How long do I cook this brisket

Well as a general rule about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours per pound. BUT you want to take it to between 190 to 205 degrees. Every hunk of meat cooks differently so it's about checking in multiple places after about 7 hours with a quick read thermometer. I would venture to say it will be done at about 8 hours. But your mileage may vary (as the regulars here say). Just let her rip.

By the way what model smoker do you have ??
Good luck.

Better yet read and re-read Smokin's Brisket 101. Great piece of writing.

http://www.cookshack.com/store...1-Series/Brisket-101

Amerique, and thank you

You know one thing struck me that I have to ask. You say 5.38 lb... Ok is that a small trimmed flat you got ??? Reason I ask is a while back the guys were raving about briskets at Sam's Club. So I found a PRIME for about $4.00 a pound - it must have been about 7 pounds, a fully trimmed flat. Looked beautiful. But I realized once I started reading threads here again it would be better used simmer in a stock and red wine sauce and served to some grandmas I know down the road than be slow smoked. So to get around the "problem" of not enough fat on/in it I wrapped it in fat slices of Smithfield bacon tacked into the brisket with cloves. Took it out at 190. The bacon was gorgeous and tasty, too bad the flat was kinda dry...

Anyway good luck.

Iowa I'm guessing you have a small flat. I'd cook at 240 and check tenderness at the 4.5 hr mark. Use a wooden skewer, top thru bottom of the center. Easy in & out, you're done. When you think it's ready, have a digital probe in the center and record the internal temp. Make a note as to what that temp is. Keep a log of notes.

Briskets can be finished between a rather wide range of temps - 190 - 205. Best to use the probe test vs temps, especially with flats.

Foil and hold at least an hour before slicing.

Let us know how it turned out.

Bigmike...just curious...why do you have a 90 degree elbow on your vent?

Max,

Operative word is HAD, got it used from a restaurant supply house used and the previous owner had that on there. Since that shot have replaced with stock vent from Cookshack, also the very crumbly power cord. As of Tuesday the unit now belongs to my next door neighbor Frank - when the heat subsides here I'm teaching him some basics...

quote:

Originally posted by MaxQ:
Bigmike...just curious...why do you have a 90 degree elbow on your vent?

Max - Several years ago when I was in the midst of a cook for a large party at my house a torrential downpour with high winds came through. Ran to the local hardware and got the same 90 degree elbow to keep the water from entering the vent hole. Did the job of blocking the rain, and it's heavy enough not to be blown off.

Haven't used it much, but it still sits on the sidelines.

quote:

Originally posted by BigMike:
Took it out at 190. The bacon was gorgeous and tasty, too bad the flat was kinda dry...

Yeah, I've never had one that I took out at 190*, that wasn't dry. Under cooked briskets can be as dry as over cooked briskets,oh well.

Brisket cooks will be better served to learn the feel of a properly cooked brisket, IMHO!

Here at the Freehold NJ SAMs the only briskest in the meat case are these totally trimmed clean Prime flats - my wife thought it looked great, it had NO fat on it. Cough. Now I buy what I believe are Select from Walmart or Choice from our local butcher at Glorys Market - the packers Glorys sels are terrific.n I get my best results from those (obviously). No Restaurant Depot anywhere near me, besides being almost blind I do not drive so don't have the mobility I used to (and really miss). I do what I can with what I got.

My point is that flat with the bacon tacked on it would have been better Au Vin

That 90 degree cap was filthy and pretty plugged when we removed it. Now that 008 is humming like my old Jimmy used to

I have found when I go to Costco or Sam's, I have to ask the butch for packers, they don't have them in the display case.
Make sure to ask for a whole brisket.

Wayne B

Wayne, I let my Costco membership lapse. It's really out of the way for us. So haven't been in there for briskets since I got into smoking. Yet we have a Sam's and Walmart my wife drives by twice a day, less than a mile from her job. And yeah I did ask the butcher at Sam's. The meat department guys in Walmart, I was teaching them about briskets. In my area I think all the Sam's and Walmart meat guys do is pull product from cases and put it on display (at least the ones near me). It's probably one of those geographic things. I remember when I first joined here how guys in Texas were saying EVERYONE had packers. I find for me paying a little more (about $3.49 a pound) for the Choice packers I get at Glory's is ok. They let me come into the walk in with them and pick the one I want out of a case so no complaints (except about the price). I regularly go packing a couple of cigars with me and offer them to the butchers when I'm asking for a little favor. At Glory's I take bags of my jerky to share with the staff.

Having been a life long IBMer and moved my share of times I realize that each geographic area has its little food things, Chicago had great deep dish pizza and hot dogs. California had all the Asian stuff that started getting really popular after 'Nam, and Jersey, well Jersey is Jersey and we have a lot of stuff. You learn to improvise, overcome and adapt.

I'm really anxious to get this SM150 I found and start playing with it. My next goals are to learn to smoke salmon and whitefish and later cheese with a cold smoke baffle. My wife LOVES both salmon and whitefish. My landlady will love me for sending her some smoked fish.

Thanks MaxQ

quote:

Originally posted by MaxQ:
Iowa I'm guessing you have a small flat. I'd cook at 240 and check tenderness at the 4.5 hr mark. Use a wooden skewer, top thru bottom of the center. Easy in & out, you're done. When you think it's ready, have a digital probe in the center and record the internal temp. Make a note as to what that temp is. Keep a log of notes.

Briskets can be finished between a rather wide range of temps - 190 - 205. Best to use the probe test vs temps, especially with flats.

Foil and hold at least an hour before slicing.

Let us know how it turned out.

Turned out well, the family loved it... Thanks for all your help!!!!!!!!