WTF? 11 lb brisket takes 21 hours to cook?

[shaneo69]

My brisket-smoking experience began with using a Brinkmann Smoke 'N Grill electric smoker. But I couldn't get a smoke ring, and the briskets were too long to fit on the grill portion of the round smoker. So I switched to smoking the brisket on my regular round Weber charcoal kettle grill, and I was able to get a smoke ring, but still had a problem getting the brisket to fit on the round grill area and the fact that it was tough to keep the charcoal far enough on the side to consider it "indirect" heat.

So I got this Char Broil smoker for Christmas, which solved the problem of fitting the brisket on the grill.

http://www.charbroil.com/consumerwebhome/AmericanGourmetSmoker.aspx

The first brisket I cooked on this smoker wasn't that great. I left it on for 14 hours, and I thought I overcooked it. So I got a digital thermometer and decided to try it again on Saturday. The 11 lb brisket went on at 9:30 a.m. Not trimmed, still had the cap on it. Kept the temp between 200-225 the entire time. At 10:30 p.m., it still only had an internal temp of 125 degrees. By this time, I was out of wood chunks/chips and didn't feel like adding any more charcoal. So I took it off the smoker, wrapped it in aluminum foil, and threw it in a 250 degree oven. Got up every two hours to check it, and finally, around 6:30 a.m. Easter morning, it was up to 187 internal degrees, so I took it off.

After letting it sit for awhile, I started carving it, but no smoke ring at all. And not close to Gates' in texture, more like the texture of their burndt ends, which isn't bad, but not tender like I was hoping for.

What the hell am I doing wrong?

[Demonpenz]

not enough antifreeze

[htismaqe]

Here's my experience, although I'm not as experienced with brisket as other cuts...

1) You're gonna struggle with briskets and other cuts that take a long time because the CharBroil doesn't hold heat all that well, meaning temp fluctuations. I would recommend getting some fireplace bricks and placing them strategically inside the cooking chamber as it will spread out heat and keep the temp from dropping quickly.

2) 200-225 is probably too low of a temp. I would say 250-275 is probably better.

3) For thinner cuts of pork, or for chicken and turkey, I usually do 1 hour for each lb. of meat. However, my experience with large roasts, butts, and briskets is that 1.5 hours per pound is a better number. That's at 275 degrees. It's not out of the question that your 11lb. brisket would take around 16 hours to cook.

[htismaqe]

Also, if you're going to use a meat thermometer (I usually don't anymore, I can tell when it's done by looking at it) I would recommend getting an electronic one with a remote sensor. You can figure that every time you open the lid of your smoker to check temp adds 15-20 minutes to your cooking time.

[shaneo69]

Also, if you're going to use a meat thermometer (I usually don't anymore, I can tell when it's done by looking at it) I would recommend getting an electronic one with a remote sensor. You can figure that every time you open the lid of your smoker to check temp adds 15-20 minutes to your cooking time.

Yeah, I've got a remote thermometer that I left in the brisket with the receiver on the outside, so I didn't have to open the lid or the oven to check the temp.

I'm just wondering if most people buy the already trimmed briskets which are about 5-6 lbs (and $30), or if they buy the untrimmed 11 pounders for $15 like I did, and then trim the brisket themselves. I would have no clue how to trim it myself. I guess I should spring for the trimmed versions but I'm afraid they would burn a lot easier with a lot less fat on them. Guess I could wrap it in bacon as some have suggested.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Yeah, I've got a remote thermometer that I left in the brisket with the receiver on the outside, so I didn't have to open the lid or the oven to check the temp.

I'm just wondering if most people buy the already trimmed briskets which are about 5-6 lbs (and $30), or if they buy the untrimmed 11 pounders for $15 like I did, and then trim the brisket themselves. I would have no clue how to trim it myself. I guess I should spring for the trimmed versions but I'm afraid they would burn a lot easier with a lot less fat on them. Guess I could wrap it in bacon as some have suggested.
I always go for the cryovaced untrimmed brisket. Basically, you want to trim the fat cap to about 1/4-3/8 inch everywhere. Also, you really want to find a brisket that is as close to the same thickness all the way down the length as you can.

Don't go with the trimmed version.s You need the fat to keep it moist and bacon makes it taste like bacon.

[htismaqe]

I buy the untrimmed vac-packed as well.

I did a 14-pounder last year for the draft - 12 hours on the smoker at 250, 16 hours in the oven in foil at 200. It was awesome.

[shaneo69]

Good---I will stick with the untrimmed vac-packed then, and see if the Super Wal-Mart butcher can trim it as FMB described.

[htismaqe]

Don't trim too much...fat = flavor.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Good---I will stick with the untrimmed vac-packed then, and see if the Super Wal-Mart butcher can trim it as FMB described.
Wal-Mart doesn't have a butcher. They buy all their crap prepackaged. Sams might be able to... HyVee or PriceChopper probably will.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Wal-Mart doesn't have a butcher. They buy all their crap prepackaged. Sams might be able to... HyVee or PriceChopper probably will.People buy meat at Wal-Mart?!?

[Stewie]

Off-set smokers like the one you have are the most difficult to use, especially if it's thin gauge steel. Temperature variations are wider than in vertical smokers. Not to say you can't get a good brisket out of it, but it's going to take lots of practice.

[htismaqe]

People buy meat at Wal-Mart?!?

For BBQ meat? Yes.

Anything that should be fresh-cut, like steaks and chops, you should buy elsewhere.

But almost nobody, even the private butchers, carry anything but pre-packaged briskets, butts, and spare ribs anymore.

Anything that comes in a vac-pack, I buy at Wal-Mart.

[chagrin]

I think your fisrt mistake was buying a char-broil, but that's just me; WEBER is happenin, dude

[MOhillbilly]

Dont look at it every hour, as a rule i check mine every 5-6 hours. as long as you have a decent fire. the firebox is the only thing to check.
little smokers you have to hold a vigal around the smoker to keep it smoking.

[htismaqe]

Off-set smokers like the one you have are the most difficult to use, especially if it's thin gauge steel. Temperature variations are wider than in vertical smokers. Not to say you can't get a good brisket out of it, but it's going to take lots of practice.

Thin steel and machine-folded corners are the two biggest reasons not to buy a cheaper smoker...

[MOhillbilly]

Thin steel and machine-folded corners are the two biggest reasons not to buy a cheaper smoker...

theyre fine for small items and tailgates though.

[htismaqe]

theyre fine for small items and tailgates though.

Sure, they do well with chicken and ribs.

The problem is that he wants to do brisket, which is about the hardest thing possible to cook in a smoker like that...

[MOhillbilly]

Sure, they do well with chicken and ribs.

The problem is that he wants to do brisket, which is about the hardest thing possible to cook in a smoker like that...

like i said you have to hold a vigal.

[htismaqe]

like i said you have to hold a vigal.

And with that much heat loss, you burn through WAY too much fuel...over the long haul, you'll actually save money with a more expensive smoker...

[Natty_Light_Man]

The cyclinder Brinkmann Char-broil Smoker as mentioned above works great for 4 or less ours of cooking. Great for pork chops, steaks(St. Louis thing), pork tenterloin or Country Style Ribs.

I have cooked brisket in the smoker but as mentioned above the effort is not worth the result. Maybe it's my level of expertise but I will never attempt a brisket with the smoker I currently own.


Note: Samon, chicken quarters or whole and many other cuts of beef the small smoker works great just don't plan on having the room to fit a large amount of meat for a large gathering.

Never try a 20lb. turkey.... unless you feel like staying up for 24 hours

Never ever use when the least bit cold out. Below 40. the smoker will not keep hot enough.

[cdcox]

I'll add my experience as one additional data point. I also buy the 10+ lb untrimmed briskets. My mantra is "north of 220" to remind myself not to let the temp linger at 200 to 210, because it takes so long to cook a brisket. I try to keep it as close to 220 as possible, with 235 being an upper end for me.

The warmer temperature is especially important near the end of cooking. The cooking rate will be proportional to the difference in the temperature of the meat and the temperature of the surrounding air.

If your meat is at 170 and your fire is at 200,. you're working on a 30 degree temperature difference. If your target temp is 187 you'll only have a 13 degree temperature difference at the end and it will take forever to cross those last few degrees.

If instead you are at 225, you'll have a 55 degree difference at a meat temperature of 170 and a 38 degree difference at your final temp of 187. That means you will be cooking 2 to 3 times faster (at the end) by increasing your temp by 25 degrees. Hence "north of 220".

I figure about 1.25 to 1.5 hrs per pound. I usually wrap it in foil about 2/3 through to avoid it drying out.

Also, be sure to check out this web site as it has some great info on preparing and cooking a briskett, even if you don't have a Weber Bullet. It even has directions for trimming, but I don't trim nearly that much fat.

http://virtualweberbullet.com/brisketselect.html#choosing

[htismaqe]

I'll add my experience as one additional data point. I also buy the 10+ lb untrimmed briskets. My mantra is "north of 220" to remind myself not to let the temp linger at 200 to 210, because it takes so long to cook a brisket. I try to keep it as close to 220 as possible, with 235 being an upper end for me.

The warmer temperature is especially important near the end of cooking. The cooking rate will be proportional to the difference in the temperature of the meat and the temperature of the surrounding air.

If your meat is at 170 and your fire is at 200,. you're working on a 30 degree temperature difference. If your target temp is 187 you'll only have a 13 degree temperature difference at the end and it will take forever to cross those last few degrees.

If instead you are at 225, you'll have a 55 degree difference at a meat temperature of 170 and a 38 degree difference at your final temp of 187. That means you will be cooking 2 to 3 times faster (at the end) by increasing your temp by 25 degrees. Hence "north of 220".

I figure about 1.25 to 1.5 hrs per pound. I usually wrap it in foil about 2/3 through to avoid it drying out.

Also, be sure to check out this web site as it has some great info on preparing and cooking a briskett, even if you don't have a Weber Bullet. It even has directions for trimming, but I don't trim nearly that much fat.

http://virtualweberbullet.com/brisketselect.html#choosing

Leave it to Seedy to come up with some calc equation to cook freaking brisket...

:D

[Fire Me Boy!]

For BBQ meat? Yes.

Anything that should be fresh-cut, like steaks and chops, you should buy elsewhere.

But almost nobody, even the private butchers, carry anything but pre-packaged briskets, butts, and spare ribs anymore.

Anything that comes in a vac-pack, I buy at Wal-Mart.
Exactly what I was going to say.

[cdcox]

Leave it to Seedy to come up with some calc equation to cook freaking brisket...

:D

I got my geek buddy into smoking a couple of years ago. We made Excel graphs of the smoker temp as a function of time and fuel additions.

[htismaqe]

I got my geek buddy into smoking a couple of years ago. We made Excel graphs of the smoker temp as a function of time and fuel additions.

ROFL