PBC Brisket - Learnings & Questions

[fzxdoc]

epope011 , I've never seen that 140° is recommended for slicing a brisket, so you've taught me something. What I have seen is that 140° is the top end of the danger zone (40 to 140°) for food safety, and if the meat is faux-cambroed, it must be kept higher than that.

I've never temped brisket just before slicing (except to monitor that it's well out of the danger zone), but don't have the inclination to let it cool that far down before slicing. I slice after I pull it out of the faux-cambro warming oven I use, which I set to 160-170°.

Kathryn

[JamesT]

About ready to do my first brisket on the PBC. Did a couple on an electric smoker that pleased the masses, and me, but lacked good smoke flavor, imho.
The first step - get a good beef - I did at Costco, a nice 14 pounder. Without your help I would have saved a few $$ and got a lesser beef. Thank you!
To my mind, beef cries for mesquite smoke, so this critter will soak up some good Arizona mesquite - which has worked well with chickens (but they cook more quickly). Great with a rib-eye on the Weber.
I'm new to PBC and have had issues with runaway temperatures, so usually keep the bottom vent as closed as possible (we live at elevation ~ 1000 ft. That, and keeping the lid open as little as possible seems to work pretty well. Higher temp for planked salmon and trout was not a problem and the results were better than expected (Hickory smoked).
Thank you for all the posts, advice, tips and wisdom. My wife says I don't listen, but I hear you all. Together we may just make an edible meal of that frozen, chunk of carne which occupies one drawer of my freezer. Smoking gives a man time enough to enjoy a few beers. Can you beat that?
Thank you all!

[RonB]

Welcome to the posting side of "The Pit.

What temp are you cooking with. 250 to 275 will get the meat done faster that 225 with no loss of quality. And please be careful with the amount of mesquite you use. It's much better to have too little smoke and wish for more than to have too much smoke and not enjoy it at all.

[bbq_esq]

Agree with RonB, as Livia Soprano said, mesquite can make the meat taste peculiar. More specifically, it’s a strong flavor and too much isn’t something most people will like. Start with a few chunks and see how it comes out though. Brisket is a big hunk of meat so you can play around for sure.

[fzxdoc]

About the runaway temps, JamesT do you happen to have leaks around the lid? If you see smoke tendrils coming out at the lid seam, those leaks can easily shoot up the temps, especially early on in the cook. Weighting the lid with a few foil-wrapped bricks (so you don't scratch the surface) can help. I usually just push the lid down hard and give the rim a whack here and there with a rubber mallet (or the rubber heel of my loafer "outside shoe").

If all else fails, wrap a long skinny piece of heavy duty foil around the rim area where the leak is coming out.

Many of us have fitted the PBC lid's inside lip with a Nomex gasket which takes care of the problem once and for all.

About the vent opening, I live at 3700ft altitude and actually open the vent slightly more than that recommended by the PBC folks, at about 5/8 instead of the recommended 1/2.

Most of my briskets settle in around 250-275° on the PBC. Brisket on the PBC is a real treat. Enjoy your cook, and welcome to The Pit!

Kathryn