Brisket

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Captain Chaos

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I know there’s quite a few here who know their way around a bbq pit. I have various pits, and I make my own rubs. I recently purchased a Camp Chef pellet grill/smoker. I am surprised at how much I like making brisket on the Camp Chef. I do crutch brisket and pork butt on it though. If I am making ribs or applying a mustard slather, I use my charcoal smoker.

I’m sure there’s a lot of folks here who do not know what goes into smoking a brisket. Hours. Hours of patience and smoke. Like 12-18 hours. Unless you use the Texas Crutch. (Wrap it in aluminum foil after it hits 140-150 degrees) I bought a 18lb brisket yesterday. In the PNW, $3.29 a pound (Costco) is a good price for a brisket. In supermarkets, all I can find is small, poorly trimmed brisket for $7.50+lb.

I didn’t take any before pics, mostly because I didn’t think of it, and partly because of what time you need to get up to smoke a brisket. Here it is after I trimmed it.F0E15355-AB99-4619-BF67-E1B268C567AA.jpeg

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I then sprinkle on a generous amount of homemade rub.18B21415-5E36-43C9-9EBB-539EA60F1C62.jpeg37EAE3EB-91F1-4FF5-BD4D-8464E708F914.jpeg

It then gets placed in the smoker, fat side up. I really didn’t think a picture was necessary at the start of the cooking time. I clean up my cutting board, and make more rub after I clean up.

I trimmed a lot of fat from the brisket. Some will ask why I don’t have the meat department do it. If you do not have a primary butcher, you get a poorly trimmed piece. I really don’t like paying $3.29 a pound for fat, and this one produced 5.5lbs. I would rather pay a bit more to have a brisket that has what I like to work withF628C63F-C8DD-41A8-9479-A5AEE52D7EF0.jpeg

I will update this a few times today while it cooks.
 

Captain Chaos

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6 hours in. Time to crutch it. Wrapping it in aluminum foils drastically cuts cooking time, but you lose your bark. I place the brisket on the counter, still wrapped, and let it reabsorb the juices. You can unwrap it and put it back on the dry it out to regain your bark. More to come.38C31381-6BE0-4425-BA01-D1EF6360E985.jpeg
 

TerryD

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I did a 10lb butt and a pan of beans on my vertical yesterday. Started out with a ton of apple chunk and used a less as the smoke went on. Took about 10hrs, beans were on about two. Pulled super easy.

I've been wanting to do a brisket but I just haven't really had the time this summer to put into it. Hopefully next year I'll have a few weekends open to try it!
 

ArkansasDon

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I've cooked lots of beef brisket "BBQ smoked" in thick metal cookers. Cook times, depends on pit temperature, how large the piece your cooking, or if the brisket has the point on it. Type of fuel (wood) you use will have a factor on the pit temperatures as of some woods burn hotter than others. I like using 2 types of oak, & hickory or mixture of oak & hickory. Personally with beef brisket I cook mine @ 250 degree's over post oak logs only, seasoning is a typical Texas style salt & black pepper rub 2 to 1 ratio & until thermometer probe reads 200-205 internal temperature.
The size brisket I like to cook is any where between 17-18 lb, my cooking time is around 8-10 hours. A rest period IMO is a must so the meat juices can & will redistribute so your meat will be moist when & after slicing. I cook off 2 types of BBQ's thick wall cookers, offset w\ thermostat controlled blower system or a up-right thick wall cooker w\ thermostat controlled blower system, both built in Laredo Texas. 3rd photo is 18lb beef brisket w\point sliced, BBQ smoked beans, baked potato w\pull pork & side dish of green salad.
4th photo me walking in with 2 8lb Boston Butt's to be wrapped for rest period. These were cooked over red oak & hickory logs for 10 1\2 hrs. I like to wrap my meat & let it rest for 1 to 2 hrs before slicing or pulling.

I like BBQ'n pretty much 8 months out of the years, with a cold adult beverage (cold draft or tequila) listen to some old classic country music.
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TerryD

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Man that looks good. I never got to smoke a brisket this year. Just too busy to make time for it. I didn't even fire my OK Joe offset the first time. I did figure out buts on my little vertical though. That I could manage while I was doing other projects.
 
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Captain Chaos

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I’ll bbq all year long, I did a pork butt just the other day. I normally make all my own rubs, but this time I tried ObieCues Smooth Moove. I like it, and will use it again when I’m to lazy to make a rub. Coincidentally, ObieCue makes an awesome fajita seasoning, if you’re interested.

I’m seriously thinking about building a new pit.
 
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Captain Chaos

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I built a big pit years ago. Used a retired air compressor tank with a 1/4” wall. It’s back in Minnesota though. I would like to go get it. Let me find a pic......
 

Captain Chaos

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I want something half the size this time, probably less. The new one will be reverse flow with a warming box. It will be on wheels and towable. I haven’t found a tank I like yet, but haven’t been looking hard either. I enjoy building pits, it’s a lot of fun making the smoke flow the way you want it to.