I'm Really Getting Hung Up On The No Touch Brisket

Today I smoked another ~thirdeye~ half-n-half brisket, hanging it from my drum rack. 4-1/2 hours at 275° got me to 175° internal in the flat and 180° in the point. I spun my rack 3 times and never touched the brisket until I pulled the double-hook out and wrapped them. Here is what is becoming my favorite routine.

Trim and pick a line lengthwise... then cut the brisket in half.


The half with the kernel of fat in the point always has more point meat, but the amount of point in the other half is decent.


Hooked and seasoned... ready to hang in the BDS. I did use my trussing needle and some twine to close up the V notch in the side of the point.


At about the 3 hour mark when spinning the rack. This is about the 5th cook on my new charcoal basket, this one is 4" taller in height than Rocky's original design and gives me longer burn times. It's working great so far.


And the best part of this method is I double-wrap each half separately for finishing. One we eat for dinner... the other is rested then quick chilled and the foil pouch, with the juices intact, are then wrapped in butcher paper for more protection, then frozen. Later on I just thaw, unwrap the pouch and it reheats just great. The only problem is, the slices are only half as long as a full sized brisket. :biggrin1:

pjtexas1 said:

i like that you have point and flat in both meals. nothing wrong with the short slices.

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That is a bonus for sure, and I like having one chunk for freezing. And if I give half to somebody they get flat and point. The cook time is a little shorter and the half-size pieces reheat quicker than a whole too.

bam said:

BDS not UDS love that Thirdeye I got 4 BDS drums. Got to try this also making that buckboard bacon for turkey day.

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I bought my first one 10 or 12 years ago, cooked on it for a few months and bought a second one which stays in my warehouse until I do larger cooks. I've only made minor mods like a shelf, long stem thermometer, and my hanging rack. I think I remember you from the BDS forum... I have developed a Buckboard cure recipe based on Tenderquick if you don't have a source for High Mountain Cure.

Twisted T's Q said:

what is a BDS ?

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They were an early brand of drum smoker made by Rocky Richmond. One day I read a review of the early model by Danny Gaulden (who had the Dairy Queen/BBQ joint in Carlsbad, NM) who was also a friend of Rocky's... and in that article Danny described the odors coming off the smoker as that "Grandpaw smell". I immediately related to this as my Grandfather taught me about BBQ in the 60's and had several pits in the backyard. The next day I called Rocky and we talked for about an hour, and I ordered a BDS. In his prime he had 8 or 9 sizes including a jumbo, and a couple were stainless. The drums were special production runs and were taller, thicker, had a heavy base ring and were made without an upper expansion ring so two grates could be used. All the vent controls are snap-in electrical box plugs so the temp can really be dialed in. They are great cookers, and I've always believed they contributed to the popularity of UDS's and later other manufactured drums.

Twisted T's Q said:

can you still buy a BDS ?

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I think only in the used market, Rocky closed the business.

frognot said:

Wow! Great lookin' brisket right there!

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Just had a mid-morning snack... for quality control purposes. :biggrin1: