Brisket Advice Needed Please

[JustinLoos]

I just finished my 4th brisket cook. My flat turn out tender and juicy. However, the the point came out tough. Here’s my cooking profile. Any suggestions or advice are appreciated.

Prep
10.17 lbs. Costco packer Brisket (choice grade) never frozen
7 lbs. trimmed
60 minutes in room temp
Light coat of olive oil
Salt and pepper rub (50:50)

Cook
Horizon 20” offset smoker
Wood - oak
Water pan

Temp probe on grate, point, and flat/point area.

Brisket fat side up, point towards firebox.

Cook target temp was 225-250.

Point Temps
Start 50
1 hr 110
2 hr 138
3 hr 153 (first look, spritz every hr now)
4 hr 158
5 hr 162 (stall = wrapped in butcher paper at this time)
6 hr 162
7 hr 175
8 hr 184
9 hr 196
9.5 hr 202 (removed from offset)

I removed the brisket when the probe in the point hit 202.

Left wrapped in butchers paper and rested for 30 minutes.

 

[Bigtank]

It looks good, I don't spritz but that is just personal preference. I use IT as a guide cook until probe tender. Instant read temp probe should slide in like butter. I usually un-wrap and cook a little longer in a foil pan on a rack to dry up the bark, that makes it easy to probe. Then cover with foil and rest in a cooler for an hour or more. Every piece of meat is different, although its rare you could of got a tough one. It happens.

 

[chopsaw]

Hard to tell , but looks like some of the slices are starting to go with the grain .
That's a good lookin' brisket .

 

[gmc2003]

If it's not to late. Cube the point and make burntends.

Chris

 

[thirdeye]

Other than a 30 minute rest, it looks like you checked all the boxes. 2 to 3 hours of rest will always help a brisket - let the temp fall a few degrees, then hold in a hot box. I take some reference internal temps during the cook, but trust probing a little more than temp. Lastly, not all steers are created equal.

 

[jbruce]

Don't assume a brisket is finished based on temperature. Stab it with a temp probe to test how tough it is. When it penetrates easily across the whole brisket, it's done. When it's still tough in just one part, probe that part every fifteen minutes or so.

I've never overcooked a brisket, but mine sits fat side down in a pan with drippings in it after the stall. Before the stall, the pan just catches juices for later.

 

[tallbm]

I just finished my 4th brisket cook. My flat turn out tender and juicy. However, the the point came out tough. Here’s my cooking profile. Any suggestions or advice are appreciated.

Prep
10.17 lbs. Costco packer Brisket (choice grade) never frozen
7 lbs. trimmed
60 minutes in room temp
Light coat of olive oil
Salt and pepper rub (50:50)

Cook
Horizon 20” offset smoker
Wood - oak
Water pan

Temp probe on grate, point, and flat/point area.

Brisket fat side up, point towards firebox.

Cook target temp was 225-250.

Point Temps
Start 50
1 hr 110
2 hr 138
3 hr 153 (first look, spritz every hr now)
4 hr 158
5 hr 162 (stall = wrapped in butcher paper at this time)
6 hr 162
7 hr 175
8 hr 184
9 hr 196
9.5 hr 202 (removed from offset)

I removed the brisket when the probe in the point hit 202.

Left wrapped in butchers paper and rested for 30 minutes.


View attachment 668855
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View attachment 668857
View attachment 668854

Hi there and welcome!

Don't worry, brisket smoking takes more process and understanding than most meats but it looks like you aren't far off.

Like others have mentioned. A brisket is never done by time or temp, only when it is tender. You use the Internal Temp (IT) of the meat to let you know when to start checking for tenderness.
You check for tenderness by stabbing ALL OVER with something like a kabob skewer (or temp probe) and it goes in without resistance.

It is very very odd to hear that the Point was not tender. It almost never gives you problems, the Flat muscle is the problem child.

As for your temp probe location. The best spot is the thickest yet cetner-most portion of the FLAT muscle. The Point will almost always lie to you because it is fattier and is almost always ready well before the flat.

Also know that temp probe placement is not easy to nail so another reason you go by tenderness and not temp. I use 3 temp probes from different angles aiming for the sweet spot when I do briskets. I tend to believe the lower reading. Why 3? Usually 1 out of 3 gets to the spot or close enough to give me a fairly accurate IT to use.

For more or better flavor you can wait even longer to wrap, you just have to plan for the smoke to take more time. Wrapping too early will give you a roast beef flavor instead of a smoked beef BBQ flavor. This is a shame because of all the time, money, and effort taken to make BBQ and then it comes out is roast beef lol.

Finally, as long as you aren't burning your brisket you can smoke at even higher temps if that is how your smoker wants to behave. Many of us go 275F and some will go over 300F and the brisket doesn't care.

Ask any questions you have and I hope some of this info helps you out on your next brisket smoke :)

 

[Displaced Texan]

Pretty unusual to have a nicer, tender flat and tough point. I'll take your word for it even though the pics look good.

As mentioned, 30 minutes is inadequate rest time. And, also as stated, make sure you flip the point 90° before slicing and go against the grain. Maybe you did, hard to tell from the pics.

My advice, don't overthink the temps. Probe or feel for tenderness.

 

[JustinLoos]

Hi there and welcome!

Don't worry, brisket smoking takes more process and understanding than most meats but it looks like you aren't far off.

Like others have mentioned. A brisket is never done by time or temp, only when it is tender. You use the Internal Temp (IT) of the meat to let you know when to start checking for tenderness.
You check for tenderness by stabbing ALL OVER with something like a kabob skewer (or temp probe) and it goes in without resistance.

It is very very odd to hear that the Point was not tender. It almost never gives you problems, the Flat muscle is the problem child.

As for your temp probe location. The best spot is the thickest yet cetner-most portion of the FLAT muscle. The Point will almost always lie to you because it is fattier and is almost always ready well before the flat.

Also know that temp probe placement is not easy to nail so another reason you go by tenderness and not temp. I use 3 temp probes from different angles aiming for the sweet spot when I do briskets. I tend to believe the lower reading. Why 3? Usually 1 out of 3 gets to the spot or close enough to give me a fairly accurate IT to use.

For more or better flavor you can wait even longer to wrap, you just have to plan for the smoke to take more time. Wrapping too early will give you a roast beef flavor instead of a smoked beef BBQ flavor. This is a shame because of all the time, money, and effort taken to make BBQ and then it comes out is roast beef lol.

Finally, as long as you aren't burning your brisket you can smoke at even higher temps if that is how your smoker wants to behave. Many of us go 275F and some will go over 300F and the brisket doesn't care.

Ask any questions you have and I hope some of this info helps you out on your next brisket smoke :)

I ran 3 probes the entire cook. 1 in the point, 1 in the middle, and one at the flat.

I thought the flat finishes first because it’s the thinnest?

 

[nnolannn]

Try wrapping at 185, check for tenderness around 205 by probing.
I once had to cook a little longer to a temp around 216 I think to get that butter like probe. If it doesn't probe like butter give it more time, but pay attention. it shouldn't take much time.

 

[tallbm]

I ran 3 probes the entire cook. 1 in the point, 1 in the middle, and one at the flat.

I thought the flat finishes first because it’s the thinnest?

No the Flat rarely finishes first. It is the tougher less marbled cut of meat so takes longer to get the collagen to break down.
The Point is full of fat and will get tender well before the flat.

Also the flat often spans almost the whole length of the brisket so if the thickest yet center-most portion of the Flat is tender then it is very likely that all of the flat is tender. Again be sure to stab ALL OVER to check for tenderness. If you find it's tough in 1 spot I would encourage you to move a temp probe to that spot and watch how lower the temp is :D

One more thing. The thin end of the flat can often burn up on you because it so much thinner than the rest of the brisket.
I always recommend buying a MUCH larger brisket (15lbs or bigger) and then trimming away the thin Flat meat and repurposing it for stews, braises, grind, etc. This picture shows the area of the flat I'm talking about trimming away:

What is left over after removing that thin meat is a more uniform thickness of the flat muscle so it doesn't burn up and everything gets more evenly tender in the flat . As usual the Point should give you no problem and will be tender well before the flat.

Finally, I average over 1 brisket every 2 months or so since I live in TX (brisket country). I just got back in from the store and bought 2 choice cut briskets, 15lb+ for $1.99/lb. So know that I'm giving you some 1st hand knowledge on this stuff with plenty of briskets under the belt :D

Actually, brisket is not difficult to do well, it's just easy to go wrong with it :D
Ask any questions you have and let me know if this makes sense :D

 

[schlotz]

tallbm has you sorted out perfectly. His advise is spot on!

 

[JustinLoos]

No the Flat rarely finishes first. It is the tougher less marbled cut of meat so takes longer to get the collagen to break down.
The Point is full of fat and will get tender well before the flat.

Also the flat often spans almost the whole length of the brisket so if the thickest yet center-most portion of the Flat is tender then it is very likely that all of the flat is tender. Again be sure to stab ALL OVER to check for tenderness. If you find it's tough in 1 spot I would encourage you to move a temp probe to that spot and watch how lower the temp is :D

One more thing. The thin end of the flat can often burn up on you because it so much thinner than the rest of the brisket.
I always recommend buying a MUCH larger brisket (15lbs or bigger) and then trimming away the thin Flat meat and repurposing it for stews, braises, grind, etc. This picture shows the area of the flat I'm talking about trimming away:
View attachment 669022
What is left over after removing that thin meat is a more uniform thickness of the flat muscle so it doesn't burn up and everything gets more evenly tender in the flat . As usual the Point should give you no problem and will be tender well before the flat.

Finally, I average over 1 brisket every 2 months or so since I live in TX (brisket country). I just got back in from the store and bought 2 choice cut briskets, 15lb+ for $1.99/lb. So know that I'm giving you some 1st hand knowledge on this stuff with plenty of briskets under the belt :D

Actually, brisket is not difficult to do well, it's just easy to go wrong with it :D
Ask any questions you have and let me know if this makes sense :D

Thanks for the advice, I’ve made many notes for my next cook.