Small Brisket in 025 - Water Bath?

Well Ralphie,

Howdy. I am also cooking a smallish brisket today - a 2.8 pound corned beef I got at Sam's. Using a hunk of hickory at 225. I slapped some dijon mustard all over it and in a spice mill I ground up
3 tbls black peppercorns
1 tsp red pepper flake
2 Tbls corriander seed
1 Tbls pickling spice

I coarse ground it, then added
1 Tbls Paprika
1 Tso Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Onion powder

Then mixed all that very well and applied all over the entire brisket. Then because I have a sweet tooth applied a bunch of light brown sugar on the non-fatty side, the side facing up in the smoker. Into the smoker fat side down on the middle shelf.

When will it be done, well I guess being just under 3 pounds it will take about 5 1/2 hours, but I am cooking it like a BRISKET wanting a final internal temp of 195 so when I plunge my digital quick read probe in it slides thru like a stick of butter on a hot summer day. DONE WHEN IT'S DONE. After it thoroughly cools it's going in a freezer storage bag and into the freezer. I'm taking that corned beef and 2 slabs of applewood smoke baby backs when I go see my Mom in Chicago on Wednesday. I'll pull the product outta the freezer and into my suitcase it goes. I figure Wednesday night we can choose which to eat.

So let's say roughly 1 1/2 hours per pound. So in your case at about 3 hours check with a quick read digital thermometer, forget using a probe, and check all over. You get say 195 everywhere and the probe just glides in and out you hit the target. Foil and let rest a couple hours, then slice.

YUMMY GOODNESS

OK, sounds like about what I was thinking. No probe? Hmm. I'll compare mine to the readings I get w/my fancy instant reader -- if it's accurate, I may as well use it. I like your doneness check -- kills two birds with one stone!

I use the probe as a guide therm, then instant read in several places when I'm getting close. Also, gives me the probe test at the same time.

The 025 provides plenty of moisture on it's own. Add a water pan if you're worried about moisture but doing so will likel hinder bark formation.

Let us know how it turns out.

Ran my SM150 at 225 for 7 hours, at 3 hours I checked the corned beef and it was at 140, it stalled there for 2 hours, I pulled it when it was at 180, it's got a lovely bark. I double foiled it and let it rest until it was completely cooled, unnwrapped it and into a freezer zipper storage bag and into the freezer. Transporting it to Chicago Wednesday. There I will use a Reynolds Baking Bag with some sliced onions in the bottom, a cup of white wine and a packet of Lipton Onion soup. Slow cook it for about 90 minutes at 300 and then it should be fall apart tender with a great au jus to serve it with on buns. I watched a great video on YouTube on how Katz's Deli does pastrami, which is essentially what I have here, and remember from eating there. They keep their smoked pastramis in a broth bath/steam table to slice as needed.