Thanks for watching my Weber brisket video! Please like and subscribe. Check out some other snake method videos: Smoked Wild Boar on Weber Grill - th-cam.com/video/Mp9-fjqp6wo/w-d-xo.html Pulled pork on the Weber Grill - th-cam.com/video/ObySrT-4dRk/w-d-xo.html
Maybe next time go with a skinnier snake? Two on the bottom and one on the top? I've also seen others go for the wood chips when using the snake method because those large chunks can put out a lot of heat. Good job, liked the video!
Funny enough, I did another brisket a couple of weeks ago with the exact same setup, and it took all of 18 hours. I believe it really depends on each brisket. Either way, both were delicious!
I did my first brisket ever last week. It was a really cheap 10lb brisket from Stater Bros. Since it was my first time ever trying to smoke a brisket, I didn't want to potentially ruin a really nice one, so I just grabbed the cheapest one pre-packed in the meat section. Used a simple rub of SPG, brown sugar, red pepper, and onion powder. Let it sit in the fridge for 8 hours before getting the grill ready. I used the snake method, and I put 5 medium sized chunks of oak. None of the wood chunks were bigger than what I see in this video. 1 hour after sticking the brisket in the kettle, my whole block smelled of oak lol. About 4 hours in and the smoke smell was still super strong. While checking the meat and spritzing here and there, I was about half way through the snake after about 6 hours, and the 3rd chunk of oak had just started to catch some heat and start smoking. I think lifting the lid and the sudden infusion of more oxygen lit a fire under that piece of oak's ass lol, because it suddenly caught on fire along with 2 full pieces of briquettes. I had to pull that chunk of wood out, along with those 2 pieces of charcoal out and toss them into my chimney to let them burn out. I decided at this point to remove the 4th and 5th pieces of wood, since up to this point the smell of smoke was almost overpowering. The brisket finally hits the stall at 160 at the 8hr mark. I wrap it up, toss it back in, and 3 hours later I hit 200. I wrap it in a towel and toss it into the cooler to rest for an hour or two while we prepared the side dishes. It came out juicy, with a beautiful smoke ring. Like it almost looked painted on the ring was so pronounced, which got me worried...Because the smell of smoke was still strong just from slicing the meat lol. Well here comes the taste test, YIKES, the taste of smoke was WAY too overpowering. I almost feel like 1 chunk of oak would have been enough, let alone the 5 I originally started with. I think next time I will try with 1 piece of wood, and probably half the size. But all these videos I see on youtube, guys are throwing a half dozen or more pieces of wood in there lol. What did I do wrong to get such a crazy overpowering smoke flavor? I had to give a lot of it away to friends because I got sick of the smoke flavor, it was just too much I could not eat anymore of it. I'm excited to try another brisket soon, and I'm seriously thinking of giving it a go with NO smoke, just the flavor of the rub and a marinade throughout the cook. That's how overpowering the smoke flavor was, I can still taste and smell it a week later in everything I eat lol, and I do not want to taste or smell it again for a very long time!
Romel, it sounds like the process itself went well for you - 11 hours isn't bad for a brisket. It sounds like you opened and closed the kettle more than needed, and that may have led more to the oak burning, rather than smoking, but that doesn't necessary account for the overpowering smoke smell. I typically try not to open the lid on the kettle at all, unless I have to add more charcoal, so the temperature has minimal swings. You typically don't have to spritz brisket if you trim it well. I'm a fat-cap-up smoker and that seems to work well for me. I'm curious about the type of oak you used, and how wet or dry the wood was. I usually use post oak or live oak chunks, and try to ensure they have some bark still on them. I don't think I've ever had a brisket that I thought was TOO smokey. Honestly, I'm stumped on what may have caused it. In the future, you may experiment with different wood, and alter the size of the chunks. With the snake method, you may only need the wood on the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the ring, as the meat absorbs the most smoke before it develops the bark. I wish you the best, and feel free to reach out with any questions!
I usually for a brisket add one good sized chunk of hickory or oak and then one good chunk and one small chunk of fruit wood like an apple or cherry just to give a slightly sweet taste to the meat and help the smoke ring but one chunk of hard wood in a kettle is enough for even a brisket
I love smoking brisket the same way. Weber Kettle snake method with Pecan and Hickory chunks. A tip I got from Steve Raichlen to keep brisket from drying out is to trace the brisket on a piece of cardboard and after you cut it out to shape wrap the cardboard in aluminum foil. Once wrapped take a Phillips head screwdriver and poke holes trough it 1" apart to allow smoke to penetrate. Put the riser on the grill place brisket on top and you protect it from drying out. Works well in water or any other bottom heat source smoker. I do miss having an offset smoker when it comes to brisket smoking.
Great video, very informative. In particular I like how you flipped your chimney starter to make your coals. Don't know why that idea never occurred to me before, but I'm definitely gonna use it from now on whenever I Snake method BBQ. Good stuff, thanks for posting.
Hey! I loved the video man! Good job! One tip, it worked for me, I put a rib rack under my brisket while using a Weber kettle and it turned out amazing. It prevents the juice buildup. You should give a try!
I liked this video. I'm trying to learn all the capabilities of a Weber kettle. Interested on the briquette quantity, and choice of wood. Thanks for your content.
I'm always impressed by how versatile the Weber can be. I typically use mesquite, hickory, or oak wood for smoking (I used oak for the brisket). As far as briquettes, it depends on the temperature and longevity of the burn for how much I use. I know I can get about 10 hours if the ring of charcoal encompasses about 85% around the perimeter. If I want to maintain 225-250°, I use 2 layers of 2 briquettes wide, plus the wood. If I want to maintain 250-300° I add one more single layer of charcoal. You may have to experiment with your grill and damper settings to dial it in, but I hope this gets you started. Feel free to reach out with any other questions. Thanks for watching!
Thanks! The trick with this is, with a super-long cook like this, the snake goes all the way around the kettle, so there's really no area without the coals during the cook. Yes, I could open the lid and turn the meat as it cooks, but I prefer to leave the lid in place as much as possible to keep my temperature steady.
Hey man, excellent work! Looks amazing and I bet it tasted even better. Just wondering, do you remember the starting weight of the brisket? I'm planning on doing one for Memorial Day coming up, and trying to figure out the best configuration for a 10# brisket I got
Hi. Did you put fat side down or up? I did a choice brisket from smart n final this weekend using a 26" weber kettle and snake method. Took 14hrs to get to temp and prob test but it turned out dry. The outside was really dry.
I do fat side up, and have heard both sides of that argument. It works for my purposes, so I don't mess with it. Sorry yours didn't turn out like you wanted. How much fat did you leave on?
That brisket smoked so quickly - I want to try it on my kettle , but want to make it slower . Maybe I’ll start one early morning and watch it thruout the day to see how fast or slow my experience is, then w/ that knowledge, do one at nite .
@@michaelbrunner4997 This one smoked WAY quicker than I was expecting. I did one the same way a couple of weeks after this one, and it took 18 hours total. Both tasted fantastic. It really seems to just be how the brisket itself does each time. Keep an eye on both the grill and meat temps, and let it happen naturally!
When I have used the snake method I have used 58 briquettes on the bottom and 58 briquettes on the top with 5 3" hickory wood chunks spaced out 4 inches apart.
Noticed you added the brisket pretty much right after the lit coals. Do you not feel the need to get up to temp (225F or more) before adding the brisket?
The Weber holds very little heat on its own - keeping a consistent temperature relies on the lid remaining closed. Any time the lid is removed, the temperature drops dramatically, but it does come back up to temperature fairly quickly once its back in place. There is no way to "pre-heat" the grill. I simply start with a larger amount of lit coals so the grill heats to the desired temperature quickly once the meat is placed on the grill and lid is in place, and then I can control that heat solely with the dampers. I hope that helps answer your question. Thanks for watching!
@@TheGoodeLifeOutdoors "preheating" the Weber is usually referring to getting it up to operating temp and allowing it to stabilize there. That way you don't put your meat on while the grill is still rising up to 450 or something.
@@VladTheInhaler1 With the Weber, the only way to get it up to operating temp is to keep the lid on. As soon as you open the lid, you let all that heat escape and you start almost completely over. You certainly don't want your grill to spike to 450° with the snake method - if it does, you're using WAY too much charcoal.
@@TheGoodeLifeOutdoors same way but with like 3 pieces of wood total and farther apart. wood burns unpredictably and causes heat fluctuations. I also find using that much wood on a snake makes the meat bitter. But if you like it that way you should keep doing it. I'd try it once the other way though and compare
I make the rub based on the size of the meat, but try to keep it around 3 parts salt and pepper, and 1 part onion, garlic, and chili powder, 1/2 part cumin. I hope that helps!
Not sure if you're referring to this one, or one you tried yourself. The one in this video turned out fantastic, and other than an overheated bit on the bottom I cut off, it was nice and moist! Thanks for watching!
I've heard differing opinions on this. I've seen folks take theirs off anywhere from 190° to 205°. While I wasn't displeased with this one, I'll be experimenting with different temps as I go along. Thanks for the input!
Thanks for watching my Weber brisket video! Please like and subscribe.
Check out some other snake method videos:
Smoked Wild Boar on Weber Grill - th-cam.com/video/Mp9-fjqp6wo/w-d-xo.html
Pulled pork on the Weber Grill - th-cam.com/video/ObySrT-4dRk/w-d-xo.html
It does! Thanks for responding
Wow never considered flipping my chimney over when I needed just a few lit coals...thanks for the tip!
I can't take credit for it, but happy to pass along the great tip! Thanks for watching!
Maybe next time go with a skinnier snake? Two on the bottom and one on the top? I've also seen others go for the wood chips when using the snake method because those large chunks can put out a lot of heat. Good job, liked the video!
Funny enough, I did another brisket a couple of weeks ago with the exact same setup, and it took all of 18 hours. I believe it really depends on each brisket. Either way, both were delicious!
I did my first brisket ever last week. It was a really cheap 10lb brisket from Stater Bros. Since it was my first time ever trying to smoke a brisket, I didn't want to potentially ruin a really nice one, so I just grabbed the cheapest one pre-packed in the meat section.
Used a simple rub of SPG, brown sugar, red pepper, and onion powder. Let it sit in the fridge for 8 hours before getting the grill ready. I used the snake method, and I put 5 medium sized chunks of oak. None of the wood chunks were bigger than what I see in this video. 1 hour after sticking the brisket in the kettle, my whole block smelled of oak lol. About 4 hours in and the smoke smell was still super strong. While checking the meat and spritzing here and there, I was about half way through the snake after about 6 hours, and the 3rd chunk of oak had just started to catch some heat and start smoking.
I think lifting the lid and the sudden infusion of more oxygen lit a fire under that piece of oak's ass lol, because it suddenly caught on fire along with 2 full pieces of briquettes. I had to pull that chunk of wood out, along with those 2 pieces of charcoal out and toss them into my chimney to let them burn out. I decided at this point to remove the 4th and 5th pieces of wood, since up to this point the smell of smoke was almost overpowering.
The brisket finally hits the stall at 160 at the 8hr mark. I wrap it up, toss it back in, and 3 hours later I hit 200. I wrap it in a towel and toss it into the cooler to rest for an hour or two while we prepared the side dishes. It came out juicy, with a beautiful smoke ring. Like it almost looked painted on the ring was so pronounced, which got me worried...Because the smell of smoke was still strong just from slicing the meat lol.
Well here comes the taste test, YIKES, the taste of smoke was WAY too overpowering. I almost feel like 1 chunk of oak would have been enough, let alone the 5 I originally started with. I think next time I will try with 1 piece of wood, and probably half the size. But all these videos I see on youtube, guys are throwing a half dozen or more pieces of wood in there lol. What did I do wrong to get such a crazy overpowering smoke flavor? I had to give a lot of it away to friends because I got sick of the smoke flavor, it was just too much I could not eat anymore of it.
I'm excited to try another brisket soon, and I'm seriously thinking of giving it a go with NO smoke, just the flavor of the rub and a marinade throughout the cook. That's how overpowering the smoke flavor was, I can still taste and smell it a week later in everything I eat lol, and I do not want to taste or smell it again for a very long time!
Romel, it sounds like the process itself went well for you - 11 hours isn't bad for a brisket. It sounds like you opened and closed the kettle more than needed, and that may have led more to the oak burning, rather than smoking, but that doesn't necessary account for the overpowering smoke smell. I typically try not to open the lid on the kettle at all, unless I have to add more charcoal, so the temperature has minimal swings. You typically don't have to spritz brisket if you trim it well. I'm a fat-cap-up smoker and that seems to work well for me.
I'm curious about the type of oak you used, and how wet or dry the wood was. I usually use post oak or live oak chunks, and try to ensure they have some bark still on them. I don't think I've ever had a brisket that I thought was TOO smokey. Honestly, I'm stumped on what may have caused it. In the future, you may experiment with different wood, and alter the size of the chunks. With the snake method, you may only need the wood on the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the ring, as the meat absorbs the most smoke before it develops the bark. I wish you the best, and feel free to reach out with any questions!
I usually for a brisket add one good sized chunk of hickory or oak and then one good chunk and one small chunk of fruit wood like an apple or cherry just to give a slightly sweet taste to the meat and help the smoke ring but one chunk of hard wood in a kettle is enough for even a brisket
I love smoking brisket the same way. Weber Kettle snake method with Pecan and Hickory chunks.
A tip I got from Steve Raichlen to keep brisket from drying out is to trace the brisket on a piece of cardboard and after you cut it out to shape wrap the cardboard in aluminum foil. Once wrapped take a Phillips head screwdriver and poke holes trough it 1" apart to allow smoke to penetrate. Put the riser on the grill place brisket on top and you protect it from drying out.
Works well in water or any other bottom heat source smoker.
I do miss having an offset smoker when it comes to brisket smoking.
That's a great idea! I'll have to give it a try next time! Thanks for the tip, and for following along!
Great video, very informative. In particular I like how you flipped your chimney starter to make your coals. Don't know why that idea never occurred to me before, but I'm definitely gonna use it from now on whenever I Snake method BBQ. Good stuff, thanks for posting.
I can't take credit for the starter trick, though I use it all the time now. Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Hey! I loved the video man! Good job! One tip, it worked for me, I put a rib rack under my brisket while using a Weber kettle and it turned out amazing. It prevents the juice buildup. You should give a try!
Oh, that's a great tip! I'll definitely give it a try! Thanks!
I liked this video. I'm trying to learn all the capabilities of a Weber kettle. Interested on the briquette quantity, and choice of wood. Thanks for your content.
I'm always impressed by how versatile the Weber can be. I typically use mesquite, hickory, or oak wood for smoking (I used oak for the brisket). As far as briquettes, it depends on the temperature and longevity of the burn for how much I use. I know I can get about 10 hours if the ring of charcoal encompasses about 85% around the perimeter. If I want to maintain 225-250°, I use 2 layers of 2 briquettes wide, plus the wood. If I want to maintain 250-300° I add one more single layer of charcoal. You may have to experiment with your grill and damper settings to dial it in, but I hope this gets you started. Feel free to reach out with any other questions. Thanks for watching!
Nice video! I think it would work better if you put the flat w/foil shield over the area without the coals
Thanks! The trick with this is, with a super-long cook like this, the snake goes all the way around the kettle, so there's really no area without the coals during the cook. Yes, I could open the lid and turn the meat as it cooks, but I prefer to leave the lid in place as much as possible to keep my temperature steady.
good job buddy - the webber kettles are great, i did my first brisket exactly the same
Thanks, Ben! I continue to be amazed, after many years of use, how versatile these kettle grills can be.
Great video
Thanks so much!
Fat cap down can prevent those dry bits from forming.
Thanks for the tip!
Hey man, excellent work! Looks amazing and I bet it tasted even better. Just wondering, do you remember the starting weight of the brisket? I'm planning on doing one for Memorial Day coming up, and trying to figure out the best configuration for a 10# brisket I got
Thanks! It was pretty awesome. This brisket was about 13.5# in the package, and trimmed down to about 12#. I hope that helps!
Hi. Did you put fat side down or up? I did a choice brisket from smart n final this weekend using a 26" weber kettle and snake method. Took 14hrs to get to temp and prob test but it turned out dry. The outside was really dry.
I do fat side up, and have heard both sides of that argument. It works for my purposes, so I don't mess with it. Sorry yours didn't turn out like you wanted. How much fat did you leave on?
There was about 1/4". I'll try fat up next time. Thanks
I would have put that dried meat on a tortilla with some Pico and went to town
Heck yeah! Believe me, very little of that brisket went to waste!
Good job on that
This was great . The question I have is, how much charcoal did you use ? Half of a 16lb bag ? All of it ?
Thanks! I usually buy the 20lb bags, and one ring setup probably uses between 1/4 to 1/3 of the bag.
That brisket smoked so quickly - I want to try it on my kettle , but want to make it slower . Maybe I’ll start one early morning and watch it thruout the day to see how fast or slow my experience is, then w/ that knowledge, do one at nite .
@@michaelbrunner4997 This one smoked WAY quicker than I was expecting. I did one the same way a couple of weeks after this one, and it took 18 hours total. Both tasted fantastic. It really seems to just be how the brisket itself does each time. Keep an eye on both the grill and meat temps, and let it happen naturally!
When I have used the snake method I have used 58 briquettes on the bottom and 58 briquettes on the top with 5 3" hickory wood chunks spaced out 4 inches apart.
Noticed you added the brisket pretty much right after the lit coals. Do you not feel the need to get up to temp (225F or more) before adding the brisket?
The Weber holds very little heat on its own - keeping a consistent temperature relies on the lid remaining closed. Any time the lid is removed, the temperature drops dramatically, but it does come back up to temperature fairly quickly once its back in place. There is no way to "pre-heat" the grill. I simply start with a larger amount of lit coals so the grill heats to the desired temperature quickly once the meat is placed on the grill and lid is in place, and then I can control that heat solely with the dampers. I hope that helps answer your question. Thanks for watching!
@@TheGoodeLifeOutdoors "preheating" the Weber is usually referring to getting it up to operating temp and allowing it to stabilize there. That way you don't put your meat on while the grill is still rising up to 450 or something.
@@VladTheInhaler1 With the Weber, the only way to get it up to operating temp is to keep the lid on. As soon as you open the lid, you let all that heat escape and you start almost completely over. You certainly don't want your grill to spike to 450° with the snake method - if it does, you're using WAY too much charcoal.
I’ve also heard the colder your meat it is the better chance it has for the smoke to adhere to it. Just my .02. Happy smoking!
what is the purpose of putting foil under the flat? great video BTW!
Since the meat overlapped the coals, I wanted to protect it a bit from the heat as the snake burned by. Thanks for watching!!
I followed Harry Soo this morning and put 2 blocks of wood under my brisket. He said it helps to keep it from curling up
That’s great advice! I’ll give it a try. Thanks!
What kind of wood did you use
I use oak with my brisket. Thanks for watching!
Way too much wood for the snake method.
This setup has worked well for my purposes. How do you typically set yours up?
@@TheGoodeLifeOutdoors same way but with like 3 pieces of wood total and farther apart. wood burns unpredictably and causes heat fluctuations. I also find using that much wood on a snake makes the meat bitter. But if you like it that way you should keep doing it. I'd try it once the other way though and compare
@@tylerhughes5420 Thanks! I'll give it a shot my next cook.
Hi. Can you tell me the measurements of your seasonings.
I make the rub based on the size of the meat, but try to keep it around 3 parts salt and pepper, and 1 part onion, garlic, and chili powder, 1/2 part cumin. I hope that helps!
It does! Thank you.
Dry as a bone. Yikes
Not sure if you're referring to this one, or one you tried yourself. The one in this video turned out fantastic, and other than an overheated bit on the bottom I cut off, it was nice and moist! Thanks for watching!
You should of took it out at 195 probe temp
I've heard differing opinions on this. I've seen folks take theirs off anywhere from 190° to 205°. While I wasn't displeased with this one, I'll be experimenting with different temps as I go along. Thanks for the input!