1st brisket help needed, eating today......

[Dreamweaver52]

Ive smoked a turkey, boneless lamb roast and a prime rib on my propane grill, this is my first brisket. Read as much as I can yesterday and early this AM, have some questions for the experts. 10 pound costco prime, Ive cut off the fat, left ~ 1/4 inch, made my own dry rub.
Its now 730AM, need to serve dinner at 7pm.
I can hold 225-250 pretty well on my grill, i use a SS smoke box with pellets on the far right burner.

As I read(maybe incorrectly) smoke for maybe 2.5 hours, start spritzing till IT gets to 165(???), wrap in double layer tin foil, cook till IT is 205(???), wrap in bath towels and slide into cold oven(??) till IT reaches (165??) and let it set like that, wrapped until slicing?

Looking for some insight on my temps and holding?

Appreciate any comments.


*Dreamweaver near Las Vegas( Boulder City actually)*
What's smoked in Vegas, gets eaten in Vegas :)

 

[WaterRat]

You want to smoke until minimum 165 or youll end up with roast beef instead of brisket. You didnt give yourself alot of time, probably need to bump up the temp up after wrapping. Its done when it probes tender regardless of temp, but should around 200-205 ish… I’m not the brisket guru, hopefully others will chime in.

 

[tallbm]

Ive smoked a turkey, boneless lamb roast and a prime rib on my propane grill, this is my first brisket. Read as much as I can yesterday and early this AM, have some questions for the experts. 10 pound costco prime, Ive cut off the fat, left ~ 1/4 inch, made my own dry rub.
Its now 730AM, need to serve dinner at 7pm.
I can hold 225-250 pretty well on my grill, i use a SS smoke box with pellets on the far right burner.

As I read(maybe incorrectly) smoke for maybe 2.5 hours, start spritzing till IT gets to 165(???), wrap in double layer tin foil, cook till IT is 205(???), wrap in bath towels and slide into cold oven(??) till IT reaches (165??) and let it set like that, wrapped until slicing?

Looking for some insight on my temps and holding?

Appreciate any comments.


*Dreamweaver near Las Vegas( Boulder City actually)*
What's smoked in Vegas, gets eaten in Vegas :)

Hi there and welcome!

Your time estimate is going to be off by a bit if you want to eat by 7pm.

Since you are rushed for time lets jump to what MAY get you to eating at 7pm. Just understand that TIME is your greatest hurdle right now because you don't really have much of it to eat by 7pm so this is going to be very a tight deadline.

• Crank up your smoker to 275F and if it runs a little hotter that is ok because you have way too little time to work with.
  Brisket does not care what temp it is cooked at as long as it isn't burning. Turn it fat side towards the heat/flame to help protect the meat if temps spike or you are worried they will get a little hot
• At a steady 275F smoker temp my briskets take around 1hr 5-10min per pound to begin probing tender, though I cook mine naked the whole time. IMPORTANT: Briskets are never done by time or temp, only when tender. Use the Internal Temp (IT) of the meat to tell you when to check for tenderness. You check for tenderness by stabbing ALL OVER with something like a wooden kabob skewer. When it goes in with no resistance it is done.
• Do NOT open the smoker or spritz. You will definitely not hit your 7pm time if you are letting heat out by opening and spritzing. Spritzing will doom you on your timeframe plus it's not needed for a whole packer brisket.
• Your meat probe should be in the thickest yet center-most area of the FLAT muscle. Never the Point muscle. The Point muscle will be ready way before the Flat muscle and if your probe is in the Point it will cause you to think your brisket IT is higher than it really is in the problem spots... the Flat
• If you wrap too early your brisket will taste like roast beef instead of BBQ brisket so wrapping at 165F means you have the probe where I mentioned to put it (thickest yet center most portion of the Flat muscle) and you let it sit long enough to get a good amount of smoke. Like stalling for 2 hours at 165F and then wrapping is WAY better than wrapping the moment it hits 165F. You do not want to spend all that time for it to turn out like roast beef.
• Once you foil wrap it, crank up the heat even more, like 325F+ would be great. This is because you are no longer getting any smoke on it so time to speed it up even more with your tight time frame
• It is done when it is tender, never by time or temp. When the IT of the meat is 200F check for tenderness by stabbing all over and if there is no resistance it is done. If you find resistance (likely in the center of the FLAT muscle) let the IT raise another 2F degrees and then try again. Repeat until no resistance which = tender.
  Lots of people check earlier BUT you have like no time to be opening the smoker and letting heat out.

I bet you will have no time to hold this thing but if so, let it just sit foil wrapped and cool off until its about 160F IT and it will be ready to slice and serve. The hotter it is the more it will want to come apart on you as you slice.

This is a no BS set of bullets to help you make this successful because again, you have like less time than what is necessary to pull this off so gotta go hard, work it to the letter and don't flinch.

Ask any questions you have :D

 

[WaterRat]

Hi there and welcome!

Your time estimate is going to be off by a bit if you want to eat by 7pm.

Since you are rushed for time lets jump to what MAY get you to eating at 7pm. Just understand that TIME is your greatest hurdle right now because you don't really have much of it to eat by 7pm so this is going to be very a tight deadline.

• Crank up your smoker to 275F and if it runs a little hotter that is ok because you have way too little time to work with.
  Brisket does not care what temp it is cooked at as long as it isn't burning. Turn it fat side towards the heat/flame to help protect the meat if temps spike or you are worried they will get a little hot
• At a steady 275F smoker temp my briskets take around 1hr 5-10min per pound to begin probing tender, though I cook mine naked the whole time. IMPORTANT: Briskets are never done by time or temp, only when tender. Use the Internal Temp (IT) of the meat to tell you when to check for tenderness. You check for tenderness by stabbing ALL OVER with something like a wooden kabob skewer. When it goes in with no resistance it is done.
• Do NOT open the smoker or spritz. You will definitely not hit your 7pm time if you are letting heat out by opening and spritzing. Spritzing will doom you on your timeframe plus it's not needed for a whole packer brisket.
• Your meat probe should be in the thickest yet center-most area of the FLAT muscle. Never the Point muscle. The Point muscle will be ready way before the Flat muscle and if your probe is in the Point it will cause you to think your brisket IT is higher than it really is in the problem spots... the Flat
• If you wrap too early your brisket will taste like roast beef instead of BBQ brisket so wrapping at 165F means you have the probe where I mentioned to put it (thickest yet center most portion of the Flat muscle) and you let it sit long enough to get a good amount of smoke. Like stalling for 2 hours at 165F and then wrapping is WAY better than wrapping the moment it hits 165F. You do not want to spend all that time for it to turn out like roast beef.
• Once you foil wrap it, crank up the heat even more, like 325F+ would be great. This is because you are no longer getting any smoke on it so time to speed it up even more with your tight time frame
• It is done when it is tender, never by time or temp. When the IT of the meat is 200F check for tenderness by stabbing all over and if there is no resistance it is done. If you find resistance (likely in the center of the FLAT muscle) let the IT raise another 2F degrees and then try again. Repeat until no resistance which = tender.
  Lots of people check earlier BUT you have like no time to be opening the smoker and letting heat out.

I bet you will have no time to hold this thing but if so, let it just sit foil wrapped and cool off until its about 160F IT and it will be ready to slice and serve. The hotter it is the more it will want to come apart on you as you slice.

This is a no BS set of bullets to help you make this successful because again, you have like less time than what is necessary to pull this off so gotta go hard, work it to the letter and don't flinch.

Ask any questions you have :D

Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

 

[Dreamweaver52]

Hi there and welcome!

Your time estimate is going to be off by a bit if you want to eat by 7pm.

Since you are rushed for time lets jump to what MAY get you to eating at 7pm. Just understand that TIME is your greatest hurdle right now because you don't really have much of it to eat by 7pm so this is going to be very a tight deadline.

• Crank up your smoker to 275F and if it runs a little hotter that is ok because you have way too little time to work with.
  Brisket does not care what temp it is cooked at as long as it isn't burning. Turn it fat side towards the heat/flame to help protect the meat if temps spike or you are worried they will get a little hot
• At a steady 275F smoker temp my briskets take around 1hr 5-10min per pound to begin probing tender, though I cook mine naked the whole time. IMPORTANT: Briskets are never done by time or temp, only when tender. Use the Internal Temp (IT) of the meat to tell you when to check for tenderness. You check for tenderness by stabbing ALL OVER with something like a wooden kabob skewer. When it goes in with no resistance it is done.
• Do NOT open the smoker or spritz. You will definitely not hit your 7pm time if you are letting heat out by opening and spritzing. Spritzing will doom you on your timeframe plus it's not needed for a whole packer brisket.
• Your meat probe should be in the thickest yet center-most area of the FLAT muscle. Never the Point muscle. The Point muscle will be ready way before the Flat muscle and if your probe is in the Point it will cause you to think your brisket IT is higher than it really is in the problem spots... the Flat
• If you wrap too early your brisket will taste like roast beef instead of BBQ brisket so wrapping at 165F means you have the probe where I mentioned to put it (thickest yet center most portion of the Flat muscle) and you let it sit long enough to get a good amount of smoke. Like stalling for 2 hours at 165F and then wrapping is WAY better than wrapping the moment it hits 165F. You do not want to spend all that time for it to turn out like roast beef.
• Once you foil wrap it, crank up the heat even more, like 325F+ would be great. This is because you are no longer getting any smoke on it so time to speed it up even more with your tight time frame
• It is done when it is tender, never by time or temp. When the IT of the meat is 200F check for tenderness by stabbing all over and if there is no resistance it is done. If you find resistance (likely in the center of the FLAT muscle) let the IT raise another 2F degrees and then try again. Repeat until no resistance which = tender.
  Lots of people check earlier BUT you have like no time to be opening the smoker and letting heat out.

I bet you will have no time to hold this thing but if so, let it just sit foil wrapped and cool off until its about 160F IT and it will be ready to slice and serve. The hotter it is the more it will want to come apart on you as you slice.

This is a no BS set of bullets to help you make this successful because again, you have like less time than what is necessary to pull this off so gotta go hard, work it to the letter and don't flinch.

Ask any questions you have :D

Tallbm, thanks for getting back to me.

So, digesting what you have said, if i repeat what you said its just to help me get my head around it. Ya, I now know I'm rushing the process. I'm not using a "smoker" but my propane grill with a small wood pellet box which seems to use up the pellets in about an hour :( So i typically refill it every hour, losing heat :(

So, aim for grill temp of 275 (would 300 be better given my time problem), no spritz, let stall at 165(at location you said) for maybe an hour?
Run naked the whole time(wife just smiled), till 200, probe for peanut butter type resistance.
Foil wrap to 160 or the family is screaming to eat :)

Thanks for your insight.
I'll do better next time on time :)

 

[tallbm]

Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

Yep, time to face the challenge head on and fly! :D

 

[civilsmoker]

Hi there and welcome!

Your time estimate is going to be off by a bit if you want to eat by 7pm.

Since you are rushed for time lets jump to what MAY get you to eating at 7pm. Just understand that TIME is your greatest hurdle right now because you don't really have much of it to eat by 7pm so this is going to be very a tight deadline.

• Crank up your smoker to 275F and if it runs a little hotter that is ok because you have way too little time to work with.
  Brisket does not care what temp it is cooked at as long as it isn't burning. Turn it fat side towards the heat/flame to help protect the meat if temps spike or you are worried they will get a little hot
• At a steady 275F smoker temp my briskets take around 1hr 5-10min per pound to begin probing tender, though I cook mine naked the whole time. IMPORTANT: Briskets are never done by time or temp, only when tender. Use the Internal Temp (IT) of the meat to tell you when to check for tenderness. You check for tenderness by stabbing ALL OVER with something like a wooden kabob skewer. When it goes in with no resistance it is done.
• Do NOT open the smoker or spritz. You will definitely not hit your 7pm time if you are letting heat out by opening and spritzing. Spritzing will doom you on your timeframe plus it's not needed for a whole packer brisket.
• Your meat probe should be in the thickest yet center-most area of the FLAT muscle. Never the Point muscle. The Point muscle will be ready way before the Flat muscle and if your probe is in the Point it will cause you to think your brisket IT is higher than it really is in the problem spots... the Flat
• If you wrap too early your brisket will taste like roast beef instead of BBQ brisket so wrapping at 165F means you have the probe where I mentioned to put it (thickest yet center most portion of the Flat muscle) and you let it sit long enough to get a good amount of smoke. Like stalling for 2 hours at 165F and then wrapping is WAY better than wrapping the moment it hits 165F. You do not want to spend all that time for it to turn out like roast beef.
• Once you foil wrap it, crank up the heat even more, like 325F+ would be great. This is because you are no longer getting any smoke on it so time to speed it up even more with your tight time frame
• It is done when it is tender, never by time or temp. When the IT of the meat is 200F check for tenderness by stabbing all over and if there is no resistance it is done. If you find resistance (likely in the center of the FLAT muscle) let the IT raise another 2F degrees and then try again. Repeat until no resistance which = tender.
  Lots of people check earlier BUT you have like no time to be opening the smoker and letting heat out.

I bet you will have no time to hold this thing but if so, let it just sit foil wrapped and cool off until its about 160F IT and it will be ready to slice and serve. The hotter it is the more it will want to come apart on you as you slice.

This is a no BS set of bullets to help you make this successful because again, you have like less time than what is necessary to pull this off so gotta go hard, work it to the letter and don't flinch.

Ask any questions you have :D

This.... The only thing I will add is once you have wrapped it you can move it to your house oven as it won't be taking on anymore smoke. Just preheat your oven prior. The one thing that will help with the time is rather than wrap, put it in a foil pan or other deep side pan then cover with foil. This will have a braising affect and help get it to temp/tender sooner....

 

[JLeonard]

All great advice above......Please post a follow up with pics to let us know how you ended up.

Jim

 

[Dreamweaver52]

Question about stall teperature.

Im at 5 hours(300F grill temp), digital thermo appears to be stalled (about 1 hour now) at 145, brisket is sweating, is that too low of a temp to be stall?
I checked my TempPro didital thermoter in boiling water and it reads right on 209(I'm at 2000 ft).

Do I wait till 165 or should I foil wrap it now?

Having my first beer also. :)

 

[tallbm]

Question about stall teperature.

Im at 5 hours(300F grill temp), digital thermo appears to be stalled (about 1 hour now) at 145, brisket is sweating, is that too low of a temp to be stall?
I checked my TempPro didital thermoter in boiling water and it reads right on 209(I'm at 2000 ft).

Do I wait till 165 or should I foil wrap it now?

Having my first beer also. :)

I don't think it is too low but its also not just going to blow through and NOT stall at 160's either.

I firmly believe it is too early to wrap unless you want roast beef flavor.
The 300F will help a bit but you are simply in the mix of just having to wait.

When planning a brisket smoke I always give people the time of 1hr 10min per pound at a steady 275F smoker temp before it may start to probe tender when not ever wrapped during the smoke. Again its never done by time or temp.
Armed with this knowledge a 10 pound brisket would maybe take 12 hours or so. BUT still add 4 hours to that for a total of 16 hours to make sure you estimate well and it completes.

This means if you want to eat to eat a 10 pound brisket at 7pm you subtract 16 hours from that time to figure out when you need to have the brisket on a hot smoker.
So in this case to eat at 7pm you put a 10 pound brisket on at 3am that morning.

if it finishes 4 hours early that is fantastic. You just tightly double wrap in foil then tightly wrap in 3 bath towels and let it rest on the table/counter for 4 hours and it will be piping hot when time to slice and eat.
If it doesn't finish 4 hours early... you have 4 hours for it to finish :D

Not estimating enough time leading to pulling a brisket before it's tender is probably the #1 issue for a brisket smoking failure.
The good thing is that it can still be saved, it just needs too cool longer. Often this happens the next day for people who pulled it to early the day before :D