Brisket, approx. 4-5 lbs.
Lump charcoal

  • Marinate brisket/butt overnight, see brisket marinade, mojo marinade, or just rubbed with salt. Rinse off salt and coat with Kansas City rub.
  • Fill egg with charcoal, light with firestarter, close lid with chimney uncovered to promote chimney effect, and wait until fire is well started, about 10 minutes.
  • Cover chimney with adjustable vent lid, and close down bottom and top airflow to regulate temperature, adjusting to about 250°F.  For most stable temperature, make a change and wait a few minutes to see the full effect.
  • Add the following to the smoker quickly to minimize oxygen allowed into the egg:
    • plate spreader (feet up)
    • drip pan filled with 1L water
    • grill rack
    • brisket, fat side down
    • meat thermometer
  • Smoke for a total of approximately 75 minutes per pound, opening lid as infrequently as possible.
  • When brisket/butt is around 170°F and the temperature has plateaued, remove and wrap in foil with ½ cup of liquid (beer, wine, broth, apple juice, etc.).
  • Continue smoking until temperature reaches 200°F.
  • Remove foil, reserving drippings for gravy if desired.
  • For well-browned exterior bark, return to egg for 15 minutes and open vents, allowing temperature to rise to 300°F or higher.
  • Allow brisket to rest for 15 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
  • To hold until dinner time, wrap in foil and store in a cooler, topped with towels.  This will limit heat loss to about 10-15°F per hour.

2020-10-04 11:40:06: Timeline:

  • 6:00 wake up, read news, cup of tea
  • 6:30 rinse, slather, and rub butt
  • 6:40 egg setup
  • 7:00 fire lit, mise en place
  • 7:15 butt on fire

ETA: 4.25 lbs. * 75 min = 5hrs 20min -> 12:30
but the guideline in the recipe has never been true, so really:

  • it’ll stall around 11, wrap at 3, up to 200F at 5, and ready to eat around 6