I'm looking for a good Brisket story.

Well, my unconventional brisket is this. 330 F, two hours in, foil and pull at 4hrs. Done.

Juiciest brisket I have had. The briskets were 15 and 13 lbs.

Maybe just wrap the flat in foil at 12 hours and leave the rest exposed? Just thinking out loud....

Also, you may want to bump up the temperature to around 230 and see if it gets done sooner and doesn't dry out as much.

That would not make sence in my fec100 but thanks.

I have been thinking about raising the temp a little. Anybody else?

Tom,

Don't complicate it.

Put it in the smoker at 250. Say 10pm and let it go all night. Check it in the moring at 7 and see where it's at.

You didn't say how big it was?

Also, in the FE, I go with the fat down if it's on shelf 3 or 4 (bottom two shelves)

For wrapping (ski, no you've only done one brisket....) if you have to wrap (and I don't when I cook at home, I like a good bark on a brisket) if you HAVE to wrap, I wrap for color, not for time, time is just too subjective. Usually it will be around the 170 point, then takes about 3 hours or less to finish

Most of us, that cooked a few can tell the odd things we do,and there often is some reason-at least to us-we do it that way.

Like Smokin says,if you buy a decent quality,choice-or better,packer ,near 15 lbs,keep the fat under it, to fend off the heat,cook it under 250*,start sticking a probe thru the thick part of the flat,before it gets past 195*,take it off when the probe passes through it like warm butter,wrap it in double foil and a towel for 2-3 hrs.

Cut it across the grain.

It won't be perfect,but better than you can buy in Ca.

After that,you can begin tweakin'.

After we trim up a 15 pounder,it seems to take around 65-70- mins/lb of trimmed weight,but the probe determines everything.

I just did a 16 pound packer brisket. I set the FEC100 for 200 degrees for 6 hours then the hold temp at 250. I checked the internal temp at 8 hours. It was 159 so I decided to foil it. At the 10 hour mark it was at 202 and buttery soft. I put it in my cooler and left it sit for about 6 hours. Still hot and juicy. It pulled a 3rd place.

It was my first time for a 16 pounder. Usually 8 to 10 pounds. I didn't figure the 16 pounder to cook in 10 hours. I was thinking 14 hours the earliest.

Oh the heck with it, I'm going to foil next time just to try it.

Where are you guys sticking the probe?

Thickest part of the flat. Make sure the probe is in the meat and not the fat seam.

Thank you. Everybody. By the way, I love my fec100 and I have never had a problem with it.

Seems something was a little off on that 16 lb packer,as to temps,etc.

Glad it worked out though.

Happens to all of us.

Where did you get the 3rd place walk.

We like all the publicity and good stories on the FEC forum.

The 3rd place brisket was at the Red, White & BBQ contest in Westmont IL Memorial Day Weekend this year.

I also got a 10th place call for chicken. This was the first time I did my chicken in the FEC. I usually do it in my WSM, but with the brisket being done so early I tried the FEC. It seemed to work ok.

I normally do my chicken at 325 but I've heard of fires in the FEC so I kept using the WSM. I didn't want to use the FEC at 325 for fear of a fire from the previously dripped grease. I kicked the FEC up to 265 for the chicken.

Sorry didn't mean to get away from the brisket.

Unfortunately, the IBCA down here wants a LOT of smoke on the meat. So...in order to get a walk (not for my taste) I have learned this:

set the temp to 140

I have learned that the fan rarely kicks on and the heat is maintained by the smoldering pellets.

Time = 10 hrs

This has definitely made a more smokey product.

then kick the temp to 250 to finish...foil if you wish. ( I do ) meat is usually between 160-165 at this point.

Start checking probe at 190.... for me...over 200 is dry.

Hope this helps

Skip

Hey thanks Skip.

Coach,

Glad it works for you, but I think that's VERY extreme for an FE and I wouldn't recommend that to a new FE user like Tom. If that's what it takes for a contest in IBCA, I understand.

For me, 10 hours in the danger zone just won't work for me. Obviously it does for you, you're still around

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
Coach,

Glad it works for you, but I think that's VERY extreme for an FE and I wouldn't recommend that to a new FE user like Tom. If that's what it takes for a contest in IBCA, I understand.

For me, 10 hours in the danger zone just won't work for me. Obviously it does for you, you're still around

I most definitely should have clarified.

My FE will not hold at 140...while set at 140 it usually runs around 165.

Now I'm kinda worried...still dangerous?

no, you'll be fine. If you kept it at 140, you'd be "close" but if it's cooking at 165, you should be okay.

And, like I said, you ARE still with us

I understand about the danger zone with a 10 hour cook at 140, but bumping the temps and cooking it to 195 + should take care of anything that might have been hanging around.

How is the smoke ring on those long cooks?? I assume your are using Hickory pellets.

quote:

Originally posted by toys4dlr:
I understand about the danger zone with a 10 hour cook at 140, but bumping the temps and cooking it to 195 + should take care of anything that might have been hanging around.

How is the smoke ring on those long cooks?? I assume your are using Hickory pellets.

Smoke ring is around 1/4 to 3/8.

I use hickory 95% of the time. The last one I did was mesquite.
I bought a blend from cookinpellets.com which is a blend of hickory, pecan, apple and cherry.
I was very pleased and will be using that for my personal use.

We got a first in chicken with Hickory (thanks to Smokins brining class) but just still tweaking the smoke on the rest.

Again...we are VERY new to this competition thing. Having a blast...Learning tons.

Did the CBJ and cooking class in December at cookshack...
Then learned the HUGE difference in KCBS and IBCA the hard way

Still fun tho!

quote:

Originally posted by Coach:
...We got a first in chicken with Hickory (thanks to Smokins brining class) but just still tweaking the smoke on the rest.

Over the years, I've heard from a LOT of IBCA cooks who learned to brine from me. It's fun to go to an event and they've been usings the Brining 101 for years.

Congrats on the success!

Russ

Yep,Icould point out a passle of FBA and KCBS cooks,that I steered to Smokin's chicken brines,with great success.

Now,them MIM guys,don't waste the time.

They'll shoot up an wing flat,so it looks like a softball.

quote:

Originally posted by toys4dlr:
I understand about the danger zone with a 10 hour cook at 140, but bumping the temps and cooking it to 195 + should take care of anything that might have been hanging around.

How is the smoke ring on those long cooks?? I assume your are using Hickory pellets.

Common thought, but incorrect.

There are two hazards: bacteria, and their poop. Temps of 140* will kill most known harmful bacteria, but if the meat was in the danger zone long enough for the bacteria to set up shop, then they left toxins(poop) behind, and in general, no temperature will make the meat safe once it's been contaminated in this fashion. The toxins are actually far more dangerous than the bacteria.

Coach...

If I need extra smoke, I'll put some flavor pellets or soaked wood chips in a foil packet and put it on the shield over the fire pot. Seems to work out OK for me.