Walmart brisket score for 1st UDS HnF cook

[bbq1980]

The wife wants to have people over in a few weeks (~30 or so) and since I'm not the one cooking for the 4th, I figured this weekend was a good time to do a practice, low-stress brisket cook as this I've only made 2 so far; both prime and on my modified ECB.

This will be the first one I do on the UDS and first choice brisket. Scored it from Walmart today after seeing just two small packers in the case. I asked someone if there were others in the back and then the person helping me brought out 3 more, including this 17 lb beast for $2.98/lb. It's tapered a bit at the flat so it may dry out but the point looks meaty.This is far and away the largest one I've done.

The plan is to try and do this one HnF per the BluDawg method. I'll likely trim it up a bit and the rub will be SPOG by weight, though I do have Black Ops but was saving that for the next one was wasn't sure how Black Ops would hold up on an HnF cook. I'm planning on starting it lower at first, around 250, as others have done so it takes up some smoke, then kicking it to ~ 300 to finish it up with a butcher paper wrap till it probes like buttah. I'll post pics when its done. Any tips or advice are welcome, especially on briskets this size.

Happy 4th to all.

[bstomper]

Those are going to make some nice eating. I will be watching this thread because I have a fire department bbq coming up and I would also like to do a brisket on the usd.

[aks801]

Yeah man! Keep up updated with pics. Oh, and nice to see another fellow graduate from a modded ECB. Smoking is SO much easier now, isn't it!

[Roast Beast]

Black Ops does well with hot & fast.

www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=179932

[chris1360]

Black Ops does well with hot & fast.

www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=179932
How do you like the black ops as compared to toher brisket rubs? I have been wanting to try it.


This will be the first one I do on the UDS and first choice brisket. Scored it from Walmart today after seeing just two small packers in the case. I asked someone if there were others in the back and then the person helping me brought out 3 more, including this 17 lb beast for $2.98/lb. It's tapered a bit at the flat so it may dry out but the point looks meaty.This is far and away the largest one I've done.

The plan is to try and do this one HnF per the BluDawg method. I'll likely trim it up a bit and the rub will be SPOG by weight, though I do have Black Ops kicking it to ~ 300 to finish it up with a butcher paper wrap till it probes like buttah. I'll post pics when its done. Any tips or advice are welcome, especially on briskets this size.

Happy 4th to all.

I got the exact same price on my brisket last weekend. I also did mine in thethe UDS around 250 the whole time. Mine was 12 lbs and it took me 11 hours. I have very little expereince with hot and fast, but I can tell you with my butts at 300 I never wrap and they turn out wonderful. I inject my briskets with beef broth before going on the UDS.

Please let me know how that black ops turns out. I have been wanting to try some, and wanted to hear a few words about its taste before I go out and spend the cash.

God luck on your cook, and can not wait to see the results. Im sure you will be happy.

[Roast Beast]

Black Ops is delicious. Great depth of flavor (as with all the Oakridge rubs).

[Drh7003]

Sadly, my Wally World doesn't stock Brisket and Sam's next door only has flats :(

[bbq1980]

Thanks guys. The modded ECB still works. I still use it, it turns out good grub, and was great to learn on but the UDS makes briskets and ribs much easier. Thanks for the Black Ops comments. I figured it would be ok but was unsure if it would char or burn at the high temps whereby I'd potentially waste the rub and kill a brisket in the process. I made a SPOG rub (by weight) for this particular brisket, but I'll report back on the Black Ops when I bust it out in a few weeks.

I also had the same experience weeks back re: Sam's vs Walmart. Despite the fact that the Sam's and Walmart I went to yesterday were adjacent to each other, true to form, Sam's had flats and Walmart had packers. No real logic to explain it but a fellow brethren gave me the tip to check Walmart.

Brisket pics to come either tomorrow or Sunday, since I'm also trying my hand at spares this weekend.

[bbq1980]

Trimmed it up this morning, but might have gotten a bit too knife-happy on the fat cap trying to get some of thicker pieces down to 1/4 in or so. Love the marbling in the point and I got rid of the ugly looking brown-ish meat running along the side. Wound up shaving off 1 lb 11 oz. It's going on the UDS in a bit.

[retired trucker]

I know that the general consensus is to trim the fat layer to about 1/4 inch for briskets. That said, I do not generally trim any fat from the fat cap on the flat. I cook hot and fast on my uds at about 275 - 300 and cook with the fat cap down, until I pull and wrap in foil. When I wrap it I usually put it back on with the fat cap up. Key word is "usually". Sometimes I forget or don't remember how I wrapped it. It has not affected the results either way that I can tell. The reason for cooking with the un-trimmed fat cap down on the uds when cooking hot and fast, is that it helps protect the flat from cooking to fast on the bottom. This results in a good evenly cooked flat that is juicy and moist when done to probe like buttah. Just what works for me. YMMV, and that is great if you are satisfied with the results. Good luck on your cook!

Blessings, :pray:

Omar

[Sallenthornton]

When using hot and fast, would you use a water pan? Sometimes my bark gets so dry and hard that the bark is almost inedible.

[retired trucker]

It depends on your smoker. On a uds, I haven't found the need for a water pan. I do have a heat deflector in my uds when I am cooking briskets. It is a terra cotta pot plate filled with sand.

Blessings, :pray:

Omar

[bbq1980]

Thanks for the advice. My first two briskets I didn't trim at all and the results were good but I think all the fat was overkill. Just way too much to render and it probably prolonged the cooks. This time, I decided to trim so we'll see how it goes.

I'm not confident enough on the drum to run it without a diffuser yet but I used a perforated pizza pan on the first cook (BB ribs) and that worked well. I know it will probably consume some more fuel but my roughly 15" x 9" basket is locked and loaded with Ozark Oak lump, pecan and cherry so I'm ready for the challenge.

[pjtexas1]

When using hot and fast, would you use a water pan? Sometimes my bark gets so dry and hard that the bark is almost inedible.

Wrap it sooner. I wrap by the color of the bark not a set time.

[SmittyJonz]

I trim like that and also cutout most of the Hard Fat between point n flat and I run a water pan in my UDS and like to run 300*ish for everything. I'm a fan of Black Ops and Adkins Western Style Rub for Briskets. Sometimes I wrap with Butcher Paper or Parchment Paper and sometimes I don't- the edges of the flat Char a bit if I don't wrap.

[SmittyJonz]

Les see some alive Action Shots.

[bbq1980]

Les see some alive Action Shots.

As promised. Liberal dose of my SPOG rub, all by weight, and on to the pit. If I want to run it lower, say around 225 - 250, for 2 hrs so it takes up smoke, then does this count as part of the initial 4 hrs per the Bludawg method or I am better off simply checking around 4 hrs, then again around 6 to see when the bark has decent color?

[bbq1980]

Just pulled it off, flipped it, wrapped it in butcher paper and put it back on the pit. Meat is at 172. Had to use a bit more BP than I wanted to since the juices went through the first layer.

[Roast Beast]

Looks good so far!

[chris1360]

He must have gotten brisket wasted last night.... hope it turned out well. I would like to see the final results.

[Drh7003]

Looks great! I use the Aaron Franklin rub on my brisket. I may have to try the UDS for brisket, I use my vertical. No water.

[2NDXRND]

You guys posting up the brisket prices have got ME wanting to play too! I looked at a packer just yesterday afternoon. Wally world is at 6.47/LB here.
There will be no brisket joy here.

[pwa]

great looking brisket!! Ditch the water pan.... think back to high school.. what temp does water boil? what temp are you cooking? all you do is burn more charcoal heating a thermal mass. use sand instead it at least will help stabilize temps. if you want to speed up bark production spritz water (mallard effect) although in a UDS your golden on all accounts.... just my 1 cent worth of advice just trying to help save you a few pennies and time.

Clint

[bbq1980]

Thanks! A pic of the burnt ends is attached. They just have some rub on them. I figured I'd sauce them when I reheat them. This was my first stab at burnt ends. They'll be part of dinner for the week.

Now for the flat...

I left it intact since this was a practice run and my timing was off since and I didn't care as much about timing as I did about the overall process. So I'll warm up it up in the oven above a dish with some water in it and I'll post some flat slices tonight.

I suspect part of the flat is perfect, part is overdone. I was going by feel and had read that HnF briskets finish at higher temps. I started probing at 190. Way too tough. Then 195. Still resistance. Up to 200 and at this point, some of the flat probed like butter, but some was tough so on the pit it stayed then it seemed to stall out at 205. At 205, most of the flat probed like butter so out of fear of over cooking it, I pulled it at around 2 AM, separated the point from the flat, made the burnt end and dumped the flat in a cooler.

I'll post the flat pics later and some other observations from this cook.