My friend, I have a bullet, an offset and a Traeger and hands down this is the best video ever on smoking a brisket. I have committed many of the offences you mentioned b4 and hope others learn from this video. Well done
Just watched this for the second time, the first being 6 months ago; wow, what a difference it makes watching before you attempt a brisket and then after screwing up 10! It made so much more sense the second go around. I highly recommend newbies to go back and watch again after actually smoking briskets; there is a lot of content in this and a lot of WORK! Thank YOU Mr Gow
I actually cooked a brisket last night and watched this video I was doing it. I learned some very helpful tips. My brisket turned out great and I don’t think I actually checked the temp once! Thanks so much.
Amazing video Steve as a bbq enthusiasts i love your tips very helpful as im starting my own back yard bbq business for fun as a fellow Canadian i love that you do the texas still bbq in our cold climate love your constant smoke on sir 👍👌🤘🤘
Soooo,... my very 1st brisket was not horrible but not great, the point was edible. After watching this video, I brought my 2nd brisket, a USDA Prime packer, and followed as many of your rules/tips that applied to my meat selection and cooking method, and WOW what a difference! My brisket was moist, tender, juicy, the bark was perfect and the smoke ring was AMAZING! It looked exactly like the briskets I have seen other professionals cook and the taste was exactly how I imagined a great brisket would taste. I had a nirvana moment the minute I tasted it. The meat was perfectly seasoned and not overdone and I finally understand how the probe test works when testing for tenderness. There was some trepidation on when to pull it and wrap, but if you follow the rules, it is absolutely possible to make a delicious brisket - just like me. A million thank yous to you, sir. $120 later,... I finally got it!
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ You are awesome, I finished my 4-hour rest last night at about 9 pm, after I tried it and the temp was down to about 150 degrees I refrigerated it. This morning I sliced it using my markers and packaged it with 3 flat slices and 2 point slices, added some au jus, and vacuum-sealed about 8 packets. This was an experiment to see if I could actually do it. So I am waiting for my son and daughter to come by tomorrow and try it and I am absolutely sure they will be totally impressed. I had a slice this evening for dinner and I couldn't believe it but it was even better than last night. Still totally amazed.
Absolutely STUNNING! Wish I could have seen this 25 yrs ago. I finally suffered through about 90 of these during that time frame. Mucho Gracias for the last 10! One question; what do you use to spritz ??
I'm at #28 paused this to write a comment. I'll probably add more to this later. I wish I had watched this before making my first brisket. A lot of great tips. I also believe in the saying you can't make great barbecue unless you've made terrible barbecue, which I have. I'm still learning. Watched the rest of the video, great tips on getting a fantastic brisket, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I've kept multiple briskets at a time in a freezer for a month or two before cooking them. They still turn out great. Any moisture concerns can be addressed easily by using prime grade briskets or better.
Pro Safety Tip . . . @ 10:12 it's recommended to use a Sharp Knife for those who haven't vested into the spendier knives out there, which is a Very Good idea. Dull Knives make ragged cuts and take much more pressure to use which can lead to an accident. However, as you stated, those cheap knife sharpeners actually Remove Metal from the existing edge and leave behind lots of metal fragments in the sharpening process. That shaved Metal from the knife edge doesn't magically disappear after sharpening w/ that type of sharpener. It's a VERY Good idea to Wipe that blade down w/ a damp towel after sharpening to remove the small bits of shaved metal that are surely still clinging to the knife.
I just had to pull my brisket off my pit boss pellet smoker. Issues with temperature. Was set for 200 (it's the split gas/pellet) because it always has run a bit hot, but it was 375 and climbing. It had just been cleaned (I clean it every other cook). Same pellets, similar size brisket I used in the past. I just have no idea whats causing it. Going to see if I can finish in the oven. Perhaps it's time for a proper upright if im going to do brisket.
Great video! Thank you. Question. We did our first brisket yesterday for 4th of July. We watched a whole lot of videos and brought it to 4 by the end. 2 of your videos were among them. A couple of things happened. The point was.super juicy, and pulled apart great. The flat however was a bit tough. I think we sliced it in the wrong direction, but was still good. We wrapped our brisket in butcher paper and added some beef talo we made from the fat scraps. Then we wrapped it in foil to prevent it all from leaking. We placed it back on the smoker, fat side down, till we hit 200° internal. The point was super soft and probed great. The flat was a little tough, but we were probing more towards the end versus more up by the point. I think we overcooked it. We let it rest on the stove for about 2-1/2 hours. We didn't let the steam out which could have caused to continue cooking. When we took it out of the wrapping, it was very juicy and a lot of juices were dripping. We did noticed that the fat cap was SUPER soft and when we sliced it, it was just a gushy mess and didn't have that nice back on the fat side anymore. What did we do wrong?
I wish you had made this video about 10 years ago, it would have saved a few headaches along the way. It contains many excellent tips and tricks for people just starting their brisket journey and is well worth the hour or so to watch.
Thank you for taking the time and making this video. I have one question that I was wondering myth, inject a brisket or don't inject. What's your thought?
Very Enjoyable Tutorial. Lots to take in. I've not cooked or plan to cook a Brisket as yet. I personally won't intil I have the money to invest in a Offset Smoker. But I do enjoy watching what Folks out there cook.
So i have a ninja woodfire and its not that big so i smoked a flat only. It turned out too dry everytime. The lowest i can smoke is about 248f. Or i can dry smoke up to 194f. Also, is it better to put a cold brisket or room temperature brisket on the smoker for better smoke flavour and juiciness?
I like to leave my briskets out a few hours before they go on. Helps cook more evenly. As for your dry brisket, try holding overnight. Check out my recent videos
yes I agree with Nate ....... this channel is way more informative then a lot of these smoker channels ,,,,,,, keep up the good info ,Ill be a follower
Thanks for the video doing my first whole brisket on my pellet grill. I hope the hours and hours of videos I have watched magical turns into a good brisket.
Excellent video. New in smokers. I bought Oklahoma Joe’s reversible smoker. Can I use charcoals along with a regular fire burning wood log? Also where can you buy online flavored wood logs. Thanks
Hi Steve, enjoy your videos. Question, I about to buy a cord of wood. Not sure if I should buy all White Oak, Mesquite, or 1/2 White Oak and 1/2 Mesquite. What do you recommend?
On a Weber kettle with a slow n sear, I put 1-2 chunks of wood over the lit end of the slow n sear. The smoke I get off those chunks is white. While my brisket does turn out awesome, how would you recommend getting nice blue smoke off those chunks? Also, I do not spray.
At 12:20 I have to completely disagree. I started leaving my briskets in the fridge for 5 days prior to smoke and the results have been phenomenal. Most recently I was cooking for my neighbors family reunion and did a 7 day marinate/ age and everyone was blown away and wanted to know how I was able to achieve such amazing flavor. Even Guga tried this method and his results were the same.
On the WSM, the fat cap should be up. Directly beneath the brisket is the water pan. While the coals are at the bottom, the heat rises to the lid and flows down on the brisket. The closer the meat is to the water pan, the cooler the air.
While both ways work, water pan or not, in a vertical smoker you want the fat toward the rising heat. I’ve had a few WSM’s and fat down works fantastic for both briskets and pork butts. You won’t lose rub between the grate, either.
@@davidrussell631 Interesting. But if I put a temperature probe on the lower grate, the temperature is lower than on the higher grate. The meat cooks more slowly the nearer it is to the water, even though the coals are beneath the water.
@@timgregson5533 yes sir, the top grate absolutely runs hotter than the bottom grate, which is shielded from the coals by the water pan. And if you measured the temp at the exhaust vent it would even measure a little hotter than the top grate. This is because of the stream of circulation in the WSM that the water pan creates, with the heat coming up around the pan, mixing and spreading toward the middle more and more, the closer it gets to the exhaust vent. Like I said, though, it doesn’t make too much difference and both fat up or down works, especially if cooking on both grates simultaneously. If just cooking solely on the top grate, though, I definitely do as Harry Soo and others recommend and cook fat toward the fire.
What are your thoughts on using a probe thermometer being left inside the brisket through the cooking process and monitoring the temperature that way? I understand the need to poke it in order to test tenderness but I'm wondering if there's any cons to leaving a probe in it and monitoring. Thanks
Totally fine to do that. The first disadvantage I've found is it interferes with having a tight seal for the foil or butcher's paper. The second disadvantage is you might second guess yourself and not follow the golden rule of wrapping by color and finishing by probing. For example, alot of times I used to think "oh no its 165 so my recipe says to wrap it but the bark isn't set yet" then I wrap it too early and the bark's no good. Or ill hit 203 and my recipe says it's done but really it's not probe tender yet. So use it but only as an aid. The real instruments to rely on are your eyes and hands.
@@miguellopez8222 no they are all sold out in my size! Must be more demand for them or something haha! Maybe next winter, I'll just wait out the cold for now
When I preheat my grill I know that if the dome thermometer temp is around 350 is already preheated to 230-250 but I do check it with my probe to be sure but lately that's the sweet spot and I'm saving a step
Great video!! I've been catching up on all of your videos! Question for you, when you reheat your brisket in the oven @200, are you reheating your brisket to a temp of 140? Do you need to rest it again after you pull it from the oven?
Reheat until it’s warm enough for your liking. 140 is fine, as long as you’re fine with eating your food at that temp. No need to re-rest. Hope that helps.
Watched your video loved it. Brought back some memories, boy did I make mistakes. My question is if you cook the day before say 6 hrs could you wrap. Then put in the oven at 200 -210 for 6 more hours. I read that this is a option is it?
I’m new to smoking and got a free offset smoker. I didn’t know it would be best to use wood I’ve been using charcoal mainly for heat and chunks for smoke and been having a hell of a time.
That was actually a very informative video and sometime in the future I would and I'm sure a lot of people would love to see your method on video of doing a next day brisket and reheating it at the 200° to see the results. I think that would be a lot of help for a lot of people on a future video
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I would love to see it. I've never done it but I've read about it with a slightly different method but I run a pretty big Facebook group and I see that question pop up all the time so it would be nice to have a video for reference to show people
@@motowncooking6125 Yea I've seen it come up a lot as well in various groups. I think people feel like their brisket is going to be dry if they reheat it. I might do that video sooner than later the more I think about it :)
What would you recommend for a pellet smoker that’s shaped more like an electric smoker? The tower shape is what I mean. I tend to shove a half pan in the middle with some water, and run a supplemental smoke thing in the bottom for a while to start. Then do fat up. Oh, with the meat all the way at the top as far away as I can get it from any direct heat.
Thank you for all of this info. I have a 15lb choice brisket coming up for Father's Day. What temp would you recommend for a 22in Weber kettle? Thanks in advance! I don't have a slow n sear so I will be using snake method.
A lot of helpful tips only thing I’d add is that I’ve been able to get away with autopiloting my brisket by using a fan controller, multi zone cooking system which is a ceramic deflector and cooking rack on top and the snake method with competition log charcoals cylinders and super dry wood chunks. 8-12 hours no problem. No spritzing, no fussing just a thermometer built into the WiFi fan controller to pull em at 205 and then wrap.
So I tired making a a brisket the other other day and I noticed the temp was going up fast I had the smoker set at 250 and when it reached 203 it was kinda dry and the slices were pretty stiff wouldn’t even fold what I have done different?
Hey, I learned these things over the years. Here in Texas smoking brisket is part of our religion. I use post oak, and a 60/40 pepper to salt ratio. I'll add a tad of smoked paprika for color. I did borrow your firebox grate idea, and it works out great. My first bought legitimate offset smoker I got was old country bbq pits Pecos. I did notice the vacuum wasn't strong enough, what I was noticing was with the stack wide open, and firebox door open the smoke was coming out of the firebox door. So, I keep it closed, and use the vent to adjust along with the stack, and it helped that issue. The only thing I do differently is I don't bring my brisket to room temp. I put my rub on, and take it straight from the fridge when it's cold to the smoker. Moisture attracts smoke. The theory goes that a cold mirror in your bathroom after a shower becomes foggy from steam, or a cold beverage can starts condensating when you take it out of the fridge. I've had better results doing it my way vs room temp which is what I started out doing. Meathead's book explains this in much more detail. Great video as always.
Wow. Now I'm feeling dumb for saying I'd make brisket for Thanksgiving tomorrow! So many ways to make mistakes haha. Well I hope it is edible at least!
Fantastic video! I must have missed this one. Great advice but I disagree with frozen briskets. There's really no tangible difference if the meat was frozen and packed properly then thawed properly.
Thanks for this video! I’m new to smoking so this was awesome 👏🏻 Question; would it be ok to cook ribs close to the heat side of my OK joe smoker while cooking my brisket on the cooler side for tomorrow’s dinner 🤔
Great video man! Just curious, what size is your Oklahoma Joe, 20", 16"? I'm always curious to know exactly the size people are rocking in the videos I'm watching. Keep it up man, great videos!
RE Convection/Radiant heat and comparison to offset and pellet grills. Where do reverse flow offsets fit in here? That have a huge baffle that may act like a heat deflector. Thoughts?
Great question. I have no idea because I don't have a reverse flow! Just thinking about it though, that baffle plate isn't exposed directly to the fire throughout it's entire length so I'm not sure it would get hot enough to be a concern. Something for someone out there to test out! I'm guessing it's still hotter on the firebox side though even on a reverse flow?
I get a perfect hologram replication of a smoked brisket from my pellet smoker even if I have blue smoke but still no Smokey wood flavor on the meat?. Would raspberry flavored extract add flavor if I put it in the water pan then after water evaporates so does the flavor that would settle on the meat? I'm just trying to trick the pellet smoker into adding more flavor to my barbecue even if I can't get that Smoky wood flavor. Saw a mad scientist video about using almond pellets and or 50% plum pellets and again I hear them talking about flavor. I'm trying not to give up on my pellet smoker. I don't rightly understand how cooking at a higher temperature would add more flavor to the meat since smoking at a lower temperature creates more pellet smoke but more pellet smoke doesn't necessarily mean more flavor it's just an indication that your fire is in the right temperature zone to create blue smoke and thus the gases mixing in the cooking chamber are supposed to do their part and add the flavor,.. How can white smoke from a fire that is starved for oxygen flavor your BBQ ???
Hi Bruce, I would try a pellet tube or tray. You can also try pure hardwood fiber pellets like lumberjack. Some people also say the plumb pellets from knotty wood are good although I have not tried them.
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ all the pellets I tried they say they are 100% hardwood... Except the charcoal blend pellet that I get my blue smoke from .. How it making isn't a regulated industry yet so a manufacturer can put whatever they want on the packaging.. sent some people don't know what kind of smoke they're looking for the manufacturer can just put in the cheapest thing and long as people continue buying the pellets , they'll keep selling them... Cha-ching cha ching cha ching...can I use flavored water in my pellet smoker to add flavor to the meat like a raspberry extract. ..?
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I have three pellet tubes and one or three doesn't add anything beneficial to my meat even the pellets that give me blue smoke in my pellet smoker they only produce white smoke in the pellet tube .... Pit boss has told me to get the real wood out of the vertical smoker.. I had a VERY small fire on top of the heat diffuser on my vertical smoker, so now I'm trying to get an opinion on flavoring the water in my water pan inside the smoker and on top of the fire pot... Looking for somebody that may have used raspberry extract type of flavors for baking doesn't necessarily have to be raspberry but I thought it would taste good on smoked ribs.. a little maple flavoring might go a long way to add a little sweetness but I don't know the dilution rate for either...
I always start out at 130°, which is supposed to produce the most flavorful smoke but something must be wrong with no flavor after 5 hours of smoking and no peeking.. Here I go thinking again.. Would evaporating maple syrup make the inside of my cooking chamber all sticky ...? Someone out there must have been doing some experiments on adding flavor while using a pellet smoker...
Question: On a Masterbuilt 800, should the fat cap be up or down?n Excellent video. You've probably saved me embarrassing myself with my first brisket attempt coming up!
I believe there is a little firebox in the cook chamber and a deflector down in the bottom. Meaning radiant heat from the bottom as well as convection rising up through the cook chamber from the bottom up. I'd recommend fat cap down for better fat render in such a cooker.
I'm sorry if I've missed this in a previous video... Can you tell me about that broiler looking sheet that you are using for a heat shield/baffle? I've been using a foil covered grate but that falls down occasionally.
Good video dude, lots of good tips. Can you touch on cheating with the oven a bit more? Are there drawbacks to finishing it in there after it has been wrapped?
No drawbacks at all. The only reason I'd finish it in the smoker after wrapping is if I was at a bbq comp or camping. Or if the oven was full of other stuff
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ awesome, thanks dude. I never understood why people don't. These days I'll toss it in the over and take a nap. Maybe the purists consider it bad form or something
Unbelievable ! This video should be required watching for anyone who buys a smoker . Bravo !
Thanks Irv! Hope it had some good tips for ya that you didn't already know :)
Thank you Steve for all the informations provided greatly appreciated very informative !!
Cheers man!
My friend, I have a bullet, an offset and a Traeger and hands down this is the best video ever on smoking a brisket. I have committed many of the offences you mentioned b4 and hope others learn from this video. Well done
Thank you!
Just watched this for the second time, the first being 6 months ago; wow, what a difference it makes watching before you attempt a brisket and then after screwing up 10! It made so much more sense the second go around. I highly recommend newbies to go back and watch again after actually smoking briskets; there is a lot of content in this and a lot of WORK! Thank YOU Mr Gow
Thanks man!
I actually cooked a brisket last night and watched this video I was doing it. I learned some very helpful tips. My brisket turned out great and I don’t think I actually checked the temp once! Thanks so much.
Thats awesome Sam! Now to cook the next one!
You know every time you sacrifice a brisket on purpose, a unicorn loses it’s horn. You evil, evil man.
Haha! You know I've messed up ALOT of briskets, but at the end of the day there was never one I didn't eat all of it.
For science!
but we all become better. Thats the American way. Fuck the unicorns were hungry
Amazing video Steve as a bbq enthusiasts i love your tips very helpful as im starting my own back yard bbq business for fun as a fellow Canadian i love that you do the texas still bbq in our cold climate love your constant smoke on sir 👍👌🤘🤘
Thanks!
Soooo,... my very 1st brisket was not horrible but not great, the point was edible. After watching this video, I brought my 2nd brisket, a USDA Prime packer, and followed as many of your rules/tips that applied to my meat selection and cooking method, and WOW what a difference! My brisket was moist, tender, juicy, the bark was perfect and the smoke ring was AMAZING! It looked exactly like the briskets I have seen other professionals cook and the taste was exactly how I imagined a great brisket would taste. I had a nirvana moment the minute I tasted it. The meat was perfectly seasoned and not overdone and I finally understand how the probe test works when testing for tenderness. There was some trepidation on when to pull it and wrap, but if you follow the rules, it is absolutely possible to make a delicious brisket - just like me. A million thank yous to you, sir. $120 later,... I finally got it!
Nice! You got it! Meat grade has such a big impact. So happy that you nailed it! Did your family try it? They liked it?
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ You are awesome, I finished my 4-hour rest last night at about 9 pm, after I tried it and the temp was down to about 150 degrees I refrigerated it. This morning I sliced it using my markers and packaged it with 3 flat slices and 2 point slices, added some au jus, and vacuum-sealed about 8 packets. This was an experiment to see if I could actually do it. So I am waiting for my son and daughter to come by tomorrow and try it and I am absolutely sure they will be totally impressed. I had a slice this evening for dinner and I couldn't believe it but it was even better than last night. Still totally amazed.
Brooooo ! this is and amazing course its not just a video , may god bless you
So much fantastic info!
Thank you!
Wow! These are 100 brisket must knows for us newbies!
I hope I can convince you to come and cook your brisket masterpiece for my family! 😁
This is incredibly comprehensive! Bravo!
Thanks Darrell!
All this guy’s videos are fire
Agreed.
Absolutely STUNNING! Wish I could have seen this 25 yrs ago. I finally suffered through about 90 of these during that time frame. Mucho Gracias for the last 10! One question; what do you use to spritz ??
What thermometers would you recommend I get? What one would I get to get the temperature of the grates?
I use the thermoworks signals
I'm at #28 paused this to write a comment. I'll probably add more to this later. I wish I had watched this before making my first brisket. A lot of great tips. I also believe in the saying you can't make great barbecue unless you've made terrible barbecue, which I have. I'm still learning. Watched the rest of the video, great tips on getting a fantastic brisket, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I've kept multiple briskets at a time in a freezer for a month or two before cooking them. They still turn out great. Any moisture concerns can be addressed easily by using prime grade briskets or better.
I agree I've never seen a difference. I'll have to do a side by side test one day
Pro Safety Tip . . . @ 10:12 it's recommended to use a Sharp Knife for those who haven't vested into the spendier knives out there, which is a Very Good idea. Dull Knives make ragged cuts and take much more pressure to use which can lead to an accident. However, as you stated, those cheap knife sharpeners actually Remove Metal from the existing edge and leave behind lots of metal fragments in the sharpening process. That shaved Metal from the knife edge doesn't magically disappear after sharpening w/ that type of sharpener. It's a VERY Good idea to Wipe that blade down w/ a damp towel after sharpening to remove the small bits of shaved metal that are surely still clinging to the knife.
I just had to pull my brisket off my pit boss pellet smoker. Issues with temperature. Was set for 200 (it's the split gas/pellet) because it always has run a bit hot, but it was 375 and climbing. It had just been cleaned (I clean it every other cook). Same pellets, similar size brisket I used in the past. I just have no idea whats causing it. Going to see if I can finish in the oven. Perhaps it's time for a proper upright if im going to do brisket.
Try a water pan. Or call support
Great video! Thank you. Question. We did our first brisket yesterday for 4th of July. We watched a whole lot of videos and brought it to 4 by the end. 2 of your videos were among them. A couple of things happened. The point was.super juicy, and pulled apart great. The flat however was a bit tough. I think we sliced it in the wrong direction, but was still good. We wrapped our brisket in butcher paper and added some beef talo we made from the fat scraps. Then we wrapped it in foil to prevent it all from leaking. We placed it back on the smoker, fat side down, till we hit 200° internal. The point was super soft and probed great. The flat was a little tough, but we were probing more towards the end versus more up by the point. I think we overcooked it. We let it rest on the stove for about 2-1/2 hours. We didn't let the steam out which could have caused to continue cooking. When we took it out of the wrapping, it was very juicy and a lot of juices were dripping. We did noticed that the fat cap was SUPER soft and when we sliced it, it was just a gushy mess and didn't have that nice back on the fat side anymore. What did we do wrong?
I wish you had made this video about 10 years ago, it would have saved a few headaches along the way. It contains many excellent tips and tricks for people just starting their brisket journey and is well worth the hour or so to watch.
Thank you for taking the time and making this video. I have one question that I was wondering myth, inject a brisket or don't inject. What's your thought?
Very Enjoyable Tutorial. Lots to take in. I've not cooked or plan to cook a Brisket as yet. I personally won't intil I have the money to invest in a Offset Smoker. But I do enjoy watching what Folks out there cook.
So i have a ninja woodfire and its not that big so i smoked a flat only. It turned out too dry everytime. The lowest i can smoke is about 248f.
Or i can dry smoke up to 194f.
Also, is it better to put a cold brisket or room temperature brisket on the smoker for better smoke flavour and juiciness?
I like to leave my briskets out a few hours before they go on. Helps cook more evenly. As for your dry brisket, try holding overnight. Check out my recent videos
Soo Glad I found this channel Thank you
I like that you were able to find a way to repurpose your MES after upgrading to the big guns
Thanks for the tips. Im a young brisket smoker learning to perfect my brisket.
yes I agree with Nate ....... this channel is way more informative then a lot of these smoker channels ,,,,,,, keep up the good info ,Ill be a follower
Thanks Jason!
Thanks for the video doing my first whole brisket on my pellet grill. I hope the hours and hours of videos I have watched magical turns into a good brisket.
How was it
@@king.kthebest6158 I haven't been to Austin to sample the world's finest but I would say it was one of the top briskets I have ever had.
@@paintballercali nice
Excellent video. New in smokers. I bought Oklahoma Joe’s reversible smoker. Can I use charcoals along with a regular fire burning wood log? Also where can you buy online flavored wood logs. Thanks
Yes you can use hardwood lamp charcoal and splits of wood. I would look on Amazon.
This must have taken forever to make. Thanks for taking the time. Good tips!
Many late nights....
I’m smoking my first brisket tomorrow. THANKYOU for all your insights.😊
Hi Steve, enjoy your videos. Question, I about to buy a cord of wood. Not sure if I should buy all White Oak, Mesquite, or 1/2 White Oak and 1/2 Mesquite. What do you recommend?
Hi Gerald. Thank you for watching. I personally would get all oak. It's a much more versatile smoking wood. Mesquite has a very intense flavor.
On a Weber kettle with a slow n sear, I put 1-2 chunks of wood over the lit end of the slow n sear. The smoke I get off those chunks is white. While my brisket does turn out awesome, how would you recommend getting nice blue smoke off those chunks?
Also, I do not spray.
Smaller chunks, hotter coals, more airflow. But if it tastes fine its fine. No need to mess with a good thing.
At 12:20 I have to completely disagree. I started leaving my briskets in the fridge for 5 days prior to smoke and the results have been phenomenal. Most recently I was cooking for my neighbors family reunion and did a 7 day marinate/ age and everyone was blown away and wanted to know how I was able to achieve such amazing flavor. Even Guga tried this method and his results were the same.
Was it wrapped tightly or sitting on a rack?
At 20:18 you show an app that is graphing the temperature during your cook - What app was that?
Its the meater +
Great video, i watched the whole thing too! Those were some great pointers! Keep it up!
The food looks appetizing
13:05 #33 I guess based on your newest video that this no longer applies?
On the WSM, the fat cap should be up. Directly beneath the brisket is the water pan. While the coals are at the bottom, the heat rises to the lid and flows down on the brisket. The closer the meat is to the water pan, the cooler the air.
Really?
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ That's my understanding, and it seems to work well in my experience.
While both ways work, water pan or not, in a vertical smoker you want the fat toward the rising heat. I’ve had a few WSM’s and fat down works fantastic for both briskets and pork butts. You won’t lose rub between the grate, either.
@@davidrussell631 Interesting. But if I put a temperature probe on the lower grate, the temperature is lower than on the higher grate. The meat cooks more slowly the nearer it is to the water, even though the coals are beneath the water.
@@timgregson5533 yes sir, the top grate absolutely runs hotter than the bottom grate, which is shielded from the coals by the water pan. And if you measured the temp at the exhaust vent it would even measure a little hotter than the top grate. This is because of the stream of circulation in the WSM that the water pan creates, with the heat coming up around the pan, mixing and spreading toward the middle more and more, the closer it gets to the exhaust vent. Like I said, though, it doesn’t make too much difference and both fat up or down works, especially if cooking on both grates simultaneously. If just cooking solely on the top grate, though, I definitely do as Harry Soo and others recommend and cook fat toward the fire.
Watched the whole thing. Thanks for making this video.
Awesome video
🤔not sure why I have never seen your videos b4 because I fellow a lot of B.B.Q channels.
I just binge-watched 4 hrs of you're videos
Great and helpful video Steve ! Cheers
I can't believe this video has less than 700 likes in 7 months. This is amazing 💯
What are your thoughts on using a probe thermometer being left inside the brisket through the cooking process and monitoring the temperature that way? I understand the need to poke it in order to test tenderness but I'm wondering if there's any cons to leaving a probe in it and monitoring. Thanks
Totally fine to do that. The first disadvantage I've found is it interferes with having a tight seal for the foil or butcher's paper. The second disadvantage is you might second guess yourself and not follow the golden rule of wrapping by color and finishing by probing. For example, alot of times I used to think "oh no its 165 so my recipe says to wrap it but the bark isn't set yet" then I wrap it too early and the bark's no good. Or ill hit 203 and my recipe says it's done but really it's not probe tender yet. So use it but only as an aid. The real instruments to rely on are your eyes and hands.
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ Makes sense thanks! You get those insulated Crocs yet??
@@miguellopez8222 no they are all sold out in my size! Must be more demand for them or something haha! Maybe next winter, I'll just wait out the cold for now
When I preheat my grill I know that if the dome thermometer temp is around 350 is already preheated to 230-250 but I do check it with my probe to be sure but lately that's the sweet spot and I'm saving a step
Great video!! I've been catching up on all of your videos! Question for you, when you reheat your brisket in the oven @200, are you reheating your brisket to a temp of 140? Do you need to rest it again after you pull it from the oven?
Reheat until it’s warm enough for your liking. 140 is fine, as long as you’re fine with eating your food at that temp. No need to re-rest. Hope that helps.
Yep 140 is fine. I usually say 165 because it covers all the food safety issues.
Watched your video loved it. Brought back some memories, boy did I make mistakes. My question is if you cook the day before say 6 hrs could you wrap. Then put in the oven at 200 -210 for 6 more hours. I read that this is a option is it?
What a great video. I love the format.
Great stuff dude. Really appreciate you sharing your expertise. I have the same smoker as you and I'm just getting started.
I’m new to smoking and got a free offset smoker. I didn’t know it would be best to use wood I’ve been using charcoal mainly for heat and chunks for smoke and been having a hell of a time.
Lump charcoal and wood splits.
Incredible! Thanks for all the dedicated work!
Thanks!
That was actually a very informative video and sometime in the future I would and I'm sure a lot of people would love to see your method on video of doing a next day brisket and reheating it at the 200° to see the results. I think that would be a lot of help for a lot of people on a future video
That's a really great idea! I do it all the time and have never thought to make a video on it!
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I would love to see it. I've never done it but I've read about it with a slightly different method but I run a pretty big Facebook group and I see that question pop up all the time so it would be nice to have a video for reference to show people
@@motowncooking6125 Yea I've seen it come up a lot as well in various groups. I think people feel like their brisket is going to be dry if they reheat it. I might do that video sooner than later the more I think about it :)
❤This is so helpful and very interesting thank you so much!!
WOW, I know a lot less than I thought! Great, informative video!
Wowza! Great information, thanks! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
What would you recommend for a pellet smoker that’s shaped more like an electric smoker? The tower shape is what I mean. I tend to shove a half pan in the middle with some water, and run a supplemental smoke thing in the bottom for a while to start. Then do fat up. Oh, with the meat all the way at the top as far away as I can get it from any direct heat.
Another great video. Lotta pros on youtube but i like the everyday guy giving advice over the pros 🤙 thanks for all your help
Great video ... should be helpful to newbies
I love me some mesquite, but then again I'm a Texan, have u ever tried the hardwood charcoal, hickory or mesquite, oak even?
Can I do a proper 10-12 hour hold in an oven at 150 still wrapped without over cooking?
Yes
💥 Awesome video!
Thanks!
Love the videos i made brisket last week i love to cook
Nice! Hope it turned out awesome!
Thank you for all of this info. I have a 15lb choice brisket coming up for Father's Day. What temp would you recommend for a 22in Weber kettle? Thanks in advance! I don't have a slow n sear so I will be using snake method.
A lot of helpful tips only thing I’d add is that I’ve been able to get away with autopiloting my brisket by using a fan controller, multi zone cooking system which is a ceramic deflector and cooking rack on top and the snake method with competition log charcoals cylinders and super dry wood chunks. 8-12 hours no problem. No spritzing, no fussing just a thermometer built into the WiFi fan controller to pull em at 205 and then wrap.
Nice! What kind of smoker?
So I tired making a a brisket the other other day and I noticed the temp was going up fast I had the smoker set at 250 and when it reached 203 it was kinda dry and the slices were pretty stiff wouldn’t even fold what I have done different?
Wow! A LOT of useful information.
Thanks Chris!
I still dont get the whole trim thin pieces off. Do people not love those crispy burnt edges? So delicious!
Its so much to follow. I need a brisket matrix.
Your channel is so inspiring to me man! Love watching how much its grown.
Thanks so much for joining me on the journey Nate!
Hey, I learned these things over the years. Here in Texas smoking brisket is part of our religion. I use post oak, and a 60/40 pepper to salt ratio. I'll add a tad of smoked paprika for color.
I did borrow your firebox grate idea, and it works out great. My first bought legitimate offset smoker I got was old country bbq pits Pecos. I did notice the vacuum wasn't strong enough, what I was noticing was with the stack wide open, and firebox door open the smoke was coming out of the firebox door. So, I keep it closed, and use the vent to adjust along with the stack, and it helped that issue.
The only thing I do differently is I don't bring my brisket to room temp. I put my rub on, and take it straight from the fridge when it's cold to the smoker.
Moisture attracts smoke. The theory goes that a cold mirror in your bathroom after a shower becomes foggy from steam, or a cold beverage can starts condensating when you take it out of the fridge. I've had better results doing it my way vs room temp which is what I started out doing.
Meathead's book explains this in much more detail.
Great video as always.
Wow! Great Work!
Thanks Rod!
Thanks for the great info!
What an amazing video. The “Over cooked vs not cooked enough” point was great. Have been trying to find that answer for a while now. Thanks
Wow. Now I'm feeling dumb for saying I'd make brisket for Thanksgiving tomorrow! So many ways to make mistakes haha. Well I hope it is edible at least!
Haha!
Fantastic video! I must have missed this one. Great advice but I disagree with frozen briskets. There's really no tangible difference if the meat was frozen and packed properly then thawed properly.
WOW. Thank you
Dude you just answered every damn question Ive ever had about brisketology
Wow, great video!
Can you do a comparison video of frozen vs non-frozen brisket? I always freeze my briskets.
Thanks for this video! I’m new to smoking so this was awesome 👏🏻 Question; would it be ok to cook ribs close to the heat side of my OK joe smoker while cooking my brisket on the cooler side for tomorrow’s dinner 🤔
When is your book coming out?
Great video man! Just curious, what size is your Oklahoma Joe, 20", 16"? I'm always curious to know exactly the size people are rocking in the videos I'm watching. Keep it up man, great videos!
It's a highland. Which one do you have?
RE Convection/Radiant heat and comparison to offset and pellet grills. Where do reverse flow offsets fit in here? That have a huge baffle that may act like a heat deflector. Thoughts?
Great question. I have no idea because I don't have a reverse flow! Just thinking about it though, that baffle plate isn't exposed directly to the fire throughout it's entire length so I'm not sure it would get hot enough to be a concern. Something for someone out there to test out! I'm guessing it's still hotter on the firebox side though even on a reverse flow?
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ very even temps on my reverse flow.
Great video!! Thanks
Making a cut to later locate the grain is a great idea.
I get a perfect hologram replication of a smoked brisket from my pellet smoker even if I have blue smoke but still no Smokey wood flavor on the meat?.
Would raspberry flavored extract add flavor if I put it in the water pan then after water evaporates so does the flavor that would settle on the meat?
I'm just trying to trick the pellet smoker into adding more flavor to my barbecue even if I can't get that Smoky wood flavor.
Saw a mad scientist video about using almond pellets and or 50% plum pellets and again I hear them talking about flavor.
I'm trying not to give up on my pellet smoker.
I don't rightly understand how cooking at a higher temperature would add more flavor to the meat since smoking at a lower temperature creates more pellet smoke but more pellet smoke doesn't necessarily mean more flavor it's just an indication that your fire is in the right temperature zone to create blue smoke and thus the gases mixing in the cooking chamber are supposed to do their part and add the flavor,..
How can white smoke from a fire that is starved for oxygen flavor your BBQ ???
Hi Bruce, I would try a pellet tube or tray. You can also try pure hardwood fiber pellets like lumberjack. Some people also say the plumb pellets from knotty wood are good although I have not tried them.
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ all the pellets I tried they say they are 100% hardwood... Except the charcoal blend pellet that I get my blue smoke from ..
How it making isn't a regulated industry yet so a manufacturer can put whatever they want on the packaging..
sent some people don't know what kind of smoke they're looking for the manufacturer can just put in the cheapest thing and long as people continue buying the pellets , they'll keep selling them... Cha-ching cha ching cha
ching...can I use flavored water in my pellet smoker to add flavor to the meat like a raspberry extract. ..?
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I have three pellet tubes and one or three doesn't add anything beneficial to my meat even the pellets that give me blue smoke in my pellet smoker they only produce white smoke in the pellet tube ....
Pit boss has told me to get the real wood out of the vertical smoker.. I had a VERY small fire on top of the heat diffuser on my vertical smoker, so now I'm trying to get an opinion on flavoring the water in my water pan inside the smoker and on top of the fire pot...
Looking for somebody that may have used raspberry extract type of flavors for baking doesn't necessarily have to be raspberry but I thought it would taste good on smoked ribs.. a little maple flavoring might go a long way to add a little sweetness but I don't know the dilution rate for either...
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I highly appreciate the personal attention I'm getting
I always start out at 130°, which is supposed to produce the most flavorful smoke but something must be wrong with no flavor after 5 hours of smoking and no peeking..
Here I go thinking again..
Would evaporating maple syrup make the inside of my cooking chamber all sticky ...?
Someone out there must have been doing some experiments on adding flavor while using a pellet smoker...
Great job. This video made me subscibe.
Thanks Dan!
Question: On a Masterbuilt 800, should the fat cap be up or down?n Excellent video. You've probably saved me embarrassing myself with my first brisket attempt coming up!
I believe there is a little firebox in the cook chamber and a deflector down in the bottom. Meaning radiant heat from the bottom as well as convection rising up through the cook chamber from the bottom up. I'd recommend fat cap down for better fat render in such a cooker.
My mistake, the firebox is outside the cook chamber on the 800. Still, both radiant and convective heat start from the bottom, so fast cap down.
I'm sorry if I've missed this in a previous video... Can you tell me about that broiler looking sheet that you are using for a heat shield/baffle?
I've been using a foil covered grate but that falls down occasionally.
Good video dude, lots of good tips. Can you touch on cheating with the oven a bit more? Are there drawbacks to finishing it in there after it has been wrapped?
No drawbacks at all. The only reason I'd finish it in the smoker after wrapping is if I was at a bbq comp or camping. Or if the oven was full of other stuff
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ awesome, thanks dude. I never understood why people don't. These days I'll toss it in the over and take a nap. Maybe the purists consider it bad form or something
@@MaybeeT lol I got enough things to worry about. F those people that think it's not real BBQ or whatever
He said "Don't cross hatch your brisket" almost every brisket was cross hatched.
But I agree, don't do it.
Omg....your pug! LOVE.
I use madrone and oak works great
What is Madrone?
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ madrone is also called arbutus. It is a great hard wood.
This is a really well done video! Massive amount of info, well explained. I appreciate the effort that went into making this
Wow great info
Outstanding!
Thanks Thomas!
Very nice video
Good informative video