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McNoob |
I decided about a year ago I was going to build my own offset smoker. I finally completed it here back in May, needs paint yet though. I have done 3 pork butts, 18 racks of ribs, and 8 chickens so far. It took 2 cooks to get the tuning plates adjusted and to get a feel for how it cooks. The meat has been excellent so far. I am planning to do 2 prime briskets this weekend. Just going to stick to basics, coarse grain salt and pepper smoked, hickory wood, wrapping in butcher paper. Anticipating a 12 - 14 hour cook. Temp range will be 250 - 275.    "We've done four already, but now we're steady..." | ||
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| Member |
You don't need to wrap in butcher paper until it stalls, and even then you don't really need to wrap it, you just need to keep an eye on it. BTW - I like your rig. Where is the hole placement from the 1st drum to the 2nd? Is it below the grates, or above? | |||
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chickenshit |
That is very nice. I admire your fabrication skills! The large casters and pneumatic wheels are a great idea. ____________________________ Yes, Para does appreciate humor. | |||
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| McNoob |
I have always wrapped at 160 ish. I am going to watch temp but also look for when the fat starts to render and then wrap. Below the grates. "We've done four already, but now we're steady..." | |||
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| McNoob |
I am a hack  Using swivel casters under the firebox is not working out so great. the firebox probably weighs 250lbs. It's not easy to get them to swivel. I am planning to weld a rod between those 2 and fix them in place."We've done four already, but now we're steady..." | |||
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thin skin can't win |
Very cool. Looking forward to the report. How are you keeping those tires under firebox cool? On my Lang even though the wheels/tires are well forward of the firebox there are welded shields to reduce heat transfer. I guess as long as you don't have them overinflated they probably work fine. Not like you're towing down the interstate on those! You only have integrity once. - imprezaguy02 | |||
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Member |
Nice to see another stick burner keeping the craft alive I love it! Too many pellet cookers that people control from their phones these days. No one wants to put in the time to learn the art of genuine BBQ on a stick burner any more. Prime briskets generally cook faster than the choice ones you can buy. I had a 12lb.prime packer brisket cook in just under 10 hours a week or so ago. I never wrap. When I get to that 160 point or when I hear fat drippings starting to sizzle off the tuning plates I put the brisket in a foil pan. I don't cover it I just pan it. I will also pour a dark beer or two in the bottom of the pan for all those fat juices to mingle with. Makes a unbelieveable au jus to serve with the brisket. I spritz with a mix of beef stock and bourbon during the cook as well. Helps form a very nice bark. Good luck and keep that smoke rolling! "Fixed fortifications are monuments to mans stupidity" - George S. Patton | |||
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| A day late, and a dollar short  |
Nice looking rig! I always smoke brisket, pork butt, and fatty's at 225 degrees. ____________________________ NRA Life Member, Annual Member GOA, MGO Annual Member | |||
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Member |
The first brisket I did was the "flat" and I smoked it at 225 on my Weber kettle, offset with hickory chunks an charcoal. I used a mopping sauce of apple cider vinegar, pepper flakes, beer, and garlic. I was really careful, watched it all damn day, and pulled it off at 160. I then wrapped it in foil and put it in a cooler for an hour. It was totally overcooked. Tasted great, but was dry as a bone. Next time I think I'll pull it off at 145 or so. Your smoker looks great! | |||
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| thin skin can't win |
First a flat is really hard to get cooked well due to how lean it is. However it is possible, but you will definitely want to wrap it after 150 or so IMHO. Also even for that cut you can't pull it off at that temp. That cut is just an awful chewy tough roast at that temp and it will be even worse at 145. You'll want to wrap it earlier on, probably with some apple juice or other liquid as buffer, and cook it to an internal temp of at least 195. Again, much of the juicy parts of the brisket come from the point, but cooking a flat to your temps will yield nothing you want to eat or should serve to others. Holding it in the cooler is critical point, you'll still want to do that. Ask me how I know. Before my TX-initiation I did exactly what you described at least 3 times and got polite "yeah that's good" from only the kindest of family and friends. They were fibbing. You only have integrity once. - imprezaguy02 | |||
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| Member |
Prime will go pretty quick. I typically wrap around 165-175 It's not so much a temperature I'm looking for to wrap, it's my bark. I want my bark to look a certain color before I wrap in butcher paper. What kind of wood are you using? I use a custom built vertical offset. I need to get a firebasket similar to yours I like that design. | |||
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Member |
It was probably actually very undercooked at 160. I bet it was dry because it didn't have enough time for any of the connective tissue to really break down and render. Brisket really needs to go north of 200, most pull around 200 and wrap and rest for an hour or two. Wrapping or not during the cook is generally a personal choice, I typically don't unless I notice my bark is getting too dark too early. "The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people." "Odd," said Arthur, "I thought you said it was a democracy." "I did," said Ford, "it is." "So," said Arthur, hoping he wasn't sounding ridiculously obtuse, "why don't the people get rid of the lizards?" "It honestly doesn't occur to them. They've all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they've voted in more or less approximates the government they want." "You mean they actually vote for the lizards." "Oh yes," said Ford with a shrug, "of course." "But," said Arthur, going for the big one again, "why?" "Because if they didn't vote for a lizard, then the wrong lizard might get in." | |||
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| thin skin can't win |
BTW - you guys keep talking about butcher paper. You're using uncoated paper right? Like Kraft paper, or peach paper? You only have integrity once. - imprezaguy02 | |||
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Funny Man |
This is correct. You need to cook to 195 plus, slowly, to break down the collagen fibers. With a flat I like to put it on with heavy smoke at about 300 degrees for the first hour. Then pull it and wrap it in foil with Jalapenos, sliced sweet onions and a whole bottle of BBQ sauce. Put it back on the grill at 225 degrees until the meat reached 195-200. Pull it and let it rest for an hour in a cooler. Pour off the sauce and strain out the onions and jalapenos. Slice it and serve the sauce on the side. For a whole packer cut brisket I just dry rub and slow smoke at 225 until it's 195-200 internal then pull it off, wrap in butcher paper and a towel and rest it in a cooler for an hour. I don't use the crutch (wrap at the stall) when cooking a whole brisket. ______________________________ “I'd like to know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazy and complaining people who think the world owes them a living.” ― John Wayne | |||
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| Funny Man |
Correct, unwaxed paper. The idea behind using paper instead of foil is the paper will breath and maintain a better texture for the bark. ______________________________ “I'd like to know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazy and complaining people who think the world owes them a living.” ― John Wayne | |||
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| McNoob |
Thanks! I will do that. I was worried about that too, but the high temps are not transferring down to the wheels from I've seen so far.
Yep I don't want anyting that I have to "plug in", just my preference. Good call on the beef stock. My plan was to use 1/2 water 1/2 apple cider vinegar. Will have to try that.
For this cook I am going to watch temp but look more for the fat to start turning yellow and rendering nicely. Hickory is the plan.
This is what I am using now: https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod..._title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Some pics of the inside of the smoker:       "We've done four already, but now we're steady..." | |||
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| Funny Man |
That's a great looking build. Did you give any thought to making it reverse flow for more even smoking chamber temps? ______________________________ “I'd like to know why well-educated idiots keep apologizing for lazy and complaining people who think the world owes them a living.” ― John Wayne | |||
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| McNoob |
Not when I started out with the project. Just didn't know that much about them. But if I do another one it will likely be a reverse flow build. "We've done four already, but now we're steady..." | |||
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Legalize the Constitution |
That’s really cool. I did a brisket this past weekend on my Weber kettle grill, and it turned out pretty darned good. _______________________________________________________ despite them | |||
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I run trains! |
Man I’m envious. I’m tempted to steal my old man’s offset smoker that he hasn’t used in about 15 years and refurb the thing. Need to get back to doing real deal BBQ. My brother raves about his pellet smoker, but I just can’t get excited by all the electronics that thing has. Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view. Complacency sucks… | |||
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