I want to do my first overnight cook and am hoping to do it for mother's day. I'm using a WSM 18.5 with a CyberQ, and was going to cook it at 225 with a full water pan. If I put the brisket on at 11pm (already past my bedtime) and don't plan to serve until 7 pm the next night, that's 20 hours of cooking. 16 hours if I have it in faux cambro for 4 hours. Is 16 hours of cooking going to dry this thing out? I would wrap at some point it to keep it moist, but that would speed up the cooking process, which I don't want to do, because I figure I'm going to need to stretch the time. Thoughts?
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It might. In most cases you don't need much more than 12-14max. I'd say you'd be good getting up at 4 to start and cook all day. That's all I ever do anyway. I see no need to cook all night unless you're making it for breakfast or lunch.-
LOL Not getting up at 4 AM (4 AM!!! I didn't know there was one of those in the morning!) is good enough reason for me. Faux Cambro--get ready for six hours. ;«) -
Willy that is why I almost always serve at noon or 1pm. I have done a turbo brisket cooking at 300 and wrapping at 160 with pretty good results. I believe I put it on my BGE at 6 or 7 am.
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Huskee, waking up at 4 am to start cooking actually sounds enjoyable! But if that's not in the cards and I don't get started until 7am, what about cooking at 250-275? Think that would shave off several hours, or just a few? I ask because without my CyberQ, if I use The Fuse method, my cooker naturally wants to go to 265-275 with almost all the vents open (and can go for about 8 hours). In a perfect world, doesn't keeping all the vents open give me the cleanest smoke? I don't know if it's true or not (please tell me if it's not), but I feel that when I close all the bottom vents and have my CyberQ keep it at 225, I'm not getting the cleanest cook I could. If I could do 275 with all the vents open for 8 hours or so, then wrap and finish off in the oven, think that would give me a good brisket? I know I just switched topics from the original subject, but the question just popped in my head. Thanks!Comment
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If I can add just one thing to all this awesome advice, Harry Soo recommends NO WATER in the WSM. As it inhibits the crust. Instead, spray with water after the crust developes.Comment
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Here's a thread that might help with your cook. It's a brisket in a PBC - very similar to your cooker:
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I think your timing is pretty good. Always better to spend a few extra hours in the faux cambro than have folks wondering when it will be ready, or why it's so tough (not done). For a brisket, I usually shoot for a little higher temp than 225, more like 250-275. My last one was an 18 hour cook, plus 3 hours in a cooler wrapped in towels on top of that. It was injected, which may have prolonged the cook a little, but still took it's sweet time getting "done". End result was awesome! I can't imagine why you would be sorry you allowed 20 hours from start to serve with a full (unseparated) packer. Enjoy!Comment
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Absolutely, go 250-275, that's a popular range as well. Franklin prefers 275 from what I've seen, read & heard. I'm not sure how much time it will save to be honest, surely some, but hours? Maybe, maybe not. It's still in the range of low & slow.Originally posted by Smoking77 View Post
Personally, I think lots of oxygen for a cleaner fire matters way more with wood than charcoal. I have done side by side cooks with a kettle/SnS (low oxygen, smoldering) and stickburner (high oxygen/airflow) on the exact same meat & same temps roughly, and the results surprised me at how similar they tasted, there was a difference but it was subtle. Only a little chunk or 3 or wood is needed for a smoldering fire like this though. So I wouldn't worry too much about keeping your fuse method high oxygen unless you just wanted those higher temps.
You can easily do the wrap and place it in your oven at the 8hr mark or when your coals die out. Actually 7-8hrs, in my experience anyway, happens to be roughly when the meat should be out of the stall and at 170-180 IT and have great bark (this is my personal preference talking here, not a golden rule by any means)...or you could wrap it and reload that charcoal and just let it ride in your cooker which is already warmed up. The biggest key will be after it gets up to that 195-205 IT mark, or when it's probe-tender, wobbly & done, that you try to give it a warm hold for at least another hour, maybe 2 or or 4. The "faux Cambro", real cambro, or low-temp cooker hold will help it a lot. There's no perfect timeframe, each brisket is different. You might hold it 2hrs and it's still tough for your tastes, you may hold it 3 and it's already crumbly and it was too long (been in both scenarios).
Haave you had a chance to view Meathead's article on the best setup for a WSM?
Or his video interview with Harry Soo?
Tons of great info in each.Comment
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Thanks, Huskee. I guess I'll just have to try out an overnight 225 cook, and then a 275 cook. Good thing you can never have enough brisket! I have read Meathead's article and actually watched the video with Harry Soo the other day. Have learned so much from everyone. Looking forward to cooking a brisket and showing you all the results! Oh, yeah, and eating it too
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I started my prime Costco packer this morning at 5 am. It is around 13 lbs after trimming I think. GMG pellet grill at 250 and the temp is 155 after 4 hours.Comment
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Sounds like it's going well!Comment
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It's now at 165 and it has only been 4 hours and 45 minutes. Seems like it's cooking kinda fast so I decreased grill temp to 240.Comment
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Here it is at the 5 hour mark! I don't think I'm going to need to wrap it it looks so good!Comment
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It's now at 189 after 8 hours! Grill is set at 225 for the last few hours. Should I remove and cambro now?Comment
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