First brisket starts badly

mommytanya

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• Aug 31, 2014

• #21

WaterinHoleBrew: It's hard to resist peeking! It smells really good. I'm glad I've read some other threads and the input
From you and the others because I was planning on just pulling it out at 190 but now I have toothpicks ready.

 

Rafter H BBQ

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• Aug 31, 2014

• #22

IT 188*, your getting there.... Start the toothpick test round 195-198* IT.... Also to get the bark to firm up a little I personally would not put anymore water in the pan & ya could even turn your smoker up a little to kinda speed it up a little..... Maybe 275-285*. Just my 2 cents !

 

Rafter H BBQ

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Mommytanya said:

WaterinHoleBrew: It's hard to resist peeking! It smells really good. I'm glad I've read some other threads and the input
From you and the others because I was planning on just pulling it out at 190 but now I have toothpicks ready.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I've had them done round 198* IT but as high as 205* IT.... Briskets can be stubborned, but worth it.

I know what ya mean on the smell..... The hard part about Q'ing is self control ! :icon_lol:

 

Rafter H BBQ

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Let us know how it turns out ! I'll bet it'll be great ! Thumbs Up

 

mommytanya

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• #25

And they're both in the cooler! Wrapped in towels and blankets. The first one got pulled at IT 198 and the second which was bigger stayed until 202. The wait is almost unbearable.

 

mommytanya

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Half success!!!! My first one 4.5lbs 11 hours pulled at 198 was dry and tough and super depressing. The second on however 5.5lbs 12.5 hours pulled at 202 was tender moist an delicious!!!

Thoughts for next time: maybe less rub is was a paste-y mess. Definitely have the butcher leave on more fat.

 

mommytanya

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• #27

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• mommytanya
• Aug 31, 2014

First one which was dry.

 

mommytanya

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• #28

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• mommytanya
• Aug 31, 2014

Second one was amazing

 

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Rafter H BBQ

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Mommytanya said:

image.jpg

• mommytanya
• Aug 31, 2014

Second one was amazing

Click to expand...

Nice smoke ! Sorry the other was dry.... Brisket is a tough smoke to do at times ! Very nice job ! Thumbs Up

:points1:

 

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oldschoolbbq

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• Sep 1, 2014

• #30

Patience . . .

 

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kc5tpy

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• Sep 1, 2014

• #31

Hello.  Due to the time difference I missed the party.  Sorry!  OK so 1 turned out great and 1 was lacking.  They aren't always great to start with.  I knew you would get there in the end.  I hope you took notes as I suggested.  The next one will be better.  Questions,  Where were you taking your smoke chamber temps from, bottom rack, top rack or were you relying on the therm on your smoker?  My very good friend themule69 gave you a good tip of using sand instead of water.  Sand acts as a heat sink ( it holds heat and releases it slowly which helps to control temp )  water in the pan can steam the meat ( which is not always a bad thing ) but as you found it can boil away which may or may not cause problems.  Did you rotate the pieces from top to bottom and also flip once in a while?  As I said KEEP THAT DOOR CLOSED, BUT in some smokers especially ( what I would call smaller ) electric smokers there are some things you just MUST do.  Using these smokers may require rotating and flipping a large piece of meat more often.  Even in larger offset smokers you need to move the brisket to different areas of the grill depending on temps.  Now your experimentation starts.  I would change ONE thing at a time and see how that turns out.  VERY soon you will find your feet and smoking a brisket will be a snap.  As stated above brisket does what brisket does and is done when done.  Once you learn your smoker better you will find it MUCH easier.  Just my opinions.  Keep Smokin!

Danny