Weather is still late winter clinging. About 26°F at the start of the cook and climbing rapidly toward an expected high in the mid 30s. The sky is clear and thankfully wind is light
I soaked the briskets in a big pot of water for about an hour before laying them out on the full sheet to apply the rub. They should really soak overnight to leach the salt but I did not want to wait for another day. Hopefully they will not be too salty. For rub I started with the little spice packets that came with the briskets. They look like mostly mustard with some anise and maybe coriander. Some were wet so I stuck them in the oven (spread on a plate) to dry and went to start the fire. By the time I got back in, they were toasted. ;) There were a couple tablespoons of this to which I added about a tablespoon of black pepper corns and another of coriander. In order to fit these flats on the 18 WSM, I draped them over stainless steel bowls. (Cat will have to go hungry for a while.)
This cook is on the 18 WSM. I almost went with the 22 but the flats almost fit the 18" grates and I bought a little space by draping them. They will shrink a little and at that point I could remove the props so the flats lie flat. I fired the smoker with Stubbs briquettes with a large chunk of oak and a couple chunks of mesquite.
| time | temp | comment |
| 10:45 AM | Dump lit coals on and close up the cooker | |
| 11:00 | 220° | Meat on! |
| 11:33 | 190° | Opened one bottom vent full. |
| 12:07 | 205° | |
| 1:20 PM | 220° | Set up ET-73 for remote temps |
| 1:58 | 235°/148°/245° (grate/meat/lid) | |
| 2:57 | 245°/156°/240° | |
| 3:25 | 247°/158°/240° | Removed SS bowls. Briskets a little firm but may settle to grate eventually. |
| 4:07 | 242°/163°/245° | Pulled half of the top brisket to cook conventionally. (e.g. boil with cabbage and carrots. Maybe a potato. |
| 4:54 | 259°/164°/265° | Closed single open bottom vent to about half |
| 6:27 | 238°/168°/235° | Added carrots to the pot |
| 7:10 | 218°/166°/225 | Stirred toe coals, added cabbage to pot (about 7:00) |
| 7:33 | 240°/168°/230° | Finished a plate of corned beef and cabbage and it was very good. Still a bit firm but not tough and gristly like the one I recently got at a restaurant. |
| 9:00 | Cooker cooling down so I took the meat off. It is done. |
Fabulous! The corned beef and cabbage was good. The meat was a little firm when I had it so I took the cabbage out and let the meat cook another hour or so and it was much better. Flavor was a little bland but some horseradish and stone ground mustard turned that right around.
Next time I need to soak the briskets a little longer. They are bordering on a little too salty. These got about a 1 hour soak. Otherwise flavor was great!
