knife for about as long. Each have their purpose.

NorCal Kid · Post by **NorCal Kid** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 22:41

JerBear wrote:Since I'm a little thin on barbecue/smoking knowledge, what is FTC? Also, props on the F.Dick slicer, classic!

FTC = Foil, Towel, Cooler........

Does wonders for making a juicy, tender brisket!

GREAT looking brisket, Nepas!

-Kevin

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 00:33

Thanks Kevin. I wonder what other products that would work well for. I just did a pastrami and roasted it to 155ºF then tossed it in the fridge to cool overnight before slicing. Do you think the same technique would work there? When I roasted the pastrami I had already wrapped it in foil, I could just pull it and toss it in a cooler. Thoughts?

NorCal Kid · Post by **NorCal Kid** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 01:21

JerBear wrote:Thanks Kevin. I wonder what other products that would work well for. I just did a pastrami and roasted it to 155ºF then tossed it in the fridge to cool overnight before slicing. Do you think the same technique would work there? When I roasted the pastrami I had already wrapped it in foil, I could just pull it and toss it in a cooler. Thoughts?

Same cut of meat, so one would logically think one could treat a roasted pastrami the same as a smoked brisket. I've read online where folks FTC pastrami (fat-side up) and are pleased with the results. I've not made 'pastrami'-just the smoked brisket many times-so I'm far from being a 'pastrami savant.....'

-Kevin

nepas · Post by **nepas** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 02:09

Sorry i was out all day.

Kevin has you on it.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 03:03

Knowing that temperatures above 130 will cook meat then the heating of meat to 160 or better and insulating it for a prolonged period results in long slow cooking. I have cooked chili by bringing it to a boil and setting the pot on an insulating base and covering it with several winter coats and leaving it over night. In the morning the temperature would still be above 140.

crustyo44 · Post by **crustyo44** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 00:11

Hi Nepas,
My question might be stupid but as a novice I noticed the coloured outside and the lighter coloured inside on your smoked brisket.
Is this because you used cure #1 in your curing?
The brisket looks wonderful and juicy. Keep up these pictures please so I can pick your brain.
Best Regards,
Jan.

Dave Zac · Post by **Dave Zac** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 00:15

FTC- same technique for finishing a pork butt for pulled pork.

JerBear · Post by **JerBear** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 03:44

Hey Jan, that's actually called a smoke ring and is the sign for properly smoked brisket. Tells you it was well smoked which equates to awesome flavor.

ssorllih · Post by **ssorllih** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 04:26

This link helps to explain the chemistry behind it. http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuehelp/g/gsmokering.htm
My first thought when I saw it was that the cure didn't have enough dwell time. It seems that that is also a way of cheating to get the ring.

nepas · Post by **nepas** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 04:48

crustyo44 wrote:Hi Nepas,
My question might be stupid but as a novice I noticed the coloured outside and the lighter coloured inside on your smoked brisket.
Is this because you used cure #1 in your curing?
The brisket looks wonderful and juicy. Keep up these pictures please so I can pick your brain.
Best Regards,
Jan.

Jan

I dont use cure on my briskets when i smoke. I normally smoke my larger cuts of meat on my pellet grill. If you want the smoke ring on a cut of meat to do in your kitchen oven you would use cure to get whats called a cheater smoke ring. The smoke ring does not add flavor to the meat , its just for looks.

I used plain old brisket rub on the brisket.

el Ducko · Post by **el Ducko** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 04:58

...and all this time I've been using FPO (foil, pan, oven). Well, live and learn. What a great forum!

I do find my dual thermocouple thermometer (Cabela's) very useful, especially for controlling smoke temperature. ...anybody else?

I try to run at 250 deg F smoke temperature until I reach 165 or so meat temp, however long that takes, then wrap it in foil and bring it in to finish in the oven. (There's a temperature probe in the oven, which I set at 185.) I run the oven at 220, and it takes maybe an hour more. Stays nice and moist if you wrap it at 165. Above that, it tends to dry out.

Note that I go by temperature, not time. Depending on outdoor conditions, total time varies from 6 hours + an hour oven time to 8 hours plus oven time. Since I started going by temperature instead of time, my consistency has improved considerably.