Need some advice - Doing my first brisket Labor Day

[smokeasaurus]

Done a few briskets in Open Range pits. Go with lump. For wood, 2-3 fist size chunks. I would put a foil pan in the bottom of the smoker box with water. Easy to refill. If you choose to do this refill with HOT water. Two reasons, it wont steam back on ya and it will not cool down your smoker box temp.

Start probing with a toothpick after the stall (170-175) when that pick comes out clean and goes in and out early, remove it from the OP. Let it rest for at least 1 hour. I double wrap in foil and wrap in a bath towel. I will go two hours.

Oh, run the Open Range at 250 for the entire cook.

Thanks smoke.  Do I put all the wood in at the start or add a piece over a period of time?

When your temp stabilizes in the smoking chamber to 250. Add 3 fist sized chunks along the top of the charcoal (I burn from the top down) and set your brisket in the smoking chamber. More often than not to get to 250 your full length damper should be at 11 o'clock. Have your top spinner about 1/4 inch open and adjust your burn rate with the two fire box spinners.

[Subvet]

Thanks smoke.  Do I put all the wood in at the start or add a piece over a period of time?
[/quote]

When your temp stabilizes in the smoking chamber to 250. Add 3 fist sized chunks along the top of the charcoal (I burn from the top down) and set your brisket in the smoking chamber. More often than not to get to 250 your full length damper should be at 11 o'clock. Have your top spinner about 1/4 inch open and adjust your burn rate with the two fire box spinners.
[/quote]

Thx. Ready to go in the morning. 40% chance of rain.  Decided to use hickory and pecan. Oak might be a little too strong for my wife's tastes.

[Subvet]

Help? After one hour at 250 the IT is already 125. Should it be that high so quickly? Possibly I have the probe into some fat, don't know. I put it into the thickest part of the point.

[Hub]

Recommendation:  Monitor the IT in the center of the flat.  Reason?  Usually, the flat is sliced and you want to control the temperature more tightly there to get good slicing texture.  The point is fattier and often diced up into "burnt ends" for even more cooking so the temp of the point isn't the critical one.

ITs can be odd at times.  Sometimes you get a fairly rapid rise and sometimes you don't.  Reasons vary but can be the point at which the lid thermometer or "hood ornament" is sampling the temperature vs. what the grate temp is.  Sometimes you get a "stall" where the temp will hang and won't change for a long time.

There's been lots of good advice here so just go with the flow.  When you get close to the target temp in the flat you can start poking with a toothpick or skewer -- if it goes in easy and "feels like butter" you're golden.  This may occur a few degrees either side of your target because briskets are just mean and ornery that way 

Hub

[Subvet]

Recommendation:  Monitor the IT in the center of the flat.  Reason?  Usually, the flat is sliced and you want to control the temperature more tightly there to get good slicing texture.  The point is fattier and often diced up into "burnt ends" for even more cooking so the temp of the point isn't the critical one.

ITs can be odd at times.  Sometimes you get a fairly rapid rise and sometimes you don't.  Reasons vary but can be the point at which the lid thermometer or "hood ornament" is sampling the temperature vs. what the grate temp is.  Sometimes you get a "stall" where the temp will hang and won't change for a long time.

There's been lots of good advice here so just go with the flow.  When you get close to the target temp in the flat you can start poking with a toothpick or skewer -- if it goes in easy and "feels like butter" you're golden.  This may occur a few degrees either side of your target because briskets are just mean and ornery that way 

Hub

Thanks, going out now to change probe to the flat.

[LostArrow]

Couple things to make easier.
A stick burners temperature will fluctuate I'm happy with it ranging between 220F up to 300F as I add a piece of wood.
The roller coaster ride of temperature doesn't seem to matter. The end result is as good as my Kamodo when I run it between 265-275 without swings.
HD foil is your best friend! It makes getting a good end result easier, I foil at 6 hours or about 170F if you use a temp probe.