How long will brisket take on smoke

[jazzybadger]

In the general sense, what one does in a WSM or BGE or whatever is you decide how many chunks you want, and you place them through your charcoal in the ring. Then you light it up Minion style, and the charcoal, as it's heating, preheats the chunks, and when it comes up to temp it's burning sweet blue all the way.

Once you get used to how many chunks you like, typical advice is "a few fist sized chunks" but obviously your tastes may vary, you'll never have to add in more chunks through the cook, but if you do! Simply preheat.

[Bbq Bubba]

Originally Posted by jasonjax

I think cookers designed to use wood make a big difference. When I used chunk after chunk of hickory in my WSM ontop of the charcoal to keep adding fuel it smoked way too much.

Absolutely correct. Different rules for charcoal smokers.

[42BBQ]

Originally Posted by Southstar Jeff

I've been a BGE user, but since I got my OK Joes offset, I can taste the difference. I think the "over smoked" meat off many smokers is because of the incomplete combustion you get when you are controlling the fire with airflow. I think I'm done with smoking on the egg, there is just no way to keep the smoke sweet clear blue, it's not burning clean.

And I do agree, the meat will take smoke as long as there is smoke in there. The butcher paper method is a great way to have meat stop taking the smoke, if needed.

Are you going low and slow? My gut feeling is that hot and fast would solve the BGE issue.

[Southstar Jeff]

275 has been my choice of temp lately.

Don't get me wrong, I love me egg and the food always gets raves, but I definitely prefer the flavor I'm getting from the offset so far. Although, I'm sure the extra work will get old.....

[cameraman]

Originally Posted by jazzybadger

If you preheat the chunks it's a non issue.

When you add a bunch of cold wood into a hot fire, you're gonna billow out white smoke until those chunks start burning clean. Voila, no more "oversmoking."

So if you're into your cook on a WSM would you put chunks on the top rack for say a half hour before putting them on the fire?

[Bludawg]

Any hunk of meat will suck up smoke as long as it remains in a smoky environment.

The butcher paper method is a great way to have meat stop taking the smoke, if needed.
__________________

This is false paper is porous although it will filter out some the smoke still gets through.

That is what I have heard as well. When I T gets to 140, don't bother putting smoke wood in anymore. I believe it is pretty accurate.

Again a false statement. The smoke ring stops forming at 140 deg it is just a visual thing (I can get a smoke ring in the oven) this has nothing to do with smoke flavor that continues to develop during a cook.

[LostSoul]

So the brisket is done when internal temp reaches 210-215?

[jazzybadger]

Originally Posted by cameraman

So if you're into your cook on a WSM would you put chunks on the top rack for say a half hour before putting them on the fire?

Actually the couple of times I decided early on my WSM days to add more wood in because I didn't have the right amount in I just lit them up in my charcoal chimney, on top of some coals, lmao. Threw the whole chimney in there, and it did me fine. I can't remember the last time I added chunks into my WSM though, nowadays I know how many chunks I want in there, so I just add them through the ring as I'm laying in the briquettes.

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Originally Posted by LostSoul

So the brisket is done when internal temp reaches 210-215?

It is done when it probes done. Once it reaches about 190 internal, quit looking at the thermometer and go to a probe. it should easily slide in. Each brisket is done at somewhat different temperatures ranging from about 190 to 210 or so.

[jazzybadger]

Originally Posted by LostSoul

So the brisket is done when internal temp reaches 210-215?

Depends on your tastes, in the end. It's "when it gets like butter." You have to remember that while it rests it continues to cook as well. I think, realistically, I pull mine off the pit more in the 185-190 stage, and when it's done resting it's at the "target temp" of whatever it is, in all honesty the only time I really use my therms for target temps is when I'm cooking some kind of steak on the grill I'm not used to cooking on the grill, and I want it to be the perfect temp, at which point I start feeling the meat to see what it feels like as I press it, and can remove the therm from that "equation" as well.