There is a welding shop not far from me. Big old rusty box has been sitting next to it for several years. Every time I go there I keep thinking that it would make a great smoker. Story was they built it for a customer who wanted to use it for a wood burning pool heater. It had water lines running through the upper compartment that was heated by the fire box below. Worked great but went through wood too fast. So the guy brought it back and left it at the shop. Made an offer, he accepted and I had the shop fabricate an offset fire box, add legs, a water trough and a few other little extras. I added a fill pipe on the side so I can easily keep the water trough full. Tried it out for the 4th and worked perfect. The door on back is the upper compartment which I use as a warming box. Only thing I need to add is a stainless plate to go on top of firebox.
I may to start spraying my old Weber gas grill with a little salt water solution a couple times a week to accelerate the 'need' to buy a pellet smoker...
Ive been wanting to get better at smoking briskets....up till today I have only done the flat but sucked it up and went for a full brisket and hoped I didnt ruin a $45 piece of meat. Ive probably done 5 so far but they never really seemed that good. I watched a method from a BBQ place I follow All Things Barbecue. I followed this method very closely...Ive been avoiding the idea of injecting a brisket out of the belief I shouldnt need to do that and I really didnt want to mess with it that much. Well I gave in and am glad I did. My injection was only beef stock and worcestershire (no hot sauce like he uses). And I only used one of the two rubs he did. I also didnt pay attention to temperature of the meat....I just waited until it was "probe tender". The rub injected and rubbed...also I trimmed about 4.5 lbs of fat off the 14.3 pound brisket. It went on at 7:00 this morning onto my Kamado Joe with cherry and pecan wood chunks. I also made some small cuts to begin the point/flat separation since the recipe called for them to be cut apart before they finished. After 5 hours I cut them apart and wrapped the two section separately in foil and added some of the injection in the foil to keep it moist. This is the point i pulled and cut up around 3:15. I drizzled some BBQ sauce on these and put them back on the smoker uncovered for about 20 minutes and pulled off the flat and let it rest for almost an hour. Sliced the flat after it rested.. Got the dangle I was hoping for ...delicious too point meat finished as burnt ends...also delicious... Celebrated with a No Coast Low Brow brown ale from No Coast brewery in Oskaloosa IA...nice way to spend a sunny 60 degree spring day.
that video was great. I started doing briskets last summer and did about 6 so far. I've been doing the texas cheat method as well and have my timing down to around 8 hours pretty exactly but results are still hit or miss. I have been hitting 195 or 205 on internal temperature and its excellent every time but not consistent. I haven't tried to do burnt ends yet either so that will be something new to try out.
I’ve had good luck with the PBC. It’s predictable, light it off and go do something else. I had a horizontal stick burner before that I had to watch constantly.
I’ve been at the whole grilling thing for quite a while. I grew up believing that, it’s a right of passage of manhood—mastering the flame. I wrecked a whole lotta food along the way..lol. I learned a lot being stationed in S. Korea for 4 years, wife is Korean. They are pretty serious about their BBQ. Mess it up, there’ll prolly be a scrap, more so if soju is involved—devils water. Neither the wife or I will touch it. For the longest time, I couldn’t afford a smoker. So I just did what I could on a plain-Jane round weber. You can still get excellent results. I’ll admit, this green one is on its third cooking grate and its falling apart. I’ll still use the PBC for brisket an such. The weber has a soft spot with me. Hard to be with hardwood lump, wicked good or royal oak. Tri-tip indirect with wicked good lump. Letting it breathe.. Stuffed chicken breasts. Tomahawk Steaks, rubbed down with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Reverted back to kingsford blue bag and a few chunks of post oak. Ran dampers 1/4 open 2-3 hour slow cook. Finished in butter, garlic and fresh rosemary.