PaulW

Actually for smoke generation on this cook, I just used the standard "throw some post oak chunks on the charcoal" technique - which might be why the smoke ring wasn't as wonderful as I would have liked. I often use the cold/hot smoker attachment but didn't allow time to set it up that morning. funny story though, when I lit the grill to start the cook, there was WAY too much smoke being generated when it was heating up to and stabilizing at my cooking temp. It was billowing out of the chimney and there was no way I was going to put that prime brisket on the grill looking like that. I needed to remove the grates and pull off one or two of the pieces of smoldering took chunks in order to bring the smoke back under control. Lesson learned - I think it's time to build the cast iron pot.

It turned out fine, but it didn't blow me away. Fair smoke ring and the meat was moist. Next time I'll leave wrap later. The people a the party were used to a braised brisket so this was fine for them. I served the flat last night and kept the point for myself for leftovers for the next few days. 😈

So the thermometer read 170 and I decided to wrap. I was somewhat surprised at the lack of bark, but I wrapped anyway. I put her back on, reinserted the temp probe and it read 162. I must have had poor initial temp probe placement and that would explain the lack of bark. I think I’ll just keep it wrapped and forgo the bark at this point. Hope it still turns out well. Lesson learned. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Butcher paper is ready. Thanks for that. I wasn’t aware it needed to exit the stall prior to wrapping it. It’s currently at 160, probably just entering the stall. I was under the impression that wrapping helped power it through the stall. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OK, so I'm going to try my first hot and fast (or at least semi hot) tomorrow. It's a prime packer cut brisket from Wild Fork. Started at 15.9 lbs and I trimmed just over 4 lbs of fat from her. She's salted and peppered and waiting in the fridge. My plan is 275 and with the new weight of 12 ish lbs, I figure I'll put in on at 8am for 5:00 dinner call. Fat side up or down? All thoughts and advice are welcome. Thanks.

Greetings, I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience mixing coffee char lump in with cocochar in the basket for a low and slow cook. My concern is temp spikes with the differing burning properties of each of them. I have 35 lbs of boneless Costco butt (4 butts at about 8 lbs each) going on tonight for a party tomorrow afternoon and the pressure is on to get this right. Also wondering your thoughts about fitting all 4 butts on the main grate vs splitting the into 2 levels. My plan is to put aluminum drip pans on the lower grate and let them go at 225 overnight - figuring probably 14 hours or so, then wrap, towel and cooler until picnic time. Thanks Paul

Thanks. My cook turned out decent and the guests were happy but I know the KK is capable of better. I like your idea of 225 overnight and bumping it it the morning. My other option would have been to start it at 4am and do the whole cook at 275 - should be about 10 hours. I was surprised I lost temp control when I pulled it out to wrap. That’s the first time that’s happened to me. Always learning and improving. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

6 hours after I pulled it off the grill, foiled and toweled it and stuck it in the cooler at it’s at 159. Still in the safe zone. Yay. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We’ll find out at 4. I sure hope so. My financial advisor is on my guest list. [emoji120] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ran the temps between 250-260. Wrapped in butcher paper at 5am at 170. Somehow, I lost good temp control when I pulled it to wrap. (I only had the dome open long enough to pull it out and put it back in.). The KK temp crept up to 280-290 over the next few hours. The brisket was at 203 by 7:30am. Tender to the probe. I put 2 layers of foil around it, wrapped it in a thick towel and put it in my best styrofoam cooler with the temp probe still in it. If (when) the temp drops to 150, I’ll stick it in my oven at 170 until guests arrive at 4. This went way faster then I thought it would. Like everyone says, it’s BBQ- done when it’s done. Any other thoughts or suggestions are welcome. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And she’s on. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

She’s trimmed and salted. Back to the fridge for a cool down. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the advice. Interesting in the “top mistakes” video, he recommended 225 for ceramic cookers - thinking it would burn if cooked at 275 or above. From the hot and fast proponents in the board here, it’s far different from their experience. Guess I’m just going to have to have more parties to experience it myself. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think I have temp control down to a science, so I'm gonna try my hand at my first packer (15 lb choice) brisket this weekend. My initial plan (before reading bunches of posts on this forum) was to cook at 225-250. Dinner is at around 5 on Sunday so I figured I'd start it at 10pm on Saturday night. After everything I've read, I'm thinking of going with a hotter quicker cook, 275-300 and wrapping it in butcher paper at 160-170. I'd use the main grate with a foil drip pan underneath on the lower grate. I'm just going with a simple kosher salt and pepper rub this time around. Is my best bet to put it on the cooker at around 5am? That should give me some leeway in either direction with cook-time. Anyone have experience with the coffee wood for briskets, or am I better off with oak? I'm also going to try to keep some chips smoldering in the cold smoker as well. Any suggestions are very welcome and thanks in advance. Paul

For the first cook, I decided to try a batch of St. Louis cut ribs. Peeled the skins and rubbed them down with some mustard and my favorite homemade rub last night. Then this morning gave them a nice coating of Meat Church GP. On they went at 1:00 at 225. She held nice and steady for 5½ hours, then bumped her up to 275 for 30 min. They were great. I prefer a little more bark that what I got so might try bumping up the temp at 5 hours instead of 5½. Suggestions are welcome. Burn in will happen this weekend. (The pre-cook and post cook pics got mixed up when I uploaded and I couldn't switch them out)