Bark Didn't Bite

[SmokeyBarks]

I smoked my first brisket and it turned out bad. Just a 3.24 pounder, smoked in my electric smoker for over 4 hours. Turned out hard. Got it at Shoprite for $35!! All the fat was cut off, rubbed and refrigerated 24 hours. I let it sit at room temp for 3 hours prior to smoking, smoked at 250 degrees. What did I do wrong?

 

[GrumpyGriller]

Welcome to the forum!

It's hard to diagnose without further detail, but you always need a bit of fat. I tend to do my briskets at 215-225, though I doubt that difference would explain why it turned out bad. Did you not get any bark, or too much as you said it was "hard". Did you see any smoke ring, and when you cut it, was a slice able to bend at all? Did you rest it at all after it was done?

The only other thing is that I am assuming it was a fresh piece of meat - 3 hours to get to room temp seems like a lot of time for a smallish piece of brisket?

Any pics may help others provide feedback as well.

 

[SmokeyBarks]

Grumpy, I did get a decent bark, but the meat was not soft and fall-apart even after I wrapped it in uncoated paper with towels in a cooler. Did I cook too high a temperature? Should I have cood longer at a lower temperature? Was I supposed to flip it? Suggestions?

 

[GrumpyGriller]

It almost sounds like you just may have had a tough piece of brisket. I usually do at 200-225, but 250 is certainly within reason. I don't flip, but I do tend to wrap in butcher paper after the stall, and that helps with moisture, though somewhat at the expense of bark.

In terms of the meat quality, I use either choice grade, or on occasion, prime, so that may have played a role in in not coming out the way you had hoped. I also wouldn't necessarily consider brisket, pull-apart tender (at least not the flat), but in theory if you took a piece and draped it over the knife, it should bend easily without breaking.

Wish I could give you a magic answer, and hopefully the truer experts here will be able to give you more :)

 

[Ringer]

What was the final internal temperature before resting in the cooler?

I run my briskets between 260 and 275.

The rule I follow on doneness is probe tender. If it doesn't probe like peanut butter in the thickest part of the flat then it isn't done and it will be tough.

The dryness issue sounds like a lack of fat. The lower the grade of meat the more fat I leave. Brisket flats are easy to dry out without enough fat. This is one reason I prefer to cook with the point left on. I will only separate the point prior to cooking if it is a prime grade.

I'm guessing by the weight it was just a flat. If so lack of fat probably dried it out. Still lots of other variables but this is my best guess.

 

[1MoreFord]

Cooking @ 250°F is not too hot. 250°-275° is my normal cooking temp. I've done them at 325° and they turn out fine. Did you take any internal temps? If so what was it? Temp is not an answer to doneness but it's a reminder to start probing for tender as Ringer mentioned. Did you probe it for tender?

I believe it's Smoking Al that has a good tutorial and recipe for cooking brisket flats.

 

[SmokyMose]

I'm not a big fan of brisket flats. 250 isn't too high. I smoke around 260 to 280. You may have trimmed too much fat.
There's not a lot of fat on a flat, anyway.
It may also just be the meat. I've had issues with chuck roasts. One will come out perfect and the next will be dry even though cooked the same way...
Don't give up and throw in the towel!

 

[Meat Man Matt]

I agree with all points made above. Personally I like to wrap brisket when it hits the stall, it helps control cook time and retain moisture. Sounds like trimming all the fat off probably contributed to your issue, because the fat rendering and melting down through the meat is what makes it so moist.
And the probe is the most important part. I wait til internal temp is around 195+ then start probing.
I suppose it is always possible you could have just had a subpar piece of meat, too.
Keep trying!

 

[JckDanls 07]

I'm going to say it was under cooked... Brisket usually takes much longer than 4 hrs.. even just the flat... No mention of IT (internal temp) of the meat when removed... Sounds like you cooked more by time than you did IT ... I rarely trim any fat off... As mentioned above, fat helps keep the lean moist... plus gives it flavor ...

 

[SmokeyBarks]

What was the final internal temperature before resting in the cooler?

I run my briskets between 260 and 275.

The rule I follow on doneness is probe tender. If it doesn't probe like peanut butter in the thickest part of the flat then it isn't done and it will be tough.

The dryness issue sounds like a lack of fat. The lower the grade of meat the more fat I leave. Brisket flats are easy to dry out without enough fat. This is one reason I prefer to cook with the point left on. I will only separate the point prior to cooking if it is a prime grad
I'm guessing by the weight it was just a flat. If so lack of fat probably dried it out. Still lots of other variables but this is my best guess.

I agree with all points made above. Personally I like to wrap brisket when it hits the stall, it helps control cook time and retain moisture. Sounds like trimming all the fat off probably contributed to your issue, because the fat rendering and melting down through the meat is what makes it so moist.
And the probe is the most important part. I wait til internal temp is around 195+ then start probing.
I suppose it is always possible you could have just had a subpar piece of meat, too.
Keep trying!

I agree, but pulled it out of the case as is. Next time I'll talk to the but her and wait till he cuts it with the 1/4" fat cap on. Was my cooking time correct?

 

[SmokeyBarks]

I agree, but pulled it out of the case as is. Next time I'll talk to the but her and wait till he cuts it with the 1/4" fat cap on. Was my cooking time correct?

Butcher, not but her! Lol!

 

[SmokeyBarks]

I'm going to say it was under cooked... Brisket usually takes much longer than 4 hrs.. even just the flat... No mention of IT (internal temp) of the meat when removed... Sounds like you cooked more by time than you did IT ... I rarely trim any fat off... As mentioned above, fat helps keep the lean moist... plus gives it flavor ...

I removed it at 160 degrees! Is that too low??

 

[SmokeyBarks]

Cooking @ 250°F is not too hot. 250°-275° is my normal cooking temp. I've done them at 325° and they turn out fine. Did you take any internal temps? If so what was it? Temp is not an answer to doneness but it's a reminder to start probing for tender as Ringer mentioned. Did you probe it for tender?

I believe it's Smoking Al that has a good tutorial and recipe for cooking brisket flats.

I probed it at 160 degrees and wrapped it in non coated but her paper for an hour. I cut into it and it looked done, but no softness! Have you encountered this before?

 

[Ringer]

Was my cooking time correct?

You can't go by time on a brisket. Go by probe tenderness. You can use internal temp as a guide to start probing but nothing more. Start probing around 195 until it probes like peanut butter in the thickest part of the flat. That's when it is done.

160 is waaaaay too low. That might be a good time to wrap in butcher paper for the stall but it was far from done.

 

[Meat Man Matt]

Yep. There's your problem. Didn't cook it enough. Like ringer said, time isn't a reliable tool with brisket. I've had 8 punders take 14 hours and I had 13 pounders take 7 hours. It's all about getting near 200 degrees and probing.
By pulling at 160, you never let the collagens break down, which starts to happen around 165, and that is what makes brisket tender and juicy.
Go buy yourself another one and give it another shot.

 

[bigfurmn]

Yep. There's your problem. Didn't cook it enough. Like ringer said, time isn't a reliable tool with brisket. I've had 8 punders take 14 hours and I had 13 pounders take 7 hours. It's all about getting near 200 degrees and probing.
By pulling at 160, you never let the collagens break down, which starts to happen around 165, and that is what makes brisket tender and juicy.
Go buy yourself another one and give it another shot.

And when you do it again, post it. Let the people here help you out through the prep and cook. You’ll get great help and we enjoy doing it.

 

[GrumpyGriller]

Glad the real experts helped you out . Internal temp and pobe tenderness are I deed key on briskets, and add a particular btough piece of meat potentially, little fat, etc. and you have a very plausible reason it wasn't as good as you hoped.

When you do the next one, let us all know!

 

[SmokeyBarks]

Yep. There's your problem. Didn't cook it enough. Like ringer said, time isn't a reliable tool with brisket. I've had 8 punders take 14 hours and I had 13 pounders take 7 hours. It's all about getting near 200 degrees and probing.
By pulling at 160, you never let the collagens break down, which starts to happen around 165, and that is what makes brisket tender and juicy.
Go buy yourself another one and give it another shot.

Thanks! That is good to know. I'd rather sip a burbon or two more and some beers before I pull the brisket!

 

[1MoreFord]

I probed it at 160 degrees and wrapped it in non coated but her paper for an hour. I cut into it and it looked done, but no softness! Have you encountered this before?

As others have told you it's not done until it probes tender. 160°F plus 1 hour is nowhere near cooked long enough.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

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