Going to do my first brisket in the #3 with auber

curegeorg

curegeorg

New member
I finally got a prime brisket, midsize 11lbs ish before trimming.  First cook on this smoker, so a little anxious and want to make sure it at least comes out decent.  What I have cooked is on a limited basis, usually with some assistance, and not on this kind of smoker...

I was thinking 2/3 Pecan and 1/3 Mesquite for a total of 5oz of wood chunks.  Do you guys think that is a good ratio?  I like Mesquite but don't want it to be overpowered with Mesquite... 

I was planning to trim it, score the fat cap, dry brine with the right amount of kosher salt per lb, after the two days rub it with a 3 peppercorn rub (white, green, tellicherry black) and smoke it the morning after.

Besides foiling the bottom and using a water pan, what do I need to know about the cooking?  3in of water in a pan near the element on one side?  Going fat cap down.

I have the auber controller, so what are the proper settings temp/time to program it?  I'd like to do a set it and forget it til the very end cook.

Once I trim it up after these kids go to bed, I'll post with weight so maybe you can give your thoughts on cooking time.

Any feedback, appreciated.  Thanks!
 
Coolio,

I'm not sure I would keep the salt on for 2 days.  I think no more than one, then rinse thoroughly before doing anything else.

After the rinse, pat it dry and give it a dusting of Morton TenderQuick for about 20-30 min (wrapped in plastic, in the fridge).  This will give you a killer "faux" smoke ring!  Rinse, again, and pat dry.  Add a binder, like mustard or olive oil, and add your pepper.  The meat will be salty enough, so I'm not sure I would add any more, at this point.  Smoke it to 190, per your plan.

Program your Auber like this:

C01  225  E01  F  F01  190
C02-C06... all set to "t" ("time" as the trigger), and zeroes in the right window.
 
It's still brining.  12lb to 10lb trimmed. 

Everything I see about dry brining big cuts says the longer the better but not longer than 3 days.  It's kind of like an equilibrium brine because the salt amount was precisely dictated by the weight, so it can't get too salty. 

Quite a bit of liquid is in the pan and was within a few hours.  My plan was two days and I'm waiting for it to reabsorb that liquid. 

My first brisket dry brine, so it will be interesting.

Going against Divot's advice on this part.  Could be a mistake.
 
Results are in.  Eating wise, it was very good to excellent.  Presentation wise, it was a little loose for nice slices from the flat in some places - 50% was good for a thick slice.  Point I just pulled, which is how I prefer, but it would have been hard to do anything else if I wanted.

I went to 195 in the flat near the point (was trying for thick part of point).  Maybe 190 next time or probe farther away from area between the two muscles?  When I picked it up, I could tell it was just a little over because it was a little soft.  It rested for 2 hours in the smoker going down to 170 before I got home, then I moved it to the oven (off) to come to temp to eat (about one hour).

Actual cook time was about 13hr (10lbs). 

For serving my family, I wouldn't change much if anything.  For guests, I'd like nicer slices from the flat and will still pull the point.  I'm going to get a better slicing knife, that in and of itself would have improved to 75% good albeit thick slices.

Any thoughts? 

 
Sounds like it worked out, Coolio!  I think your holding in the smoker, and then the oven treatment, was probably what overcooked it.  You should try removing from the smoker to rest, double-wrapped in HD foil, surrounded by towels in a cooler.  It will stay hot for 5+ hours this way, and you don't run the risk of cooking it more when you don't intend to.
 
When it comes to brisket, "soft" is never "over" in my book. Soft and floppy is perfect! Did you let the smoker cool down before you "rested in the smoker" ? If not, then it would have continued to cook, because the smoker holds heat very well. And always double wrap in foil for the rest.

I would never go less than 195 in the flat. Sometimes on this forum, there is advice that lower final temperature is better, but I happen to disagree for brisket and butt. Make your own decisions. I go 195 in both brisket flats, and pork butts. I feel 195 allows more time to convert more collagen to gelatin, which is that sticky succulentness that we all enjoy. 205 in the brisket point is my goal. Like you say, a dull slicing knife might have been an issue. Don't change your cooking temps to accommodate a dull knife. And don't be fooled by the videos you see of the BBQ joints slicing brisket with a traditional knife. Many...if not most...slice with an electric knife behind the scenes. I use an electric knife to slice my brisket. Hello 1970s!
 
Sounds like you had a good 1st brisket! Only thing I could add or suggest is to choose your internal target temp. As every hunk of goodness is different I only use the target internal temp as just that, a target. When it probes like butter, it is done. I use that target temp to know when to start probing (checking doneness). Now your personal choice and experiences will tell you what kind of feel that probing will be. There's butter just out of the refrigerator, and there's butter that has set out to room temp, and some in between and they will probe different. That choice is yours. Happy smoking, your off to a great start!
 
I have borrowed my mother-in-law's electric knife for this next one next weekend.  That may be enough.

I like the cooler hold method, if I'm there when it comes to temp.

But if I can't be there to pull it out at temp what's the next best thing?  My intention was to use the smoker as a warmer, but it stayed hotter longer than I expected so was cooking more than holding warm... 

Appreciate the inputs.

 
curegeorg said:
I have borrowed my mother-in-law's electric knife for this next one next weekend.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, mothers in-law are a great source for electric knives. I think they've made a come back! (electric knives that is :D) My mother pulls out her electric knife from the 60's every holiday for some sort of meat slicing. I ended up buying a Cuisinart for myself, but Black & Decker are probably still the standard. Some purists might look down upon those who use an electric knife. But in fact, when Franklin competed in a BBQ competition in Kansas, he sliced his brisket with an electric knife. If it's good enough for Franklin in a competition, it's good enough for me! Plus there are many other uses. Great for slicing bread! Or pecan pie. Queue the video to 20:12 to watch Franklin slicing brisket with an electric knife.
http://video.klru.tv/video/2365518630/
I've watched Franklin's entire "BBQ with Franklin" series and highly recommend it.
 
DivotMaker said:
I have an electric knife, and it's great, but I have found the Victorinox 12" Granton Edge Slicing Knife to be fantastic, no matter how soft the meat!  Holds a great edge, and makes thin slicing a breeze!
Click to expand...

I also have the same knife. I like it for very thin slicing. It is great, no doubt, and a good price for the quality. But I do prefer the electric for brisket. Everyone will probably have their own preference on this one, but either one works great.
 
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