- Dec 6, 2018
- 114
- 41
This is only the second brisket I have ever tried to cook but my first went a lot better than this. Of course it wasn’t 30° outside when I tried to cook that one either.
Can't be long now.It got up to 145 at like 2 am. I did what Chile said and cranked it up to 400° until it got there. Next I backed it down to 250 and let it ride till I woke up around 7. It was 192. I have raised the oven up a little to 275 and it’s currently at 199°. Fixing to start probing.
So, the safety issues were addressed, but the engineer in me is trying to figure out why the internal temp of a 12 lb brisket in a 225F chamber took so long to rise. Either the chamber was running low, like 150-180, or the meat temp probe was reading wrong. My first instinct is telling me a low chamber temp, way below the setting. Was the smoker an MES? Fill in the details of the smoker used.
So, the safety issues were addressed, but the engineer in me is trying to figure out why the internal temp of a 12 lb brisket in a 225F chamber took so long to rise. Either the chamber was running low, like 150-180, or the meat temp probe was reading wrong. My first instinct is telling me a low chamber temp, way below the setting. Was the smoker an MES? Fill in the details of the smoker used.
Yep. A vertical pit like yours would help minimize the chamber's heat loss even in cold outside temps. My WSM has the same basic heat flow. I've found up to a 50F difference in chamber temp on the grate closest to the vent compared to the opposite side of the grate. I now keep my grate probe away from the vent.Maybe my probe is off. I need to check it to verify it’s correct.
Out of the oven
By the time I got there it was tough and the meat seemed tight. Any advice?
If it was tough and tight, then it was under cooked. I'd advise you not to go by internal temp, instead go by feel - when it's probe tender it's done. I know it didn't turn out like you wanted, but if it's still too tough to eat, then use it for chili - it will be awesome.
Maybe it still needed to get higher?
So would that be 208 in flat or point? I obviously don’t want to overcook the flat trying to get the point right.Very possible. Briskets cooked at low temps will have a lower internal temp when done compared to those cooked at higher temps. I know folks that cook hot and fast say they can get up around 208 before they are ready.
So would that be 208 in flat or point? I obviously don’t want to overcook the flat trying to get the point right.