My First Brisket (And on a Weber Kettle)

[H-Towner]

I'm new to the Brethren site. This is my first post outside of Cattle Call and my first indirect cook (besides smoking salmon.) All my outdoor cooking for the last 8 years has been on a hand-me-down 18.5" Weber kettle grill: primarily burgers, dogs, veggies and shrimp. I've been getting interested in smoking, and was looking for inexpensive equipment, but I kept coming across references to the "snake method" of indirect cooking. I figured I could do that on my Weber, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Here's how it went.

I went out and bought the smallest whole brisket I could find. It was about 9 lb, partially trimmed, USDA select. Cost me just under $20. I seasoned it with kosher salt, coarse pepper, and garlic powder.

Here's a picture of my charcoal snake: 2 wide by 2 high. That's pecan wood on top. This amount of charcoal burned for over six hours before I had to pull the top rack and build a new snake.


Here it is with the 9 lb brisket. The meat takes up most of the grate, so I had to periodically rotate the grate it to keep the meat off the hot coals. I didn't always catch it in time, so the end of the flat got a bit more direct heat than I would have liked. I wasn't sure where to put the thermometer probe in this setup. I ended up tucking it up right next to the meat on the grate, facing the fire.


This was my view for a good portion of the day. There are worse things.


This was over six hours in, shortly before I rebuilt the charcoal snake.


Here's the end result. It was late when I took it off the grill, so we sampled a little, separated the flat from the point, and threw it in the fridge. I sliced it cold the next day; that's why it doesn't look particularly moist.











My takeaway from this experience:

1. The Weber is small. (Maybe I should have tried a chicken first.) Really, it takes a bit of babysitting, but for lack of a proper smoker, this works.
2. I tried using bigabyte's advice to ignore the internal meat temp and go only by the resistance encountered when inserting the probe. It never went into the flat "like butter," but I think that may be due to too much direct heat having overcooked it.
3. I kept the temperature between 225 and 250 deg. Maybe that was low. I ended up cooking it for 14 hours, which strikes me as long for 9 lbs of meat. My internal temp never read 200 either.
4. Thermometer probe placement was iffy. I felt if it was on top of the meat, the meat would cause it to read low, but where I placed it on the grill might have been too close to the coals. Maybe I need to drill a dial thermometer into the lid.
5. There was an unexpected tangy hint in the flavor of the bark. It was good, but I'm not sure how that got there from salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Could that be a quality of the pecan smoke? I've only used hickory chips before.
6. The smoke ring is pretty shallow and the smoke flavor was not strong. Maybe I should pack on more wood chunks next time.
7. Those jalapenos cooked down until they were shiny black and brittle. A bite off one lit me up pretty good. I crushed them up and put them in a plastic container, and now I'm not really sure what to do with them.

I thought for my next cook I might try a pork shoulder to satisfy my wife's inner Arky. Any thoughts on how I might improve on this process (short of buying a smoker)?================================================================

Thanks to everyone who replied. I got some good advice from you. Here's a summary of the key points for posterity.

• I need bigger equipment (haven't I heard that before), and it doesn't have to be expensive.
• More heat. I had been worried about too much direct heat, and may have undercooked it. Worry less about direct heat and cook above 250 or 275, and keep it on until that internal temp gets closer to 200. Too little fire my also have affected the quality of the smoke and thereby the flavor of the bark.
• For better smoke penetration, keep the meat cold and moist before it goes on the fire.
• Stick with Choice (or Prime) meats for better fat content.
• Chicken and Pork are better training meats than brisket.
• Never give up, never surrender.

 

[KevinJ]

Nice cook :thumb:

 

[jstokes3]

I think you did things right. Brisket is a hard first smoke. Try the chicken and then the pork. Much easier cooks to get the hang of smoking on your kettle.
There are also attachments you can consider for the kettle like the smokenator or slow and sear.

 

[H-Towner]

I had looked at the Slow n Sear, but I only saw models for 22" and 26" kettles. Thanks for pointing me at the Smokenator. That might go on my Father's Day wish list.

 

[1buckie]

I got all kinds of Weber Kettles & do all kinds of crazy stuff w/ them, but.....I'd likely never try what you did!!!


A brisket on an 18" is bordering on work !!!!

Good Show !!!

The "tangy hint" may, I say MAY have been a bit of sluggish smoke.....running at lower temps, there can be a bit of a risk of the fire chugging along just a bit too slowly & not quite burning clean enough...might have been it....
An 18" is a pretty tight space to work in....I've done pork butts on them, but a 22" gives a little breathing room & the likelihood of not having to re-build your chain..

Maybe see if you can find a decent one at a yard sale or CraigsList....they can be cleaned up to just like brand new & that gives you more cooking space.....use the 18" for sides or additional appetizers / meats...

Just suggestions.....great cookup !!!

 

[Big-Joe]

Looks mighty fine from where I sit, 18" kettle is pretty small but it looks like you did a good job. I like running around 285-310 when i make briskets and butts

 

[JeffJ]

It looks like you did pretty much everything right. As for minimal smoke ring - how cold was the meat when you put it in the kettle? The colder the meat when going in the more pronounced your ring will be.

I have never used pecan wood so I don't know how much smoke it puts on the meat. Again, how cold was your meat when you put it in? Smoke sticks to cold meat and/or wet meat. I would place your first chunk on top of the lit coals and then on more just almost right next to it. That will provide plenty of smoke if the meat is cold enough and/or wet enough when the wood is slowly burning. If you like spacing them out more consider popping the lid and spritzing the meat with water or juice when you see blue smoke wafting out.

You said it wasn't very tender but never registered 200 internal and you thought it may have been overcooked. I disagree with your analysis. It probably didn't spend enough time in the higher temp ranges for the fat and collagen to break down. You might consider wrapping once you've established good bark. Also may want to think about a faux cambro for a couple of hours right after you pull the meat.

 

[H-Towner]

I got all kinds of Weber Kettles & do all kinds of crazy stuff w/ them, but.....I'd likely never try what you did!!!

A brisket on an 18" is bordering on work !!!!

Yeah, I knew it was a little out there, but sometimes I have a tendency to bite before I think about how much I can chew.

I like running around 285-310 when i make briskets and butts

It probably didn't spend enough time in the higher temp ranges for the fat and collagen to break down.

I think y'all are right. I'll be running hotter next time.

As for the meat temp, I didn't measure it cold, but it had been out of the fridge for about an hour before I put it on the grill. That time included rinsing, toweling off, and seasoning.

 

[Lowki]

I had looked at the Slow n Sear, but I only saw models for 22" and 26" kettles. Thanks for pointing me at the Smokenator. That might go on my Father's Day wish list.

This might help out, fits 18" as well.

I agree with the others, cutting teeth on brisket is difficult. Spatchcock a bird or throw a butt on, (much more forgiving) and play with your fire and flavors.

 

[JeffJ]

As for the meat temp, I didn't measure it cold, but it had been out of the fridge for about an hour before I put it on the grill. That time included rinsing, toweling off, and seasoning.

That is probably why it was lacking in both smoke flavor and a smoke ring. Rinse, season and then put it back in the 'fridge. Heck, you could even toss it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. Keep it cold until you are ready to place it in the cooker. You'll definitely pick up more smoke and will get more of a smoke ring as well.

One other tip - consider applying salt a day in advance. Dry-brining (half teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat) in this manner will more thoroughly season the meat as well as change the cell-structure of the meat so that it retains more moisture when cooked - a win-win. Just make sure to use a sodium free rub if you do this. If you want some saltiness in the bark, sprinkle some coarse salt on the meat right when you put it in the cooker.

 

[H-Towner]

This might help out, fits 18" as well.

I swear on all that is good and holy that the 18" didn't exist when I was looking at Slow n Sears a few weeks ago. That or I stink at shopping.

 

[Pocchampion]

Go to Craigslist and pick up a 22. I see on Houston Craigslist cheap regularly.

You will enjoy the process more with larger cuts like turkey or brisket and your family will love your passion for BBQ.

 

[Jrogers84]

In all reality before you go spend money on gadgets to make your 18 work I would simply find one bigger. Ive never paid more that 20 bucks for a kettle and I have 3....all 22's. Hell I only paid 60 for a performer. You did damn good for your first smoke. Ive got only a few briskets under my belt and honestly its not my favorite thing to cook or eat. The time is a huge investment for the payoff. Have fun with the pork. Theyre a blast to cook. Something you can easily put on in the morning and have it ready by dinner without ever feeling rushed. I always feel like I am behind the 8 ball with a 12 or so hour cook with so many variables. Especially in a kettle.

All in all, hell of a job. Looks delicious

 

[offshore_SoLA]

judging from its appearance - its undercooked. Its fine to ignore temperature to a point, but youll have to at least have it to 195 in the point..and often times higher. there is no need to put your brisket off to the side (its not a steak and not sure where you came up with that idea). you simply don't want fire touching the meat.

looks like you had at least 2 hours to go. if this was "overcooked" the flat will crumble like wet cardboard.

keep at it though. don't get impatient. keep a steady temperature .. start checking the flat at 185-190. don't have a conversation with your neighbors while youre poking around and talking about it with the lid off. do it quickly.

I recommend fully closing the intake and exhaust before opening the lid..and investing in a cheap meat probe you can monitor wireless until you get the hang of it.

 

[pjtexas1]

http://www.weberjumbojoe.com/weber-jumbo-joe-barrel-extension/

 

[dadsr4]

For a big chunk of meat like that, the ring of fire is the way to go. For things like chickens and ribs, coals banked against one side work better. A Slow n Sear takes up a lot of room

when cooking large pieces of meat is the goal. A pair of fire bricks works the same way, and can be arranged to open up more of the center grill area to indirect cooking.

 

[H-Towner]

judging from its appearance - its undercooked. Its fine to ignore temperature to a point, but youll have to at least have it to 195 in the point..and often times higher. there is no need to put your brisket off to the side (its not a steak and not sure where you came up with that idea). you simply don't want fire touching the meat.

Guess that was my own fabrication? Seemed logical that being a couple inches above the hot coals defeats the point of indirect cooking. If that's not the case, I could loop my charcoal snake almost 360* around the kettle for a longer burn, and not bother about where the meat goes?

keep at it though. don't get impatient. keep a steady temperature .. start checking the flat at 185-190. don't have a conversation with your neighbors while youre poking around and talking about it with the lid off. do it quickly.

I recommend fully closing the intake and exhaust before opening the lid..and investing in a cheap meat probe you can monitor wireless until you get the hang of it.

I did most of my meat probing through the top vent with a Weber digital thermometer. I'll try to remember the tip about closing the vents before opening the lid. Any theory behind that?

 

[offshore_SoLA]

Guess that was my own fabrication? Seemed logical that being a couple inches above the hot coals defeats the point of indirect cooking. If that's not the case, I could loop my charcoal snake almost 360* around the kettle for a longer burn, and not bother about where the meat goes?



I did most of my meat probing through the top vent with a Weber digital thermometer. I'll try to remember the tip about closing the vents before opening the lid. Any theory behind that?

im not knocking you at all... like anything else takes practice. I remember being disappointed the first few briskets I cooked. I'm sure it tastes great, but you were thinking - damn... this is tough... must have overcooked it.

I've noticed that when brisket is "done" the meat itself takes on a slightly brown or dark sandy appearance.. combine that with your lighter colored meat and description of tough - is how I came up with undercooked.

Slow cooking a piece of **** meat like a brisket kind of defies what all of us know as conventional wisdom. we are aiming to break down the collagen fibers (connective tissues which are tough) ..which in turn provide the moisture we all aim for. That being said .. with a few more briskets under your belt you'll learn to recognize the signs in your own way ...

just count on hours and hours and hours ...and more hours. Every time you lift the lid - add another hour.

chances are you'll overcook the next one and briskets after that will be a pendulum of fine tuned adjustments. Keep making your adjustments.. just don't do anything drastic... think in terms of small ripples.. not tidal waves.

 

[Happy Hapgood]

Some great info here and the OP did a good job IMHO. The only thing I can add is that I will never smoke a Select grade brisket again. I've never been able to get one to turn out just right. Not enough marbling to render. Since I switched to only Choice grade I've had excellent results on my WSM.

 

[H-Towner]

You know, I'll tell you one reason I thought direct heat would be a problem. One of the arguments I've heard for fat-side-down is that the fat cap will act as a heat shield for the meat. Are those cookers wrong to be concerned about that?