Brisket cooking quickly!

[texasjason]

Well I’ve had a brisket on about 5 hours now and it’s at 191 in the flat, close to the point. Started it out around 275 but have since backed it down to 250 or do. Any thoughts on how to slow this down to make sure fat gets rendered and it doesn’t turn out like shoe leather? I have not wrapped it, it didn’t really stall. Here’s a pic after about 3:45 hrs in. Bark not there yet.

 

[noboundaries]

Jason, take a deep breath and relax. There's a good chance the probe is in a fat seam, stuck too far into the meat, could be a probe gone bad, etc. Meat hasn't started suddenly cooking/smoking differently just because we've added all this technology to the process.

I've stopped using my meat probes. They were causing me more headaches, like yours, than they were giving me confidence. After a few smokes that turned out less than desirable, I pegged the problem to technology. Now I let the meat and smoker do their thing, and I'll use an instant read that I know is accurate to check the progress. If you have one, start checking the temp in several places, but also pay attention to how the probe feels when it goes into the meat, especially a flat on a brisket. A point will probe butter soft WAY before the flat due to all the fat, but that doesn't mean it is done.

Not using a meat probe is kind of old school, but my headaches went away and the results are once again consistent. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.

 

[noboundaries]

I see your original plan in the thread below. Obviously something has changed in your plans.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/brisket-timing-question.276082/#post-1837397

Experience and instinct trump often trump technology. Fill us in on when you started the smoke.

 

[texasjason]

Thanks for the reply. I started about 3:30am. I was going to start earlier but decided to get a little sleep instaed of pulling an all nighter. So, we are about 6 hrs in now, used the instant read at your suggestion and was getting 175-180 ish at various parts. So you were right about checking different spots. And also to chill out, lol. Here’s a recent shot.

 

[noboundaries]

Glad you tried it. Might want to crank that temp back up to 275F. Just saying. Better to finish early and rest than finish late and serve lousy brisket.

 

[BKING!]

Looking good!

 

[texasjason]

Glad you tried it. Might want to crank that temp back up to 275F. Just saying. Better to finish early and rest than finish late and serve lousy brisket.

Yes good call I have cranked it back up!

 

[texasjason]

Looking good!

Thanks!

 

[texasjason]

I found that one side of the flat is measuring about 175 and still real firm, while the other side is about 200 and soft and getting close. Other parts are feeling soft too and in or around 200. Any ideas what to do in this case when one sideis not done?

 

[Rings Я Us]

Probably check for buttery texture in all the areas and don't take it off till all areas are nice and soft. You could foil it with a spritz or 2 of some beef broth or Apple juice.. or water and Apple cider vinegar spritz. Tight wrap till the firm area is cooked soft.
I poke test it every half hour till that firm side is like the rest.
Maybe one side of the cooking chamber is hotter?

 

[texasjason]

Probably check for buttery texture in all the areas and don't take it off till all areas are nice and soft. You could foil it with a spritz or 2 of some beef broth or Apple juice.. or water and Apple cider vinegar spritz. Tight wrap till the firm area is cooked soft.
I poke test it every half hour till that firm side is like the rest.
Maybe one side of the cooking chamber is hotter?

Yes I think you are right, I found a hot spot I didn’t realize I had before this. Think I’ll wrap it for a while and move it over. Thank you!

 

[texasjason]

Yes I think you are right, I found a hot spot I didn’t realize I had before this. Think I’ll wrap it for a while and move it over. Thank you!

This might be a dumb question but do you poke through the wrap I assume? Or unwrap it each time you test it.

 

[SmokinAl]

I would unwrap it to test it!
A

 

[Rings Я Us]

Maybe you won't poke all the way through and can partially unwrap :D

If your temp probe is in the meat registering the lowest temp and that part gets to 195 , then you could be about done .

 

[texasjason]

Maybe you won't poke all the way through and can partially unwrap :D

If your temp probe is in the meat registering the lowest temp and that part gets to 195 , then you could be about done .

Got it thanks. I’ll check it here shortly.

 

[texasjason]

Getting pretty close. Tender but not quite like butter in the flat. Maybe another hour or so.

 

[noboundaries]

I found that one side of the flat is measuring about 175 and still real firm, while the other side is about 200 and soft and getting close. Other parts are feeling soft too and in or around 200. Any ideas what to do in this case when one sideis not done?

A packer brisket is like a practical joker due to having such different degrees of marbling in the flat, point, and deckle. If you go by temp alone, it will say "Ha! Fooled ya" as you attempt to chew tough, dry flat or a stringy, fatty point.

For discussions here, forget about the deckle and consider it part of the point. The point will probe tender WAY before the flat is done. I use butter softness in the flat to tell me when the brisket has finished. The point is extremely forgiving due to all the fat and can handle internal temps of 210-215 easy.

I will say it is pretty ballsy to serve your first brisket to a group of people. Good on you, Jason!

 

[texasjason]

Thanks for all your tips and information. It really helped. Yes I told the group ahead of time if it didn’t turn there is a Whataburger close by! Brisket turned out really good, got lots of compliments. Flat was a little dry for my liking but others said they preferred that over the moist. I think it sat in the cooler longer than I anticipated and kept cooking some perhaps. It was tender at about 203 or so but not like butter per se but I pulled it figuring it would continue cooking some. So not sure if I should have left it on a little longer or if it was the meat, etc. But that’s the learning process as well I suppose. Didn’t slice until 7:30 or so.