Cheap Brisket on an Expensive Smoker vs. Expensive Brisket on a Cheap Smoker

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[@MadScientistBBQ]

To start comparing quotes and simplify insurance-buying, check out Policygenius: policygenius.com/madscientistbbq. Thanks to Policygenius for sponsoring this video!

[@CompactNation2022]

What ever happen to that gravity feed ok country smoker???

[@bjkeeter6178]

Yes please!

[@danieleckman6883]

I agree. An update to natural gravity fed and/or fan forced would be nice. Especially a nicer non fan fed gravity. They seem like the best of all worlds from your previous videos, great smoke, user friendly, and almost pellet grill ease.

[@wherestarget1607]

How long overnight did you let the brisket rest?

[@adriansanchez9650]

Is good to allow briskets to come to room temperature before putting it in the smoker or keeping it cold?

[@YoPaulieMusic]

OK, now take this to the next logical step: Cook one expensive brisket and one cheap brisket in each smoker. Let's see if there is a more noticeable difference between any of them.

[@kdailey4315]

Pretty sure he just did this a few weeks ago. He did Select, Choice, and Prime.

[@CoolJay77]

Agreed. There are too many variables in this experiment. In order to compare the smokers, both ought to have contained identical cuts. It could have been choice, Wagyu, or better yet, both. I suspect the cheap brisket, happened to be a great cut of beef!

[@derricktyler3577]

@@CoolJay77 I mean, that makes it a different experiment. If you want to see “which smoker is better” then you’d keep everything the same except the smoker. This experiment is more about whether an expensive smoker can make up for cheap meat and/or if high quality meat can make up for a cheap smoker. So I don’t think its that he took the wrong approach to accomplish his goal, he just had a different goal.

[@CoolJay77]

@@derricktyler3577 Fast Stack is definitely a better smoker. But had both smokers contained both identical beefs, we would have had a better idea on how much difference Fast Stack has made. Watching the experiment as is, makes me worder whether the $1.99 choice brisket happens to be a well marbled Angus. I myself, am a fan of Angus beef, and I much prefer the flavor over American Wagyu (Wangus.) Had both been cooked in the Fast Stack, I wonder whether in this paticular instance, the choice brisket would have still come ahead. What you call "cheap" brisket, may have been a great cut.

[@uddinf]

Agreed. Unfortunately, the experiment in the video is not properly controlled to make solid conclusions. Also, Prime instead of Wagyu would have been better. Wagyu cuts seem to never cook normally.

[@brandtmiles2373]

When you said cheap smoker I was expecting a Royal Gourmet or Oklahoma Joe, haha.

[@210pitmasterjoey]

This ^^

[@MadScientistBBQ]

Could have but I wanted to compare two ends of the 1/4” offset spectrum

[@AttilahMeneldor]

I think the low melting point of wagyu fat usually leads to a drying out of brisket. You have to cook them much differently.

[@RyTrapp0]

That would make a lot of sense, can't let the fat render as long or you're just going to lose more of it. I wonder if not wrapping it would've been enough.

[@OSHomestead]

I thought the same.

[@brody2642]

This needs to be higher. I love the channel but I'm not fond of when critical variables are overlooked.

[@iblong9505]

Exactly

[@ryderjohnson1293]

This comment makes the most sense out of everything I've seen. Wagyu brisket just isn't for me. Give me Wagyu everything else, just not brisket.

[@TxGameBred]

Briskets regularly go on sale at our local H‑E‑B, Kroger’s and Randall’s. At my skill level I won’t buy it if it’s more than 2 dollars a pound. I can’t risk messing up an expensive cut of meat. Although thanks to guys like you and Brad y’all have helped me a lot.

[@SinisterMD]

Honestly, what I'd like to see is someone with absolutely no experience of smoking hundreds/thousands of briskets try to manage the fire with the Fatstack or just use a pellet smoker. Then a blind taste test. I know someone who knows what they're doing can rock an offset, but what about the people who smoke 3-4 briskets a year?

[@bballera17]

I've only done 1 brisket. I volunteer

[@sw01ller]

I’ve only done one very cheap on my offset and about 95% of it was dry. I was gutted but my pit management was terrible, I drank too much and used poor quality lumpwood.

[@mattjasper5442]

Even the best smoker there is won’t make good brisket if you don’t know what you are doing. I’d ad something like take someone who has smoked before but maybe never used an offset so they have some basic knowledge, give Jeremy 30 minutes to to teach/train them on an offset and let them go at it.

[@RyTrapp0]

@@mattjasper5442 Yup, I agree, that would be a good "novice-but-not-beginner" baseline. You aquire so much knowledge in the beginning when you first pick up the basics that, frankly, the difference between your first time and your fifth time may be one of the biggest quality improvements you make. Maybe someone who's used a basic pellet smoker, the short lesson from Jeremy, that would probably make for a pretty representative 'novice'.

[@Drew-di6nt]

If you can put something in the oven you can cook on a pellet. The offset is a bigger challenge and to me that would be more interesting. Managing a fire is challenging for a beginner and sometimes even for someone that's cooked hundreds. Rain and winter would challenge most.

[@Frank-the-Tank-13]

Your father in law reminds me of mine. Seems like a great calm down to earth man truthful and respectful 100%.

[@MadScientistBBQ]

For this video I wanted to do an apples to apples comparison so I chose two 1/4” offset smokers that fall at opposite ends of the price spectrum. Perhaps in a future video I can do a head to head between something far cheaper and a 1/4” offset.

[@Beskar181]

Or use the same two smokers but add a 3rd that is a pellet smoker for under $1000 or maybe even under $500-$800 or so? Use the same briskets in each.

[@bobf5360]

that would be really great. For a lot of us in the city/suburbs, we don't have space for a big (or small) offset, so we're stuck with a WSM or a pellet grill. Forever doomed to inferior brisket, regardless of how much we spend on fancy japanese cows. :)

[@erichare6338]

I think it would be great to see a cheap, and expensive brisket on the fat stack, and a $200 Walmart special.

[@FruitfulForest77]

IMHO... you would most likely get about the same results, even if you used a Weber Kettle as the least expensive cooker. I think your knowledge and experience in cooking Briskets would shine through and u still end up with a great final product. BUT... Like u mentioned. I do believe the ability to get to somewhat of a cruise control cook with the higher end offset smoker is somehow playing into the fat rendering process to make for a better end result? Probably as simple as air flow in the expensive cooker. Either way, another great video and I was VERY surprised @ the results!

[@chferrel7411]

Jeremy did you keep the baffle out of the Brazos after cutting it out months ago? Wasn’t sure if you had it in for this cook or not

[@theftworthrealtor]

Great video, makes me feel even better about my recent purchase of the Workhorse 1975...My Q is darn good now smoking on a small cheap offset, so can't wait to see what level it can be taken when my REAL pit arrives June of 2023...

[@MarkB3h]

Great idea for a comparison. Honestly, I was surprised and expected the expensive brisket to coast through. Valuable lesson. Thanks Jeremy!

[@captaincoffee1882]

The Brazos will give you about as good of a smoke as any high dollar cooker if you tend to it properly. It's an amazing backyard cooker, although my personal preference is the old vintage Oklahoma Joe's.

[@chrisstogie7570]

Feeling like I spent a fortune at $550 on my smoker. Then seeing this makes me feel like I'm fixing garbage. That being said me and my family enjoy what I fix but makes me wonder just how good Jeremy's brisket really is. Too bad scent and flavor doesn't transfer through the screen 😆

[@Santi-pp7zs]

Mine was $150 imagine how I feel😅

[@Tortuga89R]

Well, I don't consider a $1000+ residential (no commercial use) smoker a "cheap" smoker by any means. If you like what you cook on your $550 smoker, rock on! If it's fun to do and tastes good....all that matters!

[@TheOriginalFaxon]

This what I was thinking. I want to see him do the same thing but using a weber smoker or something similarly small and affordable to even the brokest mofos. I have a ton of additions to mine (all cast iron top, coal tray with water reservoir, thinking about what I want to do about a drip pan next for this season coming up), and it makes some great BBQ, but I'd really like a bigger smoker so I can make brisket and other large cuts that just don't fit on my 22" weber without grilling them instead of smoking them. I can do chicken, ribs, tri-tip (smoke it like a brisket it comes out fantastic, especially if you inject with wagyu tallow), anything small really, but the low air volume means I'm constantly tinkering with the coals to get the heat how I need it, and it takes longer to smoke basically anything as a result. Thinking of getting a small vertical offset with a bunch of racks in it at some point, since they're affordable online, but I'd really love something proper like what Jeremy is working with, I just don't have the budget for it lol

[@JM-uo5vp]

I use a $700 smoker…. Spend your money on the meat.

[@jsmiller7373]

This is why today's smoking culture sucks. We've been brainwashed into thinking we need the best of the best to do something that poor people did very well 150 years ago with primitive means.

[@jamesgunn5358]

If you’re going to hype up my idea that video better deliver 😂 Asher lit up when he heard you mention a patron winning a Fatstack and then he thought your daughter eating the brisket was the cutest thing ever lol

[@idontedit7375]

bro, I just did my first brisket cook this past weekend..used a ton of knowledge I've gotten from you and it turned out great! thanks for all you do!

[@jonathanalexander4265]

tips dude? mine was dry

[@thenicknicol]

@@jonathanalexander4265 keep cooking. I have a small BBQ business and it took me a solid 2-3 years to dial it in to where its consistent and something im proud of

[@Joe-ci3rn]

@@jonathanalexander4265 keep cooking is great advice. I got a journal and documented what I did during cooks. If something isn't the way you like, check your notes, iterate and try again. It's hard to give specific advice without knowing exactly how you cooked it. Good luck bro!

[@mikef4050]

@@jonathanalexander4265 If you have a cheap offset smoker look at adding a waterpan as a deflector in your pit next to the opening to the firebox. I used a stainless steel mud pan like you get at home depot. It's perfect size for my cheap char griller 8955 smoker. Smoking beef shoulder for 17 hours and it was perfect. Only had to refill once. Good luck!

[@kdailey4315]

Showing this video to my wife immediately so I can get my custom 500 gallon.

[@matthewahern9989]

Great video! I will admit that I was thinking the “cheap smoker” might pull in a ECB or WSM not at $1k smoker. That said, based on the results, maybe there wouldn’t even be a point.

[@kendawg930]

He wouldn't do a wsm because it's not a true smoker plus offset vs offset. Wsm burns charcoal as the primary fuel offset burns wood. Although Harry soo has a video where he turns the wsm into a real stick burner.

[@pyrotech7210]

I thought the cheap smoker would be a $300 offset.

[@rsoito74]

That's what I was waiting for the cheap smoker I thought it would be the charbroil or a Oklahoma Joe's Highland

[@kendawg930]

@@rsoito74 same... My char broil is like 350...makes some damn good bbq tho

[@hotsaucejunkie]

It's probably the cheapest on his roster of smokers, but let's be honest, that old country brazos is not a run of the mill smoker... those things retain heat well and convection is good, The real test would be something like an OK Joe, Char griller or Char broil off set with thin gauge metal...

[@jasondreyfus7911]

I am blown away by this test. Could you do a session on how you adjust your cooking approach to the choice versus the prime or wagyu? I struggle with choice because to me prime is more forgiving with my cheap cheap offset smoker.

[@Weldzilla]

Love your approach. However with this challenge I think I would have immediately followed up with the expensive brisket on the expensive smoker and the cheaper on the cheaper, this would have been the logical way to ensure the results. Your videos are awesome, thorough, well described, great attention to detail, great awareness of costs! If I ever win something on your video I would want to win the opportunity to be part of the taste test!!!!! Good luck and never stop what you do, you are very good at it

[@KieranShort]

I agree with this.

[@peterg6953]

@@KieranShort Yup, agreed. I actually don't like the fact that he mixed and matched them.

[@beanbagcommando]

I agree, sounds like another video :)

[@edwardwright5388]

Everybody has a better idea than the guy doing the vid...I'm sure he don't know shit... Probably should do it in a dress...wear some make up, talk softer... Here's a stellar idea...go make yer own video fk face!...

[@James-qx3rh]

Though I agree I believe the point was to prove that the quality of your smoker really matters.

[@kilep80]

Couple weeks ago our families all got briskets on sale at Kroger for $40 and i cooked all them - Pellet and Charcoal barrel. Both tasted amazing, the Charcoal was really smoky but that's what i like and prefer. Been using your Wagyu talo and it doesn't disappoint! Great video!

[@Lantec1000]

This is great. This is exactly the type of video I need to show my wife so I can convince her that I need this upgrade. 🤣😁

[@kings-bay-2902]

You have the best information about the finer points of BBQ !

[@Timboslice321]

I recently smoked a couple wagu briskets on my Lonestar Grillz 24x60 offset. The first brisket I took the temp to 205 and it turned out horrible. The flat was dryer than any brisket I had ever cooked. The second one I smoked until probe tender. It was only at 185 when I pulled it. The difference was night and day. The wagu renders at such a lower temp from what I could tell. Jeremy I know it would be an expensive video, but I would like to see you cook two wagu briskets. Cook one up to 200-205 and cook the other to probe temp. I’m curious to see if my experience was a fluke or if there is more to it. I enjoy your videos, look forward to seeing what you will do next 👍

[@myronsichanpheng3764]

I also did the same and had the same results

[@Timboslice321]

@@myronsichanpheng3764 Thanks Myron!

[@jonsher7682]

Smart reply and suggestion that makes a lot of sense.

[@strinity511]

Briskets are an art, I've smoke about 5 of them. Out of those 5 I feel like my last one was amazing. Make sure to write notes with each cook, cause now I feel I can replicate that Brisket and I can't wait lol.

[@FiddleSticks800]

Great video. I am not entirely surprised. BBQ was really borne out of a need for preparing 'cheap' cuts of meat (stuff not used for steaks and roasts). I have found injecting a cheap brisket with rendered beef fat prior to smoking really narrows the perceivable difference between cheap and high-quality briskets under identical circumstances. The message of this video really encourages the idea that BBQ doesn't have to be expensive getting back to the roots of American BBQ. Well done.

[@bobf5360]

that's a fantastic insight. Can I ask what was your injection approach for the brisket? You melt the tallow, and just inject as much as you can before going on, maybe with a rest prior to getting on the heat? Or do you inject part way through the smoke? I also am hesitant to drop the $$$ for wagyu brisket. I've had pretty good success with just the grocery store brisket, on my old WSM, but following most of Jeremy's tips (tallow baste, wrap time, rest time, etc). Thanks for your comment!

[@FiddleSticks800]

@@bobf5360, I inject after trimming. I keep some rendered tallow in the freezer from the trimmings of previous briskets. I inject every 1 in or so focusing on the tougher and thicker muscles. It maybe takes 5 min. I also pour some extra tallow over the meat when wrapping in paper. Side note, if you are planning on reheating servings latter. I precut the brisket into individual serving sizes, drizzle a little extra tallow in the bag and freeze. These can be reheated via Sous Vide (~155 degrees); frankly I can't tell a difference from well-rested fresh brisket.

[@KainYusanagi]

@@bobf5360 If you get Wagyu brisket? Treat it like a much softer cut and cut it to roasts, steaks, etc. instead of just treating it like standard brisket, IMO.

[@Trimtank]

I love your explanation at the start and your video is so exceptional. Well done!

[@77Brainfreeze]

This video seems a little out of touch. Half the comments are questioning the $1000 price tag on the cheap smoker. I agree, this would have been a much more interesting video comparing an entry level smoker to even the $1000 smoker. I know a lot of people that have smokers and I am the only person I know that has spent $1000+ on a smoker. Go to any local or mid tier BBQ competition and you will see plenty of people competing on sub $1000 drum smokers and Weber Smokey Mountains. I am very surprised with the result, my guess is all that fat you mentioned being in the catch can should have stayed in the brisket.

[@chronicmango]

I fully expected this to be the opposite. In the coffee world, I’ll take a high quality expensive coffee made on a cheap brewer (or even in a funnel with a paper towel filter) than a crap coffee on a $40,000 espresso machine.

[@KENNEY1023]

A cheap smoker would be a 400 dollar Weber Smoky Mountain

[@MadScientistBBQ]

Since it’s a different style of cooker I thought this would be a more appropriate test

[@ShaquilleOatmeal94]

@@MadScientistBBQbut what about us blue collar folk lol my wife would kill me if i spent a grand on a smoker. Try explaining to her that its cheap

[@calebnoble1342]

I would suspect that the fattier brisket tasted much less seasoned due to equal amounts of salt on each brisket. Fat tends to negate the saltiness during the cooking/resting process and fattier/more marbled cuts can taste very bland if not accounted for when adding seasoning. This is why many top bbq joints over season their prime briskets knowing that when they add tallow it will cut the saltiness down to just the right amount. I would like to see an experiment putting this theory to the test. 3 prime briskets, wrapped with tallow to finish, one lightly seasoned vs one more heavily seasoned versus one regular amount of seasoning as the control.

[@leonzhou31]

Wow I am shocked by the results glad you did the test

[@MattMarko]

Would love to see you do a video on Big Green Egg vs pellet vs mid-grade offset as opposed to sole focus on old school offset.

[@TuscanyFTX]

Jeremy you should come to Cape Coral Florida and run my custom built 500 gallon offset and do a comparison of wagyu brisket vs choice on a custom offset that I built for under $1000.

[@backyard_pitmaster2893]

Wow! That is a surprising result. I would have thought that the quality of the protein would have been more important.

[@MadScientistBBQ]

I was very surprised too

[@jonsher7682]

@@MadScientistBBQ You used choice as your low-end rather than select, and you know from a previous cook-off that the difference between select and choice is massive, while the difference between choice and prime is much less. You really need to consider both results in context rather than isolation: Select grade is unredeemable and a waste of time and money; choice and above allow the quality of the smoke and the smoker to show through.

[@tonybevilsizer2331]

I believe it. Wagyu brisket for me doesn’t taste as good as prime. Both cooked in my 250 gallon pit.

[@ntj030885]

I would love to see both briskets cooked in the same smoker at the same time and see which one is better. I just cooked one today that wasn’t real cheap but very lean and it wasn’t as good as the ones I’ve cooked in the past.

[@DoubleDsp]

I don't know. It's like saying a paint brush makes the artist!

[@boober42]

I’ve got an outlaw smoker. With 2” insulated firebox. It simply can’t make bad bbq. No matter what you cook. The pit is simply amazing. I would like to see you use one of those pits.

[@virlynwynn4924]

The Kroger Choice brisket is normally $5.98. They have sales, usually around holidays for $1.97 - $2.97.

[@SystemLost]

Down here in Texas, Kroger has $1.99 choice on sale very regularly

[@joshpattersondarthmenno]

I’m really bummed that you didn’t use a sub $200 smoker lol.. $1k is more expensive than any smoker or grill I could ever own lol

[@alvshill]

These is a really useful experiment. I am heartened by the fact that a cheap cut of meat can still be made to taste great. Ps: I would describe the lower end smoker as ‘cheaper’ rather than ‘cheap’

[@BrewReview]

I would say, “inexpensive”. “The word “cheaper” has a certain quality connotation to it that I find unappealing most of the time. Bbq legit IS and was always all about taking undesirable cuts and transforming them into magical tastebud porn, I’m not very surprised at this outcome tbh.

[@alvshill]

@@BrewReview ‘Inexpensive’ would be the same as ‘cheap’ in this title. My point is that I wouldn’t think many would regard $1199 as cheap (or inexpensive), hence I would have described the lower end smoker as either ‘cheaper’ or ‘ much cheaper’.

[@thomaslahr9022]

Patiently waiting for my Fatstack! Well done here.

[@AntsBBQCookout]

This is a great idea, can't wait to see the winner's idea though!

[@MadScientistBBQ]

👍🏻

[@christopherjohnson8536]

I've been itching to see that video since he won

[@royvangemert1902]

I think you blew it by putting the cheap one in the expensive smoker and vise versa. You really cant know if the better smoker made the difference.

[@danhill7889]

If you salted them the same, you may have under salted your wagyu due to the higher fat content, which might be why they were saying the wagyu had less flavor.

[@richgroh3623]

He said there was a lot more grease from the wagyu...so I'm wondering if salted the same it washed the salt off. I will never afford wagyu so it's a moot point.

[@ardcostcontracting9488]

Great idea for a video I’d like to see you do it again with USDA approved beef. It probably was not the smoker. Wagyu is famous for having a soft fat that renders really quickly, that’s why it’s expensive. more than likely the reason it dried out more than the cheap brisket is because it has a softer fat. USDA brisket would have been a better comparison.

[@do7229]

As others have mentioned, I wonder if the wagyu was cooked to too high of an internal temp. Jeremy mentions the paper was filled with rendered fat at 10:11 and may explain why the wagyu was dryer.

[@naughtyskweet6]

Definitely possible the fat rendered easier, faster and he just didn't take it out soon enough when trying to keep things equal

[@philbaretela1106]

Would also like to see results with the modifications you made on the "cheap" smoker.

[@ethanjohnadams8667]

This was super great content. Really shows how much the equipment matters! Loved the food!

[@dougvolk4837]

My guy!!! If you are in Louisville this is your to get a great deal!

[@ethanjohnadams8667]

@@dougvolk4837 my man Doug!

[@MrMnmn911]

Good test. My opinion: If I have a cheap smoker/grill because I couln't afford an expensive one, I'm probably not going to be able to afford an expensive brisket. If I have an expensive smoker/grill, because I can afford an expensiver one, I'm probably not buying "cheap" brisket.

[@CA-kg8yy]

Hey great video man. Question - when you said you rested your brisket overnight, was it just in the oven on the lowest setting? I read you want to keep it at 140°F but I’m not sure how to do that without a dedicated warming oven

[@bobf5360]

agreed- i have the same issue, my oven won't go that low.

[@motuknight5569]

If you’re only doing one brisket at a time get yourself a turkey roaster. 22 quart. I have one made from rival but there are several different brands and they will go anywhere from the 120s to 450°. Perfect for resting a brisket at 140. Just make sure you put an accurate temp probe in there so you could dial in the temp because I don’t trust the markings on the dial that comes with the roaster.

[@TheBeerChasers]

140 is stated as it is "food safe" temperature, but you can go a little higher. Most say between 150-170 is ideal. I have found that if I rest a brisket down to 150, then place it in my oven on "warm", it can hold temp at 150 for hours. I leave a probe in and in the event it does start to creep up (maybe after 3-4 hours), I just turn the oven off until it gets back down to 150. Also, if you have newer oven with digital display etc., you can usually trick your oven by adjusting the calibration so that it thinks it cooks hotter than it does.

[@W2Report]

Honestly, if you keep it between 140-155, you should have great results. Hell, I'm not sure if the cooler is a better option for long rests, but I did see Chud BBQ do a video using a turkey toaster oven that can produce a 140 rest environment.

[@cullenjames7542]

I am not sure when Jeremy is starting his cooks, but if you start in the evening and plan for your cook to finish in the morning, you can hold it in a cooler for two or three hours.

[@L.Scott_Music]

I like your videos and I learn a lot but watching really is a bittersweet torture. I try to eat first before watching so it's not so bad. I don't have my smoker yet but it's your videos that have caused me to make the decision to get one. BTW, what method or system do you use to keep your knives sharp?

[@vagabondwastrel2361]

I think you should have did a side by side with the cheap and expensive to see if you needed to modify how you cook the wagyu. Depending on the grade Wagyu needs some adjusting due to the fat rendering temperature.

[@razeunit69]

How would you cook Wagyu differently to get the best result?

[@vagabondwastrel2361]

@@razeunit69 I suggest checking out guga foods but not low and slow. The fat melts at a lower temperature than other types of cow's fat. I would go cast iron medium low or like a 3-4 out of 10.Flip every 30 seconds until you have a crust. The rest depends on the thickness and the internal temp.remember that when meat rests it will go up(obviously, but people still forget).

[@sheenpark9046]

Can you show us smoking other cuts? I am curious cheap round roast tastes good as brisket or much worse.

[@bmseay1]

It would be awesome to have a better control for the experiment and some suggestions for doing this a second time: 1. Have both cookers smoke both meat types (cheap and expensive). I would also recommend using the upgrades you showed us on the cheap smoker (the stack extension) to keep them as close to on par as possible. I don't think anybody would change the classification of a cheap smoker by adding that stack (Assuming the baffle is still removed, so half way there already).

[@Mike-jt7xw]

This was a nice comparison! Now you need to put the expensive meat in the fatstack and the cheap meat in the $1000 smoker and test again and see how they rate ! Lol

[@codyseale]

Wow, I NEVER would have guessed the results would have ended up like that. I figured that the expensive smoker would do a good job, like it should, but it's still Choice brisket up against a Waygu brisket and Waygu would ALWAYS WIN. Again, I'm shocked!!

[@thatstupidbunnysuit2648]

I live very close to KC Cattle Company. Imma have to check them out now. I go to a popcorn store across the street from them all the time.

[@tonyb.3902]

Bought a cheap smoker a few years ago because I wasn't sure if I would stick with it. I ended up loving to smoke, so I will use this video as an excuse to tell my wife I need to buy that high end Treager I've had my eye on this year. Thanks buddy!

[@JWFas]

My first wagyu purchase was from KC Cattle Company. I went with them because they were local, run by vets, and happened to be the best value for the money. Unfortunately, I can no longer recommend them. Not only do they no longer offer free local delivery, but their prices have risen massively (around a 50% increase). It doesn't make a lot of sense, because other wagyu retailers have barely risen. Wagyu farming has always been low volume, so they can't blame COVID or "inflation". When I got a wagyu brisket from them two years ago it was $11.99/lb, and even that was expensive. Now it's approximately $18/lb. This company's ego has become overly inflated from its success.

[@theftworthrealtor]

$18lb...wow...I recently smoked an American Wagyu from Snake River Farms, their more expensive Gold cut...it came in at around $13.50lb...smoked it this weekend and it was delicious...shipping wasn't bad either, I think was $10 to ship to Texas...

[@terryhier6136]

That was a eye opener!

[@epioneer]

When you started trimming the briskets and that song kicked in, I thought you might start building a cabin. Some of you know what I mean ;)

[@atx0025]

Need to see this same comparison on Pellet smokers next. While I love stick burners, this also shines light why I swapped. I had the 1000 dollar smoker and it wasn't worth the time and effort vs quality it put out compared to a Traeger, let alone a Yoder. I'd love to see a side by side with a Yoder vs Traeger vs Rectec. Get a cheap and expensive wagyu for each and see which pellet is the best to an expert Qer like Jeremy.

[@Steveablake]

This is really encouraging that I can still make good bbq while using a cheaper brisket.

[@seeya205]

Should have done both briskets on both smokers so you can see if it was the smoker that made the difference or not.

[@jeffhruska8626]

what about doing the test with the mods you made to the pecos smoker.

[@thehovable]

The "cheap" smoker is $1,000, lol! That smoker is nicer than what most people have. Would have been cooler to see it on a $200 charbroil offset.

[@scotchguru]

Just curious....will you be using the Goldee's wrapping method going forward for your cooks?

[@schlogen]

Also someone tell Goldees to sell their rub online

[@SycoPhan7]

I'm not super surprised by this, I haven't seen anyone on youtube do a great wagyu brisket cook. I think you'd have been better served to go choice vs. the best prime you could find. Also, since your realtor is there I hope we can look forward to a great new "set" for your videos! Congrats!

[@metanga1223]

A $1000 smoker is still expensive to me. Also, there are two variables; there should have four briskets total for better comparison, or limit to only one variable, either $ on meat or $ on smokers.

[@mikeg6069]

I love your various comparisons of things. In this case, I don't think you can automatically conclude the cheap brisket was better because the expensive smoker was better. Simply because it's Waygu doesn't mean it's a better tasting meat than the cheaper Choice cut. IMO, there are too many variables to draw simplistic conclusions.

[@chucknorrispka]

I can spend a ton of money on a grass fed brisket, but I'd much rather have the cheap corn fattened brisket. I don't even like Wagyu. I think this was a flawed experiment. The smoker isn't gonna make a massive difference. Your skill with your smoker matters much more than the price of the smoker. Some of the best meat I've ever smoked was on a Weber kettle.

[@JJ-gr7th]

Use 2 of the same briskets one in a cheap smoker and the second on the expensive smoker

[@mcfarvo]

Should've done 2 of each brisket sources split between the 2 smokers, so 1 of each brisket in both smokers....

[@ibgoneagain]

Have to agree with most here. I was really surprised by the results. But it does make sense. Now, how do I get the wife to watch the video so she knows I NEED the $5,000 smoker?

[@sergiorodriguezballestero714]

Lesson take it..!! In my case, a crappy smoker would be helped with some bbq improvements, help the meat with some tricks and try to master your equipment.

[@philbert006]

So I had forgotten to turn sensors off on my phone and my mom was telling me about the brisket she bought and I've been bombarded with brisket videos all week. Anywho, she found one at Kroger for $1.29 lb, like 21lbs. I'm kinda glad. I've never cooked a brisket, but seeing all these videos has me excited for it, except handling all the materials, as I'm stuck in a wheelchair. I live in Memphis, which of course in my opinion is the home of the world best BBQ, and I think I can hang with the best. We will see

[@joek7031]

Feel better about my fs120 order...lol

[@jrcordero8194]

I believe, it’s the man behind the smoker!

[@jasonp74208]

Brisket brisket brisket brisket. Love the videos Jeremy, but you're getting repetitive. Maybe start putting together meals INCLUDING the meat? Brisket and a smoker simply can't be the star of the show every video.

[@carloscampillo6614]

When his cheap smoker is your pride and joy

[@therealalexdumas]

Feeling butthurt about the Brazos being called cheap 😭😫 lol I recently just got mine, cost a nice grip but it's awesome and I love it. Great video Mad Scientist

[@THutch556]

I don’t own either smoker, so no dog in this fight. I do know for a fact (with mods) a Brazos/Pecos will cook excellent and as good as most anything. To me, when you where wrapping the choice brisket off the Fat stack, the bottom of the brisket looked a lot less cooked (bark) than the top of the brisket, looks to me like the fat stack is cooking more top down, than even across convection. A stock Brazos/Pecos is very opposite, In my experience they cook heavy from the bottom up, till the baffle is removed. I’ve seen temps of 100 degrees difference on a probe under a brisket vs a probe above a brisket till the baffle is removed. This is why I say a Brazos/Pecos can be modified to cook great by doing that mod as well as several others. I think cooking the same grade and brand and as close as possible of brisket in each would have been a better comparison on the ability of the cooker, as there to many variables cooking that different of meet. Still really enjoyed the content, keep up the great work.

[@chaddesmarais710]

He made a video of the mods on the brazos and compared it to the Franklin and thought it might have been a little more even temps than the Franklin and had great draw. I’ll probably get bashed for saying this but I believe he is buddies with the guy that makes fat stack and probably wouldn’t help his sales if the brazos would have made a better brisket.

[@THutch556]

@@chaddesmarais710 To be honest, I was thinking the exact same thing while watching this test.

[@molassis8474]

The bigger story was finding Choice Brisket for 1.99 a pound. Low and slow can fix cheaper cuts.

[@lyleswavel320]

My wife and daughter do not like all that mushy fat on a waygu, they like black Angus choice or prime, much more beefier flavor and beef texture when eating

[@purpleheartbbq576]

Only 6 more months until my workhorse 1975 gets delivered 😂

[@braddixon3338]

Total surprise there, that the smoker made so much difference. Being able to take a cheap choice grade brisket and make it better than a waygu is incredible!

[@unkindguy88]

So Harry Soo been lying to us?! He said along the lines of "equipment doesn't matter, the cook does matter"

[@BecksFamilyBBQ]

I am churning out great briskets in my Oklahoma Joe, now im even more stoked to get my big 500 gallon!!!

[@mrtimjitsu]

should have gone with a USDA select if you want the cheapest lol.

[@ericaustin3110]

As most said below, need a reverse test. To me, it proved that expensive brisket is not worth it. Would like to know if I am wrong or right.

[@alaskatoy]

I rarely comment. But this is one of my favorite videos yet. I don't necessarily agree with the over simplification of your conclusion, but I do agree that this settles the idea that cheap brisket can be barbecued to exquisite perfection. Thanks for the work.

[@lijay1]

Okay, so first of all the Brazos is not a “Cheap” smoker, lol. Secondly, $1.99/lb for choice!!! I’m down! I saw a $1.50/lb Select at Smart&Final. And we could’ve used a $900.00 Japanese A5 Wagyu brisket for the Brazos, lol. Great video, as always.

[@thekidofpt1]

Ok ok hear me out. What if it wasnt so much the difference in "technology" of the two smokers, but the sizeof them that made the difference? In the fat stack, you have a larger volume of air moving overthe meat at a slower pace. That tends to help keep it moist, right? Well in smaller smokers its quite the opposite. I think the fat stack 80 would have made a better comparison to the old country.

[@andresbedon]

You should try to cook an expensive brisket and a cheap brisket on the same smoker! to see which one is better; and then the same in a cheap smoker.

[@samykaz6]

Damn i thought you would use your next smoker. At more-or-less 110$ / BBQ

[@ericduke2318]

Noticed you took the mod smoke stack off the Brazos. Did the mods make any difference?

[@maphro]

your wagyu brisket is more expensive than my actual BBQ/smoker. cheapest brisket prices I've seen here are about 11usd per kg

[@frankandbeansbbq]

Can't wait to smoke some ribs on our offset. I hang the ribs in a modded WSM right now. I'm interested in the difference in flavors they produce.

[@2005Pilot]

Bro, my WSM hasn’t seen a spark in the 2- yrs I’ve had my stick burner. It’s that much funner and better to me

[@TheSteelPhantom]

FYI Jeremy, debts incurred before your marriage do NOT carry over to your spouse, and NO DEBTS WHATSOEVER carry over to a child from a parent. I 100% agree that people should have life insurance for their families. Life insurance for your family should exist to supplement your income for 5-10 years should you die and your family needs to go without it. But your own personal debts never fall to your children. Thought you should know that for some peace of mind for your daughter. :)

[@KaitouKaiju]

They don't but debt collectors like to scare people and come after them Also they will try to take the debt out of whatever inheritance you leave your family

[@ScottysBackYardBBQ]

i won my first bbq comp in 2003 using a cheap offset from walmart. its the cook not the cooker ..

[@CoolJay77]

Very well said.

[@MichaelAlthauser]

$1,000 is a "cheap" smoker? Dang. Guess this isn't exactly an entry level hobby, is it?

[@otrsmalls252]

what salt are you using these days? i know you used to use mortons but i thought you switched