My First Brisket

meddling kids · Jan 19, 2014

I usually do a simple rub then smoke at 250. I foil at 165 and I usually pull it out around 195-200. I go by the toothpick test. If a toothpick slides in like butter it's done. I leave it foiled and put it in a towel filled cooler for at least an hour before slicing.

ben paquette · Jan 22, 2014

I did my first brisket as well last weekend, an 8.5 pounder with rub it was both the point and the flat, I did not use a marinade, I just mopped it every hour and a half or so.... came out tasting great and had a good smoke ring.. It was not tough but it was not fall apart either. I foiled it a little late I think.. (maybe just the last 45 minutes) after about 9 hours of smoking, so almost 10 total hours

The brisket internal temp never got to 200 though, I think I should have foiled it an hour early, or just taken it out after 8 or so

My question is this:

When it gets to 170 or so and it has been smoking for 8 hours, does foiling it for another hour or two make it fall apart or do I need to cook it at a lower temp for a longer period of time. it seems to me like it was done when I put the foil on it and maybe I should have not put it back in when i foiled it and just let it rest,

I mean isn't the meat safe to eat well before an internal temp of 200? Is getting the internal temp to 200 in foil what makes the fat render and get everything more soft?

Sorry if my questions are unclear, just trying to understand the process and brisket meat in general!

meddling kids · Jan 22, 2014

Brisket has a lot of connective tissue and is a pretty tough cut. This is why it works so well for low and slow cooking. It's done and safe to eat over about 130. You wouldn't want to eat it at that temp. It will be so tough you might break a tooth. The higher temp allows all the fat and connective tissue to break down and create a tender finished product. When you slice the brisket it's easy to tell if it was properly cooked. Take a slice and hold it between your hands. Give it a little pull. There should be some elasticity before it tears. If it does not tear it's probably under done. If it crumbles it is over done.

meddling kids · Jan 22, 2014

I foil mine around 165 usually but I have done them without foil as well. Without foil you will get good, tough bark. With foil it will be soft bark. Moisture is about the same from what I've seen. The most important thing is to let the meat rest for a while before slicing to give the juices time to redistribute in the meat.

fullmetalpork · Jan 22, 2014

If you'll take a hint from an old jarhead....

Next time, wrap it after 4-5 hours. By that time, it's probably taken all the smoke it's going to, and you'll have a nice 1/2" smoke ring. Wrapping it in foil will help keep it from drying out. It also helps you out if you run into temp problems, as you can put it in your oven at 225 and relax.

While everyone has their favorite way, I'm a believer in injection. The moment you start to heat the brisket up, it's starting to render out the juices/fat. By injecting it, you're putting more liquid in the meat to help keep it moist.

I started out with the exact rig you have. Check out youtube and this forum to be sure you modify it by putting a plate over the firebox opening (where it comes into the cook chamber). Helps a lot with that right side being so hot.

Get another brisket...and cook it! Your family/friends won't mind.

onemagicman · Jan 24, 2014

This will be my 1st brisket. There is just the two of us, and a full brisket is much too large to me to smoke at one time. So I have not done one yet. Can I cut one in half about 6 to 7 pounds and freeze the smaller half and still get a good finished product? I have an MBS40, and can really do ribs and pork shoulder. I am dying to try a brisket. Please give me your thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

OneMagicMan

radio · Jan 24, 2014

onemagicman said:
This will be my 1st brisket. There is just the two of us, and a full brisket is much too large to me to smoke at one time. So I have not done one yet. Can I cut one in half about 6 to 7 pounds and freeze the smaller half and still get a good finished product? I have an MBS40, and can really do ribs and pork shoulder. I am dying to try a brisket. Please give me your thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

OneMagicMan

I cook for just the wife and myself also. I go to a market that has an old fashioned meat counter, select the best looking brisky in there and have them cut it in half for me. I would have been shy to ask them to do that, but the head butcher volunteered to do it on about my second brisket and I've got it that way ever since.

I have since cut way back on the briskets and now favor boneless beef short ribs in about a 5 pound chunk

I like mine either at, or almost at the pulling stage, so shoot for an IT of 195-200°. The toothpick test is the best method once your target temp starts getting close

gary s · Jan 25, 2014

Something else you might consider is smoking the whole thing, then cutting it in half and freezing one half. I know it's not nearly as good coming out of the freezer as it is off the smoker, but all you have to do is thaw it out. Brisket usually doesn't last long at our house. So the last couple of times I bought larger briskets. After everything comes off the smoker and everyone is full I go and slice off a big chunk,put it in a freezer bag, suck out all the air, seal it up and hide it in the freezer. Then in about a week or so (usually on the weekend when I am by myself) I dig out my brisket thaw it out and enjoy it all over again. Like I said not as good as coming right off the smoker but pretty close.

Just a thought

Gary

onemagicman · May 27, 2014

For the Holiday yesterday I smoked 4 slabs of baby backs and they came out just great. My neighbor called me and asked what I was smoking and offered to trade some of his holiday food for some ribs. We did - I swapped a half a slab about 8 bones for BBQ oysters.

On the brisket front. I was at our local Albertson's on Friday and in fact did find a six pound brisket in a cryovac (sp) package. I mentioned this to the "butcher" meat clerk and he said he would always be willing to take a 12 to 14 pounder and cut a piece to any size I wanted in the future. He said they wanted the sale and would cut any meat anyway a customer wanted.

I froze the six pounder and will smoke it within two weeks.

Good find, for me anyway.

OMM

uhmgood · Jun 16, 2014

hey gary , my girlfriends the same way , doesn't like this doesn't like that so I sneak stuff in and then while shes eating it with both hands I tell her what it is

swfltexan · Jul 30, 2014

NewNavySmoker said:
Marinated the brisket all day. Pulled it out and rubbed it down.
Heres a couple pics from last night

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newnavysmoker

Jan 19, 2014

chuck roasts

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newnavysmoker

Jan 19, 2014

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newnavysmoker

Jan 19, 2014

Brisket marinaded for 8 hours

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newnavysmoker

Jan 19, 2014

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newnavysmoker

Jan 19, 2014

meat has been rubbed down and sat all night in the fridge. now resting getting the smoker prepared

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newnavysmoker

Jan 19, 2014

the time has come.......

more pics to follow as the day goes on.

I

swfltexan · Jul 30, 2014

I have that same pit and I love it!

My First Brisket

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