Hot spots and brisket..where do you cook?

[cayenne]

Hi all,

Been searching and reading...about briskets. From what I've read in the bandera (I've used a piece of foil as a baffle mod)...the hot spot is actually in the middle of the chamber...2nd hottest, near the fire entrance...and coolest near the top?

Ok...if that is correct. I've read where some like to put the brisket, and even standing rib roast, in on the hot spot to about 90 F, and then move to the less hot spots?

Is this correct? If so, where do you move your brisket/roasts to for the low and slow cooking?

Thanx!!

cayenne

[kcquer]

cayenne, when I cook briskets in the vert, I definitely keep them up top. Usually right behind the factory therm (my vert is a Brinkmann). I've not heard of hot spoting briskets. I would think that should be avoided for a couple reasons but if your rub has sugar it would surely burn by the end of the cook and be bitter. I have heard of starting with a higher than normal pit temp and allowing to drop down to a more normal <225 for brisket cooking. This would be gentler on the rub and not as likely to cause crusting that would inhibit smoke penetration. I have done this once and wasn't impressed enough to purposely repeat it.
My local wally super center has everyday packers for $1.29 so I rarely cook briskets single, if I'm gonna burn that much fuel and make that much mess getting one sliced I'm puttin some in the firidge, In the dera this works great because you can have them baste each other. The lower one will obviously cook faster so you have to swap top and bottom periodically. The fatcap (always down) from the upper bastes the lower, this makes great briskets.

[BBQchef33]

I start out high..250-275, sometimes higher... with briskets, then go down to 225. Hot spot cooking i reserve for the faster cooking cuts like prime ribs and filet mignons. In the bandera, i would start at the bottom for leittle while, then move it to the center.

[cayenne]

Originally Posted by BBQchef33

I start out high..250-275, sometimes higher... with briskets, then go down to 225. Hot spot cooking i reserve for the faster cooking cuts like prime ribs and filet mignons. In the bandera, i would start at the bottom for leittle while, then move it to the center.

Thanks for the replies. I'm still a little confused. I thought the middle was the hot spot in a bandera...is this true in general or does it vary a great deal between them?

Thanx,

C

[kcquer]

Thanks for the replies. I'm still a little confused. I thought the middle was the hot spot in a bandera...is this true in general or does it vary a great deal between them?

C, I never found that to be the case in mine. I always found the hottest area to be closet to the fire and cooler as you go up. I've never done the biscuit test or any "mapping" with therms just observation when cooking things like bacon or country style ribs.
Try the biscuit test with yours and see where the hot and cool spots are, then you'll know for sure about your smoker.

[cayenne]

Originally Posted by kcquer

C, I never found that to be the case in mine. I always found the hottest area to be closet to the fire and cooler as you go up. I've never done the biscuit test or any "mapping" with therms just observation when cooking things like bacon or country style ribs.
Try the biscuit test with yours and see where the hot and cool spots are, then you'll know for sure about your smoker.

Yeah...that would be the best...guess I'll try the 'test'

I'd just read from other posts...that the part nearest the fired entrance...which I would have assumed to be the hottest part...was not...due to the effects of the water pan down there....

Other posts had said that actually above this...in the middle of the smoke chamber was the hottest spot in the smoker...

K

[kcquer]

I'd just read from other posts...that the part nearest the fired entrance...which I would have assumed to be the hottest part...was not...due to the effects of the water pan down there....

A bit further above the waterpan is probably the most uniformly "hot" shelf posistion, I would agree with that. But make no mistake, with a shelf just over the waterpan the four corners, especially the ones on the firebox side, are HOT. I get radiant "grilling effect" on the firebox side from the surface of the baffle. I like to finish fatty's there to crust up the outside.
Putting a digital probe too close to the waterpan will give you some misleading readings, a digital therm will tell you it's much cooler there than what food actually cooks (IMO). A time or two it has come up that someone has had trouble reaching cooking temps only to find they were depending on a digital that was actually posistioned where it was reading steam temps over the waterpan. I don't depend on a digital for pit temps, I use them to monitor the temp in spots but find a good analog door therm to give a better overall indication of whats happening temp wise inside the smoker.

[BBQchef33]

The hot spot is a few shelfs above the waterpan where all the heat comes together from around it. Probably halfway between the middle shelf and the waterpan.