Brisket size question for the BBT (Brethren Brain Trust)

bonz50

bonz50

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didn't want to hijack another thread, so.... I've got some opportunities to get some choice briskets at what I believe is a really good price for my area ($3.49/lb). my question is regarding the size, could I fit a typical ~12lb brisket on my 18.5" WSM?? I've never measured and I'm not gonna buy one without knowing. is it bad practice to buy, cut in half and cook separate?? I want to learn brisket before I get a bigger stick burner
 
A 12 pounder might hang over on the 18.5 WSM, but that's not a problem. Use a "prop" to rest it on the grate. Like an empty/no label can. Draping it over like that will typically make it fit. As the meat shrinks up some, you can end up taking out the can.

Yes, it is bad practice to cut the brisket in half pre-cook. Well, at least it is sub-optimal.

Enjoy!
 
so, take a beer can and slide it under the each end? or in the middle?? poke some holes in the can to allow smoke penetration?
 
I say the middle. If the flat is really thin, don't be afraid to trim a little bit off. It will just dry out and take up space in your WSM.
 
bonz50 said:
what to do with the trimmed portion (if I have to)??
Click to expand...

Experiment with it. Smoke it and turn it into something. Maybe pull it off early and chop it up for future chili. Or dice it and make burnt ends.

Yeah, that can goes in the middle. Poking holes is not a bad idea.
 
the weight does not always tell the story. it could be long and skinny or short and fat....just like a lot of us. :heh: another vote for trimming off the skinny end to cook as a snack or make ground burger.
 
I have used a rib/roast rack on my large BGE (18" grid) before when cooking 14lb+ briskets. If not to oversized, once it draws up enough, I remove the rib rack. The rib rack has a very small impact on the surface area of the brisket.
 
Hotch said:
I have used a rib/roast rack on my large BGE (18" grid) before when cooking 14lb+ briskets. If not to oversized, once it draws up enough, I remove the rib rack. The rib rack has a very small impact on the surface area of the brisket.
Click to expand...
that's worth try since I have a couple of them around, shouldn't impact smoke penetration any more, probably even less, than the grates themselves. sounds like I need to get a brisket for next weekend!!!

that's why I love this place!!!
 
nothing taboo about cutting a brisket in half. if you lay both halves on top of each other you reduced the surface area available for evaporation and might even get a better end result.
 
el luchador said:
nothing taboo about cutting a brisket in half. if you lay both halves on top of each other you reduced the surface area available for evaporation and might even get a better end result.
Click to expand...

I think laying both halves on top of each other will greatly reduce bark and smoke and increase cooking times by a great deal.. unless you mean something else?
 
JS-TX said:
I think laying both halves on top of each other will greatly reduce bark and smoke and increase cooking times by a great deal.. unless you mean something else?
Click to expand...

no, that's what I meant. It doesn't reduce the bark if you rotate, and it may increase cooking time a bit but more importantly it will reduce evaporation of moisture, which is the more important factor.
 
I've cooked a lot of 12 lb. briskets on my 18.5 WSM. I've used a rib/roast rack upside down for 14 lb. or larger briskets on the WSM, but I can't imagine you would have any problem at all fitting a 12 pounder on the WSM....
 
I have cooked 16-18LB briskets on the WSM no problem. If for whatever reason you run into space issues place a cleaned off wood chunk underneath near the center and it will help take up a little less space as it would normally when sitting flat. Also helps some of the liquid from pooling on the top of the flat if you ever get that issue too. Worst case you can separate but I doubt you'd need to.
 
I've cooked a 19Lb packer on my large BGE. I hung it over a rib rack. No problem.
 
I've done a few briskets recently on my 18" WSM. While the length can vary I have always been able to fit up to a 14 lb'er on it without any special tricks. And if it is really long (at that weight) it probably has a stretched out flat and thus really thin at the end. You would not be committing treason if you trimmed off an inch or two of the thin end to get a more uniform cook.

That said, mine fit even though my lid may have touched it when I put it back on. But it will shrink up by the time you have to open the lid again a few hours later and won't be an issue.
 
I have a vertical chicken rack something like this. If you have the vertical room it could help you do a much bigger one.

big-green-egg-vertical-chicken-roaster_4620320.jpg
 
I use my homemade Vortex to drape brisket over. Wrap outside and inside of vortex with foil. Leave center open. Heat and smoke transfer great.
 
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