Brisket question

[sotx]

We can't avoid some white smoke....especially when we add wood, but as a whole, ideally, a good controlled fire has that burnt to blue fairly quickly like you see in the pic. You want to have it white for just a short period each adding of wood pieces and ending up light and blueish. Save that pic on your phone. You'll known blue smoke when you see it in no time. You might already have it and don't know it.

Exactly

[Bruiser]

wow only a few pics have bark lolololol

[Hoyt Man]

We can't avoid some white smoke....especially when we add wood, but as a whole, ideally, a good controlled fire has that burnt to blue fairly quickly like you see in the pic. You want to have it white for just a short period each adding of wood pieces and ending up light and blueish. Save that pic on your phone. You'll known blue smoke when you see it in no time. You might already have it and don't know it.

Starting a fire you will always have some white smoke. I have found that by keeping my wood pieces on top of the fire box pre heating them, i do not get white smoke when they are added to the fire.

[wtb90]

Bark...or crust as you labeled it, is a combination of the rub, the meat’s juices rendering and layers and layers of smoke forming on the surface in the process. You have to have a good blue smoke fire (stick burner preferred), a good trim, a good heavy rub or salt/pepper combination and time to get a solid bark. Bark layers much better on meat than fat and is a reason folks trim. These big fat caps on briskets and pork butts folks neglect to trim are not going to produce a good bark. And since bark is also where most of the flavor is, their product is going to suffer. The better the bark the better the brisket/PB/ribs. One more thing. Grates are hell on bark so I always do the 1/4” trimmed fat cap down. The bark forms so much better when it can layer directly on the top of the actual meat and the thin fat cap can render down and not mess up the layered smoke. When you cut it you also have a cleaner slice after removing the flat from the point.

And I wrap every time. The bark is made before wrapping. Now I don’t wrap until 160-170 internal (never by time). It depends on how the bark is formed at those temps that determines where at 160-170 I wrap. It just takes time and the things I mentioned above. Main reason I wrap though after the bark is set is to push through the stall. Ain’t nobody got time for a 2-3 hour hiccup. You can open the foil pan at the end and tighten it up.

I’m sure it’s different each time, but what’s your estimated time before wrapping at 160-170? I know you’re not timing it but I’m just looking for an idea of what to expect.

[wtb90]

I don't smoke by time. I smoke by internal temp... When my internal temp is in the 160 deg area I start to looking at my bark. Brisket and PBs will have a stall period that is in that temp area that can be 1-3 hours long and I want to make sure I don't waste much extra time hanging in that period if my bark is right. If my bark is right at 160, I wrap (foil pan or butcher paper)....if I feel it needs to be a little heavier or darker, I'll take it until it gets right. If I have to sit in the stall for a little bit of time I'll do it but I like to wrap to push through it. Don't recall having to wait after 170 deg to get it right so that's why I tell folks 160-170 is when I will usually get it done. Now I have had it right at 150 as well but that was a larger thicker brisket that took longer to get to temp. If somebody held a gun to my head and wanted time, I would say generally 7-8 hours at 250-275 on a 10-12 lb brisket (post trimmed) before wrapping...but every piece of meat is different. That's why I tell folks to use thermometers. It's done when the thermo and the probe test says its done..

I have a write up available in Word Document form if anybody wants it. I have sent it to numerous TBHers through the years as a sort of a guideline for folks starting out or that wanted something to follow or compare to theirs. PM me a mailing address and I'll send it to whoever wants it. Many folks have used it and added their own twists... which is pretty much what I did when creating it.

This answers the last question I asked. I’d like a copy of your word document please. I’ll pm you my email address

[TxBowHntr]

Starting a fire you will always have some white smoke. I have found that by keeping my wood pieces on top of the fire box pre heating them, i do not get white smoke when they are added to the fire.

I do this as well. Also, my firebox has access from the top, and I will add the wood from the top, and leave the door open for 2-3 minutes until the log has caught really well and giving off the good smoke. I have watched and read that the fire needs to be burning at 600+ degrees in the box to make the good smoke. Apparently at that temp, the impurities and things that cause the white smoke are burned up and all that is left is the good smoke. Not sure on the accuracy of this, but I know I only get good smoke with a hot fire

[tigerscowboy]

Ideally, you don't want your smoke billowing....you want a clean burning light and blue smoke. A billowing heavy smoke is a dirty smoke and has a creosote taste long term.



[ATTACH]1054306[/ATTACH]

I can't brag on what I don't know or why I don't ever have white smoke.

I'll share that my wood isn't stored outdoors or in a plastic bag. We all know what time will generate with that. It's all bad.

My woods are simply stacked in the open air off the ground on a cedar wood shelf in my closed garage. No mold. (Oak is very susceptible to mold growth)

Smoke hasn't ever been white and never had a worry till reading this thread. I'll just keep doing what I've been doing.

[Smart]

I can't brag on what I don't know or why I don't ever have white smoke.

I'll share that my wood isn't stored outdoors or in a plastic bag. We all know what time will generate with that. It's all bad.

My woods are simply stacked in the open air off the ground on a cedar wood shelf in my closed garage. No mold. (Oak is very susceptible to mold growth)

Smoke hasn't ever been white and never had a worry till reading this thread. I'll just keep doing what I've been doing.

I store mine in my smoke house …

Im going to be bet on startup it’s white.

[Mud Shark]

use more black pepper.
I've found my best bark using a Treager comes when I use restaurant styler black pepper with a dijon mustard binder. After trimming, i'll lather with Dijon mustard, and COVER with black pepper then off to the fridge for the night. Take out, add a little salt and let sit for a couple hours to take the edge off. Then i've found that 225 is the magic number for the best bark (i've dont everything from 225 to 275). I wrap with butcher paper at 165, if I wrap. Sometimes i do and sometims i don't. then when it hits 203 IT, i pull it off and let it rest for a couple hours if i can.
I also have started seperating the flat and the point. I found it gives a more consitent bite throughout.

[chunkinlead]

Good wood always does the trick!

[tigerscowboy]

I store mine in my smoke house …

Im going to be bet on startup it’s white.

Yes. I failed to be accurate on that detail. But that start up is 45-60 min before meats are added.

I also cheat and start my fires with a piece of fatwood.

[Drop Tine]

Good wood always does the trick!

Every time!

For anyone just perusing this thread to learn. I have absorbed as much as I can about smoking meats from the countless threads on TBH and there’s a lot of good info on here. I’m certain Smart has forgotten more about smoking meats than I’ve ever known. His smoked beans recipe is a staple with my crew now. I have a heathy respect for stick burning and do it from time to time, but I think the right pellet setup can turn out just as impressive results. I’ve whooped some stick burners a few times in friendly cook-offs with my Pitts & Spitts.

[jay07ag]

Don’t be scared to use foil if you need to. I prefer being “pure” and using butcher paper too, but every once in a while I’ll use the foil “crutch” just to see the difference, and there is usually very little difference in my final product (the bark will the slightest bit more tacky than crusty, but the flavor is still fantastic). The other thing about the foil wrap crutch (or putting in a foil pan and covering with foil) is you can put your 8-10 hours of smoke on the Brisket and once you have your bark developed you can throw it in the oven at 225-250 to finish it off to preferred temp, then pull out and rest it. The other positive with this method is I can get about 3-4 hours of sleep at this time before I have to get ready to serve!

I agree with Smart, 4 hours is not enough smoke for a normal sized brisket, I like at least 8 and most of the time I want 10, then wrap.

I cook around 250, offset stick burner, salt/coarse pepper, using properly seasoned oak or pecan. Green wood will throw off a nasty white smoke which produces a slightly off putting smoke flavor. I want to burn a big hot fire in my pit and get the coal bed strong before I start the cook. I want the wood I feed it to catch fire quickly so it produces a good clean “blue” smoke. Really, I want the smoke to be almost non-visible coming out of the exhaust.

I can’t opine as to how the pellet smokers do, never had one nor tried the finished product from one.

Best thing about BBQ is the trial and error aspect of it, tinker with it, figure out your specific way of doing things and make it your own (whether that’s seasonings, pit types, cook times/temps, etc.)

Pictured is the last “foil crutch” brisket I did for a family event. Produced full hearts and bellies, with a couple in laws claiming it was as good as they’ve ever had in their lives. I’ll take that!


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[jay07ag]

Meat Church just put this out...supports what I was saying above about wrapping in foil vs wrapping in paper. Foil gets a bad wrap (pun intended), but probably should'nt.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOBnu52QL4A"]Smoking Brisket wrapped in Foil vs Butcher Paper - Brisket Series part 1 of 3 - YouTube[/ame]