How was the alder wood? Never tried that before.
2 Likes
Is alder wood your go to?
I asked the guy at the best bbq joint Iāve ever been too and he said they used mostly oak with a touch of hickory.
5 Likes
It is my go to but thatās only my 3rd brisket so have not experimented much yet. Just getting the basics down first. I use hickory when I make Jerry though.
4 Likes
Iām hardly a smoker expert but I did live in Texas and know a little bit about smoked brisket.
3 Likes
I found a few places the recommended Alder for Brisket. Itās not as strong as hickory. I will play around with other woods as I learn more about my smoker. I ran a batch of Jerky using Cherry wood and it turned out really nice.
4 Likes
In my limited experience with smoking meat and fish, alder is more commonly used for fish than red meat. Itās entirely possible that this is a local or regional thing. Itās a more subtle smoke than oak, hickory, maple or fruit woods, and mesquite is totally in your face.
My personal favorite brisket comes from Blackās in Lockhart, TX. They use a local sub-species, post oak exclusively, and they are (or at least were maybe a decade ago) the largest consumer of the wood in the state. Itās in the pit for 30 hours. I donāt remember the temperature or rotation schedule, but their brisket is over the top! Itās traditional Texas Q, which is to say itās seasoned with salt and pepper, no sauce. Nor is it traditionally served with sauce. About 20 years ago, due to the rising popularity of BBQ, they introduced their own line of sauce. I personally have never tried it nor do I expect to. If youāre ever in the Austin area, Lockhart is about 40 minutes away.
10 Likes
Did you eat at Blackās?
Mrs. motaās mom lived in Austin for about 30 years. Weād visit her three or four times year, and for the first six or eight, weād visit maybe half a dozen pits each visit. We were willing to drive a couple of hours to try that next one we saw on the last trip but were too full to try. Meyerās Elgin Smokehouse was our go to for garlic links. Smokinā good! It was over an hour from Patās house outside Austin.
4 Likes
I did not. Food wise I remember Austin for the tacos and the chili.
The place I mention was in San Antonio off the highway in an old abandoned gas station converted into a smokehouse. Fuck if I can remember the name though.
This place was my local and was also very very good https://mckenziesbarbeque.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=GMB%20-%20Conroe
Incidentally Iām going to Austin in October 
2 Likes
Itās entirely possible we ate there. We spent several days in San Antonio, and no matter where we were in Texas, we were trying multiple pits, usually daily.
I have a little game I like to play when I visit historical sites and/or museums. I call the game Stump the Docent. I ask a docent to answer a single question, to see if I can stump the docent. At the Alamo, I was successful. I was able to identify much of the wood there, including the doors, which were cypress. I, however, asked about what wood used for a small, one butt bench. Nobody on staff, including the head docent, or at least the one on duty, knew the answer! Score one for me.
2 Likes
Closest I can get to remembering is that it was on the north part of the 410.
I play a game at historical sites called ādonāt talk to anyoneā 
4 Likes
Itās quite nice IMO. Itās a softer flavor and really letās the rub stand out.
3 Likes
All this BBQ talk is bringing back memories of visiting Austin in 2021ā¦tried Franklin Barbecueā¦could only take it to go/curbside deep in Covid times but it was pretty tasty. Stomach is really growling at me now. 
This thread doesnāt helpā¦or does it 
. Have a great day OG folks!
11 Likes
Weāve heard positive things about Franklin, but have not eaten there. Perhaps if we go to Austin again. Mrs. motaās mom no longer lives there.
1 Like
Hows the flavor of our start? What do you think?
2 Likes
Sorry what nowā¦
2 Likes
Reeses cereal in home made yogurt.
2 Likes