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    Need some advice

    I've got a 15.33 lb full packer brisket that I want to cook for our church fellowship this Sunday. First, how long should I plan on this thing taking to cook?(Granted, I'll be trimming some fat off so it probably will end up weighing a lb or two less when it goes on the grill). Second, which cooker should I use? PBC or Weber SnS? I'm thinking I will need to start this sometime Saturday evening and cook it all nite. I need to have it ready to go in the faux cambro by 9:00 am so I can be at church at 9:30. Meal is at 12:00 noon. I'm leaning towards the PBC just because I have more experience with that cooker and will probably be able to get some sleep while it's cooking. With the Weber SnS, I'm still learning how to keep a steady temp for a long cook. Suggestions?

    #2
    Most of my full packers that size lose about 4-5 pounds of fat trimming. I clean out enough so that there is zero to trim off and toss when it is done.

    I use my SnS with my Auber. It is actually smoking a pork butt at 225 right now. Definitely cheating if you ask me.

    Hard to beat the cook time and product of the PBC. Most my briskets get done in under 10 hours easy.

    I like to hang for about 5 hours. Then go to the grate and darken up each side. Then wrap and take to 203-ish internal. Then let it rest in the cambro (faux or real).

    Comment


      #3
      I agree with Jerod. I would also add that you should up the temp maybe 20 F when you hit the stall. I adjust the temp on my PBC 3 times wihile doing a brisket. When I first start out, then when I hit the stall and finally after I wrap. You can really build up some beautiful bark in that sweet spot between 165 F and 180 F Internal. I usually wrap at about 185 F. I darken the bark while hanging. I don't use the grate until I wrap.

      I have never done a brisket on the SNS but I know folks love it.

      hortique Good Luck!

      Comment


        #4
        Yeah, I was thinking about getting an Auber or Party Q for the SnS. (More money dang it!) When you adjust the temp on the PBC, are you opening up the bottom vent more? I have always just gone with my initial setting on the vent, never messed with it after that .

        Comment


          #5
          hortique my bottom vent has been stuck where it is at for over 2 years.

          I do have pipes for extra flow when I load it down and need a little more heat to compensate for all that cold meat hanging in that dude, and when the stall hits.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Jerod Broussard View Post
            hortique my bottom vent has been stuck where it is at for over 2 years.

            I do have pipes for extra flow when I load it down and need a little more heat to compensate for all that cold meat hanging in that dude, and when the stall hits.
            Can you elaborate on that? How bout a pic?

            Comment


              #7
              The two that extend up above the barrel are for extra air flow. That dude on the back is for my Auber to supplement the main vent when I can't be around to babysit things. When it is loaded down the stall cools more off than just the meat.
              Attached Files

              Comment


                #8
                I did a full packer brisket on the kettle w/ SnS. It was 14.6 lbs pre-trimming, fit quite nicely. I trimmed all the fat between the two muscles, stopping just short of separating the two muscles and cooked it whole, 1/4" of fat cap positioned upward. It took 10 hrs unwrapped at ~235 then 2 hrs tightly wrapped in "power cambro" mode (my kettle with the temp dialed down to ~170-180. Total cook time, 12 hrs. This was a Wagyu and like I said with the fat all trimmed between the point & flat which helps cut down some time.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I'm cooking some chicken right now on the kettle w/ SnS. Temp is ~325. I'm gonna put the brisket on later tonite, probably around 9 or 10 CST. Probably gonna use the PBC but I'm still wavering. I trimmed a lot of fat off this thing including between the two muscles as Huskee said. I left about an 1/8 inch fat cap. Brisket has been dry brining since yesterday afternoon.

                  Comment


                  • Jerod Broussard
                    Jerod Broussard commented
                    Editing a comment
                    I like to go fat cap up with the SnS, and once it has darkened up super nice, flip and bark up the top of the flat. Puts out some absolutely amazing brisket.

                  #10
                  Thanks Jerod for the pic's. That's a cool looking setup.

                  Comment


                  • Jerod Broussard
                    Jerod Broussard commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Pain to move. But works great.

                  #11
                  Let us know how things turn out!

                  Comment


                    #12
                    Sorry for taking so long to post the results of my first all nite cook. I ended up using the PBC thinking I could cook it in about 10 hours max with little fuss and getting some much needed sleep. I put the brisket on at 10:00 pm and set my alarm for 2:00 am just to check things out. At 2:00 am the PBC was at 246 degrees and everything looked good. I don't remember what the meat thermometer said. I went back to sleep and woke up at 5:00 am to check the cooker. PBC temp was around 190 degrees and meat thermometer read 136. This thing had to be done by 9:00 am so I panicked and pulled the brisket and put into the oven unwrapped at 275 degrees. The brisket hit 160 degrees at 7:20 am at which time I wrapped tightly in foil and put back in oven. I pulled brisket at a little before 9:00 am with meat thermometer reading 200 degrees. I wrapped in towels and put in ice chest to hold until the church fellowship meal at 12:15 pm. The results: Click image for larger version

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                    The brisket had some decent bark and good flavor, but was kind of dry. I was overall disappointed compared to previous briskets I had done on the PBC. The folks at the fellowship gobbled it up and seemed to appreciate it. It did smell good. But I was kinda bummed. Why had this thing turned out so dry? Was it the cooking method? The oven? It could have just been a dry piece of meat. The package didn't list any grade so I'm assuming it was probably a "select". It was a big piece of meat so we had some leftovers to take home. When we reheated, it was even drier. I was gonna throw the rest to the dogs, but then remembered seeing Jerod's photo of chopped brisket. The next nite, I chopped it up very fine and added BBQ sauce, heated it up and we had chopped beef sandwiches, they were quite tasty. Had more chopped beef for lunch today and tonite I finished off the last of the leftovers by making a brisket, sauteed onion and cheese omelet. Man was that tasty! Here are my takeaways. 1- I should have checked the pit more often, then I could have propped the lid or something to get the temp back up before it fell too low and maybe wouldn't have had to resort to finishing in the oven. 2- I have a few things to learn when it comes to all nite cooks. ( Should have started the brisket sooner). 3- I've gotten lucky with a few of the select briskets I've purchased. I think I will start looking for choice at least. Problem is my store rarely has any. But dry brisket leaves much to be desired. Thanks for reading and all the helpful suggestions.

                    Comment


                    • Dr ROK
                      Dr ROK commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Next time you have left over dry brisket, make a batch of chili and substitute the brisket for the ground beef. You won't be sorry once you try it.

                    #13
                    I would say the stall hit right after you went to bed, couple that extra moisture with the night time humidity, and that cooled the cooker off considerably and pretty much put you in jerky mode.

                    I ALWAYS set my BBQ alarm with the Pit Barrel cooker about 20 degrees below the settle down temp if I don't have the Auber backing things up. The night time humidity alone will eat it up. I had that happen with a pork butt for work, barely got that dude done.

                    You have to be picky with Selects, not that all my Choice act accordingly. I go by fat in the flat, totally void move along, something imitating a Choice take it home.

                    Comment


                      #14
                      Hey Dr Rok, that's a good idea. I'll try that next time ( I hope there is not a next time for dry brisket). Jerod, I think you are right. I kept wondering why the PBC didn't behave as normal, but I had never done an overnight cook on it either.

                      Comment

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