Possible first brisket this weekend.

[David Parrish]

Thanks for the info. If I use salt as the dry brine and salt and pepper as the rub will the meat taste too salty?

The total amount of salt you use, including the dry brine AND the salt in whatever rub you use, should equal about 1/2 teaspoon per pound. I usually use a little less than 1/2 teaspoon per pound so I can add a light layer of surface salt when I apply my BBBR. I feel the light sprinkle of salt enhances the rub flavor.

[fzxdoc]

Clarkgriswald , I do prime brisket flats in my PBC all the time. I don't have access, locally, to prime packers, except on the rare occasion (then I grab one quick!). The flats are always tender and juicy, much more so than the Certified Angus Briskets (Choice) that I sometimes do. I do them at wherever temp the PBC settles in at for the first few hours, usually around 275 deg PBC temp, with a range of 250-290 or so throughout the cook.

Meathead recommends that you do not let the brisket come to room temp before putting in the smoker. The colder the brisket is when you add it, he says, the more it will absorb that smoky goodness. I often pop mine in the freezer for an hour or so before hanging it in the PBC, if I think about it.

Be sure to double serial hook it like Noah shows in his video. That will ensure that it won't fall off the hook as it gets more tender.

I use the same cooking method that Spinaker described earlier: let it bark up nicely until it hits 185 or so then wrap to probe tenderness, watching the temp all the time as well. A brisket can go from juicy to dry pretty quickly, so when it gets around 195 or so, I watch it carefully.

When I pull a brisket, there is a temperature range across it that can vary 5 to 8 degrees. If it's probe tender throughout, I don't worry about it. When it's cambroed, the temps will all even out anyway.

Some folks here separate the point from the flat, or cut it in two, especially if it is so long that it hangs too close to the fire. Jerod Broussard can speak to that, as well as give other excellent pointers on smoking briskets in the PBC. I call him the Brisketmeister.

A couple of weeks ago, someone here posted that he hung a packer in his PBC on hooks from both rebars, suspending the brisket horizontally. It turned out fine, as I recall.

Have a lot of fun with that brisket! Let us know how it turns out.

Kathryn

[Clarkgriswald]

Great info guys and gals. Thank you very much. The rub I wanted to use was 50/50 salt and pepper. I was thinking in my mind that the one cup salt to one cup pepper. Would that be too much salt? I'm picturing the whole thing to be covered in a nice coat.

[Spinaker]

Clarkgriswald ​I hang full packers all the time in the PBC from both rebars. Sometimes I trim off the very end. But mostly I just put them in. Even if the meat is only an inch from the fire. The very end will be well done but the rest will be perfect.

[jecucolo]

So you hang it horizonal Spinaker?

[Spinaker]

I hang them point up. and the flat hanging down to the fire. Vertical, I'd guess you'd say. jecucolo

[fzxdoc]

Great info guys and gals. Thank you very much. The rub I wanted to use was 50/50 salt and pepper. I was thinking in my mind that the one cup salt to one cup pepper. Would that be too much salt? I'm picturing the whole thing to be covered in a nice coat.

Whoa, be careful with the salt, there, Clarkgriswald . Take a look at David Parrish 's post earlier (1/2 tsp of Kosher salt per pound.). If it's too salty, you won't be able to enjoy that wonderful bark.

Pepper, well, that's your call. I love using Pit Boss's recommendation of Meathead's Big Bad Beef Rub with cumin added, (put on after the meat has dry brined for a day or two), but plenty of folks like the Dalmation (salt and pepper only) rub.

I think Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ uses 50/50 salt and pepper, so that would make it 1/2 tsp really coarse (Meathead recommends cracked) black pepper per pound of meat as well, if you want to follow the Franklin BBQ guideline, which is also what Meathead recommends for a Dalmation rub.

Kathryn

[Clarkgriswald]

Whoa, be careful with the salt, there, Guest . Take a look at Guest 's post earlier (1/2 tsp of Kosher salt per pound.). If it's too salty, you won't be able to enjoy that wonderful bark.

Pepper, well, that's your call. I love using Pit Boss's recommendation of Meathead's Big Bad Beef Rub with cumin added, (put on after the meat has dry brined for a day or two), but plenty of folks like the Dalmation (salt and pepper only) rub.

I think Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ uses 50/50 salt and pepper, so that would make it 1/2 tsp really coarse (Meathead recommends cracked) black pepper per pound of meat as well, if you want to follow the Franklin BBQ guideline, which is also what Meathead recommends for a Dalmation rub.

Kathryn

I definitely don't want it to salty. Using such a little amount of salt and pepper will that be enough to cover the whole brisket?

[Jerod Broussard]

Equal part Kosher salt and pepper should not be too salty.

To me it tastes "Blah" going that route.... Brisket deserves a good 24-48 dry brine and the Big Bad Beef Rub

[fzxdoc]

...but a cup of each on a single brisket Guest ? Hmmm... Sounds like the makings of a peppery salt lick to me! . For my cooks, I'm sticking with the 1/2 tsp kosher salt per pound recommendation and as much pepper in the form of BBBR as we can stand.

[Clarkgriswald]

Guest I'm up in Port Wash, and given the weather due for us this weekend, I think your PBC will be none the worse for wear as long as it doesn't blow over. the milder than normal temps should have minimal impact on BTU's created. Mitigate as you can, of course, but I think you will be fine.

The only other comment i will add is... for your first time doing a Brisket, follow Guest s instructions and you won't be disappointed. There are a lot of ways to cook brisket, but he is pretty precise in the steps to take and it helps ensure your efforts and money are not wasted on false steps. http://amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/texas_brisket.html

Nice to see someone close by on here. We go to Port all the time to the Dulth Trading Company. Very cool town.

[Clarkgriswald]

Equal part Kosher salt and pepper should not be too salty.

To me it tastes "Blah" going that route.... Brisket deserves a good 24-48 dry brine and the Big Bad Beef Rub

I just read the BBBR recipe. Sounds good to me. I might add more pepper.

[Powersmoke_80]

I double the pepper in the BBBR recipe for my brisket rub.

[Clarkgriswald]

Do you guys use any wood at all?

[Jerod Broussard]

Nah, I tried some early on. I've cooked 50+ plus without it.....

[fzxdoc]

The rub I wanted to use was 50/50 salt and pepper. I was thinking in my mind that the one cup salt to one cup pepper. Would that be too much salt? I'm picturing the whole thing to be covered in a nice coat.

Whoa, be careful with the salt, there, Clarkgriswald . Take a look at David Parrish 's post earlier (1/2 tsp of Kosher salt per pound.). If it's too salty, you won't be able to enjoy that wonderful bark.

Kathryn

I definitely don't want it to salty. Using such a little amount of salt and pepper will that be enough to cover the whole brisket?

1/2 teaspoon per pound of salt and also of coarse pepper flavors the meat nicely, Clarkgriswald , although I really load on Meathead's (salt-free) Big Bad Beef Rub, since we like a really peppery bark. I stick with the 1/2 tsp of kosher salt per pound recommendation, though, and it seems just right to me.

To use a cup of salt (48 teaspoons per cup) as you originally proposed on a 10 to 15 lb brisket is a whole lot of salt, IMO.

Kathryn

[Clarkgriswald]

I won't use that much salt. I am going to use the BBBR. I'll lightly salt it tomorrow and cook on Saturday.

[fzxdoc]

I hope it turns out to be an amazing cook and a whole lot of fun for you, Clarkgriswald.

Kathryn

[Clarkgriswald]

Does anyone use butcher paper for wrapping the brisket or just foil?

[Jerod Broussard]

Both, prefer butcher paper for the price. Foil if I have to transport and/or chill and reheat. Butcher paper breathes a bit more so it will extend the finishing time.

[Clarkgriswald]

Do you wrap it on the smoker or let it cook all the way through? If you do wrap it do you wrap it in paper then foil?

[fzxdoc]

Clarkgriswald , if you haven't seen it already, you may want to look at the details of Henrik's cook on this topic:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...ous#post142497

He used salt and pepper and only wrapped it in foil when he put it in his faux cambro to rest..

He uses a BGE, not a PBC, but that shouldn't make a difference. It should inspire you for your cook! I know I'm inspired to do another one, just looking at his photos.

Let us know how your cook turns out. I wish you all the best!

Kathryn