1st attempt at smoking a brisket--semi successful. Have questions

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selli

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jun 8, 2012
43
11
Petaluma, Ca
Enjoying my new electric smoker. Have been very successful with ribs, salmon, chicken, and pork. Tried a brisket today. It was small-for two of us and it weighted 1 1/2 pounds. Used Jeff's rub and cooked at 225. When it reached 160 on the probe, I put in an aluminum pan, added beef broth and some of Jeffs BBQ sauce. I wrapped the tin in foil and cooked until probe read 193. Total cooking time was 3:15. Kept in foil and wrapped a towel around it for another hour. Flavor was outstanding but the meat was still a little tough. Not as tender as I hoped. Any tips for getting it more tender. Also, I cooked it with the fat side down. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
Did you do the toothpick test?  I cook to temps, usually 205 IT in the flat, but the toothpick test (when a toothpick slides in with no resistance) will tell you if it's tender or not for sure.  As far as fat side up, fat side down, I have tried both ways and don't see much difference with tenderness.  Also, how did you slice it, truly across the grain or kind of diagonal of the grain?  Against the grain will help with the tenderness as well. 
 
Thanks for the reply. It sounds like I should have cooked it longer. Question--what if at 205, the toothpick does not slide in? Do you cook it longer and get to a higher temp.?
 
Brisket is one of the hardest to get right. Being it was only 1 1/2# makes it even harder. Next time I would go with a much larger one, there's always leftovers which are great! Sounds like your plan was spot on and 195* is good for slicing, 205* is good for pulling but with one that small you probably would have been better with the higher temp. Bruno is right with the toothpick test, it is one good way to check tenderness.

I see this was your first post so when you get a moment check in to Roll Call and formally introduce yourself so we can get to know you and 
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