First Smoke Ever

[BaltJoe]

I got the #3 on Saturday and immediately did the seasoning.  Went out and bought some Pecan, rub and a 7lb brisket.  I have never smoked before and the neighbor said I was jumping in the deep end of the pool.  I also had the Maverick probes.  Rubbed the brisket with olive oil and the rub and let rest in the frig for 6 hours.  Took out the brisket for an hour.  I put the brisket on with 6 ozs of pecan and the smoker set to 225.  I noticed temp swings from 280 to 215.  I thought the whole smoke time would be about 8 1/2 hours.  The brisket went on at midnight.  At 7:00am it was in the stall at 164.  It took till noon to get to 190.  I took it out and doubled wrapped in foil and put in the cooler for 2 hours.  Cut it in time for halftime of the Ravens game.  The flat was a little dry the point was perfect.  Photos attached. 

Question, should a 7lb brisket take 12 hours in the smoker?  Seems long.  All comments welcomed.

Guests said it was some of the best beef they ever had.  Thanks to the forum as a reference before I started.

Joe 

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[SuperDave]

I'm not a fan of 225 and I believe the reason it took 12 hours. Some thing as little as 10 more degrees can cut a large amount off the cook time. On another note, I've never seen a 7 pound full brisket.

[SconnieQ]

Your temp swings sound fairly normal for your first smoke in the #3 with 7 lbs of meat. The swings will probably get a little smaller once you get more seasoning built up. Mine did. If your brisket was 7 lbs, sounds like (and looks like) mostly flat, with maybe a teeny bit of point attached. A full packer brisket (both point and flat) will vary, but are generally in the 12-16 lb range. I've noticed that when grocery stores sell flats, they over-trim them. You want about 1/4 inch fat cap. If yours was over-trimmed, could have contributed to a less moist end-product. Did you use a foil pan next to the firebox with water/liquid? 12 hours sounds a little long, but not outrageous. I have pretty good luck with 225 for brisket. I take my briskets to about 195. Do you know what grade your meat was? A USDA Select brisket flat is going to be more dense, with less fat, and probably take longer to cook than Choice or Prime. Also, no need to let the brisket sit at room temp. It can go directly from the fridge to smoker. Cold meat takes smoke better. Sounds like you're off to a great start though! You've got a lot of the concepts down for never having smoked before. You'll be a pro in no time! Your neighbor has no idea how easy making great Q is in the SI!

[BaltJoe]

The 7lb was the biggest the store had.  I do not know the grade as it is a Ma Pa meat shop in town.  They butcher their own meats.  I always buy my beef from them.  I did put a SS bowl with water in it below the brisket on the next rack. I probably only had about 8oz of water in it. The water was gone when I opened the smoker.  I agree that this looked mostly to be flat with a small amount of the thicker point.  This had about a 1/4" fat cap.

I have a couple racks of baby back ribs I am going to try this weekend.   

Thanks for the comments.

Joe

[DivotMaker]

Kari pretty much said everything I was going to Joe, so let me add a big "Congrats!" on becoming a smoker!    Spend a little time with us, and we'll turn you into a pit master in no time (that's the beauty of Lazy Q).

Brisket is a tough "first smoke" without a little prep.  Everyone has their own techniques, but there are certainly things you can do to increase your chances of a really off-the-charts tender and juicy brisket.  Check out the Beef section, and do a search on brisket...TONS of answers and ideas, from brining to injecting, and just plain.  With a little practice, you'll find what works for you!

One recommendation I have is your water pan placement.  Put it on the floor of the smoker, right up against the wood box.  The idea is to keep it hot and steamy.  That may also be one reason your brisket took a little long, too.  You basically placed a heat sink between the smoke box and your brisket.  I, personally, never block the space between the meat and the heat. 

Good luck with the ribs!