KBQ ~ has landed

[BBQ_Bill]

My computer will not connect to the internet.
Am on my cell phone and short on time...
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An Actual Weight Example (to help you)
Four packers, 75.26 pounds as from the supplier.
Trimmed to 1/4" fat layer and KBQ smoked.
Net Selling weight = 32.16 pounds.
YES, IT IS THAT BAD!
The loss is high, and the net sellable meat (final yield) sadly averages less than 40% of raw purchased weight for me.
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I don't believe I have ever had 40 pounds of sellable brisket from one KBQ smoke of 4 packers.
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I place my 3 packer briskets with one point as far to the right as I can without touching the side support.
One in the middle, and the 3rd one with the point as far to the left side as possible.
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Sorry, I gotta run.
Will try to add more today.

[ls1m]

Thanks Bill! I was thinking 40 lb raw, not selling. The brisket I find is usually in the 12-15lb range, so I was guessing 10 lb each after trimming. I'll see what they have when I go shopping today.

[BBQ_Bill]

I try to get the LARGEST briskets I can get.
To me they will generally have better marbling and taste better because they are most likely to be from an older animal.
"Young" beef is pretty tasteless in my opinion.
As far as tender, that happens with time, moisture, and heat, so an older animal is my 1st choice.
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I look for the thickest flats when going though briskets.
Watch out for the trick where they fold the thin edge or edges under, making the flat appear to be thick hidden there inside the cryovac.
This folding is REALLY common for cryovac Prime.
Also, watch out for the "cheat" cut, where the cutter goes too low adding thinner "navel" meat onto the flat end.
The brisket will look too long (because it is) and the flat will look really thin unless they fold it under to try to fool you.
You will lose that meat due to drying out anyway, so I just cut it off when trimming when I mess up and get those.

[ls1m]

I saw a couple of those folded flats. They looked nasty. I ended up getting three 16-17 lb select briskets on sale for $1.96 a pound. They're dry-brining in the fridge right now. Probably going to regret getting the lower grade, but couldn't resist a sale I'll stagger them left/center/right as you suggest.

[ls1m]

Took Friday off from work because I really, really don't want to stay up all night cooking. Plan is to start the KBQ up after lunch & when it's done, it's done. Then into the 140deg oven, wrapped, until morning.

[BBQ_Bill]

My average trim loss is less than my cooking loss.
Trimming takes around 2 to 3 pounds off.
However, I HAVE had over double that much loss on occasion.
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As far as pans to catch drippings, that thought has crossed my mind, especially when I am struggling to find an area below that is drip free.
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More recently, my thoughts have turned to using those drippings upon opening the butcher paper to add liquid just before resting.
If used, I would flash cool, sealed in a container, by placing it in salted ice water.
Next I would remove the solidified oil, and then heat the liquid to 195°F when ready to add to the wrapping.
The drippings are quite delicious as they are rich in beef gelatin.
Would they actually penetrate the meat?
Probably not as about the only thing that will is water and dissolved salt according to Professor Greg Blonder.
So... Whatever flavor (besides salt) that is in the liquid basically adds to the bark and surface flavor.
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Seeing as how my bark is where I want it, I have been leaning towards just lightly salted water as a moisturizer for the liquid add before resting.
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I've also considered an add-on to each rack, that will tilt each brisket just a touch.
The drippings would then come off of one edge.
By offsetting more and more for each brisket, the drippings from the top would clear the second and the drippings from the 2nd would fall clear of the third.
Basically no drippings from a brisket above would fall on the briskets below and therefore no more "washing" off of the smoke.
Problem solved.

[ls1m]

How about a rack like they have for ribs that holds them up on end? Or for that matter, I guess I could hang them with my PBC hooks.

[BBQ_Bill]

Never done a Select brisket and knowing there is less fat marbling, moistness in the flats needs to be an area of close attention during this cook.
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THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS MY OPINION, RIGHT OR WRONG, GOOD OR BAD, SO PLEASE USE YOUR OWN GOOD JUDGEMENT. IF YOU FEEL I AM WRONG IN SOMETHING THAT I SUGGEST HERE BELOW, DO IT THE WAY YOU "FEEL" IS RIGHT.
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Starting off, the bark is built mainly by the smoke and how LONG the brisket is in that smoke.
"Good" smoke, from going through the coals and being purified, is what MOST of us want on our product.
Therefore, for customers and "non-hawked" watching of the smoke and poppets, I would go bottom poppet only on this one.
Bark and color will take longer so I would put the three dry-brined briskets into my large freezer for one hour before they go into my smoker.
From the freezer, I would spritz with Apple Cider vinegar with a FINE spray, not wash it and make it run.
Then, I would rub EVENLY including the sides with 1/16" cracked black peppercorn, press it in, and into the KBQ they would go.
I would run at 165°F for an hour, maybe a bit longer to get a little extra smoke on there.
Then, I would bump the temperature up to 230°F average.
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I would THEN have a cold one and relax.
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At this point, they are not bothered.
They are just gathering smoke for maybe three hours.
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I then go in and fine mist spritz, just lightly so the smoke doesn't wash off. I also add water to the pans below.
Every hour from there I repeat.
The next important thing in my head is COLOR.
I like the central Texas style dark bark.
My customers and family also like it.
Each spritz and water pan check I look at the bark that is building.
Yeah, I am increasing my total cook time, but I start early, so I don't care.
No pressure... enjoy the cook Billy.
When my bark is nice and dark I lay out two sheets of overlapped butcher paper on my stovetop.
With my helpers, I pull one rack out of the KBQ go to the stove and using "Man Claws" (bought 'em on eBay) I transfer the brisket from that rack onto the paper.
I spritz the brisket and the paper lightly, just like Aaron Franklin's pit master does.
I wrap tightly and it goes into the MOIST oven pre-warmed to 230°F.
After all three are lined up side by side in the oven, I take care of my KBQ, pulling the firebox off and putting it in the gravel in a safe area to cool.
I set my alarm and get some short, but well deserved sleep.
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Alarm goes off, I pull one brisket at a time to the stovetop.
I open and probe the special spot on the flat.
I probe the flat outside that spot.
I'm comparing the tenderness of the special spot to the other areas outside that spot.
If all is still tough and equal, I spritz a touch and back it goes into the oven.
The other two get the same treatment.
THEY NEVER SEEM TO BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME.
Okay...
When they seem to be getting tender I remember the all important fact that the "Window" of doneness perfection is quite small.
If I mess up now, my flats will be dry.
SO...
THEY will suddenly be at the point of perfection, and then minutes later, that time will be gone forever for that brisket.
This was a tough lesson to learn.
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When the special spot is still not as soft as the other areas around it, I pull it and set it on the stovetop in a cookie pan to rest.
I slide a temperature probe into that same special spot in the flat.
I heat my liquid and add it inside that wrapping.
That brisket alarm is set for 150°F.
Here is where it can get tricky.
I want all three to be at the point of almost being done and on the stovetop, resting so I can drop the moist oven temperature to 150°F.
Each brisket will hit 150°F internal and at different times.
When one drops to 150°F the probe is pulled and it goes from its rest into HOLDING in the MOIST oven at 150°F.
The next alarm to sing it's "song" signals that it is done resting and it then goes into to oven.
Number three, same deal.
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Time for more sleep...
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The "wake up Bill" alarm sounds for me to get up and get ready.
I shower and dress in my Cowboy outfit, complete with a nice black hat when I head out the door.
I heat water in the microwave, pour it into empty Pepsi bottles and place them in my pre-heated cooler.
Towels are then placed over the bottles.
My briskets are pulled from the oven and put in my cooler.
More towels on top.
It is closed and not opened until I open it to pull the 1st one to start slicing, weighing and selling.
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Well, I have told it like it has happened for me.
May God be with you, and keep you.
BBQ Bill

[BBQ_Bill]

Oh!
I forgot to mention one important thing about packer doneness.
For me... when the flat probes tougher in "the spot" than it does around that special spot, and it looks like it is time to pull from the heat, the POINT will probe like butter that has been sitting out on the table all day... very soft.
So I pull to add liquid and rest.
This will help keep the flat moist on those packers of yours.
Remember, it continues to cook and break collagen down while resting.
(Collagen continues to turn into gelatin)
If you pull when done, and tender in the thick center of the flats special spot, it will OVERCOOK during the rest and holding.
At least it works this way with Choice and Prime packers.
BBQ Bill

[Dale Case]

BBQ_Bill Great Info in all your posts. Thank You Very Much !! Dale

[BBQ_Bill]

You are most welcome.
Happy to help my BBQ buddies if I can.

[ls1m]

Took 12 hours but got all three done Here's the last one, ready to wrap.

[BBQ_Bill]

Color looks geat!
Running foil means they won't be able to "breath".
Your bark will be quite soft after holding and probably lose its "set".
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Was thinking it would be good to ask your butcher for 15 foot of his 40 pound wrapping paper.
Anyway...
You will need to dry the surface of these so when you slice, the bark stays intact.
Before you serve, I would open, "Man Claw" into a 300°F dry oven, convection On.
Check in 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes.
Take a butter knife and with it held flat, gently press down flat on the bark and then move just a touch to the side.
You are looking for the bark to stay put and not slide off of the meat creating an open "barkless" spot.
You want the bark "bonded" so to say, to the meat so when you slice, it stays put on each piece.
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Also, if these were in the smoke for 12 hours, that is a LONG time.
Check for doneness.
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Dang... I wish I were there with you man!
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I am ABSOLUTELY sure if you just went with S & P for your rub, in the KBQ, your bark flavor will "Blow Them Away!"
I had a customer once ask for me to "Skin" the bark off, weigh it up, and sell it to him. LOL!
I had to explain to him "Sorry man, that's not how it works, every slice gets a little bark."
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Your brisket will be a big hit.
BBQ Bill

[ls1m]

Oh so THAT'S why the bark is always mushy if I wrap in tin foil. Makes sense. Butcher paper must be porous, which also explains why the warming oven needs high humidity. Got it.

[BBQ_Bill]

The high humidity in the holding oven is to slow down the drying out of the flat.
Basically, if the humidity level in the oven is high, the meat does not dry out as fast.

[BBQ_Bill]

A couple more things came to mind.
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Slice the meat across the grain, about 1/4" in width.
As Aaron Franklin says, a pencil width.
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If it is overcooked, mushy, hard to cut because it is falling apart, go with thicker slices, and cut them in half so eaters don't waste the "fruits of your labors".
Tell 'em to come back for seconds and thirds.
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If not done, when you cut a 1/4" slice, hold it up by one end, and pull gently, it will not want to break apart easily and will be "elastic" like, sort of stretchy.
So, you will need to cut thinner slices.
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The point or fatty muscle has a grain that runs nearly opposite to the way the grain runs in the leaner flat muscle.
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Starting with the point to my left and flat to my right, I cut across the flat. (Right to left)
I slice only what is being served as this conserves the moisture in the meat. (Drys quickly)
When I get somewhere near the middle, I start seeing the fat layer in between the two muscles.
At that time, I rotate the brisket with the point away from me and the end I have been slicing, facing towards me.
Now, I slice the point (fatty cuts).
Same deal, 1/4" thick.
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Well, I gotta get to work.
Still working full time.
BBQ Bill

[ComfortablyNumb]

Ah, the secret is out. The thickness of the slice determines how close or far the pitmaster was on target.

[ls1m]

Yeah I just read that in Franklin's book. I won't be cutting it, though. Just shipping it off to the fundraiser in a cooler. I need to order that knife he recommends, too. Thanks again for all the help!

[BBQ_Bill]

Yup, you got it ComfortablyNumb

[overeasy]

Thank you Bill from all of us for your help and expertise. Lots of valuable experience and information in just a few paragraphs.
Heres to you sir, coffee cup in hand, Cheers!

[BBQ_Bill]

You are very kind to this old man.
I thank you for your support.

[overeasy]

Installed the door kit you sent today with no trouble at all. Used a dremel tool and a fiber reinforced cut off wheel no problem. See what you ment about the collection of stuff under the door too. Great idea, and thanks again

[BBQ_Bill]

Happy the Kit is working for you guys.
To add a pan down low, you can remove the door to add them, and then replace it easily.

[Spinaker]

Yep! I love mine too! It makes cleaning the KBQ waaaaay easier.

[BBQ_Bill]

Thanks guys, your recommendations mean a lot to me.

[Ernest]

[Ernest]

Spinaker the best......yet. And the meatballs......intergalactic!

[Spinaker]

Hahahaha, I love it! Ernest

[lostclusters]

Looks like my initial request for the recipe went in the wrong place. So, could you let us know what recipe you used for the meatballs?

[overeasy]

Dude,! for real? Pork Belly a la coppa/BBQ Bliss? looks Killer! Save me a slice please

[overeasy]

and what about the meatballs... they look awesome too! All Hail to the KBQ

[Ernest]

I'm regretting not making a big batch of the balls

[lostclusters]

Recipe? Ernest

[EdF]

I'm also regretting not making a big batch of meatballs!