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**BBQ_Bill** · June 24, 2018, 02:43 PM

Okay hogdog6 and king kielbasa...
He is not replying, so here is my best semi-educated guess...
He states that he runs his KBQ with the bottom poppet open only, so that means very clean smoke IF (and only if) one does not allow a very heavy amount of "dirty" smoke to pass through the grate holes into the smoke chamber.
So, The ONLY way I've seen bark this dark in 11 hours with the bottom poppet only was when run as mentioned above, not keeping the grate holes covered.
OR, when I ran in somewhat cold weather up North where the draw fan hardly ever stopped.
I got some great bark then!
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king kielbasa with the color of that bark, I am thinking that there is NO way he wrapped that brisket and got that kind of bark in only 11 hours.
Besides, look at the sharp edges and points on the meat.
When wrapped, all becomes "rounded".
You can also see the fluids that came out stuck on the grate.
They would be inside the wrapping and then reabsorbed by the meat in the resting and hold periods.
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He also mentioned that he does not spritz, and the surface does look very dry to me.
In looking at the grate below the meat, the exuded moisture that came from it during the cook looks very "sizzled" so I am thinking this meat may have been run at a temperature a ways over 225°F.
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Bottom line...
Generally speaking, in our KBQ's, wonderful looking dark bark like this is a combination of a mixture of clean and dirty smoke and time in that smoke... with the longer the time in it, the darker the bark.
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I am REALLY hoping for some photos of the inside of that beef, like this one of Aaron Franklin's sliced "barky" brisket shown here below.

**Spinaker** · June 24, 2018, 03:45 PM

BBQ_Bill hogdog6 Sorry guys, I have been busy today.....

I really don't do anything special when I cook with the KBQ. I always run with the bottom poppet, wide open. I physically check it every time I add wood to make sure she is breathing clean.

Typically I run the KBQ at about 275 F for the first part of the cook, maybe 1/3 of the way through the cook. Then I back it down to about 230-240 average. I always make sure I have a good, strong coal bed, without exception. I also make sure the coal bed is "healthy" That is, I make sure there is even airflow across the grate, the fire is able to burn HOT and clean and there are little to no cold spots. I don't care it is uses more wood or not, I have plenty and more than I care to burn in the KBQ. That wood hopper is always totally plumb full of wood.

I never spritz the surface of the meat during the cook. I never wrap either, until it goes into the cambro. Last night, when I unwrapped this brisket, juices and grease drained off of the cutting board. This baby was perfectly moist. The surface was not dry at all when I unwrapped it. Three hours in the FB made sure that there was gonna be plenty of moisture. When you mention the stuff stuck to the grate, most of that is from I put the brisket onto the grate in the first place, before cooking. The rub gets scraped off by the rack. I accidentally slid the brisket onto the rack, instead of just placing it down flat. During the cook, juices hit this stuff and they cook up.

Additionally, you don't need 20 + hours or some secret method to get bark like this. I did it in 11 hours with nothing more than oak wood, Dalmatian rub and some nerdy KBQ-fire maintenance. I have done it in less time than that, but yesterday, I wanted to slow it down and enjoy myself. As for the weather having an effect. It does get cold up here, but yesterday it was 82 F and sunny. At about 65 % humidity.

I don't have any pictures of slices or anything like that, so you will just have to take my word for fact, as this was a wonderfully tasty, moist and tender brisket. I was too busy slicing and serving to stop and take a photo; but the time I was done, the brisket was gone and all I had was some chopped beef.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but don't over think this stuff, just cook.

â€‹

**BBQ_Bill** · June 24, 2018, 07:35 PM

lostclusters look thru the KBQ holes at the inverted flame.
The color and brightness on each side should be good and equal, and the "roar" sound there.
If you look carefully and a hole is plugged, you can see that side looks weak.
This is how I know that all of the holes are open and the heat and purified smoke is evenly moving down into the cooking chamber.
If plugged, the color and intensity of the flame on that plugged side is diminished.
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Here is my procedure:
I first shut off the power with a power switch.
I then add wood and tamp it down and power back on.
Next, check by looking thru the KBQ (letters) holes...
If the coal grate holes seem plugged...
I kill the power again and open all of the holes on both sides with the tool provided.
I then cover the holes with hot coals and re-tamp down the fresh wood.
(This hole covering helps to maintain the purification of the smoke)
Next, I turn the power to the control box back on and then check once again for flame intensity, color on each side and listen for that "roar" sound.
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This is now the "standard practice" when adding wood, ESPECIALLY when using Pecan.

**BBQ_Bill** · July 8, 2018, 05:16 AM

Fired up my newly acquired KBQ to see how she runs, but 1st things first!
1) Wet aged a prime Creekstone packer. It has been in the cryovac long enough.
2) Opened, trimmed, weighed, measured out kosher and precisely salted, vacuum bagged, and iced down for the dry brine period.
3) After a week minimum, I open and pat dry. Next, sear both sides and the edges too at the semi-permanent location for my Super Sear Station.
4) Spritzed and then fresh cracked 1/16" black pepper corn rubbed.
5) Freezer Time! (Two hours to chill baby!)
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Woo Hoo!
It's Smoke Time!
Went with quite a bit of Top Poppet action for this smoke.
None-the-less, it was STILL a very clean smoke. (So so color/bark with tan fans and port)
Mesquite smoked for 10 hours at 235°F average monitored with a Thermapen in the probe port.
Pulled at 10 hours and checked. The internal temp hit 164°F
Spritzed with Apple Cider Vinegar, pink butcher paper wrapped (tightly) and then in she goes into the MOIST oven at 250°F.
At 190°F alarm sounds, but it is still probing tough in the "sweet spot".
Finally, almost there, so I pulled, added boiling water inside the wrapping and put it to "rest" at 110°F with the fat cap up.
Resting peacefully, the internal finally dropping to 150°F so I placed this beautiful hunk into holding at a pre-heated 148°F.
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At the time of this writing, she has been holding now at 148° F for 11 hours.
Will slice and eat at Noon today, Sunday.
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Here are some photos.
I will post more upon slicing.
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As you can see, the fan blades and re-circulation port are witnesses to a very clean 10-hour Mesquite smoke.
I REALLY thought that they would be darker due to running Top Poppet ONLY each time the fresh wood adds burned down a bit.
Moist, but not "Crazy" moist.
The one prior beat this one slightly per the "eaters"
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I gotta keep pushing for "perfection"!
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Smoke On!

**slvance** · July 8, 2018, 09:14 AM

Steve gets in a hurry. Steve cleans out his firebox after a cook by placing it in a trash bag and turning it upside down. Works very well if all you are doing is getting rid of the ash. Steve was not paying attention. Steve now gets to contact Bill about getting a new coal tray. DON'T be like Steve :=)

**BBQ_Bill** · July 9, 2018, 10:31 PM

Yup... it was kind of funny in a way hogdog6
On the other hand... the thief will only get around three or four bucks for the stainless steel parts.
Bill Karau was kind giving me a really good deal on a replacement door.
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I even sent photos to the local scrap dealers as well as a promise of great BBQ for a very long time.
THAT perked them up, but none-the-less I didn't get my stuff back

**JakeT** · July 15, 2018, 10:06 AM

2.5 hours in with 100% mesquite. Lid on, bottom poppet full open, top 1/8" open. Running at 250*. I just put some hot Italian sausages on above to smoke for a few hours for the midday snack!

**Ernest** · July 15, 2018, 04:44 PM

Hello!!!!! My apologies, I've been on the road since April, it's been hectic!!!
Had a chance to officially bless the summer....

**JakeT** · July 15, 2018, 05:06 PM

Just pulled it off. Just shy of 10 hours at 250*. It was like butter everywhere but right in the dead center of the flat where the point is sitting on top. Which only had a small amount of resistance. I pulled it and am resting it at 200* in the oven in a pan sealed with foil. Updates to come!

**BBQ_Bill** · July 15, 2018, 06:50 PM

At 200°F it will keep cooking and be over done, fall apart, crumbly.
Rest at room temperature or shut the oven off.
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When the internal area with slight resistance is 150°F, which generally takes 1-1/2 to 2 hours at ambient or around 110°F on the stove top, you can hold in an ice chest with bottles of hot water, but keep an eye on the internal temperature.
Don't let it go below 140°F.
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Basically, you want it to s l o w l y cool to 150°F and then try to hold it there at 150°F for two hours or more before serving.
Slice only what is going on plates and wrap/cover/seal/push back together to prevent drying.
Cut and exposed surfaces oxidize and dry incredibly fast.

**JakeT** · July 15, 2018, 07:25 PM

Best brisket I’ve ever made. Holy cow. This one is out of this world!! It’s sliced a little differently due to lack of enough guests tonight. The leftovers are going to the yard tomorrow.

**Ernest** · July 16, 2018, 08:09 AM

**Spinaker** · July 16, 2018, 01:38 PM

Off the subject here but.........Where do you guys put your drip trays? At the very bottom? I always put mine at the very bottom because I am worried about the pan disrupting airflow in the cooking chamber, but I have also thought about placing two trays in if I am cooking two different types of meat. One tray in the middle and one on the very bottom, Just so the juices don't drip on to each other. (Chicken onto beef or vice versa.) Thoughts? Anyone tried this yet?

**BBQ_Bill** · July 16, 2018, 08:54 PM

I am going with a similar setup to lostclusters.
1) Always a cookie tray in the very bottom.
2) A 1" deep pan in the 2nd slot up if there will not be a lot of oil drippings.
3) A 2-1/2" deep pan in the 3rd slot up if there will be a lot of oil drippings.
Photos of my setups are HERE.

With this set up, I smoke 3 briskets in each machine.

Smoke On!

**Spinaker** · July 17, 2018, 08:00 AM

Thanks for the feed back guys! I think I am going to try a cook with the drip try in the middle of the cooking chamber, maybe a 1"-1.5" pan, to catch the drippings from the top meat. Hopefully, the lower profile pan will allow the smoke to keep moving around without too much hindrance to the convection airflow. Then I will use a 2" pan on the bottom like I always do. BBQ_Bill EdF lostclusters Ernest Jake T

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