Brisket

Gant Grimes · 11-04-2009, 03:23 PM

An easy how-to.

http://70sbig.com/?p=636

Brian Stone · 11-04-2009, 04:56 PM

Great stuff. I'm seriously thinking about getting a smoker now. Well done, man.

Jay Cohen · 11-05-2009, 05:04 AM

Gant;

Nice Video;

I make Brisket at least once a month, buy a packer, smoke time is anywhere from 18-22 hours depending on meat and lbs.

Here is my go to bible for basic Brisket:

http://www.cookshack.com/brisket-101

w/f/s

Frank Needham · 11-05-2009, 05:27 AM

Nicely done, I'm inspired!

Garrett Smith · 11-05-2009, 05:47 AM

I think I've been called to follow in the ways of Gant.

Frank Needham · 11-05-2009, 08:46 AM

Gant, could you elaborate a little on the details involved with how you maintain the proper temperature and smoke during the 20 hours it takes to finish the brisket? Do you build a coal fire, let it burn down and then add smoke chips as needed? How often do you find it necessary to add chips? I assume your smoker has a water bowl and, if so, do you replentish it?
Thanks in advance...

Gant Grimes · 11-05-2009, 09:32 AM

Jay, there is some talk of electric smokers on the comments section of that thread if you'd like to contribute. I know little about them beyond what you have mentioned in other threads.

Frank, I elaborated some in the comments section. I have smoked on everything from large trailer smokers to small, jerry-rigged gas grills with the door propped open with a grill brush. I currently use a Weber Smokey Mountain which maintains temp. extremely well (200-250--depending on how you adjust it--for hours).

I use the Minion Method for starting a fire. Rather than lighting all the coals (which will spike to 350 or more!) and letting them burn down, I fill my ring halfway with coals and light a chimney full of coals outside of the smoker. When the chimney is going, I spread those 20 or so hot coals on the unlit ones. As the hot coals burn down, they ignite the ones under them, and the process repeats. You get more mileage out of your fuel this way, not to mention a slow, steady, consistent burn. Between that method and choking my inlets a bit, I can get 7-10 hours at 200-225 out of one ring on the Weber.

Even though I had cooked a lot, when I bought the Weber, I went through Gary Wivviot's 5 Steps. It was free online when I started. It is now a book apparently.

Despite being a Texan, I'm not as dogmatic as some about my brisket. Above all, it should taste good, be enjoyed with friends, and help you get big and strong. The way I demo'd on video is extremely easy and will turn out a brisket that is better than 95% of the stuff you can get at someone's house or even a restaurant. If you can select decent meat, build a proper fire, and keep temperature, the only thing left is for you to get the hell out of the way and let the meat do its thing.

Edit: I use chunks, not chips. I also use a water bowl. I replenish when I add fuel after 8-10 hours.

Stephen Sullivan · 11-05-2009, 10:45 AM

Thanks for the video Gant! Absolutely awesome. I need a smoker.

Jay Cohen · 11-06-2009, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank Needham

Gant, could you elaborate a little on the details involved with how you maintain the proper temperature and smoke during the 20 hours it takes to finish the brisket? Do you build a coal fire, let it burn down and then add smoke chips as needed? How often do you find it necessary to add chips? I assume your smoker has a water bowl and, if so, do you replentish it?
Thanks in advance...

Frank;

As an alternative to Charcoal/Propane fired smokers, I elected to buy a Cookshack Electric Smoker: http://www.cookshack.com/residential-barbecue-smokers. Link is w/f/s

While all use wood to produce the smoke, after reading months of reviews, I elected the easy man's version of a smoker.

The Cookshack uses a heating element to smoke the wood, is very well insulated, and you can almost set and forget, depending on the model. I've had since May, would buy again in a heartbeat.

We that said, you can get great results with any smoker as it's not the smoker, but the smokee.

BTW, unless I'm in a "real" BBQ joint, I refuse to eat smoked meat out, it just doesn't compare to smoking your own.

BTW x 2, when I show up at a party packing some brisket or pulled pork, the people tell me over and over, how dang good it is and how it's some of the best meat they ever had. I just smile.
Good Luck.

Frank Needham · 11-07-2009, 06:31 AM

I've smoked stuff on an electric smoker, a cheap one and it worked ok till I fried the element. So I've kinda been looking around at what to get next for a while now. The green egg is pretty cool but pricey and I don't know that I'd do that much smoking to make it worth while. You can probably tell from my questions that having to tend the smoker while in use is one of my concerns. If it can be set up to start working during the night, say about 9pm, and then replenished with chunks and water in the morning, say about 6-7am, then walk away from it till 4-5pm in the afternoon, that would be ideal. Set and forget sounds great to me but that can't be quite possible I'd think.