Brisket size

craig1

Newbie

Original poster

Sep 18, 2015

2

10

Central PA

• Sep 18, 2015

• #1

I would like to try  smoking brisket.. Smallest I can find is 8 pounds.  Could I cut it in half and freeze the other half?

 

rabbithutch

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Oct 15, 2011

1,600

48

Up in Thin Blue Smoke in Temple, TX, USA

• Sep 18, 2015

• #2

It that brisket has to be trimmed of fat, by the time you cook half of it you won't have much more meat than a couple of hamburgers. Cooking removes the fluids to a large degree. The meat is has a high percentage of fluids (fat, water . . . ).

If'n it was me, I'd do the whole thing.

 

smokerjim

Smoking Guru

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Jan 14, 2014

7,463

4,123

Northeast pa

• Sep 18, 2015

• #3

rabbithutch is right,if your feeding a couple of people i would just go ahead and cook the whole thing,but if you only want to do 1/2 i personally have no problem freezing meat to cook at a later time.

 

gpb11

Meat Mopper

Jun 23, 2015

187

16

Atlanta area

• Sep 18, 2015

• #4

I'd also do the whole thing.  Freeze the leftovers for quick dinners or lunches.  

 

sawinredneck

Meat Mopper

Jul 11, 2015

196

16

Wichita KS

• Sep 18, 2015

• #5

I agree, an 8lbr is about perfect for starting with. That's about what my first one was, I learned the stall, how to control my temps and if I screwed it up I wasn't out much! But if you do it right, a family of three, there will be no leftovers!!

 

gpb11

Meat Mopper

Jun 23, 2015

187

16

Atlanta area

• Sep 21, 2015

• #6

sawinredneck said:

if I screwed it up I wasn't out much!

Click to expand...

If it wasn't good, repurpose the results.  

It'd take some real serious determination to screw up a brisket so bad you couldn't use the result in chili!

 

sawinredneck

Meat Mopper

Jul 11, 2015

196

16

Wichita KS

• Sep 21, 2015

• #7

Trust me, the second one I did was inedible in any form! It was charcoal! I'd wrapped it in foil the grilled it around 450 for five hours! Don't do that!

 

gpb11

Meat Mopper

Jun 23, 2015

187

16

Atlanta area

• Sep 22, 2015

• #8

Yeah, okay, 450 for five hours might put it beyond redemption...  Ouch.

 

craig1

Newbie

Original poster

Thread starter

Sep 18, 2015

2

10

Central PA

• Sep 28, 2015

• #9

Thanks guys. I have done the beer brined chicken twice and ribs once. Was really pleased with the results.  Even did the cheesy has browns on the top rack for 2 hours with great results