Pitmaster T
Babbling Farker
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2011
- Location
- Texas
Results of Snapshot Polling on Hot and Fast and Low and Slow comparisons on Brisket..
Okay this was a snapshot and only 22 votes will be considered. Originally 24 voted, but you had to have tried to smoke BOTH styles.There were some (three) I think who are not even part of the 24 that tried low and slow only... as they only voted on one option.
2 had not done both and felt compelled to make comparisons, probably because they did not read the thread first. No big deal.. I will remove their other data. Please do not feel insulted.
Here is what we can garner from the poll. I will conclude what that means later.
At the time of this poll 22 of you had cooked BOTH Below 250 (L&S) briskets and above 270 (H&F).
I made an area “in between” not count in case someone felt there was a disparity between the actual temp and the term. Doesn't matter what you call it, a temp of 270 and above is a departure from 250 and below.
Here are the contributors who did both... so if you look at the linked poll, you will know why I did not count a vote. SOME GUYS – MAB, TRU FUNK, STEPHAN – SOUGHT TO VOTE WHILE COOKING NEITHER!!!! I bet it was unintentional, thinking there could not be multiple answers. Thanks anyway.
bigabyte , Bludawg, Boshizzle,caliking, caustin919, Chezmatt, Flat_Rate, FlCracker, jaestar, JCHjr55, jckposter, Lake Dogs, landarc, LGHT, Myrdhyn, Pitmaster T, R2Egg2Q, Ron_L, smokemonster, txpivo, Wampus, woupsman
17 of the 22 learned how to cook low and slow first.
4 learned Hot and Fast first ....It is interesting to note that two who are not counted in these numbers officially are worth mentioning as they seemed to have both learned hot and fast first AND never tried Low and Slow. Did they learn it here?
I worked for the old Kreuz long ago so I put myself in the learned Hot and fast Brisket first....of course I for some reason forgot all my hot and fast knowledge when I decided to make bbq myself years ago. I had to relearn.
13 of the 22 said they nailed low and slow brisket within three tries. These people are liars.
But I won't count off for that. More, 18, seemed to nail a hot and fast brisket within three tries.
Only 5 of you that had tried both found that nailing Low and Slow brisket was easier than hot and fast attempts.
11 of you thought that it was easier to nail hot and fast brisket. I love the name trufunk but how can you think it is easier if you never cooked either according to you not registering on questions 1 or 2.
4 of us say it took us more than five tries to get a decent low and slow...
Nobody took more than 5 tries to master the hot and fast process.
2 never seemed to master the low and slow process and had better luck with hot and fast while 1 of you had better luck with low and slow.
This is kind of a tricky question.... many of us have mastered low and slow, tried hot and fast and still prefer it. You will notice many of the folk (1 8) that voted in the “nailed hot and fast within 3 tries” are not in this group... I can assume because they mastered low and slow too. These are obviously men that can go both ways. NTTAWWT.
2 felt the modifications and adjustments to a low and slow cook were extensive to get a good brisket.
While only 1 thought that is was much a bother to get a good Hot and Fast brisket.
7 thought that they only needed to make minor adjustments to a low and slow brisket.
11 thought adjustments to hot and fast brisket were minor.
7 have given up on low and slow briskets while only 1 gave up on Hot and fast. Sorry Stephan... not sure how you could make this determination if you did not answer Q 1 or 2. I bet some like you and trufunk maybe thought they could only answer one question.
9 of us have since merged elements of low and slow brisket with hot and fast.
Although technically the last question was another trick question... for saying yes essentially meant you had never done a hot and fast brisket. Apparently none of you have done hot and fast ribs... or were smart enough to have ignored the question because you HAD done a H and F brisket.
So what are my conclusions.
My conclusion is once again.... if you want to make a good brisket, and you are a novice, want to save money and feel good about yourself; or if you suck at low and slow and are tired of wasting money.... you should do your first brisket at 270 or above.
This does not mean they are superior..... nor does it mean you can't deviate... but from the data you will get a product closer to exceptional than with low and slow your first few times.
Are you ready to win the Taylor (THE BRISKET VERSION OF THE JACK DANIELS)? No. Will you maybe get a walk... hey maybe if you have tasted all the crappy brisket out there. Hot and fast is the quickest way from A to B without getting all upset about the Q. Furthermore, according to the overwhelming numbers here, where most of us learned low and slow first; you will have better luck getting an exceptional to good brisket at 270 and above and with less hassle.
So once again... this is the EDICT! That if you want to impress probably 95 percent of the mortals (non-competition people) and maybe 70 percent of the immortals (those if us that live BBQ) --- I said impress, not be Myron Mixon first trip out.... I would seriously consider the EDICT because you will save time... and if you tweak a little at a time... you will get to your personal zenith sooner – then move on to the next meat. And with meat prices like they are... remember many of us started Qing when meat was a third of what it is now... you are making some good sense that way.
In short... if you want to actually master low and slow (under 250)..... well... you even would be saving time to start hot and fast (above 270) and tweak you way down to below 250 than actually starting at 225 and keep working at it in that realm.
This is especially essential for the novice.
Sample Poll Located here
I have cooked brisket low and slow. <25024 85.71%
I have cooked brisket hot and fast. 270>23 82.14%
I first learned to cook brisket in the low and slow style <250 19 67.86%
I first learned to cook brisket in the hot and fast style 270>6 21.43%
I succeeded in cooking l and s brisket that was good to exceptional within 3 tries 15 53.57%
I succeeded in cooking h and f brisket that was good to exceptional within 3 tries18 64.29%
I found it easier to cook a brisket that was good to exceptional using the low and slow style. 6 21.43%
I found it easier to cook a brisket that was good to exceptional using the h and F style.13 46.43%
It took me over five tries to master the low and slow process on brisket..4 14.29%
It took me over five tries to master the hot and fast process on Brisket.. 0 0%
I still never seem to master the low and slow process but have better luck with hot and fast. 2 7.14%
I still never seem to master the hot and fast process but have better luck with low and slow. 1 3.57%
The adjustments to my low and slow cooks to make a good to exceptional brisket were extensive.2 7.14%
The adjustments to my hot and fast cooks to make a good to exceptional brisket were extensive. 1 3.57%
The adjustments to my low and slow cooks were minor to arrive at a quality brisket. 7 25.00%
The adjustments to my hot and fast cooks were minor to arrive at a quality brisket.12 42.86%
I gave up on low and slow for brisket.7 25.00%
I gave up on hot and fast for brisket. 2 7.14%
I have merged elements of hot and fast with low and slow brisket.. 9 32.14%
I have never tried hot and fast on brisket but have on ribs and like the results.
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