Cooked 2 18lb briskets on my reverse flow I built. I started at 225 for 3 hrs then 250for 2 and then 270 the rest of the time. Pulled at probe tender, did salt black pepper and seasoning salt. Bark turned out great. Did not wrap. Everything was good, except the bottom of the point turned out pot roasty. Any ideas what went wrong?
Bottom of brisket point pot roasty
- Thread starter mitchparker6
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Danblacksher
Smoking Fanatic
I started using the foil boat method to continue to get the bark I liked and it protects the bottom by sitting in its own juice. When I rest I leave it in the foil boat but I place it on a pan with a wire rack and it solved that for me. I can rest in warming cabinet for 10 hours uncovered and then covered for an additional 14 hours if need be.
It's a real challenge to cook a nice flat so don't beat yourself up too much. Lots of great cooks will end up with disappointing flats at times - from over confidence or too much beer, etc.
Here are some things I suggest:
1) Make sure you get the best brisket you can afford. Wagyu would be awesome. I consider USDA Prime a minimum grade. Choice if that's all you can find.
2) Build a nice gentle fire with a nice gentle draft. You do this by using more wood splits while using less air flow. This takes some practice. Build the fire close to the firebox door and far from the cook chamber. Use your dampers.
3) Set the brisket in the cook chamber as far as possible from the firebox, but not too close to the far bulkhead. You've got a reverse flow, so be sure you understand where the hottest part of the cook chamber is and try to avoid it.
4) Set it in the smoker in a way to protect it from radiant heat. You've got a reverse flow, so you should have that problem solved automatically.
5) Set it in the smoker in a way to protect it from convective heat. In other words, place the large fat point end towards the blast of hot air.
6) Stick probes in both the point and the flat. If you have only one probe, put it in the flat.
7) Consider the foil boat method when it hits the stall since this is when the juices start to sweat out of the meat. High and tight.
8) I would wrap it completely in butcher paper at 185 or so. Then put it back on for a short while.
9) When to pull it? Depends on how long you are going to hold it or rest it. It's okay to pull it a little early if you are going to give it a loooooong hold. But a short rest, like two hours, you pull it when it's soft underneath. You can feel it with your finger tips. You should rest it at least two hours. The longer, the better.
These things should give you a pretty nice flat.
Above is just MHO.
Good luck. :-)
Here are some things I suggest:
1) Make sure you get the best brisket you can afford. Wagyu would be awesome. I consider USDA Prime a minimum grade. Choice if that's all you can find.
2) Build a nice gentle fire with a nice gentle draft. You do this by using more wood splits while using less air flow. This takes some practice. Build the fire close to the firebox door and far from the cook chamber. Use your dampers.
3) Set the brisket in the cook chamber as far as possible from the firebox, but not too close to the far bulkhead. You've got a reverse flow, so be sure you understand where the hottest part of the cook chamber is and try to avoid it.
4) Set it in the smoker in a way to protect it from radiant heat. You've got a reverse flow, so you should have that problem solved automatically.
5) Set it in the smoker in a way to protect it from convective heat. In other words, place the large fat point end towards the blast of hot air.
6) Stick probes in both the point and the flat. If you have only one probe, put it in the flat.
7) Consider the foil boat method when it hits the stall since this is when the juices start to sweat out of the meat. High and tight.
8) I would wrap it completely in butcher paper at 185 or so. Then put it back on for a short while.
9) When to pull it? Depends on how long you are going to hold it or rest it. It's okay to pull it a little early if you are going to give it a loooooong hold. But a short rest, like two hours, you pull it when it's soft underneath. You can feel it with your finger tips. You should rest it at least two hours. The longer, the better.
These things should give you a pretty nice flat.
Above is just MHO.
Good luck. :-)
I’ll bite, what is “pot roasty”? I’m guessing perhaps falling apart / shredding? I personally love that from the point.
I had one once that tasted like roast beef . I was thinking that's what he means . Maybe not .
Hijack73
Smoking Fanatic
- Aug 9, 2020
- 392
- 377
Stringy is probably overcooked. It's pretty hard to overcook a point to drying out (but I can tell you from personal experience that it is not impossible) but it will for sure get stringy.
If it didn't have much smoke flavor straight off of the smoker then that's a bit odd. Leftover brisket can lose a lot of smoky goodness and just taste like a pot roast, especially if it isn't wrapped up properly in the fridge.
Most folks on here would say that I undercook mine, but I'd rather have a little chew than it be overcooked.
I run my oven at 170 (lowest it will go) until it's all the way hot and holding and I pull most of mine between 193 and 195 then wrap and into that hot oven and turn the oven off. After a 3+ hour rest it always comes out how I like it. Bite tender on a sandwich and can be cut with a fork but still with some chew. For me, a long rest is critical. Collagen is still breaking down as the brisket slowly cools. In my old pit, I'd just let the fire die out and rest it in the pit. My pellet pit doesn't hold heat long enough to do that though.
I'll have a few that I'll hit 200+ before it probes the way I want but very few and far between.
Big congrats on building a new smoker, that is a nice accomplishment. I like to learn a new smoker with a couple of different pork butt cooks before I trust it with a brisket. Gotta learn how the air flows and all that whatnot.
If it didn't have much smoke flavor straight off of the smoker then that's a bit odd. Leftover brisket can lose a lot of smoky goodness and just taste like a pot roast, especially if it isn't wrapped up properly in the fridge.
Most folks on here would say that I undercook mine, but I'd rather have a little chew than it be overcooked.
I run my oven at 170 (lowest it will go) until it's all the way hot and holding and I pull most of mine between 193 and 195 then wrap and into that hot oven and turn the oven off. After a 3+ hour rest it always comes out how I like it. Bite tender on a sandwich and can be cut with a fork but still with some chew. For me, a long rest is critical. Collagen is still breaking down as the brisket slowly cools. In my old pit, I'd just let the fire die out and rest it in the pit. My pellet pit doesn't hold heat long enough to do that though.
I'll have a few that I'll hit 200+ before it probes the way I want but very few and far between.
Big congrats on building a new smoker, that is a nice accomplishment. I like to learn a new smoker with a couple of different pork butt cooks before I trust it with a brisket. Gotta learn how the air flows and all that whatnot.
Did you slice the point against the grain as in opposite direction of the flat? Likely so but I have seen more than one post that cut with the grain and that is always stringy.
- Sep 16, 2007
- 3,598
- 10,694
Did you cook it on bottom rack? Or do you have a top rack? If bottom your reverse flow plate may be radiating heat to the area. Placing a pizza cardboard or something as a buffer will help protect as time progresses.
I've cooked probably 10 briskets on the smoker I built now in a year, and this is the first one that turned out kinda stringy/ pot roasty. I cooked on the bottom rack and didn't wrap the whole time. I put it on the rack as close as It could get to where the heat/smoke does a 180. I've tried wrapping in butcher paper after the stall and haven't been as happy with those results. Maybe I need to wrap at 180-190ish and see how that turns out.
As to cutting I always cut and separate the flat from the point, and cut the flat against the grain. The point I cut against the grain as well. I did notice when cutting the point the meat was stingy on the bottom, so it could have been due to the fact that it was partially against the grain? I know the grain patterns can sort of shift slightly as to what direction you think they run.
Here's the smoker
As to cutting I always cut and separate the flat from the point, and cut the flat against the grain. The point I cut against the grain as well. I did notice when cutting the point the meat was stingy on the bottom, so it could have been due to the fact that it was partially against the grain? I know the grain patterns can sort of shift slightly as to what direction you think they run.
Here's the smoker
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