Hi all, Happy New Year. I have a specific brisket question, smoking on an 055.

For a large packer (12+ pounds), is it blasphemous to consider cutting it in half to fit it on two racks, vs. folding up under itself squeezed onto one rack? In order to keep the fat side up, I had to fold a 13.3 lb packer under itself, meaning the "flat" side got very little direct exposure (fat side was both up and down). I noticed it had less smoke flavor than normal, and wonder if I'd be better off cutting in half, to increase exposure/smoke flavor.

What are the downsides of doing so? Having two dissimilar pieces finishing at different times, smaller/flat drying out, etc.? I have enough temp probes to probe both halves and monitor independently.

Also find it more difficult to slice, since the whole brisket retains its folded shape once cooked.

What have y'all experienced? Pros/Cons? Thanks in advance.

I prefer not to cut anything just to make it fit in my Smokette. With a brisket I place it on a diagonal, lift it up in the middle to bring the ends up, then close the door. The next time I open the door it has shunk to fit perfectly. I just prefer to have it left whole.

Give it a try.

Like Dennis said.

Do a little trimming before you cook and get it on the shelf.

I wouldn't worry too much about fat up/down.

It will usually work out.

Not to disagree with my astute colleagues (doesn't that sound political?) but last week I ran into this situation. I separated the point from the flat and everything turned out fantastic. This choice 9#er just melted in my mouth and got the best reviews ever from the crew.

Telling you that to say if it works best for you, it's no sin to do it your way. Experiment, keep good notes and learn!

When I started with my 55 I asked a similar question. The manual says to not let it touch the sides. Thanks to this forum it was recommended to not worry about it touching the side and to just put it in on a diagonal. That's what I've been doing and they come out great.

Thanks guys. If I show less concern for "not touching the sides at all", and use the technigue Dennis suggested, I'll probably be able to fit 12-13lb ones just fine. I guess if I end up with a monster one (I saw a 19lb packer in the store, yikes), I can go Wheelz' route. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I echo the "keep good notes" suggestions, definitely worth the time.

If you're REAL good with a knife, separating the point from the flat will reduce the width by about 1/3 of the overall size. You can also trim some of the fat that's on the point and get down to the meat and it'll be just fine.

Good suggestions, thanks. Any reference you point (pun intended) me to on how to find and seperate the point, or tricks for what to look for, etc. I'm careful and willing to learn, but as yet inexperienced, even after the cook, so this is a good step I'd like to become better at.

I'm not at my own computer,but here is a nice pictorial from Chris A at the Virtual Weber Bullet.

Brisket

There is a good pictorial,I believe hosted by the Az assoc,if you are a fan of extreme trimming and seperating point from flat.

I personally don't think that is a great way to learn,but folks do it.

The AZ BBQ association pictorial that Tom referred to can be found here.

It's a decent guide for someone unfamiliar with seperating the point and the flat. The trimming part, as Tom said, seems a bit extreme.

Thanks Tom and DLS. The AZ site is new to me, and now recall the Virtual Weber Bullet, so will have a look for both.