Brisket cooking too fast

[Cammer78]

Cooking a 15.8 lb brisket (just my second time doing brisket). Smoking at 225 and was planning on 1.25-1.5 hours per lb. 12 hours in the probe is at 190. This seems too soon since I was planning on 20-23 hours. What is the best plan to finish it now and eat in 10 hours. Leave at 225 until it hits 200 then leave on keep warm setting (165) until we eat ?

 

[Brokenhandle]

I would keep probing until probe slides in with no resistance, might happen at 200, 205, 210, each piece of meat is different. Once probe tender remove and wrap in butcher paper or foil and wrap in old towels and place in cooler.

What are you using for thermometer in smoker? Many are not correct and might be hotter than you think. A calibrated digital one checked in both ice water and boiling water is your best bet.

Ryan

 

[noboundaries]

Your post was a 6:34 AM my West Coast time. It's now 8:23 AM. Since you were at 190F, and still had another 10-15F, maybe 20F to go, at a 225F chamber temp you were still about 2-3 hours away from the finish.

 

[Cammer78]

I would keep probing until probe slides in with no resistance, might happen at 200, 205, 210, each piece of meat is different. Once probe tender remove and wrap in butcher paper or foil and wrap in old towels and place in cooler.

What are you using for thermometer in smoker? Many are not correct and might be hotter than you think. A calibrated digital one checked in both ice water and boiling water is your best bet.

Ryan

Thanks Ryan. I’m using the Traeger thermometer that plugs into the smoker. I tried another one and it reads a few degrees warmer. What will happen if I leave it on 165 to keep warm for a few hours?

 

[JckDanls 07]

It will keep cooking and dry out... as stated above... when done wrap in foil (a couple of times) and put in a cooler (with no ice).. cover with a couple of old towels ... it will still be HOT hours and hours later...

 

[Cammer78]

It will keep cooking and dry out... as stated above... when done wrap in foil (a couple of times) and put in a cooler (with no ice).. cover with a couple of old towels ... it will still be HOT hours and hours late

 

[Cammer78]

It will keep cooking and dry out... as stated above... when done wrap in foil (a couple of times) and put in a cooler (with no ice).. cover with a couple of old towels ... it will still be HOT hours and hours later...

Thank you. By hours and hours... do we mean 8 hours. Because we are eating in 8 hours.
by hours and hours do we mean 8 hours until eating?

 

[tallbm]

Cooking a 15.8 lb brisket (just my second time doing brisket). Smoking at 225 and was planning on 1.25-1.5 hours per lb. 12 hours in the probe is at 190. This seems too soon since I was planning on 20-23 hours. What is the best plan to finish it now and eat in 10 hours. Leave at 225 until it hits 200 then leave on keep warm setting (165) until we eat ?

Hi there and welcome!

As mentioned earlier your brisket is only done when it is tender. It is tender when u can stab all over with a kabob skewer and it goes in like butter (especially the middle of the flat muscle).

I would bet money that you are not finishing early. I would bet money that your probe placement is not ideal.... I say this because getting the temp probe into the most accurate place in a brisket is really a difficult task. So much so that i put 3 probes in mine from 3 different directions and usually only 1 gets it right so 1 out of 3 works for me hahaha.

The PROPER place to put your temp probe in a brisket is the thickest yet center most portion of the FLAT muscle. Never putt the probe in the Point muscle, that thing will come out good no matter what and is ready way before the flat in my experience.

I bet if you reposition your temp probe in the meat you will find that u are not really at 190F deep in the brisket flat muscle.

Give that a shot and if I'm right continue on course :)
If I'm wrong just let it keep going until tender and then wrap tightly in 2 layers in foil and then tightly wrap in 3 bath towels and place on the counter. That will EASILY hold the temperature for 5 hours and when u open it up to eat it will be piping hot!
If u have to go over 5 hours then do the same and shove that all into a cooler and i bet it olds 7-8 hours.

I hope this info helps and let us know if replaceing the probe until you hit a lower temp turns out to be the case (my money is on this).

 

[JckDanls 07]

Curious what the results were ??