1st Brisket.... this should be interesting

[NOLA NOOB]

Well, I went into the grocery to buy a chuck roast, came out with a 10lb untrimmed brisket. I've read so many posts about cooking briskets in the last 3 hours, I think I've gone crossed eyed. Here are my rough game plan notes that I plan to use. PLEASE tell me if you all see something that screams "your gonna mess this one up"... (other then the fact that this is my first brisket and how I will most likely consume a good amount of beer).

Using MES 30

This afternoon, I'm going to remove the tip and trip the fat cap down to about 1/4 inch.
SPOG, then wrap and leave in fridge.
Early tomorrow afternoon, open up first beer, put the brisket in some Moore's marinade. While drinking yet another beer, I will debate on injecting the thing (keep seeing beef broth..).
Once debated and a couple of more beers, I plan on setting the temp to 225, and putting the brisket in around 8-9:00. Fat cap up or down...still debating...
Both the brisket and I should be pretty sauced up at that point.
I'm hoping when I wake up around 6:00 am and after taking some advil, that the temp should be around 180-190 mark.
Eat some more advil and wait til she hits 203-208.
Wrap it in foil, then a towel, then throw in ice chest for a while.

Oh! I'm going to put a pan underneath to catch the drippings. Saw somewhere about a guy mixing it with some onion soup mix... figure "why not?"
Then eat

 

[baggadonuts]

I don't know that id rub it the night before, vs just trimming it and rubbing it 30 minutes before you throw it on.
If your heat is coming up from below, put the fat cap facing down. ive never done or heard of the marinade option. Ive been injecting with this stuff lately, which I really like: https://www.bigpoppasmokers.com/cattleprod-beef-injection

 

[schlotz]

i would not marinade nor rub the night before. Highly recommend doing to basic 50-50 salt & black pepper only. This is a 10# full packer with point or just a flat? Finished IT is ONLY a guide, it can be anywhere from 197-210. Probing in multiple places with it going in without resistance in all areas is the best indication that the brisket is done.

 

[bregent]

I always rub the day (or more) before, it gives the salt a changes to penetrate.

 

[fivetricks]

My 2c.

Just stick with the rub. Lots of fresh grated pepper is your friend.

I'd leave the marinade out altogether. In your sequence it will wash the rub off.

I personally think marinades in anything thicker or more dense than fish is a waste of time and energy.

Rub, drink beers, air dry, drink moar beers, cook, way moar beers at this part(I do fat cap up but can make no strong argument against doing so). Your schedule looks ok, plan for unexpected delays which allow for more beer drinking.

 

[NOLA NOOB]

i would not marinade nor rub the night before. Highly recommend doing to basic 50-50 salt & black pepper only. This is a 10# full packer with point or just a flat? Finished IT is ONLY a guide, it can be anywhere from 197-210. Probing in multiple places with it going in without resistance in all areas is the best indication that the brisket is done.

I was going to remove the point and go flat. Planning on putting the tip on The rack above

 

[Ryder996]

Sounds like a great way to spend the day!

 

[tallbm]

I was going to remove the point and go flat. Planning on putting the tip on The rack above

Hi there and welcome!

I'm down with the SPOG it's amazing on most things including a brisket.
I'm with everyone else about skipping the marinade.

Now, you say you are going to separate the point and the flat. Well that changes things quite a bit. The point is simple so it will get tender and be of no issue. The flat well... it is the problem child and if you smoke a flat separated from the point then I seriously consider wrapping in foil around 160-170F with some added liquid. Basically smoke the flat like it were a chuck roast.

As pointed out above the Internal Temp (IT) will be the guide that tells you WHEN to check for tenderness.
A brisket is done WHEN it is tender.
Tenderness is determined by stabbing all over with a toothpic or a skewer or something like that, and when it goes in and out all over like butter it is tender!

It is often recommended to check for tenderness when you have an IT of 195F+. If it fails the tenderness test then let it rise in IT a degree or to and try again. Often the tenderness is found somewhere around 203F.
UNDERSTAND that properly placing the temp probe inside the flat to get an accurate reading is not a simple task. Put the probe in the thickest yet center most portion of the flat. I put 3 probes in mind and usually one is done right or I can look across all 3 temps and figure out what is going on with confidence.

I smoke at 275F smoker temp so it doesn't take forever. At that temp it is roughly 1 hour a pound or so. Finally, I personally don't separate and smoke the flat and point separately but I guess that's a preference thing. I believe it's just something that isn't so widely practiced here in TX but as long as you make good food and enjoy it then do as you like lol.

I hope some of this info helps! :)

 

[gmc2003]

I only have three suggestions.

1. Don't marinate, go with the basic SP, or SPOG. You can do it the night before or day of.

2. Point should be smoked on the grate, while the flat can either be smoked on the grate and then wrapped in a disposable foil pan during the stall or it can be smoked entirely in the foil pan and covered during the stall. Either way with the flat you should have some type of liquid in the pan. Onion soup or beef broth will work. I like to set my flats on a small rack while in the pan so they're not sitting in the liquid, but that's just me.

3. Pull up your big boy shorts and skip the Advil. Just pop the top of another beer in the morning instead. :)

There are numerous ways to smoke a brisket. Eventually you'll develop one that works for you and your equipment.

Chris

 

[NOLA NOOB]

I don't know that id rub it the night before, vs just trimming it and rubbing it 30 minutes before you throw it on.
If your heat is coming up from below, put the fat cap facing down. ive never done or heard of the marinade option. Ive been injecting with this stuff lately, which I really like: https://www.bigpoppasmokers.com/cattleprod-beef-injection

I will definitely look into that inject. I won’t be able to get my hands on it by this weekend. Thanks though

My 2c.

Just stick with the rub. Lots of fresh grated pepper is your friend.

I'd leave the marinade out altogether. In your sequence it will wash the rub off.

I personally think marinades in anything thicker or more dense than fish is a waste of time and energy.

Rub, drink beers, air dry, drink moar beers, cook, way moar beers at this part(I do fat cap up but can make no strong argument against doing so). Your schedule looks ok, plan for unexpected delays which allow for more beer drinking.

My 2c.

Just stick with the rub. Lots of fresh grated pepper is your friend.

I'd leave the marinade out altogether. In your sequence it will wash the rub off.

I personally think marinades in anything thicker or more dense than fish is a waste of time and energy.

Rub, drink beers, air dry, drink moar beers, cook, way moar beers at this part(I do fat cap up but can make no strong argument against doing so). Your schedule looks ok, plan for unexpected delays which allow for more beer drinking.

After reading the replies, I’m going skip the marinade and go rub only.... just marinate myself with beer lol

Hi there and welcome!

I'm down with the SPOG it's amazing on most things including a brisket.
I'm with everyone else about skipping the marinade.

Now, you say you are going to separate the point and the flat. Well that changes things quite a bit. The point is simple so it will get tender and be of no issue. The flat well... it is the problem child and if you smoke a flat separated from the point then I seriously consider wrapping in foil around 160-170F with some added liquid. Basically smoke the flat like it were a chuck roast.

As pointed out above the Internal Temp (IT) will be the guide that tells you WHEN to check for tenderness.
A brisket is done WHEN it is tender.
Tenderness is determined by stabbing all over with a toothpic or a skewer or something like that, and when it goes in and out all over like butter it is tender!

It is often recommended to check for tenderness when you have an IT of 195F+. If it fails the tenderness test then let it rise in IT a degree or to and try again. Often the tenderness is found somewhere around 203F.
UNDERSTAND that properly placing the temp probe inside the flat to get an accurate reading is not a simple task. Put the probe in the thickest yet center most portion of the flat. I put 3 probes in mind and usually one is done right or I can look across all 3 temps and figure out what is going on with confidence.

I smoke at 275F smoker temp so it doesn't take forever. At that temp it is roughly 1 hour a pound or so. Finally, I personally don't separate and smoke the flat and point separately but I guess that's a preference thing. I believe it's just something that isn't so widely practiced here in TX but as long as you make good food and enjoy it then do as you like lol.

I hope some of this info helps! :)

Thank you for the detailed reply! I will definetly use those pointers. Speaking of point, I was just going to cut it off because I was reading where other do. I am also not really sure if it will fit in my smoker with the tip on. I'll do some finagalling and see what I can make happen. As the name says, I am pretty new to the whole smoking routine. Give me a sack of crawfish and a hamper of crabs, then I am in my world :)
Thanks again and pics will start being posted this afternoon.

 

[NOLA NOOB]

I only have three suggestions.

1. Don't marinate, go with the basic SP, or SPOG. You can do it the night before or day of.

2. Point should be smoked on the grate, while the flat can either be smoked on the grate and then wrapped in a disposable foil pan during the stall or it can be smoked entirely in the foil pan and covered during the stall. Either way with the flat you should have some type of liquid in the pan. Onion soup or beef broth will work. I like to set my flats on a small rack while in the pan so they're not sitting in the liquid, but that's just me.

3. Pull up your big boy shorts and skip the Advil. Just pop the top of another beer in the morning instead. :)

There are numerous ways to smoke a brisket. Eventually you'll develop one that works for you and your equipment.

Chris

1. Yeah ya'll convinced me not to marinate. I'm going to try that with a cheaper piece of meat on another smoke.

2. It sounds like a stall in inevitable, and I keep reading about how (like you suggested) people will wrap it. I am kind of concerned that it may stall in the middle of the night. We shall see...

3. That must have been a typo, did I say Advil? I meant beer...damn auto correct ;)

Thank you for the tips

 

[gary s]

Here is a whole brisket, not separated with 50/50 S&P

 

[tallbm]

I will definitely look into that inject. I won’t be able to get my hands on it by this weekend. Thanks though


After reading the replies, I’m going skip the marinade and go rub only.... just marinate myself with beer lol



Thank you for the detailed reply! I will definetly use those pointers. Speaking of point, I was just going to cut it off because I was reading where other do. I am also not really sure if it will fit in my smoker with the tip on. I'll do some finagalling and see what I can make happen. As the name says, I am pretty new to the whole smoking routine. Give me a sack of crawfish and a hamper of crabs, then I am in my world :)
Thanks again and pics will start being posted this afternoon.

I usually recommend that people trim off the thin portion of the flat so what is left of the flat (at the end of it) is all roughly a good and uniform thickness for the flat. That thin portion of the flat will just burn up on you and you can save that meat for doing something good with it or throw it in later so it doesn't burn up on you.
Also trimming that portion of the flat away may give you the room you need if you want to smoke the brisket as a whole packer. I do whole packers unwrapped the entire time and I much prefer them that way vs wrapping in foil. I always post this diagram as an example:

BrisketFlatTrimAway

• tallbm
• Oct 7, 2017

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• tallbm
• Aug 25, 2017

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• tallbm
• Aug 25, 2017

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• tallbm
• Aug 25, 2017

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• tallbm
• Aug 25, 2017

Keep it simple and keep to the fundamentals and you should have a successful brisket smoke you can learn and improve from to move on to making amazing brisket!

 

[SmokinAl]

Good luck & take some photo's!
Al

 

[NOLA NOOB]

Here are some of the beginning stages
I kind of went nuts trying to cut that hard piece of fat that goes thru the middle.

 

[NOLA NOOB]

Another pic

 

[NOLA NOOB]

Where I cut kinda deep in the middle.

 

[NOLA NOOB]

Middle

 

[NOLA NOOB]

Prob duplicated a pic. First time doing this

 

[NOLA NOOB]

More pics after it’s done.
Note: prob should have paid more attendion to trimming the fat.... next time