My first Brisket

[BoiseDan]

Cooking my first brisket on the UDS today, started it at 5:00 am. Question: How full can I fill my Big Poppa Basket with fuel and not get the temp too hot? I don't think I used enough and now am am having to fill it with more lump coal and briquettes to keep the temp up. Any advice on filling the basket and a way to keep from having to keep adding fuel so often?

 

[Big Poppa]

you can add tons of charcoal just dont light very much and control the airflow. THis is a good exercise to teach you the mastery of air. Fire doesnt exist without oxygen. MOst cooks are impatient with the drum and overlight it it ramps up quickly but what they dont understand is that it keeps going. So be a little more patient light about s6-8 coals have the bottom vent with one hole open about half and always keep the top open The top is like an emergency brake. Cooking with the top closed affects the taste of the food.

plan you moves with the opening of the top....The other common beginning mistake is to open the top, leave it ope for awhile..you put the top back on and notice a temp drop so you instantly open more bottom vents. Exact opposite of what you should do. Relax The temp drop is because you let the hot air out and you added nice cool fresh air! that is like adding gasoline....it will recover if you just open it do your business and quickly put the cover back on it will be low then spike slightly high and then settle back in

 

[BabelBBQ]

My first cook I was so frustrated, could keep the temp down. I started with about half a chimney of charcoal. Then I read more, and did as BP says only a 6-8 lit and you are good to go. Unless I'm just cooking something fast, I fully load the basket. The number of lit coals not the total coals makes all the difference.

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