Conquering My Personal BBQ Everest: Perfect Brisket On Weber 22" Kettle

[Troutman]

Great write up, lots of good tips for those looking to cook a brisket. Next on your list should be to look into a controller and fan for the ultimate control of your kettle. Again good cook !!

[Anton32828]

Great post! You give me confidence that I'll be able to manage with my Weber kettle too ... though the posts from guys who run a Weber Smokey Mountain are really testing my "backyard minimalist" resolve.

Here's a tip I found handy when doing a test run of my new slow-n-sear. Use large binder clips around the rim of your kettle to seal any smoke leakage. If you seal the rim, you're also making sure that all air-flow for temperature control happens only with the vents, not via leaks. I use four clips. They seal the rim very well, and are easy to remove when need to open the lid. I got the idea from a post on the SNS website.

[Gunderich_1]

pmorse36 Congrats on the great cook! What you did looks fantastic. I have used my Weber Kettles for many full packer cooks. It does a great job and as FireMan said, the SnS will be a game changer. I use it all the time. They are awesome.

[Karon Adams]

EXCELLENT WORK! the best part is, the lessons you learn on a Weber will help you choosing your step up smokers and will also improve your game on ANYTHING. the best cooks can turn out a great meal with a protein source and a heat source.

[Frozen Smoke]

Karon Adams is absolutely right! Your early struggles and then successes will serve you well as you move forward. I cut my teeth on a $89 Brinkmann Smoke N' Pit that leaked like a sieve and metal so thin it released heat faster than you could add it but I was determined to make it a stick burner. After a lot of mods and lots of trials I started turning out some pretty good food.
Then I stepped up to a 1/4" steel patio stick burner and I was left in shock at how much easier it made things! It didn't make me a better cook but it made the fire management and heat control so much easier that I could then focus on the other things that did make me a better cook.

You did a excellent job here keep up the good work!!

[Karon Adams]

it's almost boring when you get a ":Good" smoker. I literally sleep through ,my cooks, now. which is sometimes great cause I can have BBQ whenever we think to put it on before bed. but, it's not an activity, anymore, it's a menu item <sigh>

[jfmorris]

Your post inspired me to pick up a USDA prime packer at Costco today, and I'll be trimming it and likely will try running this one on my Weber kettle + SNS instead of my offset, just for kicks.

[pmorse36]

@Anton32828 that's an awesome tip re: the clips! I had just seen a video where a similar tip was given and it makes a ton of sense! Another no-brainer tip I picked up is to run my digital thermometer lines through the top vents instead of under the lid, allowing smoke and heat to leak out. Sometimes the most obvious things are the hardest to recognize! @jfmorris good luck with your cook! Make sure you give it plenty of time to dry brine and you'll do great!

A question for the crew on here that cook with Webers: Have ya'll seen any improvements in heat regulation by going with the porcelain coated models vs the standard kettle?

[jfmorris]

All Weber kettles are porcelain coated, and have been for decades, so not sure what you mean. Are you thinking about a ceramic kamado cooker maybe?

[jfmorris]

pmorse36 I've done brisket on my offset, just not the kettle. I went with a little smaller 13# one this time, to be sure it would fit, versus going for a 16-20 pound monster.

[JGo37]

To answer your upgrade question - the best mod for temp regulation for me has been a lavalock gasket. I bought a roll, and used it to do a couple cookers including my Weber 22. Lucille used to give off a touch of smoke when hot, not any more.

[Red Man]

Instead of snaking the cables through the top vent, I drilled a hole through the side just above the grate. I use a piece of foil tape to cover the hole during the cook.

[Polarbear777]

I did the same. Less messing around when you need to open.

[JGo37]

I bought a 'firewall grommet' to pass through probes at grate level. Has curb appeal.

[Polarbear777]

Congrats.
I learned on the 22”. Then Costco started selling 20lb briskets so I upgraded to the 26”. With fan controller and SNS it’s non-eventful, until you eat it, then it’s an _event_.

[pmorse36]

Congrats.
I learned on the 22”. Then Costco started selling 20lb briskets so I upgraded to the 26”. With fan controller and SNS it’s non-eventful, until you eat it, then it’s an _event_.

what fan controller are you guys running? My son's stroller fan worked well for this cook. Pretty high end. haha Maybe I should market it haha

[Polarbear777]

It honestly doesn’t matter much. Any thermostatic controller for bbq will do the job. Some are nicer than others. I used a partyQ for the longest time. Do you need an app, remote access.. on the more expensive ones? Not really but it’s nice

Main advantage is you don’t have to mess with it so long as you have fuel and not too much ash clogging the works. Windy/rainy? The controller compensates.

[pmorse36]

Roger that. Thanks!