model #3 very dry meat

diesel3406

New member
new model # 3 owner smoked bb ribs 5hrs at 225  meat came out very dry also smoked 7lb brisket 8.5 hr at 200 meat was dry could not even eat please help
 
Did you have a pan of water or some flavorful liquid in the smoker during the smoke? That small pan should be in contact with the firebox in the rear of the smoker.

In my #3 5 hours is too long on ribs, we prefer 4.5 hours. You don't mention the final Internal temp of the brisket what was it? Remember wrapping and resting is very important espically on big hunks of meat like brisket and butts.
 
diesel3406 said:
did not have any liquid in smoker not sure of internal temp of brisket
I know how you must feel doing a cook that turns out that way.  I wish I knew more about about what you did or did not do. Just a few questions for you.  Since you did not do the brisket by temp how did you determine it was done?  I think you undercooked the brisket and the fat did not get a chance to render down.  You mentioned 200 degrees.  If that had been internal temperature you would have at least been in the ballpark.  Smoking at 200 degrees on a brisket is low.  You need to be 225 to 275.  Cook to internal temp but let the a probe be the final test.  Probe until you feel very little resistance or stick a two pronged fork into it and give it a twist.  Ribs you want to see some pull back on the bone and probe with a tooth pick between the ribs or grab a rib and give it a twist.  Once you know what to look for it makes a lot of sense. 
I just did a brisket about 7.25 lbs that took 12 1/2 hours and could have gone a little longer.  I started at 250 for 5hrs then 225 till IT of flat was 195.
If I may make a suggestion.  Before your next cook lay out a plan from beginning to end then post it here and ask what others think about your plan. Be detailed.  You can not give too much information  You'll get great advice here and maybe save yourself $50 worth of meat and lot aggravation.


 
Diesel, I'm glad you finally made an appearance on here!  We're here to help, and had you joined earlier, you might have saved yourself some frustration.  But hey, now you're among friends that will help!  Btw, since you're new here, head over to the Introductions section and tell us a little about yourself and your smoking experience - that's good info that will help us help you!  Also, a first name and town in your signature line is a nice touch.

OK, let's get down to it.  What was your prep on your ribs, and did you start with cold meat in a cold smoker?  Also, where did you buy your baby back ribs?  Believe it or not, it does make a difference.  What rub did you use?  Did you remove the membrane?  Did you let the ribs rest in the fridge overnight, with rub on, before smoking?  How much wood did you use, and what kind?  I see that you did not use a water/juice pan - big mistake.

On the brisket:  The same questions apply.  Give us details on your prep.  Did you use a remote thermometer to monitor internal temp?  This is CRITICAL.  We cook by internal temp, not time.  If you are not monitoring internal temp, you are flying blind.  I suspect your brisket was either way overdone, or way underdone.  If done right, with the right prep work, your brisket should have been moist and tender.  Spend some time looking at brisket recipes in the beef section, and readjust. 

As I said, we are here to help!  We are all owners and avid users, so your problems are not foreign to us!  Many times, it's simple adjustments to your prep or technique that make all the difference in the world!  You have a great smoker, now you just have to fine-tune your prep and technique!
 
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