2nd brisket ever.....still need pointers and tips.

[Kevin Haynes]

So I smoked my 2nd brisket Saturday and I was damn proud of myself! My first one was a victim of impatience but it made good dog food. This past Saturday the bark looked incredible and it shook like a tub of jello.(I'm an idiot and didn't take a single photo. Have videos but don't know how to upload it lol) anyways. The point was very juicy,savory and had a hint of that sticky/peppery bark that you can't help but peel off and eat first. The flat turned out okay as well but I want it juicier and more pliable as well. Is this a fat trimming issue/which direction it is facing issue? Any tips on how to match the flat with the awesome point? I'm on an old country Pecos smoker using Oak....roughly 275ish degrees.

 

[Fishonshawn]

I'm pretty new to smoking brisket myself but from the few I've done and all the research I've done I don't think the flat will ever be AS good as the point. Not saying it will always be bad but just not as good. Things I look for when buying brisket is a brisket with the thickest flat possible. The thicker the flat the longer it takes to cook and less chance of drying out. I also always put the point in the hotter side of the smoker. As for fat up or down I have no clue as people tend to be split on that.

 

[schlotz]

More info please. Do you know what the actual grate temps were via a calibrated therm? Built-in therms are notorious for being inaccurate. How did you test for doneness other than the shake? It should probe tender ie no resistance all over the flat. Unless the flat was dry and crumbling my bet is it needed more time in the smoker. At what IT did you pull the brisket? How long did you let it rest? How did it rest ie wrapped (with what), in a cooler surrounded with towels?

 

[KC_Smoker]

The flat will get done faster then the point. When I cook a brisket I put a probe in the flat and the point. When the flat gets done I cut it off and let the point cook until it gets done. That way the flat doesn't get over cooked.

 

[Kevin Haynes]

More info please. Do you know what the actual grate temps were via a calibrated therm? Built-in therms are notorious for being inaccurate. How did you test for doneness other than the shake? It should probe tender ie no resistance all over the flat. Unless the flat was dry and crumbling my bet is it needed more time in the smoker. At what IT did you pull the brisket? How long did you let it rest? How did it rest ie wrapped (with what), in a cooler surrounded with towels?

Yes I had 2 thermos at grate level and I wasn't going over 275. I probed for tender what seemed like all over it almost turning it to swiss cheese I thought. It proped pretty easy so I assumed it was done. I pulled at around 210 IT and wrapped the brisket which was wrapped in the peach paper in 1 towel and placed in a cooler for an hour.

 

[schlotz]

Was the flat crumbling when sliced? Trying to read between the lines here. Sounds like you might have wrapped in paper at the stall? Then re-wrapped in foil for the rest? If by chance you went straight from the smoker to foil wrapped in a cooler with towels then the cooking would have continued for a while, ie maybe over done. If a pulled brisket already probes tender (done) it's best to let it rest open on the counter for 10 minutes or so to halt the cooking. I let the IT go down to 185º ish before wrapping & into the cooler.

 

[Kevin Haynes]

Was the flat crumbling when sliced? Trying to read between the lines here. Sounds like you might have wrapped in paper at the stall? Then re-wrapped in foil for the rest? If by chance you went straight from the smoker to foil wrapped in a cooler with towels then the cooking would have continued for a while, ie maybe over done. If a pulled brisket already probes tender (done) it's best to let it rest open on the counter for 10 minutes or so to halt the cooking. I let the IT go down to 185º ish before wrapping & into the cooler.

No there was no crumbling. I guess I could just be going hard on myself because it wasn't completely dried out and gross. Just wasn't as tender and juicy as I'd like. I only kept in paper. I dont ever foil. So if I yanked it at 210 IT and placed in a towel in a cooler you think that kept the cooking going and messed up the flat? Next time instead of wrapping in a towel and putting in cooler just keep brisket in paper and sitting out on the counter?

 

[schlotz]

My method when pulling a done brisket that has been wrapped in paper:
Place on counter and cut the paper open to let the heat escape so IT can reduce to 185º. When at 185º, lay a towel in the bottom of the cooler then a sheet of foil. Place the brisket with opened paper on top. Then lay a sheet of foil over the brisket followed by another towel and close. BTW I still have a probe in it so I can monitor the IT while it rests. Foil is there the keep from totally messing up the bath towels. You can probably imagine why, ie SWMBO. :)

 

[tallbm]

I think you are getting close.
The flat is the problem child of the brisket. The best place to probe a brisket is the thickest yet center most portion of the flat muscle (usually the flat area just under the point).

Briskets are amazingly tricky when it comes to getting a correct probe temp on them. I use 3 probes in the flat in the area I mention and I usually only get 1 dead on where the others are often close but can be quite a bit off. I bet your IT of 210F was not really 210F all over the flat but was not far off on it's location.

I think you just continue doing what you are doing and continue with the tenderness testing. It never hurts to add more probes and understand that the point will often pass tenderness testing way before the flat because of all the fat in the point. Don't worry you won't overcook the point it is nearly impossible to screw it up lol :)

I hope this info helps :)

 

[Kevin Haynes]

My method when pulling a done brisket that has been wrapped in paper:
Place on counter and cut the paper open to let the heat escape so IT can reduce to 185º. When at 185º, lay a towel in the bottom of the cooler then a sheet of foil. Place the brisket with opened paper on top. Then lay a sheet of foil over the brisket followed by another towel and close. BTW I still have a probe in it so I can monitor the IT while it rests. Foil is there the keep from totally messing up the bath towels. You can probably imagine why, ie SWMBO. :)

So after coming back down to 185ish and placing into the cooler with a probe in it, how long do you aim for then or what temp are you looking to get before opening and slicing to serve?

 

[schlotz]

I like to rest it at least an hour maybe more if I pulled it a tad early. Depending on dinner timing, sometimes it needs to be in there longer to meet up with plans & guests. I keep the therm in it so I know it maintains a safe temp, i.e. above 150º. With towels in the cooler the IT has been way above that even after resting for 4-5 hours.

 

[Kevin Haynes]

I like to rest it at least an hour maybe more if I pulled it a tad early. Depending on timing, sometimes it needs to be in there longer to meet up with dinner plans. I keep the therm in it so I know it maintains a safe temp, i.e. above 150º.

Ok so no worries unless it gets down around 150 or lower. I'm giving another brisket a go Saturday. I've heard some folks say they dont think much of the stall or ever notice it and obviously other experience it at around 170ish. Should I just wrap at 170 anyways or go until I like the bark even if temp may be way over 170? And center most area of the brisket in the flat I should have a probe while cooking?

 

[schlotz]

Every piece of meat can be different. The stall can happen anywhere from 150-165º or so. If you smoke at higher temps like 275º many briskets power right through the stall i.e. stall is almost non-existent. Wrapping is a personal preference including when to do it, if at all. Some do it as soon as they notice the stall, others wait awhile before wrapping. If you want to monitor the IT then yes use a wired reporting probe in the thickest part of the flat. Not a good idea to keep opening the lid to use a manual one since it causes wild temp fluctuations every time it's opened then closed. Smoking is many things and one is maintaining constant temps. If you're lookin' ya ain't cookin'! In the end, it's all about finding out what works best for you.

For me, I'm still tinkering a bit. The last several attempts I've smoked at 275º, wrapped in paper near the 170º mark then waited to test for tenderness. Hardest issue is getting the probe in the right position after wrapping the meat. I'm pretty much settled in on the 275º range. It seems that lately I'm always under a time limit so wrapping has become the norm. Yeah, I could start it in the wee hours but that most likely isn't going to happen :D

 

[Kevin Haynes]

Every piece of meat can be different. The stall can happen anywhere from 150-165º or so. If you smoke at higher temps like 275º many briskets power right through the stall i.e. stall is almost non-existent. Wrapping is a personal preference including when to do it, if at all. Some do it as soon as they notice the stall, others wait awhile before wrapping. If you want to monitor the IT then yes use a wired reporting probe in the thickest part of the flat. Not a good idea to keep opening the lid to use a manual one since it causes wild temp fluctuations every time it's opened then closed. Smoking is many things and one is maintaining constant temps. If you're lookin' ya ain't cookin'! In the end, it's all about finding out what works best for you.

For me, I'm still tinkering a bit. The last several attempts I've smoked at 275º, wrapped in paper near the 170º mark then waited to test for tenderness. Hardest issue is getting the probe in the right position after wrapping the meat. I'm pretty much settled in on the 275º range. It seems that lately I'm always under a time limit so wrapping has become the norm. Yeah, I could start it in the wee hours but that most likely isn't going to happen :D

Yup I usually roll around 275. No higher. Or at least try not to. I'll wrap it once I feel the bark is nice. I think I'm going to take it out of the smoker and just let it rest on the counter this time