Need some advice

[hoseline12]

Getting ready to do my first brisket on a Big Green Egg (Large) - I have had the Egg for 4 years, and not had very good luck with it - but want to try it again. Any advice will be appreciated!!

[STEbbq]

This guide is pretty comprehensive!

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/beef-and-bison-recipes/smoked-brisket-texas-style/

[LA Pork Butt]

I have a large BGE and when I cook brisket I separate the point from the flat and cook at 225 on two levels. I would recommend injecting the flat since it tends to dry out. Oddly enough my best brisket was injected and cooked at 300. Good luck. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

[mrteddyprincess]

Hey! And welcome! Good luck with that brisket.

Your statement about having the BGE for four years and not having good luck with it stuck out to me. My advice would be cook more! Learn that pit, er, MASTER that pit, if you will :-) No better way to learn than to do. And ask questions on here directed at other BGE owners. They are some of the nicest people you will meet. (I don't have a BGE or I'd tell you what I know.)

Brian

[Stuey1515]

I'm not an egg man either but following up on mrteddyprincess good advice I just wanted to add keeping a journal. Best advice I ever got from the AR crew, I still do it when I try something new, like pizza on the kettle a few months ago.

[mrteddyprincess]

Yes, I have two three-ring binders full of every cook I did for two years. It really helps one sort out all of the variables. B

[KimO]

What size BGE do you have? I have a Large BGE, if you do too, stick with a 14 lb or under brisket, otherwise they don't fit very well (ask me how I know!). Different BGE's are different, but commonly start your smoker an hour and a half early to be safe since you may be having trouble with temp, and bring it up to temp slowly/ Start with the vent more open and keep closing as you go but by the time you are 225 - 250 degrees your bottom vent should be only about 1/16 to 1/8 open (for most eggs). The top vent should be almost closed. This is the temp I cook my briskets at, others would cook theirs hotter. This is a good starting point and will keep your egg pretty steady through the cook. Most people find temp control the most difficult to learn with BGEs, I hope this helps. Lots of knowledgeable people on here who can help.

Good luck and have fun with it!

[Mosca]

Do a half a dozen pork butts/shoulders first.

[bbqLuv]

The cooker may be less important than many think because cooking is about time and temperature. Cooking to temperature is the way to go.
I am a backyard BBQ hobbyist. YouTube videos are great and useful as a guide. The real learning comes from doing.


It is suggested to pencil in each step, and estimated times. Take notes.

meatheads-cooking-log.pdf

[58limited]

I don't have a BGE specifically but I have two kamados. I stay under 14 lbs, preferably 10-12 lbs for the Bayou Classic which is 19" diameter, similar to a large BGE. I like to cook at 250^o and have made some good briskets this way. My other kamado is 22" and I haven't cooked a brisket on it yet. I now have an offset smoker and, being Texan, I do my briskets on that now.

I have owned my Bayou Classic kamado for 12 years and I've used the heck out of it. The other kamado, SnS Kamado, is now my go-to for kamado cooking. I like the extra space plus with the SnS insert it cooks like a Weber kettle and thus is very versatile. SnS Grills makes an SnS insert kit for the large BGE if you are interested - it gives you true two zone cooking and basically makes the kamado into a kettle cooker too (albeit a well insulated one).

[Oak Smoke]

I have the Kamado Joes, both a classic and a Big Joe. I learned early on that they held so much moisture that if I cooked at 225 F I had a brown wet brisket when it got tender near 203 internal. They tasted as bad as they looked because of the lack of good bark. Through trial and error and great advice here I’ve learned that to get the brisket we like I need to cook at 300 F. At that temp they are normally ready in 7 to 8 hours. I was guilty of over thinking brisket cooking at first. Try this please. Trim your brisket up as you can see on any number of YouTube videos, leave the point and flat connected. Rub with kosher salt, coarse black pepper and powdered garlic then put it on your BGE at 300 F with a couple of chunks of pecan for smoke flavor. At about 190 internal start checking it with a tooth pick or the probe on your thermometer. When it goes through with almost no effort pull your brisket and wrap it in foil then old towels and finally put it in an ice chest to rest for at least 2 hours. You should get a very nice brisket. Don’t slice more than you are about to serve or it will dry out. This is just basic brisket on a kamado. From there you can try changes as you want to.