Deflowered Bandera

[jt]

Got to break in the 'dera over the weekend! I was just going to do a couple Beer Butt Chickens but the wife (good woman!) found a brisket on sale so I went ahead and took the chance on destroying it as well. Tried to remember all the fire control stuff I read here - wasn't concerned about the chicken but I really didn't want to waste a brisket! Made a foil/rack heat shield and raised the fire grate up by hanging it with 4 S-hooks to give me more ash/air room. No remote thermometers yet but I figured I could manage. I went all-wood - oak with some hickory chunks during the first few hours. Started the fire at 7:45 am and had the meat on by 8:30. Temp in the chamber (with the 3" New Braunfels "professional" door thermometer I got at Home Depot) was right at 250. Then I just worked to keep the fire consistent the rest of the day. Opened the door (I need temp probes!) at 11:30 to check the birds and finally took them off at 12:30. I attached a pic of the birds & brisket. I think I had my heat shield a little high.

Closed the door and got it back up to temp and left the brisket until 3:30 when it reached 180. I cut it in half, foiled everything and put it back in until it reached 210. Then I put them in a cooler for a couple hours.

The chickens were extremely juicy. The brisket wasn't quite "melt-in-your-mouth" but was close! I had one temp spike with the brisket that I had to manage but overall I was pleased with the first outing. After I learn the 'dera better I'll be able to manage the fire better.

I got a lot of tips from this group. You guys rock!

[colt45]

looks great... doing beer can chickens myself this week sometime...

josh

[willkat98]

Congrats JT!

That Dinosaur turd look scrumptuous

[Bigdog]

jt,
Most door therms are inaccurate. Buy a couple of cheap oven therms and place them around your box to get a better idea of the temps. Save up for a Nutemp-you will love it.

[stlmike]

JT,
I second what Bigdog states about the door thermometer...it is notroriously off by up to 50*. Do yourself a favor and save yourself some grief at the same time by checking yours in boiling water to see what it is actually reading. Let us know how it comes out.
StL Mike

[jt]

I'll check it tonight. I didn't think about it before, probably because I was originally just going to do chickens. The brisket added a whole 'nother element.

[Stucue74]

Not bad JT. I would definitely get a couple of cheap oven thermometers and put on top and bottom shelves. In my Dera 250* on the door is more like 275-290* on the top shelves. I'm by no means a pro when it comes to brisket. But I've had success when I keep the temp around 225*, usually for about 1.5 hrs. per lb. I also baste about every hour with Apple Juice/olive oil. Great call on the cooler for the last couple of hours, great tenderizer. Nice first brisket!

[colt45]

I went to this great store in the northwoods of wisconsin... "Northern Merchandise" basically a junk store... anyway they had oven therms for a buck a piece... gunna try on out in my oven at home tomight to see how they work... making buffalo chicken leg quarters :)

[jt]

Ok, I tested the thermometer while my boy and I had reheated brisket & baked beans. Of course, I supplemented mine with a beer! :D When the water boiled I had 208 on the meter which is pretty close. According to a website I found, sea level should be 212 degrees and 2000 ft above sea level should be 208. I'm about 800 ft above so I should be around 210 - that puts my thermometer about 2 degrees off.

I put the brisket on the same level as the door thermometer so it would be fairly close. Next time I'll try 225. And I'll probably get some Nu Temps soon.

[Solidkick]

Did you cut a potato in half and shove in the bird's neck? I may have forgotten to tell you that. Helps hold the moisture from the beer can in. May not be a necessity, but is the way I do it.

The guys also pointed out about the door themo. Another fact I forgot to point out.

So.......for all the information I forgot to give you........
Hell of a first cook! I'm proud of ya!

[jt]

No, didn't do the potato. I'll try to remember that one. Looking at doing pulled pork on the next one...

[Saiko]

Here's another little trick I use (I don't have all those fancy wireless thermometers that these other guys have :D ).
I put three different oven thermometers inside the smoking chamber, one at it's hottest spot (lower left grate), one at the coolest spot (upper right grate) and one in the middle.
When it's time to mop, I take the door thermometer and rotate it so the needle is pointing straight up at 12:00. Once I open the chamber, I check all my temps and decide if I need it hotter or cooler. If I need it hotter, I rotate the door thermometer a little to the left so that when it warms up it will be at 12:00. If I need it cooler, I rotate it to the right a little.
Once I do this a couple of times, I just have to glance at the door and see if the needle is at 12:00.
If it's running a little hot, I use bbgchef's "rock mod" (use a rock to prop open the firechamber a bit to let heat escape), if it's running a little cool I tend the fire.

bbqchef's rock mod:

http://www.markredman.net/bandera/brisket6.jpg

[jt]

I put the door thermometer so 250 was at 12:00 - made it real easy to tell where the temps were. And I did use the "rock mod" a couple times!

[threesticks]

Saiko-
OTFLMAO. Been using a scrap of wood to accomplish the same.

[Saiko]

Saiko-
OTFLMAO. Been using a scrap of wood to accomplish the same.

I'm telling ya, with all the mods and improvements I've made to my bandera, that rock has made the most difference in temperature control, LOL. Whenever I add wood, I prop open the top and watch the door temp. If it continues to rise, I prop it open a bit more. Once it's stable, I wait till the heat spike is over then drop the lid back down. My temps rarely budge more than 10 degrees. I never even touch the vents, just keep em both wide open.