Overnight Brisket - is it safe?

[JeffHillyard]

I have an 11 pound packer brisket in my freezer I'm thinking of cooking next weekend. I usually get up at 3:00am to put the brisket on to serve for supper. This time I want to serve for lunch.

My plan was to put it on my Performer with my Slow 'N Sear at 10:00pm and monitor the temp with my ET-732. I'd expect to have to get up a few times throughout the night to check on it, spritz, wrap, add briquettes, etc.

Here's the problem: my wife is certain I'm going to burn the house down.

Our backyard is all patio stone, and I can place the Performer 10' away from the house. Is my wife right to be concerned? What have you folk's done to calm your spouses concerns with things like this?

I've heard of many people doing overnight cooks, but I've never heard of anyone having any issues with a fire.

[LA Pork Butt]

I have done overnights on my BGE under a wood covered patio with no problems. I wouldn't think you need to worry about embers or charcoal escaping unless you have really, really strong wind in your area.

[Steve R.]

I do my overnight cooks out in the concrete driveway, probably about 10 feet from the garage. I really don't see a problem with your setup. Maybe if you hose the whole area down before going to bed she would feel better?

[mncoldsmoke]

I use a pellet smoker, so very controlled fire. I used to do overnight cooks often. Now I just cut the point from the flat, and cook as two pieces of meat. As two it cooks in 2/3's the time and there is less dried areas due to more consistent thickness. I'm not competing, so I don't have to cook as a single roast.

[Steve B]

How many times have you cooked on your preformer?
have you burned down the house yet?
let your wife know the house is safe.

[Gooner-que]

I do overnight cooks on my concrete patio ~10' from my house all the time, unless I sweep the ashes, I get zero embers outside of the grill.

[PBCDad]

In order for your house to catch fire, the grill would need to spill out in the direction of your house, the coals would scatter but would need to get out from under the grill and the confines of the SnS with enough lit ones making it together the 10', and then would need to catch the siding on fire. Most houses have a short concrete stem wall before the siding starts, and even if you don't on your house, most sidings are non-flammable. If it is a newer house, you likely have Hardie Board siding, which is cement-based.

Plus, if you have your Maverick with a low temp alarm, you'll get the alarm within a minute or so of the grill spilling over unless it happened to land on a coal, in which case your high temp alarm would take care of you

But if she is really worried, I agree with Steve R., hose everything down. Lots of families do that in my neighborhood for 4th of July, and that is a much bigger risk.

[HouseHomey]

You will be fine, unless you tell her to calm down. Don't tell her to calm down.

[Mr. Bones]

True Dat!!!!

[tbob4]

Hahahahahahahahaha

[kmhfive]

It will be one of the best brisket cooks you have!

[gcdmd]

Good luck convincing her on this issue. Heaven help you if anything goes wrong. You'll never hear the end of it.

My suggestion is to start it on the smoker and then finish it in the indoor oven overnight. She can't very well complain about the house smelling like a smokehouse under the circumstances.

If you have a countertop roaster or oven that will hold the brisket and that you can safely plug in outside, that might be a good compromise. A guy I know here in Texas named Sam Higgins, who has been barbecuein' for decades, wraps his briskets in foil and finishes them in roasters routinely.

[PJBowmaster]

My Professional opinion (Insurance/Loss Control) is that ten feet of clearance with no overhang or structure above would be fine. Unless the conditions were usually windy. Windy enough to tip your grill over or move it toward the house.

[HouseHomey]

What's your professional opinion if he told her to "just calm down."

[PJBowmaster]

It would be a lonely weekend.....

[Notavegan]

This is just RIPE with possibilities...........

My 9 year old called my wife an evil witch last night and then told her to calm down Homey. That went over well

If you have a hose with a spray gun that you can have nearby and either turned on or ready to turn on, that seems to amount to good planning. Got any cinder blocks? A few of those may make a good secure-feeling barrier.

[gcdmd]

Is he/she (your 9-year old) still in traction?

[HouseHomey]

Nice, take care of the wind issues. Leave it to the pit to solve the worlds problems.

[EdF]

So is the hose for the hot-headed wife? I almost had one of those tonight over something stupid. But I was smart enough to realize the angst wasn't about the immediate situation.

[HouseHomey]

I jest because I'm in the same boat. My father in law was a fireman and later an arson investigator for the city. Geeze..... I feel you.

[JeffHillyard]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Reassuring knowing you all got my back. Now I need to tell my spouse that a bunch of dudes on the interwebs agree with me and think she's wrong...

First step: don't use those words.

[David Parrish]

The word WRONG is fine as long as you preface it with "I'm". Just sayin...

[gcdmd]

The secret to a long happy marriage:

Just before you go to sleep every night, kiss your wife and say" You were right, Dear."