What to do when The Fire Goes Out! ( Charcoal BBQ Fire That is...)

Charcoal Briquettes

What to do when your Charcoal BBQ Fire Goes Out!

Too often we talk about making some fancy Dino rib monstrosity or some glaze laden pork ribs but we never seem to spend much time on the actual cooking part of the process.  Yes, we talk about using smoked woods or charcoal or even gas but we never seem to spend much time on the what ifs of Barbecue.  So, in this post we are going to talk explicitly about one of the major what ifs....namely, What to do if The Fire goes out...(BBQ Fire That is...)  We make no comments or focus on your personal or professional relationship with someone.  This post is strictly focused on Barbecue and Barbecuing.

A couple of days ago I was merrily grilling ribs and chicken using the snake method along with some red oak smoking wood.  I noticed the temperature creeping out of the friend zone which was target at around 225 to 240 degrees.  In fact my temperature when "on wood" was around 310 degrees.  So I began notching the grill openings down a 1/4 turn with a check back every 5 to 10 minutes.  After the first 10 minutes I actually noticed the temperature rise even more to 320 degrees.  Clearly there was either a lot of wood to burn with the charcoal or there was an uneven mix of briquettes in one area.  So, after another 10 minutes I added another 1/4 turn on the top vents to reduce the amount of available oxygen in the grill.  I noticed around 10 minutes later that the temperature started to reduce.  There was a drop of about 5 degrees followed by another drop of 10 degrees so the grill was sitting around 305 degrees at this point way too high for the ribs and chicken.  I decided to double down and added a full 1/2 turn closing off even more oxygen to the grill.  Within 10 minutes I started to notice a drop in temperature.  First the grill dipped to 290 degrees then to 260 degrees in about 10 more minutes.  I decided one last notch at about 1/8 of a turn.  I checked back 10 minutes later and now the grill was below the 225 degree mark.  I thought I would give it some time to level off but unfortunately the grill dropped down to 200 degrees and no longer on wood.  I adjusted the vent up by 1/4 but it was too late.  The grill had not started it free fall as the charcoals were barely holding on to any heat at all.  My last check noted that the temperature was not 178 degrees miles away from the temperature I needed to properly cook my ribs.  So, what to do....what to do?

After evaluating the situation I realize through the process of elimination I had two or three options.  First I needed to check on the time of day.  Since I was moving into the late afternoon I only had about two to to three more hours that I could use to get the heat back to level by using a chimney starter.  A second option would be to get the fire started, bring the meat to 160 degrees then finish the meat off in the oven.  A third option was to again bring the meat to 160 then microwave the meat for about 1 or 2 minutes.  The third option was not desirable but in a pinch it does work.  Especially if you put the meat back on the grill and allow it to finish with additional smoke flavor.  The downside of the third option is that the meat is not as juicy when the microwave is used.

Looking at these three options I decided that I could use the chimney starter.  I had to get enough charcoal into the unit plus adjust some of the charcoal in the grill that still managed to have some heat.  The chimney starter would take a minimum 20 minutes to bring the coals to temperature.  After because I was using the snake method they charcoals would need to restart the burning process for the remaining coals.  I laid down a single layer of coals about six coals that I could use to stack the coals from the chimney starter.  This lay down process would be the igniter for the remaining coals in the snake.  I started the coals in the chimney starter then adjusted as needed the coals in the grill.  I kept the lid on the grill with the vent wide open as much as possible. After about 20 minutes I noted that about 70% of the coals were close to temperature.  Again I checked the time of day along with how much time I would need to bring the meats to the desired temperature.  I calculated that I would not have enough time to finish adequately so I would have to employ a second measure to finish by my target of 6 pm.  Even though my original target was 5:30 we are into the Summer part of the year so there is much more light available and eating a little later is not a real struggle.

The additional heat method I chose was the microwave.  I know it doesn't seem like the best thing to do but my focus was on driving up the internal temperature of the meat.  The grill was going to handle the smokiness and crispiness of the skin on the chicken.  I brought just the chicken in and placed that on a dish and ran the microwave for about 1 minute.  I checked the chicken with the temperature probe and noted that the microwave had driven the internal temperature up to 170 degrees.  I like my chicken a little more well done so I was shooting for a finished temperature of 180 degrees in the thigh areas of the chicken.  I allowed the chicken to rest in the microwave while I checked the coals in the chimney starter.  Afterward I poured out the fired briquettes onto the lay down coals and positioned them for maximum efficiency and so that they would quickly start the unlit charcoal.  I put the grate back on and allow the charcoal to reach a grilling temperature.  I checked my gauge and notice the coals were now back to 240 degrees.  Keep in mind through this entire process I had not removed my ribs.  In fact the ribs were just about due to be placed into foil for the 2 hour steaming and moisture process.  I knew I would not have enough time to complete that process so I chose to notch that down to 1-1/2 hours.  I wrapped my ribs and put them back on the grill.

The grill temperature was now a steady 240 degrees so both the ribs and the chicken were placed back on the grill.  In addition to the meats I added some very small segments of red oak wood just enough to get some smoke going for the chicken.  After about 40 minutes my desired temperature of 180 degrees was reached for the chicken.  I pulled that off and immediately rested the chicken in the oven.  The ribs had a ways to go so I just left those on.  After about an hours I probed the ribs and noted they were now at about 195 degrees. My target temperature was 200 so I put the lid back on and continued cooking.  After about 20 minutes I received an alert that my target temperature had been reached.  I pulled off the ribs and immediately placed them in the oven as well for resting.

I knew that if I rested the ribs the total 1 hour I would pass my target eating time of 6 pm so after 30 minutes I removed the foil.

Things I noticed following the use of the microwave.  The chicken although perfectly achieving the temperature was not as juicy as if it had completely finished on the grill. The ribs was just a little bit tougher that originally planned.  I think if I had placed the ribs in the foil meat side down I could have alleviated any toughness.  Although the meat would be more wet that some might like but still tasty.

Overall, if you are managing your charcoal grill and start to notice a fluctuation in temperature be mindful not to over adjust your vents.  Move the vents in increments of about 1/4 inch each and wait at least 10 minutes before making additional adjustments.  Prior to the grilling process make sure that the amount of charcoal layered around the grill is evenly spread.  Also, keep an eye on the amount of smoking wood used.  Sometimes wood can create a sort of false positive in the cooking process.  When "on wood" the temperature will rise causing you potential to over adjust the vents downward.  Resist the urge to overcompensate and focus on small increments to manage the temperatures.

Last but not least bring the meats to room temperature before grilling.  This will actually give you a running start when it comes to cooking.  If the meat is cold it will take longer to exchange cold for heat and that time wasted may be the time you needed before you temperatures started to go haywire.

Always use quality materials on the meats during and after the preparation process.  Right now Jake's Famous has some great deals on BBQ Sauce, Dry Rubs, and Table Condiments.  Checkout our site today and use code: 1707200910 for an immediate 10% discount at checkout.

Brisket Rub Recipes

Brisket BBQ

 

Our Brisket Rub recipes provide you the best and most popular options for having your favorite style of mouthwatering slow cooked Brisket. Jake's Famous brand Pure Santa Maria Rub and our Tri-Tip, Steak and Rib Rub for sale are both superior blends of herbs and spices that improve upon the old standard Santa Maria Style Brisket Rubs.

Over the years Brisket has become a main line staple on the barbecue scene.  True Brisket roasts require time and patience and most people buy them because they understand the time and energy it takes to produce and exceptional tasting meal.  We season our Brisket with our  Jake's Famous Tri-Tip, Steak and Rib Dry Rub then we let the tri tip roasts marinate in the tri tip rub seasoning for a minimum of an hour. The roasts after preparation are covered and placed in a fridge on a middle shelf during the marinating process. In the setup smoking process we like using wood fire (Red Oak) or Charcoal with smoking chips. If using smoking chips make sure you soak the chips in water for at least 2 hours. Then put a handful of chips on the coals or in a smoke box once you have reached the right temperature for smoking.  I take BBQ Sauce or our special recipe Bourbon Glaze warm that and hold for serving with the Brisket.  That warmed sauce becomes more of a condiment at this point and my guests are afforded the opportunity to lather on as much sauce as they prefer during their eating process.

**When many people asked about what they would want more of in their lives.  At a rate of 8 out of 10 answer, they wish they had more TIME.  And while we can't give you more time, we can certainly reduce the amount of it you waste on non productive things.  Yes, you could write down these recipes and gather the ingredients, blend them and walk through the marinating process.  And yes, you could go through the motions of testing and marinating and testing and marinating to find out which one works best.  But, why would you when you have access to the best Smoked and standard Brisket recipes right here on this website.  That's right, we host 3 outstanding brisket rubs premeasured, pre-blended and pre-ready for you to use.  It might take you 3 days to collect the materials you need to get your tri tip rub together from one of these recipes. But, if you act now you could have your favorite of our three brisket rubs in your hands tomorrow.  That's right if your order any time between Monday and Thursday you could have the brisket rub of your dreams in your hands in handy right sized containers.  Take a look at these three dry rubs:

Tri Tip, Steak and Rib Rub

A full flavored dry rub recipe with bold hints of smoked hickory salt, rich brown sugar, savory granulated garlic, onions, coarse ground black pepper and the most perfect blend of tarragon and oregano.

Santa Maria Pure Dry Rub

How fantastic it is this straightforward, no frills, all action Santa Maria inspired dry rub.  Combining rich hints of wholesome garlic, coarse ground black pepper, smoked kosher salt, the freshest parsley and hints of onion and mustard.

Santa Barbara Smoked Rub

Life is better when the perfect blend of spices and herbs join together to improve your life and tastes.  This righteous blend of New Mexico Chili powder, cayenne, smoked hickory salt, golden brown sugar, granulated garlic, onion and more make this the quintessential dry rub.  A rub that not only delivers its best flavors to perfect brisket but increase peak flavor with the right hints of smokiness.  This is a keystone dry rub in our stable of rubs.  And right now this dry rub could be yours.

Get one or all of these dry rubs Today!  Don't hesitate to get ahead of the pack by choosing the right rub for you.  When it comes to making brisket for you and your friends, do you want to experiment or deliver proven results?  Right, you want to deliver proven results.  We've taken all the guesswork, efforts and time loss out of the equation.  Just use our code: 1707200910 now to get an extra 10% OFF your next purchase at Checkout.

Time is of the essence Order Today!

Texas Brisket Rub Recipe

• 1/3 cup/80 mL paprika (not smoked)
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 3 tablespoons/45 mL garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons/45 mL onion powder
• 2 tablespoons/30 mL oregano
• 2 tablespoons/30 mL salt

Easy Texas Brisket Rub Recipe

• 1/3 Cup Coarse Ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 Cup Kosher Salt

Ranch Style Brisket Rub Recipe

• 4 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Paprika
• 2 Teaspoons Dried Orange Peel
• 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Chipotle Brisket Rub Recipe

• 2 Dried Chipotle peppers
• 3 Tablespoons Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Cilantro
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Orange Peel

Smoky Brisket Rub Recipe

• 1/4 Cup Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Smoked Hickory Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika
• 2 Teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
• 2 Teaspoons Granulated Garlic
• 2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin

Brown Sugar Brisket Sweet and Spicy

• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Salt
• 1/3 Cup Paprika
• 1/3 Cup Chili Powder

Brown Sugar Brisket Sweet and Spicy

• 4 Tablespoons Dried Black Peppercorns
• 3 Tablespoons Paprika
• 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Sea Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin Seeds Ground
• 2 Teaspoon Celery Seeds Ground

Santa Maria Brisket Rub Recipe

• 3 Tablespoons Granulated Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Coarse Ground Black Pepper

Coffee Brisket Rub Recipe

• 1 Tablespoons Ground Coffee
• 1 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• 2 Teaspoons Ancho Chile Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Coarse Ground Black Pepper

Although these Brisket Rub Recipes are perfect for Brisket, they can all be used on select pieces of beef, chicken, pork ribs, beef ribs and fish. Select one, mix and sample on your favorite meat.

**In our e Learning section we've added an ebook entitled 12 Days of Tri Tip Recipes . This is a great collection of Jake's 12 best Tri Tip recipes that we've used over the years. Keep in mind even though these are listed as Tri Tip Rub Recipes they can easily be adapted to support Brisket or Pulled Pork Shoulder.   The eBook is a limited edition series and is available while supplies last. Click the link to Order Now. Downloads will be emailed to your favorite email address. (Although shown note there is NO shipping cost as this is a download. Just click continue and follow to Checkout).

To help out our many customers requests we are including instructions on How To Brisket...see below:

Ingredients Needed:

-Yellow Mustard
- Jake's Dry Rubs (Tri Tip, Steak and Rib Rub, or Santa Maria Pure Dry Rub)
-Charcoal Grill
-Charcoal
-Red Oak Firewood soaked for 20 minutes in water
Sharp Knife
-Plastic bags or sealed container

We'll start with how we make Brisket here at Jake's Famous Foods.  We do a couple of things that maybe a lot of folks don't do but the results are always phenomenal.  So, let's get started.

1. Once you've selected your Brisket from either the grocer or butcher you'll want to thoroughly clean the Brisket.  Cleaning with just regular water is the preferred method that does not leave any residue on the meat.

2. You'll want to trim off any excessive fat.  When we say excessive what we mean is that a good Brisket requires some fat on the meat.  The fat breaks down in the cooking process and adds additional flavor to the meat.  So leave enough fat cap on the meat so that it will add additional flavor.

3. Prepping the meat is fairly simple but it does take some time.  After you've trimmed off the excessive fat and cleaned the meat a second time pat the meat dry with a paper towel.  Once the meat is reasonably dry take some standard yellow mustard in a squirt bottle and squirt that all over the Brisket.  Keep in mind the mustard can be just average style that you would find in a dollar store.  Once the meat is squirted rub the yellow mustard all over the meat ensuring that all of it is covered.  **A Note on the mustard process.  We add mustard to the meat because it adds additional strength in breaking down the muscle fibers of the meat.  The mustard will be absorbed into the meat and it will add a slight tartness to the meat which is highly desired when cooked.

4. Once the meat is covered with the mustard place in a container for resting.  You'll want to rest the meat for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 12 hours.  Anything beyond 12 hours and basically the meat starts to turn to pulp.  So, rest the meat a good two hours if you can spare it.

5. After resting you'll want to add either one of our Famous Tri Tip, Steak and Rib Rub or the traditional Pure Santa Maria Dry Rub  Just click on either term and you will be transported to their respective pages.  Coat and / rub the meat with either dry rub and be a little generous with the rub.  This is a fairly dense meat and basically you'll just be delivering the rub into the first 1 inch layer of the meat.  After the rub is applied allow the meat to rest again in a cool dry place preferably your refrigerator for at least 1 hour and 2 if you can do it.

6. Now your cooking time is going to take at least two hours or more so we want to make sure you get your grill ready.  If using a charcoal grill you'll want to get the coals started in plenty of time ahead of the cooking.  Here a good step after the meat has rested remove it from the refrigerator and place it in a sealed container on your counter.  At the same time go out and start your charcoal grill.  Note, you're grill will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to reach a peak cooking temperature and during that time the meat will be resting getting ever closer to ambient room temperature.  We do this so that the meat doesn't have to start on the grill flat cold which will take longer to cook and may actually deliver a poorer flavor to the meat.

7. Once the grill is ready add the soaked Red Oak Firewood onto the charcoals.  The Red Oak will deliver a really nice flavor to the meat in addition to the dry rub.  The fat cap should be on the upside of the meat.  Turning the meat this way will allow a melting effect and will increase the flavor of the meat.

8. Place the lid on the grill and allow the meat to reach its smoking temperature.  Remember brisket will take a fair amount of time to cook (approximately 6-8 hours) so plan ahead especially when smoking. After 30 minutes you'll want to check the temperature gauge to see if additional management is needed.  If the temperature looks steady just leave the grill alone and monitor at least once an hour.  If the temperature is too low or too high then adjust the vent down to reduce temperature and open it up more to add additional oxygen thereby increasing the temperature.

9. After about two hours you'll want to decide what you're final results will look like.  Do you want the meat medium rare, or medium and if you have to medium well.  I like medium so I tend to let the meat cook until it reaches about 200 degrees. Brisket grill temperature should average around 290 to 300 degrees.

10.  Rest the meat for no less than 30 minutes.  This will allow the juices to reabsorb in the meat making the Brisket even juicier.  Following the resting period place the meat on the cutting board and with a sharp knife you'll want to slice off sections that are at least 1/4 inch wide.  Another critical thing is direction for cutting the meat.  You'll want to ensure that you cut perpendicular to the grain of the meat.  The best way to describe it is if you stretch out your hand so that all your fingers are together then place your other hand on top so that your palm is facing you and it rests on all the knuckles.  If this was a knife this would be considered perpendicular.  The same applies to the meat because of where the meat originally comes from there is a degree of musculature that runs within the meat.  Cutting in a perpendicular fashion opposite of the grain of the meat will allow the meat to chew to perfection.  If you cut the meat with the grain where you'll be able to see lines formed in the meat the meat will be chewy so all that hard work will be for not.

That's how we make Brisket on a Weber grill.  If you have any questions don't hesitate to write us at jakesfamousfoods@gmail.com. Whether you're looking for Brisket Recipes like Tri Tip Dry Rub Brown Sugar recipe, Homemade Cajun Brisket Recipe, Santa Maria Brown Sugar Recipe, or more checkout all the recipes and ideas on our website: Jake's Famous Foods

Happy Brisket!

Use Code 1707200910 with any item and receive a 10% discount.

Learn More About What Makes A Spice Rub?