Brisket in a Electric Smoker

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Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby go77377 » Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:06 am

I am going to cook a 14 lb brisket later this evening but I have a question. I use a electric smoker because I just tend to fight the temperature when I use a wood smoker and I usually end up on the losing end of the deal.

I bought a new Masterbuilt Smoker that is in the picture, I have cooked several briskets in it and they all turn ok, nothing to enter in a competition but very good. I usually cook about 10lb briskets and I will smoke them for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours at start up. Sometimes about mid way through cooking I will wrap the brisket in foil letting it finish. The smoker has a built in digital temperature probe so I usually reach the 190 degrees and then some. The one thing that I have noticed is that there is never a pink smoke ring at the edges of the meat, is that because it is electric or should I smoke it longer. I'm actually clueless on this and some of the guys that do shade tree cooking around here only suggest smoking for about 3 hours. Am I doing something wrong or is this happening because it is electric?

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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby DATsBBQ » Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:16 am

2 -3 hours for a brisket? You must be cooking them at high heat.

Smoke ring.... you need smoke and moisture. Maybe mist down your brisket during the early stages of the cook?

I cook briskets for 10 to 12 hours at 235° to an internal temp of 195°. The smoke ring will stop forming when the internal temp of the meat gets a number I can't remember just now but it is about 3 to 4 hours into a low and slow cook.
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby go77377 » Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:17 am

I forgot to add this, but I usually set the temperature at 225.

Thanks for the reply
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby OSD » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:31 am

That's really quick for a brisket. Like DATs said, 10 to 12 hours or more at the temp you are saying. When I do a Hot and Fast brisket, it's still 4-6 hours cooking at 350°.
I would check the thermos on your smoker, probe and digital, with a oven thermo on a cooking grate and see what you are really cooking at. Check the probe in boiling water or ice water and see what it reads.

The smoke ring stops at 140° internal meat temp. You might try using more wood chips for more smoke.
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby JamesB » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:33 am

Are you using any wood chips or anything for smoke? What temp are your wrapping the brisket at?

I'm not famaliar with that cooker, but I'd bet it has a wood chip pan... load that thing up. Wait until the brisket hits about 165° internal before ya wrap.

It's my understanding that the chemical reaction that forms the smoke ring stops forming at about ~140° internal.
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby RonH » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:46 am

Your probably not going to get much of smoke ring with this smoker it's an elect. thing. Scroll dowm on this page to thread named Best way to introduce smoke. I've got a cooker like this and it works good plus mounted a cold smoker on the side for extra smoke.
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby Southern Pride BBQ » Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:35 pm

at the earliest i dont wrap my brisket until 3/4's of the way through the cook....just my 2 cents worth
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby go77377 » Fri Jul 03, 2009 10:57 pm

I didn't do a good job at reading my post after I put it up, when I said I smoke the brisket for 3 to 3 1/2 hours (at 225), that is what I do, BUT it does continue to cook via the heat for another 5 to 6 hours on a 10 lb brisket, (I left that part out)

As far as the smoke pan it holds about the size of 1 and a half cans of coke, not very much at all and there is a water pan that I do fill with water, except this time I added a some Worchestire sauce.

From all of you guys that gave me advice, from what I sum up is I will cook it at 135 degrees, once the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees there is no sense in adding anymore wood chips, then wrap it in foil about 3/4's the way through.

Thanks again for all the suggestions as it has been helpful with me tweaking for the better brisket................ Thanks again.
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby DATsBBQ » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:10 pm

go77377 wrote:I didn't do a good job at reading my post after I put it up, when I said I smoke the brisket for 3 to 3 1/2 hours (at 225), that is what I do, BUT it does continue to cook via the heat for another 5 to 6 hours on a 10 lb brisket, (I left that part out)

As far as the smoke pan it holds about the size of 1 and a half cans of coke, not very much at all and there is a water pan that I do fill with water, except this time I added a some Worchestire sauce.

From all of you guys that gave me advice, from what I sum up is I will cook it at 135 degrees, once the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees there is no sense in adding anymore wood chips, then wrap it in foil about 3/4's the way through.

Thanks again for all the suggestions as it has been helpful with me tweaking for the better brisket................ Thanks again.


Hoping that was a typo. 235° is what I think you meant to say. 8)
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby go77377 » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:38 pm

yep, you are right Dave I meant 235.... my fingers are just not jiving with what my mind is thinking, lol
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby JamesB » Fri Jul 03, 2009 11:55 pm

Just a note... It is the smoke ring that stops forming at ~140°. The brisket will continue to take on smoke flavor as long as it is in the presence of smoke.
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Re: Brisket in a Electric Smoker

Postby go77377 » Sat Jul 04, 2009 12:08 am

JamesB wrote:Just a note... It is the smoke ring that stops forming at ~140°. The brisket will continue to take on smoke flavor as long as it is in the presence of smoke.


Thanks for the info Chuck, I think that with all the advice you folks have given me today maybe I can be proud to stick a feather in my hat when it is finished tomorrow afternoon.

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