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medeloach
12-24-2015, 08:52 AM
Gonna smoke it over mesquite in Homer for 2-3 hours first:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/cooking/A15AFB17-FD81-413F-B156-7619C5B2EB2E_zps2saxtkdd.jpg

Went simple on the seasoning:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/cooking/7C5FF2B2-1CD5-405C-B4A9-95ED9C432E5D_zpsdusrozxb.jpg

It just barely fit in the mini:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/cooking/9DDFBA28-6DE3-41AE-9F5C-1D38E59372D9_zpsyppisg5d.jpg

Hoping I get a little bit of bark before I put it in the bath for 48 hours at 135 deg. Think that's a good plan?

PaSmoker
12-24-2015, 09:19 AM
Gonna smoke it over mesquite in Homer for 2-3 hours first:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/cooking/A15AFB17-FD81-413F-B156-7619C5B2EB2E_zps2saxtkdd.jpg

Went simple on the seasoning:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/cooking/7C5FF2B2-1CD5-405C-B4A9-95ED9C432E5D_zpsdusrozxb.jpg

It just barely fit in the mini:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/cooking/9DDFBA28-6DE3-41AE-9F5C-1D38E59372D9_zpsyppisg5d.jpg

Hoping I get a little bit of bark before I put it in the bath for 48 hours at 135 deg. Think that's a good plan?

I might go a little higher on temp given the "tough cut" but I guess the 48 hours will compensate for that...really interested to see the results and your thoughts!:thumb:

bathmatt
12-24-2015, 09:38 AM
I did a sous-vide brisket, I used 160 for 24 hours. 135 I think might not break down the connective tissues enough

PaSmoker
12-24-2015, 10:04 AM
I did a sous-vide brisket, I used 160 for 24 hours. 135 I think might not break down the connective tissues enough

And your thoughts?...did you smoke before/after/at all?

medeloach
12-24-2015, 11:23 AM
Smoked for 2.5 hrs, vacuum sealed, and into the bath it goes until day after tomorrow!
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/cooking/8433B1CD-3795-4BD6-951E-A351CFA4C6EA_zpsusuevrh0.jpg

medeloach
12-24-2015, 11:24 AM
Oh - and I changed my mind - going with 145 in the sous vide.

bathmatt
12-24-2015, 11:42 AM
And your thoughts?...did you smoke before/after/at all?

I smoked to like 155, so when I would normally wrap, It came out very good. I actually split the flat in half and left the otehr half on the smoker to finish it so I could get an apples-2-apples...

Oh, added -- I like the S.V better but not by much, it was much simpler. Stick it in the bath and go on with life for 24 hours. Bark was worse, inside better.

PaSmoker
12-24-2015, 11:54 AM
I smoked to like 155, so when I would normally wrap, It came out very good. I actually split the flat in half and left the otehr half on the smoker to finish it so I could get an apples-2-apples...

Oh, added -- I like the S.V better but not by much, it was much simpler. Stick it in the bath and go on with life for 24 hours. Bark was worse, inside better.

nice...wonder if a post-bath hour on the fire to firm up the bark would help?

bathmatt
12-24-2015, 11:57 AM
nice...wonder if a post-bath hour on the fire to firm up the bark would help?

The bark was close to foiled, it did give my a nice a-jus to work with which was a plus

DavesPit&Pig
12-24-2015, 12:24 PM
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/cooking/A15AFB17-FD81-413F-B156-7619C5B2EB2E_zps2saxtkdd.jpg






There's the problem, let me help a brethren out

PaSmoker
12-24-2015, 12:25 PM
Smoked for 2.5 hrs, vacuum sealed, and into the bath it goes until day after tomorrow!
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/cooking/8433B1CD-3795-4BD6-951E-A351CFA4C6EA_zpsusuevrh0.jpg

keep us posted!

The bark was close to foiled, it did give my a nice a-jus to work with which was a plus

Always a plus!

Jason TQ
12-24-2015, 12:26 PM
Keep us posted! Very interested.

Sallenthornton
12-24-2015, 04:50 PM
Interested. Please keep us posted.

sbramm
12-24-2015, 05:49 PM
watching


:popcorn:

medeloach
12-25-2015, 08:14 PM
Will take it out tomorrow for dinner. Really hope it turns out well. It'll be more like 54 hour cook in the sous vide. Hope it doesn't turn into mush by then. I did some short ribs for 48 hours and they were really too tender. The texture was just too tender...

Trunks
12-25-2015, 09:40 PM
Any updates!!??? Can't wait for these results of good I am doing this asap

medeloach
12-26-2015, 05:27 PM
and my wife is still not ready to eat. We have some friends over and they need to feed their babies first...

She originally said she wanted to eat at 6:30pm, which I was concerned about anyway because I'm scared to death it'll be mushy, but she's still not ready. Looks like it'll be in for another hour at this rate.

I took it out momentarily at 6:15pm with tongs and it didn't feel super wobbly, so I'm hoping it's still got some texture to it. Gonna throw it on indoor grill attachment inside (it's raining) whenever she gives me the green light.

Perhaps I should just put a call into the pizza place in case this is a total bust?

medeloach
12-26-2015, 07:06 PM
So, all that worry was for naught. The final product was outstanding, imho. Plenty moist. Great smoke flavor. Very tender, but not too tender. Here ya go:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-12/319EC60B-F685-4D33-B30C-71358A2080F0_zpsubwhov5f.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-12/D5BE5547-7EA4-48A4-BE60-4D8E42CC0EFA_zpsyw1ezw7w.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-12/8C239047-0BCA-45B9-9013-8EE48E430F4D_zpshwtxts9x.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-12/A26BBD2F-749B-47CE-B99E-48E8735C8F79_zpsbpgi5htf.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/tygur90/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-12/D4430550-7591-4BAF-B8EE-B2FD40DD8F8D_zpsrbiwjged.jpg

COS
12-26-2015, 08:05 PM
That looks great. Looks nice and tender with a lot of moisture. You also got a nice smoke ring there too. Good job.

okiej
12-26-2015, 08:15 PM
Very Nice!!!

Trunks
12-26-2015, 08:23 PM
I am giving this a try on my next packer.

Question, did the water turn brown? Iv hear that if u put smoked meats in sous vide it ends up turning water brown? I guess it can pass thru the bag so they say

medeloach
12-26-2015, 08:37 PM
I am giving this a try on my next packer.

Question, did the water turn brown? Iv hear that if u put smoked meats in sous vide it ends up turning water brown? I guess it can pass thru the bag so they say

Actually, the water did get a little brown. I attributed this to the little bit of meat juice on the end of the bag where I sealed it. Next time, I'll do a better job of cleaning the bag before putting it in the bath. Maybe I'll run it under the tap real quick first. Don't think it's was due to leakage from the bag, as everything looked well sealed when I took it out of the bath.

Trunks
12-26-2015, 08:42 PM
I don't think they say it's brown from a leak I think the smoke molicules or what ever want to call it can travel through the bag and into water , so if seen people say to double bag it

Anyways looks awesome and can't wait to try it

FireChief
12-26-2015, 09:51 PM
Wow, that's an outstanding looking brisket ! Really top notch.

medeloach
12-26-2015, 10:09 PM
I don't think they say it's brown from a leak I think the smoke molicules or what ever want to call it can travel through the bag and into water , so if seen people say to double bag it

Anyways looks awesome and can't wait to try it

Good idea. Of course, that gives a new definition to the term "double bagger"! LOL!

pal156
12-27-2015, 08:17 AM
Looks really really delicious :thumb:

Fillmore Farmer
12-28-2015, 03:25 AM
This is an outstanding thread and something I've long contemplated trying but I've gone back & forth on the process...smoke first and then water bath OR water bath and then smoke. Seems like it comes down to which is more important; a great bark or very tender inside.

Here's a quick read.....

What I can say is that about a year ago I got some beef ribs....trimmed the fat, applied rub and water-bathed for 48 hours at what I recall was about 135F. Back then I didn't have a smoker....so coming out of the water bath I let the ribs sit and dry a bit on a rack. I noticed all the fat was still there and this makes sense since collagen will breakdown at 120-130F but fat doesn't render till about 180F. After letting the ribs dry a bit I put them into my BBQ but I must explain....I put a hinged piece of metal along the backside of my DCS to help retain smoke and then I put moist wood chips into just the smoker box of the BBQ....with this I can expose meat to smoke without a lot of heat and this is what I did with the ribs...they got about an hour or exposure to smoke and came out of the BBQ at what was likely about 140-160F...it was not to help cook but just expose to smoke.

The final step was to remove the ribs from the BBQ altogether...I then fired-up the grill and got it medium-hot, the grill was oiled and the ribs dropped onto the hot grill...in no time I saw all the sizzling as the fat rendered away, char marks developed, the meat darkened and it was looking very good. I then pulled the ribs to the other side of the grill where it was low heat...I then basted repeatedly and plated.

The result was UN-FREAKIN-BELIEVABLE....it was the best ribs I've ever eaten in my life....and to this day have not been able to repeat. Of course. I've come close but I think the secret ingredient that day was the meat itself...it was just big, rich, thick and perfect...since that day I've not been able to get my hands on top-quality meat....

But to my process...it was trim fat, apply rub, water-bath for 48 hours, let dry so it's not overly wet, smoke for an hour, grill at med/hot for char and to melt the fat off, apply glaze. There was one time I didn't grill long enough and all the warm FAT was still on the meat. Another time I only water bathed for 30 hours and the meat wasn't as tender (dental floss time for sure).

With Brisket I'm almost inclined to: trim fat, apply rub, put it in the smoker for 3 hours with exposure to good smoke and not really worry about the heat. Remove from smoker, bag & bath for 48 hours, remove from bag, let dry a bit, get smoker up to 300F and return brisket to smoker until the bark looks good....that's gotta be the winner, ya think?

Enrico Brandizzi
12-28-2015, 03:36 AM
Thanks for sharing your method.

PaSmoker
12-28-2015, 08:01 AM
medeloach, nicely done!...a method I'm gonna try...with maybe a tweak from Fillmore! :clap2::clap2::clap2:

Trunks
12-28-2015, 09:14 AM
what temp would you water bath the brisket? thats where i get confused

Sallenthornton
12-28-2015, 09:49 PM
How was the smoke flavor?

dbl.cheese
12-28-2015, 10:32 PM
That right there my friend looks amazing:-D

Mr.OiSat
12-28-2015, 11:44 PM
That looks fantastic

Fillmore Farmer
12-29-2015, 03:45 AM
what temp would you water bath the brisket? thats where i get confused

135F and believe it or not you can roll with that for 48 hours straight. The fibers and collagen will have all the flavor and a nice texture but you'll never need dental floss and I promise you're eyes will open wide when you put that first slice in your mouth...it's so good it's almost unfair, it's beyond cheating and having spoken with several restaurant chefs, it's their secret weapon.

A friend of mine owns Wood Ranch, he's got about 18 locations and when they do their special beef ribs it really comes down to LONG exposure and LOW temps....but you must respect and recognize that we're talking precision sustained temps for duration. At first it sounds like crazy-low and perhaps unsafe but the chart will show that lower temps can be overcome with longer cook times.

Those ribs I made were so good that I put my hands in the air, discredited myself and openly proclaimed that some higher deity was responsible for the results and that my hands were merely the vessel by which his will be done. Praised be me as the promised ribs were delivered unto my plate, blessed by thy smoke, hunger be thy name :biggrin1:

You see that AMAZING Brisket this guy made, this is what can come from Sous Vide (water bath) but definitely do the research.

Sorry to go epic-length but I made my own water bath using a water cooler. All you need is a heating coil...often these are called bucket heaters that farmers use to quickly heat water. I then bought a digital thermostat and would turn on & off the coil...you set the temp and it holds it to +/- 1-degree. A small water pump from an aquarium store circulates the water so you get even heat....and the water cooler is excellent for heat retention. Sounds complicated but very simple. I should make a video but time is fleeting.

The only challenge I have with a full brisket is how to get that big hunk of meat into a sealed bag!

Trunks
12-31-2015, 03:18 PM
Going to try this tomorrow with a point I saved.

What temp and time am I doing this water bath? I figured I'd smoke the brisket till it get nice color or 4 hrs, then Bagnit and into the water

I just really can't figure out what temp to make the water


Thanks fellow , can't wait

Trunks
12-31-2015, 08:32 PM
Anyone?? Want to get this going tomorrow so any input would be great

I have see a rage of 15-20 degree when researching.

PatAttack
12-31-2015, 09:44 PM
I'll bump this as it is a very interesting thread.

Trunks
01-01-2016, 09:29 AM
Anyone

Q Junkie
01-01-2016, 09:45 AM
135-140 should be fine to start.

Trunks
01-01-2016, 10:31 AM
How long in the bath ?

Q Junkie
01-01-2016, 10:35 AM
I think you could go anywhere from 24 to 48+ hours. What is your time frame?

Ron_L
01-01-2016, 10:36 AM
medeloach said that his was in for 54 hours (approx.). If you're smoking it first, then the meat will technically be cooked, so the time in the bath is for tenderness, so pick a time and try it. I'd probably go with 48 hours if you are using a 135F bath.

Trunks
01-01-2016, 10:40 AM
There is no Time frame so I'll do 40 hrs , should I smoke it to a certain temp before the bath?
I was going to go by the look more than internal temp.

Going to get it so this tomorrow am

Q Junkie
01-01-2016, 10:45 AM
One nice thing about sous vide is if after 36 hours in 135* water you decide you want to eat in 3-4 hours, you can bump the temp up for the last few hours. I don't think there would be a huge difference between 50 and 54 hours. This is just me guessing because I am relatively new to the sous vide world as well. I learn a little every time I cook and gain a little more confidence with every cook as well.

Smoke it to the color and bark that you like.

Trunks
01-01-2016, 10:51 AM
I think time changes the texture so that's my biggest concern, maybe 140 for 40 hrs would work? That's after say 4 hrs of smoke ( not to worried about smoker temp)

Trunks
01-01-2016, 05:43 PM
7lb I think point went in the Kettle via the snake method with hickory and pecan wood. I'll pull her at 8 so that's 4 solid hrs of smoke then into the bath at 137 for 36-60 hrs

I'll post pics before I drop in water

Q Junkie
01-01-2016, 06:18 PM
I will be watching this one.

Trunks
01-01-2016, 07:30 PM
Pulled at 730 and into the bath at 137* going for 49 hrs

Tried posting pictures so let's see

Hillbilly BBQ
01-01-2016, 07:30 PM
49 hours....wow!!

How did it turn out?

Trunks
01-01-2016, 07:31 PM
40 hrs sorry

Trunks
01-01-2016, 07:32 PM
Let's try again

Trunks
01-01-2016, 07:33 PM
1more

jstokes3
01-01-2016, 09:40 PM
I did a 12 lb sous vide brisket last weekend. Just did it in the opposite way.


Sous vide at 133 for 48 hours
ice bath
pat dry
rub
smoke for 3 hours
rest

Came out great. Very tender, moist and flavorful. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Leftover flat is going in Chili tomorrow and point will be burnt ends soon.

Trunks
01-01-2016, 09:52 PM
Next time I'll try that and see what I like more.
I didn't check the internal temp when I took it off , I should have but didn't

My only question is since the brisket never gets up to 200 or so will it come out med rare? I smoked for 4 hrs until a nice bark then tossed in bath at 137.

137 I think is medium? So how would this method ever replicate smoking to over 200 for the most part? This part I just can't grasp but in 2 days I will find out .

jstokes3
01-02-2016, 07:46 AM
I think it has more to do with the length in the sous vide. The meat renders over time. You will be very pleased in a couple days.

Q Junkie
01-02-2016, 07:58 AM
Next time I'll try that and see what I like more.
I didn't check the internal temp when I took it off , I should have but didn't

My only question is since the brisket never gets up to 200 or so will it come out med rare? I smoked for 4 hrs until a nice bark then tossed in bath at 137.

137 I think is medium? So how would this method ever replicate smoking to over 200 for the most part? This part I just can't grasp but in 2 days I will find out .

I would imagine that the internal temp probably got to at least 150* so I don't think you have to worry about it being med rare.
Also as jstokes3 said it's more about the amount of time that it sits at that temp that breaks the collagen down.

Trunks
01-02-2016, 06:53 PM
Once I pull it what's my best option ? I was think indirect heat for an hr with out smoke or maybe with? Or should I put it over a hot bed of coals and char it a little ?

Thanks

Oh yeah I plan on taking her out of her bath at 1-2 pm

Trunks
01-03-2016, 02:51 PM
Finally after 4 hrs of smoke and 40 hrs in the bath the brisket was done


I am very pleased with the results VERY. It's like cheating ha

Any ways here's a sliced pic. Very tender although it wasn't juice as I have had when smoking for the whole cook.

I did save the juice from the bag and made alittle jus

Thanks for the help along the way

Trunks
01-03-2016, 02:52 PM
Oh I forgot to mention I took t out of the bath and into oven at 420 to get outside set again. I was alittle to crispy but with the tender inside t worked really well

doug93003
01-03-2016, 09:45 PM
If you're cooking at at 135, and collagen and fats break down at 160-165, how does the breakdown happen?

PaSmoker
01-04-2016, 08:15 AM
I did a 12 lb sous vide brisket last weekend. Just did it in the opposite way.


Sous vide at 133 for 48 hours
ice bath
pat dry
rub
smoke for 3 hours
rest

Came out great. Very tender, moist and flavorful. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Leftover flat is going in Chili tomorrow and point will be burnt ends soon.

I like it...maybe saves a step in that don't have to set the bark a second time vs. smoke first method...

jstokes3
01-04-2016, 10:48 AM
I like it...maybe saves a step in that don't have to set the bark a second time vs. smoke first method...

There are pros and cons to smoke first or sous vide first. I went this route mostly because I had read that the smoke will stink up the house even in a sealed bag and getting the bark easier.

drez77
01-06-2016, 11:03 AM
I did a 12 lb sous vide brisket last weekend. Just did it in the opposite way.


Sous vide at 133 for 48 hours
ice bath
pat dry
rub
smoke for 3 hours
rest

Came out great. Very tender, moist and flavorful. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Leftover flat is going in Chili tomorrow and point will be burnt ends soon.

You did not put any rub on the meet prior to the Sous Vide? I have a packer sitting in my fridge and have been dying to try using my 15g electric brewery to sous vide. I think it is time.

Fillmore Farmer
01-13-2016, 12:57 AM
I did a 12 lb sous vide brisket last weekend. Just did it in the opposite way.


Sous vide at 133 for 48 hours
ice bath
pat dry
rub
smoke for 3 hours
rest



The ice bath, what temp did you bring it down to? What was the idea, that you didn't want it to hit the finish temp in the smoker too soon?

What temp you smoke at? I normally roll with 235F becauase I want plenty of time for the meat to go tender but with sous vide that's been done already...I'd almost think to roll hotter with 275F or even 285F to put some good heat & bark on the meat....

What temp did you pull it at? Most the time I pul around 200F but we both know the meat is almost safe to eat right out of the water bath so it's really just a matter of when it develops a nice finished texture

If you're cooking at at 135, and collagen and fats break down at 160-165, how does the breakdown happen?

Well that's the interesting thing...at SV temps (135-145F) you'll only be breaking down the collagen which will make the meat tender....but the fat remains un-rendered so you'll retain that moisture, this is why we like to finish with some good heat in order to work that fat and get some nice finish.

Quick digress: when I did beef ribs using sous vide, the meat was flawlessly tender but I didn't get enough finishing heat on the grill so the meat was still loaded with FAT...too much fat, un-rendered fat. From this I learned to put the ribs back on the grill (a hot grill) and look to see that sizzling...that's the maillard reaction which gives you that amazing char flavor.

Make no mistake, in so far as BBQ we only use sous vide as a tenderizing treatment, IMO you still want to finish on a grill.


Now for my report, this last weekend I did a brisket using the smoke, bath, return to smoker approach:

Costco whole packer choice, trimmed most the fat, pat dry, rubbed with oil, applied lots of BBQ seasoning, wrapped in saran wrap and went into frig over night.

Pulled from frig, let warm to room temp. Removed saran wrap. Went into smoker Vault for about 3 hours. Note: I usually pre-heat the smoker to 235F but this time it was being used to infuse smoke, not so much cook the meat....so I just poured some coals, added wood and when the smoke was looking good I put the meat in...again, the idea was to apply quality smoke and not really worry about heat. I think the smoker got up to 270F by the 3rd hour but the meat was still very moist, no bark but had a very nice dark golden color.

I pulled from smoker, went into plastic sealed bag along with some BBQ sauce and into water bath....138F for about 44 hours. Note: I should have gone a bit hotter in the water bath, perhaps 140-142F (hindsight)

Pulled from water bath, let dry & cool a bit....and then into smoker pre-heated to 275F. I normally roll at 235F but this heat was about forming a bark so I put more heat onto it.

Here's where I was puzzled: technically the brisket was already ready to eat because time & heat was sufficient to make it safe...so I was chasing texture. I decided to pull at 190F and in hindsight I probably should have pulled sooner. I don't have pics but it looked great.

The point meat was, of course, amazing & perfect, smoke ring good, flavor awesome, bark was there...I'd say everything was really-really good and it'd probably win any amateur brisket contest...but in being the consummate critic of my own cooking, the flat meat really wasn't all that amazing...it was good but not OMG-good and that's what we want.

I tried my burnt-ends trick and sliced the flat into a casserole dish, sauced it and covered with foil to go back into the smoker for 30 minutes...that finished things up nicely. Very good, darn good...but not OMG good.

This was just an experiment so next attempt next weekend, this time I'll try water bath into smoker

Trim brisket, pat dry, apply oil, apply seasoning rub and put into plastic bag and then into frig over night or even a couple days. Remove from frig, let warm to room temp...and then into water bath for 48 hours at 141F (having checked a sous vide resource)

Remove from water bath, let cool and into smoker at 275F until bark/texture looks good. I think this method will be better. My previous approach smoked the meat first in hopes that it would really get into the meat while in the water bath. I think the meat can pick-up plenty of smoke without the pre-bath smoke exposure...I'm passing on pre-smoke and starting with the SV and then into the smoker. I'm going to apply more heat this time in the water bath, last time was 138F and I don't think it got tender enough, the resource I have says 141F for 48-60 hours and I'm figuring the bigger the brisket the longer it needs to go.

For people who are unfamiliar with sous vide this all sounds insane, cooking for 48 hours but I have to say, for years I chased the ultimate beef ribs and the long-duration in the water bath was the component that took my ribs from 'almost as good to restaurant quality' to 'OMG this is better then anything I've ever had"....so scary as it may be, SV is legit.

PaSmoker
01-13-2016, 09:38 AM
Looking forward to hearing Part Deux of your experiment!

grc_42
01-13-2016, 11:24 AM
Looking forward to riding your coattails, got an Anova for Christmas and really want to try this.

jstokes3
01-13-2016, 11:29 AM
The ice bath, what temp did you bring it down to? What was the idea, that you didn't want it to hit the finish temp in the smoker too soon?

What temp you smoke at? I normally roll with 235F becauase I want plenty of time for the meat to go tender but with sous vide that's been done already...I'd almost think to roll hotter with 275F or even 285F to put some good heat & bark on the meat....

What temp did you pull it at? Most the time I pul around 200F but we both know the meat is almost safe to eat right out of the water bath so it's really just a matter of when it develops a nice finished texture.

Here are my (kind of) answers to the 3 questions above.

1) I did not ice down to a certain temperature. To be honest, I was following instructions from another post I found somewhere. My thought is to get the temp down to help infuse smoke?

2) I did smoke at a higher temp as you suggest with 275F or even 285F to put some good heat & bark on the meat....

3) I did not even check the temp when I pulled. As you said, the meat is safe to eat. For this cook, it was more about getting it to rest before my guests were ready to eat.

I am looking forward to how yours turns out. Looking to improve on the last one. It was really good but can always improve and be better.

jstokes3
01-13-2016, 11:30 AM
You did not put any rub on the meet prior to the Sous Vide? I have a packer sitting in my fridge and have been dying to try using my 15g electric brewery to sous vide. I think it is time.

I did nothing. Actually left it in the store cryovac.

llanero
01-13-2016, 08:33 PM
I went to Anova to buy. They don't say specifically, but does anybody know if the device can be used without the smart phone? I know nothing about smart phones. Thanks

jstokes3
01-14-2016, 06:59 AM
I went to Anova to buy. They don't say specifically, but does anybody know if the device can be used without the smart phone? I know nothing about smart phones. Thanks
You do not need smartphone. It has an on/off button and a temperature dial.

llanero
01-14-2016, 08:41 AM
thank you

medeloach
01-14-2016, 07:05 PM
Sorry for the delay in response. I had no idea this thread would be so popular! :)

I ran at 146 for 54 hours...but I feel confident it would've been good at 48 or as long as 58 hours. My objective with the smoker was not to "cook" the flat...it was just to establish the smoke flavor / ring. I actually put it in the smoker directly out of the fridge because I specifically wanted the cooking on the interior to take place in the sous vide. Apparently, the plan worked great. I fully intended to finish with a sear on the Performer, but the weather sucked that day so I skipped it.

Oh, and I made some chili with cubed leftovers and it was amazing too. Thanks for all the replies!

55Drum
01-18-2016, 07:07 AM
After reading this thread had to give it a shot...

picked up brisket at BJ's...didn't even remove it from wrapper...straight into SV for 48 hr @ 133

then let it cool down for 1/2 hr...pat dry...applied rub...wrapped in cellophane and into fridge for 3 hr

took out of fridge...let stand for a hour...then onto egg indirect for 3 hr @ 300 with cherry wood

came out tender....good flavor & smoke ring but a little dry for my taste....next time will go at 300 direct for an hour....

over all I really like this method...almost fool-proof....just need to fool around with the finishing procedures to get it down pat

jmed999
01-18-2016, 08:18 AM
Sorry for the delay in response. I had no idea this thread would be so popular! :)

I ran at 146 for 54 hours...but I feel confident it would've been good at 48 or as long as 58 hours. My objective with the smoker was not to "cook" the flat...it was just to establish the smoke flavor / ring. I actually put it in the smoker directly out of the fridge because I specifically wanted the cooking on the interior to take place in the sous vide. Apparently, the plan worked great. I fully intended to finish with a sear on the Performer, but the weather sucked that day so I skipped it.

Oh, and I made some chili with cubed leftovers and it was amazing too. Thanks for all the replies!

Nice to see some Tiger fans here too! hahaha! Glad this worked out for ya!!!

Fillmore Farmer
01-20-2016, 02:54 AM
After reading this thread had to give it a shot...

picked up brisket at BJ's...didn't even remove it from wrapper...straight into SV for 48 hr @ 133

then let it cool down for 1/2 hr...pat dry...applied rub...wrapped in cellophane and into fridge for 3 hr

took out of fridge...let stand for a hour...then onto egg indirect for 3 hr @ 300 with cherry wood

came out tender....good flavor & smoke ring but a little dry for my taste....next time will go at 300 direct for an hour....

over all I really like this method...almost fool-proof....just need to fool around with the finishing procedures to get it down pat

I'd suggest going higher on the SV temp, you'd be surprise how much a few degrees can make a difference over the long haul, it is precision cooking! I'd think to go at least 142F and take it closer to 55-60 hours, this should get things moist & soft. I'd also skin a few degrees and time off your egg, take it down to 275-285F and pull as soon as the bark looks nice and don't forget to put a pan of water in there too.

After the SV bath whatever fat is in the flat is ready to fall out of that soft meat faster then conventional Q'ing....gotta factor that in for sure! Cherry wood is more sweet and delicate, it's my favorite for turkey but when it comes to brisket you can bring-out the big guns and go with mesquite, hickory or oak. I save the cherry, pecan and apple for poultry.

I do like applying a rub prior to SV, why not let those flavors simmer into the meat over all that time; nothing to lose, flavor to gain!

And guys, it still comes down to the luck of the draw when it comes to brisket meat...there are some cuts, even with good ratings, that will just never produce great results NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO and which approach you take. Every now and then we get that awesome piece of meat that you can use almost any good approach on and get amazing results. About the only thing consistent is that when you cook for yourself it'll be amazing and then when you have friends over it'll almost always fall 20-50% short of those results you previous got...life is so unfair like that but we still endeavor to persevere in our relentless pursuit of Q-excellence, lol :D