# Over Night Brisket



## Cliff H. (May 29, 2007)

Put a small a kinda funny looking brisket on last night around 11:00.





The wsm went thru the night ok.  I shut all the vents down to less than 1/4.  At around 3:00am the temp was up to 270 in the dome.  At 4:00 am the temp was around 260.  

I woke up at 6:30 to a blank Maverick.    

The temps were ok. 247 in the dome and the meat at 170.

Here is a shot just after mopping with a little Wicker's


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## Diva Q (May 29, 2007)

looking good so far. Sorry about the Maverick


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## ScottyDaQ (May 29, 2007)

Looks great so far !


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## LarryWolfe (May 29, 2007)

Cliff the brisket looks great.  

On the Maverick, on overnighters mine will go blank sometimes too.  But if I hit the light button, it will re-establish a connection with the transmitter.  I don't know if that's a powersave option or what.  If it continues, e-mail Maverick and see what they have to say!


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## Cliff H. (May 29, 2007)

Larry Wolfe said:
			
		

> Cliff the brisket looks great.
> 
> On the Maverick, on overnighters mine will go blank sometimes too.  But if I hit the light button, it will re-establish a connection with the transmitter.  I don't know if that's a powersave option or what.  If it continues, e-mail Maverick and see what they have to say!



Will do.  Thanks for the tip.


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## 007bond-jb (May 29, 2007)

I could be a range issue, Mine done it too a few times... Great lookin briskit Cliff


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## Cliff H. (May 29, 2007)

007bond-jb said:
			
		

> I could be a range issue, Mine done it too a few times... Great lookin briskit Cliff



I have battled the range issue already JB.  My smoker is practicly right outside my window.


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## Cliff H. (May 29, 2007)

If every cook went perfect then I guess there would be nothing to discuss on the bbq central forum.

With that said, my brisket turned out crappy.  I smoked it for 13 hours on one load of lump, three chunks of hickory and a barrel stave.  I left it fat down for the entire cook.

I was trying to not foil and just mop.   After 13 hours it reached 195.  I gave up and wrapped it.  I left it on the wsm for another hour before it passed the probe test.

The bark was inedible.  It had an awful bitter taste.  The rub was texjoy which is basicly salt, pepper, garlic, onion and paprika.  No sugar.

Maybe I should have reached for WRB instead.  

I think foling is more to my liking but the last time I did that with TXBBQ rub the bark turned to mud.  I don't like that either.

More experimentation will be required.

I did end up with some good tender meat minus the bark for chopped beef sammies.


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## ScottyDaQ (May 29, 2007)

Cliff H. said:
			
		

> [quote="007bond-jb":3k4dkw7p]I could be a range issue, Mine done it too a few times... Great lookin briskit Cliff



I have battled the range issue already JB.  My smoker is practicly right outside my window.   [/quote:3k4dkw7p]

You don't have a steel screens on your windows do ya?


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## Cliff H. (May 29, 2007)

ScottyDaQ said:
			
		

> Cliff H. said:
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You don't have a steel screens on your windows do ya?[/quote:37r5e5w4]

No they are fiberglass.


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## ScottyDaQ (May 29, 2007)

Cliff H. said:
			
		

> ScottyDaQ said:
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You don't have a steel screens on your windows do ya?[/quote:20qfuhlf]

No they are fiberglass.[/quote:20qfuhlf]
K, just wunderin....wireless stuff hates wire mesh/siding, etc.


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## LarryWolfe (May 30, 2007)

Cliff H. said:
			
		

> If every cook went perfect then I guess there would be nothing to discuss on the bbq central forum.
> 
> With that said, my brisket turned out crappy.  I smoked it for 13 hours on one load of lump, three chunks of hickory and a barrel stave.  I left it fat down for the entire cook.
> 
> ...



Hey Cliff I really like the idea of you switching to WRB and YES it would have tasted better   , but I don't think the rub TexJoy was the reason the meat was bitter.  Sounds like something else.  Are you using the same wood you normally do??  Top vent 100%??  Was the brisket really black?? Sounds like your fire wasn't burning clean due to improper airflow or the wood was green.  What kinda lump were you using??


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## wittdog (May 30, 2007)

As hard as this is to say...I agree with Larry...   
Sounds like the fire wasn't burning clean...


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## Cliff H. (May 30, 2007)

I am using a brand make here in Ar.  

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpdatabase/lumpbag15.htm

Maybe it was the way I had the wood arranged.  I am using rather large pcs of Hickory and they were all kind of on top of the lump this time.

The meat was very black and what I would call over smoked.  

Top vents ran wide open the whole time.


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## Cliff H. (May 30, 2007)

I have a question to those who use water in the pan instead of sand ?

Do the vents have to be opend more than 1/4 to maintain temps during the cook to heat the water and the meat ?

If the bottom vents have stay opened more then it would make sense that the fire would burn cleaner, would it not ?


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## Greg Rempe (May 30, 2007)

Cliff, I used for my rib cook yesterday...I started with really hot water in the pan and then fired up using the MM...I use a few more coals then the normal to get everything up to temp a bit quicker.

I keep the top vent 100% open and the bottom 3 vents about 1/3 open or so...usually make the adjustment at the 230* mark...temp drops back initially and then recovers back to the 255* dome temp.  It has been my experience that 1/4 open or more open will give me hotter temps then I am looking for.  My $0.02


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## wittdog (May 30, 2007)

my .02 inorder for the WSM to draw enough O2 to burn a large piece of wood cleanly like in an offset.....the bottom vents would have to be open way to much for a nice low temp...was the wood green or wet...


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## LarryWolfe (May 30, 2007)

Cliff H. said:
			
		

> I have a question to those who use water in the pan instead of sand ?
> 
> Do the vents have to be opend more than 1/4 to maintain temps during the cook to heat the water and the meat ?
> 
> ...


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## LarryWolfe (May 30, 2007)

wittdog said:
			
		

> my .02 inorder for the WSM to draw enough O2 to burn a large piece of wood cleanly like in an offset.....the bottom vents would have to be open way to much for a nice low temp...was the wood green or wet...



I agree too about the airflow!  Anything bigger than a fist sized chunk is too big for the WSM.  

Where did you get the wood Cliff, cause I'm going the same direction Dave is about the green wood.


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## wittdog (May 30, 2007)

One time I got some hickory chuncks from that other store Cliff...and they were supposed to be kiln dryed but...they were green


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## Cliff H. (May 30, 2007)

The wood is not green.  It is over a year old.  That said, the pcs were a bit bigger that fist size.  I take a split log about 14"-16" long and cut it into 3-4 pcs.

On this burn there was more wood than I would normally use plus the stave.  All pcs of wood were likley burning at the same time.  

I will try smaller pcs buried a little better amongst the lump next time.


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## wittdog (May 30, 2007)

just my .02 but I like to have my wood closer to the top...I figure it gets more 02


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## Cliff H. (May 30, 2007)

I may try just spliting the chunks down in mass a bit.


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## oompappy (May 30, 2007)

Also, look closely at your lump when you load up. Even the best brands can have a piece of uncarbonized  or sappy wood, a chunk that's all bark, I've even seen something like a tar ball. Any of that can make some nasty and bitter smoke.


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## wittdog (May 30, 2007)

oompappy said:
			
		

> Also, look closely at your lump when you load up. Even the best brands can have a piece of uncarbonized  or sappy wood, a chunk that's all bark, I've even seen something like a tar ball. Any of that can make some nasty and bitter smoke.


Those chunks of bark get me in the offset...


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## boar_d_laze (May 30, 2007)

Cliff H. said:
			
		

> The meat was very black and what I would call over smoked.



It proably was oversmoked.  Small fireboxes in bullets and small offsets are really unforgiving.  It's easy to oversmoke.  They're also unforgiving in terms of wood quality.  Besides the terrors everyone else talked about, there's the possibility of mold in the wood.  

Tough black bark sounds like too much heat.  

Anything at all wrong with the wood will produce the results you described, but my bet is you hit a big sappy spot in one of the pieces of wood that for one reason or another hadn't dried out -- and you got a temperature spike plus a big ol' plume of white smoke while you weren't looking.  

The remedy is to stop adding wood at the projected half way point of the cook, or when the meat hits an internal of 140 -- whichever is the more convenient measurement, or to mix the chunk into the top layer of charcoal only (if going Minion on a WSM), or foil the wood to prevent it from bursting into flame, spiking the temp, and burning sour, or even to go with foiled packets of wood chips -- noob fashion.   

FWIW, pork is the most forgiving meat.  This kind of FUBAR isn't all that rare with brisket, especially with a small firebox.  

Confused yet?


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## PantherTailgater (May 30, 2007)

Since I'm planning on making my first smoke this weekend with a WSM, I'm curious as to everyone's opinion on how many wood chunks to use and where they should be placed in the charcoal ring with the lump??

I would like to avoid the problems that have been described here.


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## ScottyDaQ (May 30, 2007)

I fill my charcoal ring about 1/3 the way and take 3 (or 4 depending on the the size) and twist em in until they hit the bottom layer of coals ....standing on end. Then fill the rest of the ring, and make a little "dent" in the charcoal for the Minion Method coals to sit in.



			
				PantherTailgater said:
			
		

> Since I'm planning on making my first smoke this weekend with a WSM, I'm curious as to everyone's opinion on how many wood chunks to use and where they should be placed in the charcoal ring with the lump??



You gotta select the lump pieces and pack them into the ring so it won't get away from you. I do the same as above with lump.... pack it and twist in the chunks cut ends up....so they're 4-5 inches away from each other.

Not saying it's the right way, but that's what I do.


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## PantherTailgater (May 30, 2007)

ScottyDaQ said:
			
		

> I fill my charcoal ring about 1/3 the way and take 3 (or 4 depending on the the size) and twist em in until they hit the bottom layer of coals ....standing on end. Then fill the rest of the ring, and make a little "dent" in the charcoal for the Minion Method coals to sit in.
> 
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> ...



Scotty,
Thanks for the recommendations.  I'm looking forward to taking the new WSM out for a spin the weekend!      Hope the CharGriller doesn't get jealous!


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## LarryWolfe (May 30, 2007)

I fill my charcoal ring and make a hole in the center and add a good size chunk there and spoon my lit coals directly ontop of the chunk for instant smoke on the cold meat.  I will scatter 3-4 more throughout the top of the charcoal, but push them down just a bit.


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## Captain Morgan (May 30, 2007)

don't worry, it's gonna be a lot easier than you think!
About as easy as Steve Smith streaking through a secondary!!!


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## PantherTailgater (May 30, 2007)

Captain Morgan said:
			
		

> don't worry, it's gonna be a lot easier than you think!
> About as easy as Steve Smith streaking through a secondary!!!



  No problem then!


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## Cliff H. (May 31, 2007)

Thanks all for the input.  I may try another brisket on Sat.


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## LarryWolfe (May 31, 2007)

brian j said:
			
		

> that's what i love about this country...  everyone is different!  i fill my ring with lump until i can't fit any more.  then i pour ~ 1/3 of a chimney of lit lump on top before putting 3 or 4 fist size pieces of smoking wood on top.  of course all this should be discounted because i close my top vent a 1/4 or so when it comes up to temp.



 [smilie=a_whyme.gif]


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## wittdog (May 31, 2007)

I pack the lump around a coffe can and then place the chunks like spokes on a wheel from the center and then dump and a whole chimney of lit lump in the middle...


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## Cliff H. (May 31, 2007)

D.Harris said:
			
		

> Cliff, was that your first time using one of the barrel staves?  Might try burning one on a small grill just to test, to see how it reacts.  Just a thought.



I have used them before but I may give that a try anyhow. Thanks.


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