Noob brisket Weber kettle!

[ColdFyre]

Whelp, I visited a local meat market and had 'em cut me off an 8lb chunk 'o brisket. It's not a 'packer' as far as I can tell, I'm pretty new to this so I'm gonna trust my meat guy to gimme something I can work with. It looks like mostly a flat. (I hate being ignorant... but hell, I can only take in so much at a time )

I'm going to trim off most of the fat cap (leave about 1/8 to 1/4").
Then tomorrow AM I'll set up a Snake for the kettle and start it going.
I have 4 woods to choose from. Cherry, apple, red oak and citrus. Any general preference? (no hickory or mesquite at this time)

My general plan:
tonight: trim
Tomorrow AM:season (gonna go basic with just salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion)
Light the fire and get it to about 250-275 (drip pan under meat, water pan near fire)
Meat on, fat side up.
Monitor temp for a whole mess of hours and mop once in a while (figuring this thing will weigh about 7lbs after I trim it. If I do 250(ish) for 1.5 hrs a #, that puts me at 10.5 hours ('till it's done!).
I plan on wrapping it once it hits about 160ish. Then taking it off once it probes soft, then wrap in towels and cooler it for another couple of hours.

If you have any comments about the method or pix of the meat, I'd be most appreciative! (please!! I need all the help I can get, my last one was a disaster!)

 

[Garrett]

Looks like it was cut off right at the point. Still looks like it has some nice marbling. Sounds like you have a good plan. My best advice is thro away the clock and cook it until its done. Probe tender. Good luck!!

 

[Toronto]

10.5hrs is a long time in a kettle, you will most likely need to refill.

 

[Bludawg]

I have cooked them on the Kettle using the ring of Fire set up Bottom vent open 1/8" top open 3/4 it will roll along at 250-275 up to 16 hrs. Don't put any water in the pan you won't need it and you really don't need to wrap it either I t will cook faster than your planning I would be willing to bet it'll be probe tender in 7.5- 8 hrs.

 

[ColdFyre]

Blu... thanks for the advise. I am wondering though about the wrapping. Last one I did I didn't foil and it came out really dry. I'm paranoid about it doing the same thing. Granted there was no fatcap to speak of that time. Are you suggesting that I don't foil/towel/cooler it for a few hours after it gets to about 190ish? (Ie, pull it off to let it rest for 30 or so after it gets 'probe tender'?)

Sorry for all the questions, but there are so many methods... I'm so confused!

 

[Bludawg]

Blu... thanks for the advise. I am wondering though about the wrapping. Last one I did I didn't foil and it came out really dry. I'm paranoid about it doing the same thing. Granted there was no fatcap to speak of that time. Are you suggesting that I don't foil/towel/cooler it for a few hours after it gets to about 190ish? (Ie, pull it off to let it rest for 30 or so after it gets 'probe tender'?)

Sorry for all the questions, but there are so many methods... I'm so confused!

If you feel more comfortable wrapping go ahead lack of a Fat Cap will lead to it drying out. I cook 1 of 2 ways neked or I wrap in Butcher paper at the 4 hr mark and cook until probe tender( I don't do temps, very unreliable, the probe never lies!
If you foil it once you have it off the fire stick your thermo probe in it sit it on the counter top( Put a Sheet pan under it, Foil leaks) and let it rest until the temp drops into the 150's before slicing. If you cook it neked put it on a sheet pan put the probe in it and tent with foil untill it gets into the 150's. Don't cut more than you need as it will get dry on you when you refrigerate any left overs,As the meat cools it tightens up and pushes out the juices the smaller the piece the drier it will get.

 

[landarc]

I would go apple or apple/oak. I do a lot of brisket in my kettle, the ring of fire works great. I cook 250 to 300, wherever the kettle settles. I go fat cap down though, I feel I get better results that way, the fat shields from the heat. Otherwise, seems like you've got a good plan going.

 

[Johnny Ca$h]

I have cooked them on the Kettle using the ring of Fire set up Bottom vent open 1/8" top open 3/4 it will roll along at 250-275 up to 16 hrs.

I love the ring of fire in a Kettle I too have gone 14-16 hrs @250 or so

 

[ColdFyre]

Trimmed and rubbed. (I was going to do just salt and pepper, but did a lil more. Got some brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder & a little chili powder in there along with kosher salt.

Kettle set up: (note: no water in the pan this time)

Smokin' away! (fat side down) (probe temp at grill is at 240... top thermometer says 300. Irritating!)

It's been a little over an hour. After reading more and more through this vast pit of BBQ knowledge on this wonderful forum, I've opted to forgo the mop... <crosses fingers!>

 

[landarc]

You are making mostly good choices. That sugar bears some watching. I think you are headed in the right direction. Remember, probe tender

 

[ColdFyre]

what should I be watching for with the brown sugar? At what temp would it be Burning? If it is, I would imagine that I need to cut the heat down... 225? (fire just got to 250 @ the 1.5 hr mark. Still no peeking )

 

[Bludawg]

Don't fark with it just let it cook at 240! You really don't need any sugary substance with beef the fat will make it's own sweet sugar cookie.

 

[BB-Kuhn]

240 with no mopping - SUGAR COOKIE!! Like Bludawg said.

 

[ColdFyre]

Foil wrapped after 4 hours... just did a probe test. Isn't smooth going in, but feels like it has potential. Meat is at 188. Wrapped back up and will check again in an hour

 

[ColdFyre]

whelp, fire got up to the 280 range for a bit after I checked it the last time. Clamped everything down to almost closed to get it back down. Got down to 250 after another 30 min. I checked it after another hour and the meat was at 202 and felt "kinda" tender with the probe going in. Not like butter. I debated and decided to pull it, wrap it in a blanket and let it rest. An hour later, family was starving and the pic is the result.

outside was pretty damed good but the inside was dry and firm. Not sure what I did wrong. My guess is that I just needed to let it set on the Kettle unwrapped for a long while more. Started to panic I guess at the 200 degree range.

sigh....