Being patient

[Blues1]

Started a 3lb brisket this morning at 11:30 at 225. Here it is, 6:00, and internal temp is 158. Told the wife I'm thawing out salmon and have it with asparagus tonight. Doesn't look like we will be having brisket. But it's OK. One thing I've learned here is NOT to rush it.

 

[Blues1]

Update. 7:30 still at 160. Wrapped and put back on and bumped to 250. Think I'll use a water pan next time...

 

[Bytor]

Yeah, I hear ya. It seems like I always underestimate. At times, it's so off when my kids ask when dinner is going to be ready, when they ask, they gesture their hands with quote signs when they ask.....

 

[Gotbbq]

Started a 3lb brisket this morning at 11:30 at 225. Here it is at 6:00 and internal temp is 158. Told the wife I'm thawing out salmon and have it with asparagus tonight. Doesn't look like we will be having brisket. But it's OK. One thing I've learned here is NOT to rush it.

The stall, where the temp stays the same until moisture evaporates can take some time. Usually 5-9 hrs, depending on temp. The whole cook is usually a 12-15 hr event, depending on size and cooking temp. You’re not the first One to take something else out for dinner. At least you didn’t have company that was expecting brisket ??

 

[Blues1]

I heard that!

 

[Blues1]

Getting closer. One prob reads 175 and the other at 181.

 

[Blues1]

It is 2:20 AM. Just pulled at 203 degrees, wrapped in a towel and put in cooler. Never thought it would take 15 hrs for a 3lb brisket. Depending on results, good or bad, I will have learned a few things on this cook. I did start keeping a chart to reference for future cooks.

 

[Gotbbq]

It is 2:20 AM. Just pulled at 203 degrees, wrapped in a towel and put in cooler. Never thought it would take 15 hrs for a 3lb brisket. Depending on results, good or bad, I will have learned a few things on this cook. I did start keeping a chart to reference for future cooks.

I’m sure it will be great. The BBQ thing is about about learning. At least you’ll have a good story to tell! In the old days I used to sleep outside overnight in a beach chair, keeping the fire going in my stick burner. No probes, just an instant read thermometer. We’ve come a long way, baby.

 

[Blues1]

Yes! It could be a LOT more work. Thanks to the Bull, it's not work at all. Just keep an eye on temps. This is it at 5:00 AM when I removed it from the cooler. Better than I thought it would be. Patience is a virtue!

 

[cutplug]

3 LBS? What is the wife going to eat!

 

[Blues1]

I chuckled out loud when I saw this. Too funny...

 

[Roaniecowpony]

I have done more "hot and fast" cooks than traditional (250F and below). Cook times shrink very quickly. Even just bumping from 225F to 250F is a big time reducer.

I did this 400F "hot and fast" brisket, following Harry Soo's recipe as much as I could with the Bull. https://www.rectecforum.com/threads/first-pellet-brisket.801/ That was an extreme "hot and fast" in my opinion.

I've been doing some playing around with the Bull doing some cooks starting at LO/180F for heavier smoke for an hour or two depending on the meat size and bumping to 225F (still some smoke) for a couple hours, then up higher. I'm pretty comfortable in the 300-350F range for hot and fast cooks, having used that temperature range many times on a komado. On a komado, getting smoke at those temps is easy, but on the pellet grills, you have to get your smoking in at lower pit temps. It's a common belief in the bbq communities that meat stops taking on smoke flavor above certain temps, so I think the early LO setting on a smoke works well. Also, anytime the meat is wrapped, bump the temps up a good bit. I like 325-350F when ribs are wrapped.

The thing I enjoy about bbq is the opportunities to experiment and develop a "bag of tricks", you can use when you hit a problem.

Give some of the higher temps a try. I believe just going to about 275-300F in once the meat got above 145F would have cut the whole cook time almost in half.

 

[Carsononline]

I tried adding a water pan once. Now I ALWAYS put a small water pan in. Nothing comes out dry anymore.

 

[Blues1]

Tips & advice are certainly welcome. Trying to improve on something or change it up a little is part of the enjoyment IMHO. Think I'll add a pan next time too

 

[Roaniecowpony]

I’m sure it will be great. The BBQ thing is about about learning. At least you’ll have a good story to tell! In the old days I used to sleep outside overnight in a beach chair, keeping the fire going in my stick burner. No probes, just an instant read thermometer. We’ve come a long way, baby.

Yeah, I remember those nights. My stickburner is out there rusting away. Been almost a year since it had a fire in it.

 

[Gotbbq]

Yeah, I remember those nights. My stickburner is out there rusting away. Been almost a year since it had a fire in it.

I still use my stick burner. Something g I like about it. There is something I like about the bull. It love being able to start and adjust on the go. I have the bbqguru cyber cloud. I can adjust my stick burner from my phone, too. It just can’t run anywhere as long as the bull. With the smoke tube, results are pretty close.