Gotta start somewhere...BBQ

[bigred1]

Needs to turn up the electricity to 250/275

 

[adamsredlines]

It's all experimentation obviously. I think 225 is just too low for this setup and makes it take forever? Next weekend I'll try at 250 for the whole time and see what happens.

 

[adamsredlines]

Another weekend....another run at this.
Just put 2 more slabs in and am using the thermometer probe deal this time. It appears my smokers thermostat is reading 15° more than what the probe is reading....and may explain why the first two took so long. I had it set at 225 and it seems it was actually at 210. Would take forever to get internal temp to 200 if you're cooking it only 10° higher. We shall see how thos one goes.

 

[Hirschkopf]

I fired my smoker up for the first time since about May. My mix of meats was probably not optimal, but everything came out pretty good. I opted for BBQ smoked meatloaf (venison) and added about 3X the quantity of fresh mozzarella cheese the recipe called for. Also did baby-back ribs and planned to do them with the 3-2-1 approach. For the meatloaf I was supposed to cook for 45 minutes at 250 and then turn the pellet grill up to 350. The 3-2-1 ribs were supposed to be 225 to 250. So, I again ignored the meatloaf recipe and left the pit at 250 until the probes told me their internal temperature was 160. I wrapped and sauced the ribs after 3 hours and turned the temp down to 225 after the meatloaf was done. As one can see in the photo, only the meatloaf had probes. I think ribs are too thin for a probe to work for them. The meatloaf is fantastic and I’m going to keep future loafs at 250 for the additional smoke flavor the extra time provided. I’ll also always use a grill mat for meatloaf - too good to lose any. When I pulled the foil wrapped ribs after two hours, they were too tender to pick up whole, probably because they were smaller than I’m used to (not from Costco). That tenderness would not have worked for a restaurant, but sure beats tough/chewy ribs at home. I was more than happy to be finished for the day, as it was already 11 PM. Going to be some good eating over the next few days.

 

[adamsredlines]

My ribs turned out pretty good. Having the correct temp was helpful, reduced cook time to what it should have been vs the crazy long smoke last weekend.
I did another rookie mistake though. Rack was too wide for smoker and I cut them in half. Was looking for the meat to pull back on the bone and was watching the thick end of the ribs, not the thin. They were probably done about an hour before I pulled them off so they were tender but a tad dry. Next week I say! I'll have these worked out and can start messing with other variations and changes.

 

[adamsredlines]

Also bought a little brisket to try at some point.

 

[Shadowrider]

It's all experimentation obviously. I think 225 is just too low for this setup and makes it take forever? Next weekend I'll try at 250 for the whole time and see what happens.

I always run mine at 250 and as long as it stays 275 or under I don’t sweat it. I get better and more smoke for a longer time if I’m above 225.

That little brisket flat you have will probably need to be wrapped after reaching about 165. Those small ones are off the flat end and love to dry out. Wrap in foil, add about a 1/3 cup of beef broth when you wrap it and take up to about 205 degrees or until if pokes tender with a fork. I start checking mine at about 190 degrees and pull it when it pokes like butter. They’re all different and the only rule is cook until tender or 205 degrees. Never had to go past that.

 

[dennishoddy]

Also bought a little brisket to try at some point.

View attachment 405875View attachment 405876View attachment 405877

Try a chuck roast. Cook it just like a brisket. Cheaper and IMHO just as good if not better taste wise.
We did a roast, taking it all the way to where we could shred it like pulled pork. Used it in tacos.
Way better than ground beef.

 

[DaveinOKC]

Another meat to consider in your smoker is a Tri-Tip. I love them in my smoker. Much shorter smoking and resting time than a brisket.

David

 

[Shadowrider]

Try a chuck roast. Cook it just like a brisket. Cheaper and IMHO just as good if not better taste wise.
We did a roast, taking it all the way to where we could shred it like pulled pork. Used it in tacos.
Way better than ground beef.

I used to buy family packs of chuck roasts at Sam's just for this and Pepper Stout Beef. I'm not crazy about bell peppers, so I use poblanos instead.