I finally got the "first smoke" under my belt.
Using a 22.5 WSM (Weber Smokey Mountain), I did a 6.2 pound brisket and two fatties
(Fatties are one pound rolls of bulk sausage. Sometime rolled flat, filled with "stuff", then rolled back up and smoked). In order to know what I did, how I did it, and what I should do next time (mainly in case something went wrong), I also kept a "smoker's journal". I also shot a LOT of pictures along the way. So here's the way I spend my yesterday.
Instead of just showing the journal in boring list form, I tried to put the pictures in there as they took place.
Also.... no appologies for typos and poor photography. Not what I'm worried about this weekend.
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"IT" = Internal temp of meat
"AT" = Air temp in center of dome
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6.2# brisket - Kosher salt - Black pepper - Brown sugar - 12 hours in fridge.
I neglected to get pics of the raw meat (but I'm sure you can use your imagination. I also didn't get pics of the "nekkid fattie" (fattie #1) when it was finished and sliced).
7:00 -- Fire on - "Minion Method" 25 briquettes to start. About 10 small Mesquite chunks. About 12# Kingsford Briquettes.
8:00 -- Meat on (one vent closed. two vents @ 1/8" open) Ambient air temp = 62`
8:30 -- IT = 50` -- AT = 235 (all vents 1/8" open) Unit sitting in full sun
9:00 -- IT = 75` -- AT = 255
9:30 -- IT = 96` -- AT = 260
10:00 -IT = 114 - AT = 275 - Fattie #1 goes on. 68` ambient temp
10:30 -IT = 128 - AT = 275
11:00 -IT = 143 - AT = 280 - 77 ambient temp
11:30 -IT = 155 - AT = 280 - 77 ambient
12:00 -IT = 163 - AT = 280 - 77 ambient
12:30 -IT = 169 - AT = 270 - 80 ambient
1:00 ---------------------------- - (removed fattie) Unit now in full shade (didn't get temp readings)
Saute Portabello 'schrooms and onions in unsalted butter for Fattie #2;
Make a weave of bacon to wrap fattie #2 in;
One pound roll of pork sausage, then layed out across bacon weave;
Half pound of swiss cheese laid over sausage with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper;
Put schrooms and onions on;
Green onions;
Sliced pepperoncinis and garlic;
Roll entire mass into this;
Then coat with Olive Oil and Parmesan cheese;
The bacon that hung off the ends was trimmed off.
Seemed like too much to throw away, so I loosely rolling it in aluminum foil with some spices.
This is HIGHLY recommended. I've grilled spiced and herbed bacon before, but this is the best by far, to date.
1:30 -- IT = 176 - AT = 255
2:00 -- IT = 180 - AT = 255
2:30 -- IT = 184 - AT = 250 - 83 ambient
3:00 -- IT = 186 - AT = 250 -
3:30------------------------------ - (didn't get temp readings)
4:00 -- IT = 193 - AT = 250 - 85 ambient - Fattie #2, Japalinos go on.
Ready for the smoker:
I found some frozen Salmon in the freezer, so I threw that on too. Also a couple Japalinos;
A bit later (note the japalinos);
Peppers and Salmon off the smoker;
I cooked the fish and peppers without knowing what I was going to do with them. I'll figure that out when they're done.
So I decided to chop them up and mix them in equal parts of mayonasse and sour cream and put them on crackers.
Unfortunatley the pic was taken after the mix was almost completely eaten.....THEN I remembered the camera
THIS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
4:30 -- IT = 194 - AT = 245 - Opened up one vent to 3/4 - 85 ambient
5:00 -- IT = 195 - AT = 245 - Removed brisket (has "butter" like consistency when probed). ** Fattie #2 is on until its internal temp (presently 137) is high enough, or smoker temp gets too low)
5:00.....................................
....Brisket is foiled and put into cooler.
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Further internal temp readings are of Fattie #2
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5:30 -- IT = 144 - AT = 250 - Opened all vents to 100%. Not much fuel remains. Getting as much "mileage" as I can. 85 ambient temp.
6:00 -- IT = 161 - AT = 245
** Note: Not enough hot coals to continue any further. Opening vents would have done nothing but raise temps a bit for a short period of time and burnt them out. For future reference, a larger piece of meat would have needed more briquettes.
Here's the brisket after having sat in a cooler wrapped in foil for 90 minutes;
Remember the fattie we wrapped a while back?
Finished fattie #2 and the extra bacon in the oven with the beans wifey made;
The money shot;
This morning for breakfast, I threw some large biskets in the oven.
ALso, put four eggs in a pan, gave them a quick wisk and let them simmer until solid.
Then I flipped the pan upside down on the cutting board. Using a drinking glass, I "cookie cutted" the eggs into bisket sized circles.
In the oven with the biskets, I put sliced sections of the fattie to warm up.
One each "single fattie" with swiss for the girls (Mom and little Sis)
One each "double fattie" with swiss for the boy and I.
