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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
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08-03-2016, 09:40 AM | #1 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 03-06-16
Location: Enola, PA
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First Brisket this weekend - need LOTS of help!
We have been planning to celebrate my FIL's birthday this weekend while we're in town visiting my in-laws so I offered to smoke a pork shoulder or make pulled beef (pepper stout beef) since he loves BBQ. Well, I just got a call from my wife and found out that I am smoking a brisket that my MIL already has in their freezer. I believe it is a flat weighing around 4 lbs, but I'll have to take my scale out to confirm when I get there Friday night. Dinner will be at 5 on Sunday, so allowing for plenty of time to rest, I'd like to have it coming off the grill into a cooler around 1. I've been wanting to cook a brisket, but this is not exactly what I had in mind...
I know about Bluedawg's method to cook at 300 to cook a whole packer more quickly. Is there any reason this wouldn't work on just a smaller flat? I am thinking that if I start out cooking at 300 or so until I hit a certain IT, I can then cut the heat back to say 250 or so to give myself a wider window to work with when testing for probe tender to avoid over cooking. I am thinking right now, based on the timeframes in Bludawg's post, that I'll get up around 5 to get the brisket on the smoker by 6. Assuming around 4 hours for the bark to set, I'll wrap in butcher paper (or foil if I cannot find any butcher paper in time), then cook another 30 minutes or so before starting to check for probe tenderness. I'm going to have a thermometer in the meat just to monitor temperature and progress so I can get a feel for when to lower the pit temp as the temp ramps up. Anyone have any other thoughts? Do my timeframes seem reasonable for a 4 pound flat, or am I allowing too much time to cook? Will a flat this small do as well with a cooler hold for 4+/- hours as a full packer would or should I try to plan it to be done closer to meal time? |
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08-03-2016, 09:42 AM | #2 | |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 03-06-16
Location: Enola, PA
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For reference, here is the Bludawgs brisket recipe/method that I referred to:
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08-03-2016, 09:56 AM | #3 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 08-21-08
Location: Katy, TX
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So you already have BluDawg's method, that's a good start.
For your first brisket, nobody did you a favor by having just a flat to cook. The danger is that it will be dry. You'll probably be able to wrap it before the 4-hour mark. I use butcher paper but you might want to use foil this time, here's why: have a disposable pan underneath the flat on a lower rack (if that is possible). When you foil it, pour in the liquid from the pan so the flat can braise and help it to stay moist. This will cut down on the bark but you can get some of that back by finishing the flat with no foil. You can probably get away with not starting the cook so early in the morning. Good luck!
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alan The Line-up: 22.5 Weber OTS; 22.5 Weber WSM. Gone but not forgotten: ECB (modded); New Braunfels Hondo stick burner. "Been dazed and confused for so long it's not true" |
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08-03-2016, 10:06 AM | #4 |
Moderator
Join Date: 12-09-04
Location: Wandering, but not lost
Name/Nickname : Captain Ron
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"Ron Rico, Boss. You can call me Captain Ron..." Naked Fatties Rock! PKGo X 2/PK360/ |
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08-03-2016, 10:07 AM | #5 | |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 03-06-16
Location: Enola, PA
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Thanks for the quick feedback. At least I'm going to be taking my own kettle out there to cook on so I'll have a familiar cooker. That's 1 think in my favor...lol... |
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08-03-2016, 10:17 AM | #6 | |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 03-06-16
Location: Enola, PA
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08-03-2016, 11:03 AM | #7 | |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 08-21-08
Location: Katy, TX
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Just don't undercook it. It took me many attempts to get that through my thick head. I like the sound of your S&P rub: that's all you really need. Just cook it, wrap it at some point, and cook until probe tender. I bet everyone will love it!
__________________
alan The Line-up: 22.5 Weber OTS; 22.5 Weber WSM. Gone but not forgotten: ECB (modded); New Braunfels Hondo stick burner. "Been dazed and confused for so long it's not true" |
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Thanks from:---> |
08-03-2016, 11:57 AM | #8 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 07-20-16
Location: Post falls, Idaho
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I would think 4lb flat is going to be fully cooked in 5 hrs or less, especially at 300 degrees.
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08-03-2016, 01:09 PM | #9 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 03-06-16
Location: Enola, PA
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08-03-2016, 01:15 PM | #10 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 08-21-08
Location: Katy, TX
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Just remember that the higher the temp, the narrower the window for pulling at the right time.
__________________
alan The Line-up: 22.5 Weber OTS; 22.5 Weber WSM. Gone but not forgotten: ECB (modded); New Braunfels Hondo stick burner. "Been dazed and confused for so long it's not true" |
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08-03-2016, 01:38 PM | #11 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 03-06-16
Location: Enola, PA
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Right. That's why I'm thinking that if this brisket is really going to cook that quickly I can afford to go lower and give myself a bigger window to pull it at the right time.
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08-03-2016, 02:26 PM | #12 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 07-20-16
Location: Post falls, Idaho
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I am certainly no expert, but I know what works for me. I try to keep the temp in the 225-250 range. You should have plenty of time to cook a small flat, so I would suggest letting it get up to wrapping temp slowly, and use a pan with some au jus to finish. You may end up have to hold it for a while, and that seem to be the best way to keep it moist if you finish early.... which Ive done a few times. (insert PE joke here).
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08-03-2016, 02:31 PM | #13 | |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 07-20-16
Location: Post falls, Idaho
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Ingredients 3 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar 1 tablespoon onion powder 2 teaspoons mustard powder 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons chili or ancho powder 1 teaspoon chipotle or cayenne powder |
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08-03-2016, 02:32 PM | #14 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 07-17-13
Location: Burleson Tx
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I prefer Packers. I would cook it in a disposable foil pan on on of the racks made to fit in the pan - even Dollar tree has them. I'd add a little bit of beef broth. I'd start checking it at 3.5 hrs - probally take 4-5 hrs but you never know.
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NO Such Thing as Over Smoked - just Over Dirty Smoked............. |
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08-03-2016, 03:18 PM | #15 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 08-20-10
Location: Livermore, CA
Name/Nickname : Tim
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Unfortunately, there isn't much hope for a 4 lb flat, IMO. The big packers are hard enough to cook, tiny flats....no thanks.
That said, good luck with your cook.
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