Getting back into smoking in Minneapolis

[JZMack]

Greetings from the frozen north! After about a 4 year hiatus from smoking meats, I'm excited to be getting back into it. I gave up my old vertical water smoker during a series of moves and after grilling for the last couple of years I'm ready to start smoking ribs, pork butt, and eventually some brisket. I've been stalking the forums for a while and found the info really helpful when picking out a smoker. I eventually settled on a Mak 2 Star that will be delivered next week and I'm optimistic it will simplify temperature control and some other variables.

I was able to turn out some decent quality stuff in the past but am committed to really taking it to the next level. I'd welcome some advice on where to start and how to progress up to smoking brisket over the coming months. I've got plans to smoke a lot of meat over the summer and develop my skills. Looking forward to the journey!

[tbob4]

Welcome from Chico, CA

[texastweeter]

Howdy, welcome from Texas. You have a lot of great resources and different perspective to pull from here. Enjoy the ride, and congrats on the new pit.

[MBMorgan]

Welcome from Colorado …

[JZMack]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

[WI Bubba]

Welcome from Wisconsin. Glad you could join us!

ecowper has a really good brisket tutorial you can find here. Don't let brisket intimidate you. It maybe shouldn't be your first cook on the new MAK, but with a rock solid cooker like the MAK, and a little technique, you'll do fine.

[ecowper]

Ahhhhh, thanks for the nice thumbs up!

[Donw]

Welcome from Maryland

[FireMan]

Welcome baaack…………! Start with Wibs. Eat good & have fun!

[holehogg]

Greetings from South Africa.

[58limited]

Welcome!

[glitchy]

Welcome to the pit. Hope you love that MAK! After way too many pellet grills getting there, I’m loving mine. Most important MAK tip you rarely see is the fan algorithm changes at 250. So, anytime you think you want to cook at 250, cook at 245 instead. Mention me or PM me if you have any MAK questions and I’ll help you if I know or try to redirect you to some others that might. Dennis at MAK is totally awesome for any questions too.

As far as where to start, cook a fatty. Go buy a pound of sausage and smoke it. Cook it plain, stuff if with cheese and peppers, or wrap it in bacon, doesn’t matter, it’s fun. Then smoke a few chuck roasts. Buy some unbleached butcher paper, wrap when bark looks good to you (150-180 usually), cook to 205-207, then turn down MAK and hold meat over 200° for an hour. Let rest a while and enjoy some shredded beef. After you’ve mastered that get some Wagyu beef tallow and use when cooking a brisket, wrapping in that butcher paper after bark is good. Follow with long rest…reading ecowper, chud bbq, or Franklin’s tips.

Finally, if you don’t have a wireless thermometer get a Fireboard to babysit your grills. The MAK is the best pellet grill I’ve had, but still needs a supervisor at times.

[Stuey1515]

Welcome from Oz, you will like it here.

Personally I can take or leave brisket, much prefer pork or lamb myself

[DavidNorcross]

Welcome from Virginia!

[LA Pork Butt]

Welcome to the Pit from Dallas, Texas!

[Draznnl]

Welcome from southwest Florida. Congratulations on the new cooker.

Don't be intimidated by brisket. It's just another hunk of meat. To gain some confidence, I'd recommend starting with some chuck roasts. glitchy , above, already covered the technique. When you're ready to try a brisket, check out Aaron Franklin's videos on YouTube. Also, check out the tutorial ecowper did.

Good luck. Remember to have fun.

[ecowper]

Sheesh, two shout outs in one morning. Must be my lucky day! Thanks brother