Who's smoking meat this weekend?

SSBrew - 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Chicken on Saturday
20191102_184607[1].jpg


Ribs for dinner last night, just salt and pepper on this rack

20191103_181456[1].jpg


And a tri-tip to bring for lunches at work this week

20191103_182327[1].jpg
 
8lbs brisket in electric smoker Friday. 9hrs in the smoker at 212 then covered in oven with onions/garlic for 2 more at 205. Wood was oak/cherry chips..what I had laying around along with random dry rubs. Funny thing is, came out darn good. Not much of a smoke ring but great flavor/moist and tender.
IMG_20191108_125810.jpeg
 
Wangs. I like ‘em crispy so a small chimney plus a knot of Hickory straightened out these simple SPOG dusted wangs.

Football, wangs, pasta salad, and MyBock. What else does a Southern boy need?!?! Cheers y’all!

IMG_1262.jpg
 
When I first got my electric smoker, it was always a struggle to get the temp in the 225F-250F range. It always wanted to go 300F. Then this last summer suddenly it was hitting that range no matter what I set it at! I didn't discover the problem until I tried to use the same extension cord to run my air compressor and it just wouldn't go. Turns out the extension cord was compromised. Might use it anyway... ;)
 
PianoMan said:
First shot at a pork butt. Smoking with Apple wood at 250F. Can always finish in oven.View attachment 656607
Click to expand...
Great piece of meat to start with. Very forgiving on times and cooking temps. That looks boneless and untied,if so, should cook relatively fast. Sometimes the big tightly tied or bone-in can take a really long time to get through the 160 stall. Keep cooking or crank the heat. Also fair to move to the oven as it won't absorb much more smoke.
 
That's interesting. Make sense as we're pumping some current through the wires. Mine is direct connection to outdoor outlet.
bleme said:
When I first got my electric smoker, it was always a struggle to get the temp in the 225F-250F range. It always wanted to go 300F. Then this last summer suddenly it was hitting that range no matter what I set it at! I didn't discover the problem until I tried to use the same extension cord to run my air compressor and it just wouldn't go. Turns out the extension cord was compromised. Might use it anyway... ;)
Click to expand...
S-Met said:
Great piece of meat to start with. Very forgiving on times and cooking temps. That looks boneless and untied,if so, should cook relatively fast. Sometimes the big tightly tied or bone-in can take a really long time to get through the 160 stall. Keep cooking or crank the heat. Also fair to move to the oven as it won't absorb much more smoke.
Click to expand...
I've done brisket and turkey. We had steak last night so decided on pork and damn cheep too! Just checked. It's at 150 deep inside, 5hrs in. Dialed back a bit. Still pull at 200ish like a brisket? Thanks for the responses!
 
PianoMan said:
First shot at a pork butt. Smoking with Apple wood at 250F. Can always finish in oven.View attachment 656607
Click to expand...
Pulled at 165, covered in pan/foil with onions/garlic and beer into oven at 350. Pulled at 190F and sat for 45min. Meat melted away! Turned out awesome, nice smoke and flavor. Dry rub was salt/pepper and Tony's w/mustard as a binder. Family was very happy going into thirds.
IMG_20191212_162509.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I forgot to upload the pork I smoked the other day. Its become a hard decision....hickory and cherry or pecan. I love them both so much. Nothing but 2 to 1 sugar to salt. Froze 4 meals and put one bag in fridge. One dinner from fridge bag and leftovers went into breakfast burritos for week. 12 hours at 275, so should give you some idea of how long is needed at 225 with no wrap.

@PianoMan i saw your question and have an answer just no time right now but somewhere above 195 will do. Depends how hungry you are and if you are eating or freezing for later.
Screenshot_20191212-205306_Gallery.jpeg
 
Oh, awesome thread. Didn't know it was on here. GREAT, because I need advice. I'm planning on doing a brisket next weekend. I have a Weber and I know how to work it. I've made some great cooks on there before, including an absolutely phenomenal pork shoulder (Boston butt). I have made one or two beef cooks, but they have been sub-par. Yes, I was inexperienced at the time (and didn't have a thermometer), but still.

So, I'm planning a brisket for 6~8 people. Not a lot of people, but I don't want THE smallest piece of meat as they tend to dry out. I have considered a 7~8lb brisket for that purpose. I would prefer the point over the flat, and I'm going to ask my butcher as much as well. However, there are some things I'm worried about. Is the weight or piece of meat possibly too small? How long should it go if I'm planning to run it between 225 and 250? I have the whole day, so that's fine.

Also on this topic, the last thing I smoked was a pork shoulder, and it was smoked with hickory. I didn't smoke it for too long, but it was very, very smokey after the cook. Actually a bit too smokey for my taste. It tasted almost like liquid smoke, and I didn't even use a ton of chips (chips is all I can get over here). How many chips should I use if I just want a light or mild smokey flavour? Also, do wet chips create more of a smoke flavour than dry chips, or is it a different smoke flavour? I've always soaked my wood chips prior to smoking, but I'm in two minds about if it actually works...
 
Toxxyc said:
Oh, awesome thread. Didn't know it was on here. GREAT, because I need advice. I'm planning on doing a brisket next weekend. I have a Weber and I know how to work it. I've made some great cooks on there before, including an absolutely phenomenal pork shoulder (Boston butt). I have made one or two beef cooks, but they have been sub-par. Yes, I was inexperienced at the time (and didn't have a thermometer), but still.

So, I'm planning a brisket for 6~8 people. Not a lot of people, but I don't want THE smallest piece of meat as they tend to dry out. I have considered a 7~8lb brisket for that purpose. I would prefer the point over the flat, and I'm going to ask my butcher as much as well. However, there are some things I'm worried about. Is the weight or piece of meat possibly too small? How long should it go if I'm planning to run it between 225 and 250? I have the whole day, so that's fine.

Also on this topic, the last thing I smoked was a pork shoulder, and it was smoked with hickory. I didn't smoke it for too long, but it was very, very smokey after the cook. Actually a bit too smokey for my taste. It tasted almost like liquid smoke, and I didn't even use a ton of chips (chips is all I can get over here). How many chips should I use if I just want a light or mild smokey flavour? Also, do wet chips create more of a smoke flavour than dry chips, or is it a different smoke flavour? I've always soaked my wood chips prior to smoking, but I'm in two minds about if it actually works...
Click to expand...

I've done exactly 1 brisket to date on my WSM and it was freakin amazing. 14lb prime packer from Costco. Simple S&P rub. Put it on at 8PM the night before at 225F, pulled it around 8AM the next morning when it was in the stall. Rather than screwing with the charcoal, i brought it inside, threw it in a pan, plastic wrapped, foil wrapped, and threw in the oven at 225 for another 5 hours until i hit 199F. Then i just shut the oven off and let it coast. At 7PM when i cut into it, it was 140F internal temp and heavenly.

Note you're gonna lose something like half the mass so for 6-8 people a 10-12lb whole packer is probably in the ball park. I'm happy i did the whole one instead of just a flat or just the point. I had some slices off of both for the best mix of fat and lean.
 
I have to note, I don't have a WSM, I just have a plain Weber kettle. That means I have to tend the fire, and keep an eye on it. I would PREFER not to have to cook the brisket for 12 to 14 hours, but if I have to, I will. I've been reading a ton and watching a bunch of YT videos and I see there's also a "hot and fast" method where the one vid I saw the guy did a 20lb brisket at over 300 to super tender in 5 hours. I'm not too familiar with too hot though and I'm afraid of burning, so I'd rather do it a bit slower, perhaps around the 250 mark.

If I'm going to lose half the brisket I'll definitely go for 10lb. Two people aren't big meat eaters, but at least three of us really are. My plan is as follows:

1. Trim brisket the night before so it's ready the next morning. I usually also pack the Weber kettle with the snake method at this time, as it saves a lot of time the next morning.
2. Next morning, rub it up with salt and pepper. I'll be doing a slightly more BBQ thing so I'm considering cutting it with a BBQ rub.
3. Start fire.
4. When fire is ready, get brisket on. Leave for 2 hours and start spritzing. I intend on spritzing with my Vienna lager. The flavour is awesome.
5. Spritz on the hour until I hit the stall on the thickest part, between 150 and 160.
6. Double-wrap with the rest of the Vienna lager. I have to add here that I'm not the biggest fan of the thickest bark, so I'll not mind to have a more tender outside finish with more liquid to make a sauce with on the end.
7. At this stage, I'm planning on rinsing the pan under the brisket and I want to add a bit of roast veggies under it so it can roast in the Weber for the last two hours or so. Stir on the hour.
8. Remove from heat when I hit the 205 mark, set in cooler box to rest until serving.

On point 8 - the juices in the foil packet I really want to retain. I want to thicken it up a bit on the stove into a jus, so I'm wondering, do I rest the brisket in the juice or do I take it out? I've seen arguments for and against both, so I don't know.
 
Toxxyc said:
I have to note, I don't have a WSM, I just have a plain Weber kettle. That means I have to tend the fire, and keep an eye on it. I would PREFER not to have to cook the brisket for 12 to 14 hours, but if I have to, I will. I've been reading a ton and watching a bunch of YT videos and I see there's also a "hot and fast" method where the one vid I saw the guy did a 20lb brisket at over 300 to super tender in 5 hours. I'm not too familiar with too hot though and I'm afraid of burning, so I'd rather do it a bit slower, perhaps around the 250 mark.

If I'm going to lose half the brisket I'll definitely go for 10lb. Two people aren't big meat eaters, but at least three of us really are. My plan is as follows:

1. Trim brisket the night before so it's ready the next morning. I usually also pack the Weber kettle with the snake method at this time, as it saves a lot of time the next morning.
2. Next morning, rub it up with salt and pepper. I'll be doing a slightly more BBQ thing so I'm considering cutting it with a BBQ rub.
3. Start fire.
4. When fire is ready, get brisket on. Leave for 2 hours and start spritzing. I intend on spritzing with my Vienna lager. The flavour is awesome.
5. Spritz on the hour until I hit the stall on the thickest part, between 150 and 160.
6. Double-wrap with the rest of the Vienna lager. I have to add here that I'm not the biggest fan of the thickest bark, so I'll not mind to have a more tender outside finish with more liquid to make a sauce with on the end.
7. At this stage, I'm planning on rinsing the pan under the brisket and I want to add a bit of roast veggies under it so it can roast in the Weber for the last two hours or so. Stir on the hour.
8. Remove from heat when I hit the 205 mark, set in cooler box to rest until serving.

On point 8 - the juices in the foil packet I really want to retain. I want to thicken it up a bit on the stove into a jus, so I'm wondering, do I rest the brisket in the juice or do I take it out? I've seen arguments for and against both, so I don't know.
Click to expand...
You're on point for sure. I've done many briskets. My experience is 225 range as long as you can handle to get tender but 1hr/lbs is min from my experience. 20lbs/5hrs and tender seems like magic talk to me.

I smoke to 160 then put in pan/double foil with onions/garlic and your favorite beer. In oven at 250. Pull at 200.

I've used Oak, Oak/mesquite combo, and hickory/cherry combo. I like the HC combo best. Oak and definitely mesquite can get heavy on smoke. Depends on your preference. Apple wood is a possibility if you want a lighter smoke.

As far as rub, I put a light coating of mustard then use Tony's Creole Original for the rub. Put more then you think. There is no mustard flavor after.

I know there's debate on this but I've decided that placing the mustard/dry rub on 24hrs and sitting is better tasting then brining. I get more flavor it seems and moist comes from covering at 160 as stated above.

The pork butt I made yesterday was beyond fantastic and thinking of switching to these for our normal family get together. They want $3/lbs these days for the cheapest brisket.

Good luck and keep us informed!
 
Last edited:
Yeah I got a smokehouse rub that I'm going to be putting on there. I strongly considered just salt and pepper but I found that rub for very cheap so couldn't leave it. It's basically a mix of some salt and spices, and also includes some cumin and chipotle flakes. Has a very nice smokey flavour that I think will compliment the brisket very well.

Anyway, here is the 5-hour brisket I'm talking about. There are several other videos of the same idea as well (they call it the Hot 'n Fast method):

 
Merry Christmas! Got to start at some point Pianoman, great tradition. Glad to see some smoke for the holidays. Smoked prime rib roast is amazing.
 
Great question. I wanted to review my notes before I answered as its not every day you smoke a prime rib. The heygrillhey has been my guide for smoked roasts. Inspiration maybe as much as guide. But yeah, you pull them at correct temps. 120ish seems like a good place to start. I cant recall if I prefer sear before or after, but after is a good idea. Or not at all is great too if smoked hot enough or if it looks good enough. Ill dig up some pics from this thread. Butter is always good on beef I have found and the garlic butter coating from hey grill hey seems like a good idea. I like idea of butter midway and at end. Careful consideration should be given for reverse sear time and temps. Since it wont be in long, slow roasting will provide more time for smoke. This will remain true for all quick smoked roasts (tri tip, ny roast, beef tenderloin roast). Heavy salt and hickory and cherry as usual.
PianoMan said:
Same way with smoke but pull at 150ish? How do you do it?
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
PianoMan said:
Same way with smoke but pull at 150ish? How do you do it?
Click to expand...
I roasted one on Christmas and will be smoking onethis Saturday. My method is the reverse sear. I treat the smoker and oven the same. 170 (lowest my oven goes) and probably 180-200 in the smoker until IT of 135.

Pull and let it rest for up to 90 min. Then put it in your oven uncovered at 500°f for 10 min.

Near-perfect edge-to-edge pink. Less-than a 2mm greyline.
 

Attachments

  • 20191225_185217.jpg
    20191225_185217.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 60
  • 20191226_113927.jpg
    20191226_113927.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 63
applescrap said:
Great question. I wanted to review my notes before I answered as its not every day you smoke a prime rib. The heygrillhey has been my guide for smoked roasts. Inspiration maybe as much as guide. But yeah, you pull them at correct temps. 120ish seems like a good place to start. I cant recall if I prefer sear before or after, but after is a good idea. Or not at all is great too if smoked hot enough or if it looks good enough. Ill dig up some pics from this thread. Butter is always good on beef I have found and the garlic butter coating from hey grill hey seems like a good idea. I like idea of butter midway and at end. Careful consideration should be given for reverse sear time and temps. Since it wont be in long, slow roasting will provide more time for smoke. This will remain true for all quick smoked roasts (tri tip, ny roast, beef tenderloin roast). Heavy salt and hickory and cherry as usual.
Click to expand...
S-Met said:
I roasted one on Christmas and will be smoking onethis Saturday. My method is the reverse sear. I treat the smoker and oven the same. 170 (lowest my oven goes) and probably 180-200 in the smoker until IT of 135.

Pull and let it rest for up to 90 min. Then put it in your oven uncovered at 500°f for 10 min.

Near-perfect edge-to-edge pink. Less-than a 2mm greyline.
Click to expand...
Thanks to both of you. I'm a butter/garlic guy for sure. The electric smoker can go pretty low and should allow for plenty of smoke. The reverse sear is new to me but will report back hopefully soon.
 
Got an easy bake smoker for Christmas(Green Mountain Grill) breaking it in tomorrow. Just got done putting some dry brine on a chunk of salmon. Gonna do a rack of ribs as well. Will post more pics tomorrow.
20191230_201608~2.jpeg
 

Similar threads

D
🔥 Smoking cured sausage to IT 152F within 4h without rendering fat (?)
Replies
7
Views
692
beren
beren
R
My Smoke Vault Propane smoker
Replies
19
Views
1K
faithie999
F
TallDan
What happened with my pulled pork today?
Replies
10
Views
2K
betarhoalphadelta
betarhoalphadelta
D
Smoking mountain lion meat???
2
Replies
53
Views
10K
TGFV
T
odorf
prepare to drool
Replies
20
Views
2K
Zuljin
Zuljin

Latest posts

Back
Top