I filled my offset smoker with WATER and THIS happened | Smoke Lab with Steve Gow | Oklahoma Joe's®️

Does filling your offset smoker with water make for juicier brisket? Steve Gow from ‪@SmokeTrailsBBQ‬ conducts an experiment to find out, comparing a brisket smoked normally on the #Oklahomajoes Highland with another brisket smoked on a water-filled Oklahoma Joe’s Longhorn Offset Smoker. Let’s find out if the water makes a difference!
Water-Filled Offset Smoker Brisket
Ingredients:
Meat
12-15 lb full packer brisket
Rub
Quarter cup kosher salt
Quarter cup course black pepper
Technique
Plug drain hole in offset and fill with water until the water is just about to spill over into the firebox.
Trim brisket
Mix rub ingredients in shaker bottle, add small amount of vegetable oil to help mixture stay consistent
Apply rub to brisket, starting with back and sides, and finishing with fat cap
Place large water pan between the brisket and the firebox
Place brisket on far-left side of smoker with point facing right toward the firebox
Smoke at 250 for 4 hours (Note: Temperatures can be +/- 25 degrees of target temp)
Increase temperatures to 285 for around 8 hours or until the brisket probes at least 190-195 everywhere in the brisket
Wrap brisket in butcher paper with beef tallow and clarified butter
Place wrapped brisket in aluminum pan with quarter cup water added, foil top tightly. If aluminum pan is unavailable, wrap brisket with aluminum foil, ensuring liquid cannot leak from bottom.
Place brisket into holding device (holding oven, electric smoker, regular oven etc.) at 150 and hold for 15-20 hours. If using oven, check manual for instructions on how to adjust temperature down to attain 150 degrees - recommend confirming actual oven temps ahead of time with remote-graphing probe thermometer placed in a pan of water in the oven to ensure oven can hold meat at a steady 150 indefinitely.
Drain offset smoker water while it’s still hot to clean the smoker out
The next day, remove brisket from wrap, slice against the grain and serve.

[@NorthernThaiGardenGuy]

Steve - nothing compares to your steam injection method!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Not yet!

[@mattb9664]

I think it's time that we see Steve on Pitmasters! Every brisket comes out perfect!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

As long as I only have to cook brisket haha

[@blink555]

In a recent KZbin video, a pitmaster skewered a brisket on a rotisserie and cooked it on a pellet grill with great success. In light of this, a rotisserie with a basket that could hold 15 lbs. of meat would be a lovely addition to the Oklahoma Joe's lineup.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Cool idea!

[@brianveestrom6784]

Always a pleasure to watch, Thanks Steve

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks for watching Brian!

[@blink555]

In addition to placing a water pan underneath the meat for simple cleanup, I also position one in the cook chamber up against the firebox opening to help maintain more equal temps.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

That's what I do as well!

[@mbadolato]

Another great experiment, Steve! I've been curious about this one for a while

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks!

[@nirglazer5962]

Before even watching the video i'll give my opinion of what'll happen, and why. the cook will go a lot more smoothly, with much less heat differences, leading to a more juicy brisket due to the evenness of the cook. the fat will also render perfectly, but the crust won't be as crunchy. All the above has to do with the water. filling it up with water increases the heat mass which you heat up, and it will retain the heat much better, kind of like a ceramic grill. The lack of crunchiness will obviously be because of the steam. basically this gives you flavor of offset with the steadiness of ceramic. now i'll watch the video and see if I'm correct lol

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Pretty close! But it doesn't create as much steam/humidity as you'd think

[@jasonpettis4691]

I competed this past weekend, and heard that anything by Oakridge is now a collector's item.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Ahh that's too bad!

[@morenoanglers9800]

Another awesome video Steve. I got a gourmet outdoor smoker and what I did was put a water pan on the bottom of my pit by the offset hole so all the radiant heat hit it first and man my smoker temps are even throughout now

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Ahh that's a great idea. Does it make the meat juicier you think?

[@morenoanglers9800]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ yes!! Ever since I made that mod my food has come out juicier and tender.

[@CoolJay77]

Is this a vertical smoker?

[@morenoanglers9800]

@@CoolJay77 no regular offset smoker but the smoker box is on the left side not right

[@Cwrigh25]

Huh. I like that idea. Think I will try it on my next brisket.

[@danbalser6429]

I never knew that Gator loppers existed. What a great idea thanks!

[@CoolJay77]

Great experiment, Steve. It seems like steam is the way to go.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Steam is where it's at

[@KnightofSnowdonia]

I think pitmasters showing you how to trim a brisket in their new video is equivalent to Marvel showing you Uncle Ben's death in every new Spiderman film. Like, we've seen it enough now, guys. Chill.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Uncle Ben gotta die

[@joshwilkinson9350]

New idea. A 55 gallon drum set up like a drum smoker but instead of charcoal as a heat source 3rd fill it with water. Put a gas burner below the drum. Cold smoke pump through the side of the barrel over the water line. Brisket on a great above that. The boiling water should maintain a 100°c or 212°f which is hot enough to cook a brikset. Its the smoker version of the sousvide holding chest. Set it up and walk away. Come back in 12 hours.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

That would be cool!

[@BabyDiego10599]

I've never used a water pan with any of my cooks but maybe I will start. I usually depend on me spritzing my ribs or pork butts. Last few times I did ribs in the Bronco they seemed a bit on the dry side, even when I wrapped them. Hanging them in the Bronco works but trying to wrap 6 slabs and put them back in the Bronco I find is a pain! Anyhoo, got off subject a bit lol!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Curious if you're hanging then switching to wrapping how you fit them in once wrapped?

[@BabyDiego10599]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ stacking them on top of each other. Isn’t ideal but it works. I’ve only done this 2 times in the last 5 yrs and it sucked every time. Told my son who also cooks with me, I won’t be doing that again. 😂

[@dtnichols43]

I’m curious if the brisket in the water smoker cooked faster? If so, by how much? I would think with more moisture, the specific heat should increase in the chamber, causing heat to transfer to the meat faster. My guess, don’t know if this is real or not.

[@jmantwild9373]

I wonder if you could add aromatics in the water for more flavor, or line the bottom of the smoker with foil before filling it with water and throw some potatoes, onions, and carrots in at some point during the cook. I wonder if the veggies would taste good with all that lovely smoke and fat. One last thing.... BOURBON!😅

[@jmantwild9373]

What if you filled it with chicken or beef broth

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I think boiling water in the firebox would be the way to go for that. Not sure the water in the smoker body got hot enough.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

@@jmantwild9373 love it!

[@svenop]

Should have tested the wet bulb temp

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yes!

[@cemysh33]

Missing Oakridge Black Ops (R.I.P.)

[@CowboyCree63]

I think this is the first time I've ever seen someone wrap with both paper and foil. Not quite sure the point, but definitely interesting to see

[@m9105826]

One retains moisture, the other heat

[@josephabou-dubai6820]

My dad really wants some lobster tails, and I got to thinking if we could smoke them? If you or anyone has any tips on what temp, and wood to use would be great.

[@mowingcowboy]

Butter Flavored Crisco instead of Tallo.🤔

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Sounds delicious!

[@mikeguidry6777]

Can u PLEASE USE GINGER TO MARINATE THE BRISKET. Little water and blend ginger then let it MARINATE think it well be best brisket ever!!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Interesting! That sounds good

[@Bob-ru6nw]

Did your smoker turn to rust?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Nope!

[@SANYABABAY________]

😋👍💣👌

[@caseyjones3522]

what is the point of wrapping in butcher paper if you're just going to foil it anyway? seems like a waste.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I just foil it now like Goldees BBQ does. Seems to be easier

[@michaelstewart9366]

My wife said every 1/4 matters