I've got a standard, modified ECB (charcoal) that I broke in on Memorial Day with a successful cook involving some whole chickens and an 8 lb pork butt which were each cooked separately as I learned the ropes.
My wife's bday is this weekend and I'm gearing up for my second official cook. We're having people over. Show time is late Saturday PM. I'm planning on repeating the whole chickens along with a smaller, ~ 6 lb pork butt, but this time, I'm taking the plunge and adding a brisket to the mix.
Ordered a ~ 9 lb (i.e. smaller) packer from the butcher and it's my first brisket. I bypassed starting with a smaller flat due to the known issues (dryness, lack of fat, etc) in favor of the packer and I've gone over several threads, including the seminal brisket tutorial here:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=57882
So my plan is to give myself plenty of time and start the cook when I get home from work Friday night. I'd like to try and cook the brisket and butt together. From what I've read, I'll probably try the butt on top, fat cap up and the brisky on the bottom fat cap down, right above the water pan, with 250 as a cooking temp. No foiling, though I might get some butcher paper when I pick up the meat since the brisket might need it given the flat's lean-ness.
Hopefully the brisket fits on the 14.5" grate, or else I'll try the can method for support underneath.
I also only have one Maverick ET-732 so I'd probably put it in the brisket. Does anyone have other tips or suggestions? When doing multiple cuts, where do you put the one meat probe? Should I flip flop the brisky and butt? Which cut will finish first? How will cooking 2 things at once influence temps?
I'm sort of expecting the brisket to be average or below average, as its my first one and it seems like screwing up your first few is a right of passage, but if I can serve it or perhaps part of it and churn out another good butt, it'd be a moral victory. Gotta start somewhere...
Thanks for the help.
