This weekend a few friends and I are heading down to Galveston to hang out at a friend's family bay house. We usually split up the meals by every two people and once one of my friends and I found out the house has a Big Green Egg, we got really excited about the possibility of smoking a brisket over a long period of time for everyone's dinner Saturday night. I haven't done a brisket on any kind of smoker and I don't believe my friend has, so here I am.

I've read threads on this forum and around the internet and have some idea of what we're generally in for as we attempt this long process. What I'm hoping to get from this thread is a simplified amalgam of need-to-know facts about the following topics. Keep in mind that we are obviously not going for competition-level brisket, but something that we will enjoy as Texans and can be proud of:

BGE-
-I've read that being conservative with the temperature is the way to go, as you can always go hotter later on, so what is that conservative level of heat? I also read that aroud 1.5 hrs-per-pound is an indicator of the cooking time. Any truth to that?
-How much and what type of hardwood charcoal, wood chips/chunks/whatever do I need? What other accessories should we absolutely have?
-Any other tips regarding the BGE that we need to know?

Brisket-
-Where to buy it? I've seen untrimmed ones at HEB but I know it's something people may have a strong opinion on.

-Fat side up or down? Another polarizing question I think, but I'm still curious on the responses.

-Wrapping-- thoughts on wrapping in foil and when it should be done?

-Internal temp when finished?



Any other things we definitely need to know for this process?

Thanks very much in advance for y'alls help.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTzdMHu5KU

I have a BGE but have never done a brisket. Please post back your results when you have a chance! I want to try it as well.

Most people on the egghead forum post about smoking packer briskets (flat and point) not just the flat. Supposedly cooks better that way. They say fat cap up so it can "melt downward" but people post success the other way as well.

If your temps are stable, the you should allow 1.5-2hours per pound and cook to temp. Foil if you were expecting the 1.5 hour but are getting 2 hour per pound or more.

Watch Aaron Franklin's YouTube videos. I worked my way through school cooking at BBQ joints and I do them his way. Packer, trimmed up, salt and pepper run, 225 on the egg, oak lump and hickory chunks fat side up. You cant put too much lump in. Cook to temp not time. When I ran pits you learned to do it by feel and pliability but now I just use a probe to get to 190. Don't wrap in foil. I have tried wrapping in paper like he shows but don't know that I see much difference. I assume there is a plate setter; legs up and an aluminum pan full of water keeps things plenty moist. It will be 12-13 hours at least. I will start one at 11 pm and take it off around noon or so. Rest it wrapped for an hour or so. Slice and enjoy.

[This message has been edited by Mathguy86 (edited 6/27/2013 7:14p).]

Do you mix your wood chunks with the lump? Or light the lump then toss in the chunks?

I start lump and a couple of wood chunks in a chimney starter. Once it gets going I pour it into the base, cover that with more lump and mixed in chunks. I've tried being neat about the lump and the egg doesn't seem to really care. Let the temp stabilize. That can take 30 minutes or more. For mine, the bottom vent is cracked about 1/2 inch, maybe 3/4 and the daisy wheel about 1/3 open.

This all seems like good advice. I'll try and take some pics and post them here for future reference. Those videos were great. My buddy has bought the brisket and I'm going to look for some place to buy wood chunks and coals and whatnot this morning. Based on the video, it sounds like post oak or hickory are the ways to go.

I'm looking forward to the results. We just got a BGE last week and I'm planning on doing a brisket for the 4th.

You have to get the replacement charcoal grate from Amazon. It looks like a cooking grate, but it replaces the metal one with the holes in it that comes with the Egg. I also bought the cast iron cooking great and love it!

If the brisket is too wide for your Egg, use your rib rack. Works great!

You will love the BGE! Best gift that my wife ever gave me.

There are a few threads on the Outdoor board with the links to the grates I mentioned.

you are making this way to difficult.

go to costco and buy a full packer. trim it. cover in salt and pepper. put it on your 225 grill and leave it alone until it hits 195. pull rest, cut. eat.

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you are making this way to difficult.

go to costco and buy a full packer. trim it. cover in salt and pepper. put it on your 225 grill and leave it alone until it hits 195. pull rest, cut. eat.

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this is exactly what i did for my first brisket. me and my guests were blown away.

I have done a lot of brisket on the BGE, and it is outstanding every time.

Get a full packer brisket.

Rub down with yellow mustard and liberal amounts of rub (salt, coarse black pepper, paprika, cayenne, cumin).

Fill the BGE with lump charcoal and a dozen mesquite chunks or so

FAT SIDE DOWN on the BGE at 225 degrees

Cook the brisket until the temp in the point and flat hits 200.

Put it in a cooler and hold it until you're ready to serve. Slice the flat and chunk the point.

Bask in the glory and adulation of all your diners.

Are you sure the bge you will be using has one of these? http://www.biggreenegg.com/eggcessories/plate-setters-baking-stones/plate-setter/

It may not, and you will be SOL (unless someone here knows a work around).

Smoked one yesterday. Idaho is spot on including Costco.

I have tried fat up and down...hard to say if I can really tell a difference.

Low and slow. Be patient. You will experience an internal temperature stall...don't panic or change your heat. Keep the Egg closed and don't peak/open. The meat is breaking down and stalling.

I do like oak chips vs mesquite.

A few things that may help:

1. The BGE is so efficient from a temp perspective that once it gets hot its hard to cool it down. So it's important to start slow and I've found that packing the lump and starting it with a weber starter cube works well. Light it and then let it get started with the top and bottom vents barely open.

2. The dome thermo doesn't help much. It doesn't measure the temp at the cooking surface or (obviously) the meat. Invest in a 2-probe electronic thermo - some have a special clip to attach to the grill grates on the cooking surface. Use the surface thermo reading to steer temp to desired 215-225 using small adjustments to the top and bottom vents

3. Google "elder ward egg" to read some tips I use to pack my fire box. (Sorry limited cut and paste on mobile)

4. I've had varying degrees of success in getting a full cook from one load of lump. Assume that you will need to add more as temps burn off. I usually add unlit lump to keep temps level.

5. The post about plate setter is important as you need some way to catch drippings. Ie used 2 bricks and a replacement grate from HD as an alternative along with a disposable alum pan. Some fill with water, some don't. Water will help provide a buffer to even out hot spots and some think it helps add moisture - I'm not sure.

I'm looking forward to watching videos linked above.

Off to smoke some baby backs rubbed with a mix of yellow mustard and green thai curry paste - unreal.

I've never had to add lump during a BGE cook. I have done several pork butt runs that went 24 hours... and I even did ribs THEN pork butt one time early this year and that went right at 30 hours total on one load of lump/chunks.

My egg is very old and maybe not as temp efficient as it used to be.

Just did my first brisket in the egg overnight. Got up once to spritz on some vinegar. Only way to do it. I think my problem in the past was screwing with them too much. This time it was salt and pepper and put onto the egg at 250 and see you in the morning. By far the best brisket I have ever cooked.

Place setter workaround: buy a 24" long 1/8 piece of 1/2" bar stock, bend it into a V. Slip between fire box and upper ring. Wrap in foil and set a 10" terra cotta flower pot saucer on the v rack.

Freak backyard accident broke my place setter. Been doing the above for 4 months w no problems.

Where is LegacyAg to inform us that isn't real BBQ