Brisket help

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jtiernay

Newbie
Original poster
May 8, 2021
3
1
I’ve wrecked a couple of briskets the past few weeks and need some good counsel.

I picked up a prime flat from my local butcher shop. The cut looked good and it weighed about 6 lbs. I trimmed part of the fat cap and removed all the silver skin. I used Meat Church Holy Cow rub since it has a good bit of pepper. I didn’t use a binder, just rub. I let it sit for 30 minutes while my Traeger got up to 225. I threw it on at 7AM fat cap down. 3 hours later it was at about 145 degrees and looked a little dry so I spritzed with Apple cider vinegar. Another 2 hours and it was at 165 and the bark looked nice so I wrapped it in butcher paper. I thought it was bizarre for a 6lb brisket flat to take 5 hours to reach 165 internal temp. I then raised the temperature to 275. After a couple more hours the temp was reading 205 so I wrapped in a towel and put it in my cooler. After about an hour of rest, I opened it up only to discover it was dry. The taste was great, but the brisket was too dry for my liking.

what could I have done differently? Is it the cut of meat that was bad? Did I over cook somehow? I use a thermapen probe and that thing is as accurate as can be.
 
I’ve wrecked a couple of briskets the past few weeks and need some good counsel.

I picked up a prime flat from my local butcher shop. The cut looked good and it weighed about 6 lbs. I trimmed part of the fat cap and removed all the silver skin. I used Meat Church Holy Cow rub since it has a good bit of pepper. I didn’t use a binder, just rub. I let it sit for 30 minutes while my Traeger got up to 225. I threw it on at 7AM fat cap down. 3 hours later it was at about 145 degrees and looked a little dry so I spritzed with Apple cider vinegar. Another 2 hours and it was at 165 and the bark looked nice so I wrapped it in butcher paper. I thought it was bizarre for a 6lb brisket flat to take 5 hours to reach 165 internal temp. I then raised the temperature to 275. After a couple more hours the temp was reading 205 so I wrapped in a towel and put it in my cooler. After about an hour of rest, I opened it up only to discover it was dry. The taste was great, but the brisket was too dry for my liking.

what could I have done differently? Is it the cut of meat that was bad? Did I over cook somehow? I use a thermapen probe and that thing is as accurate as can be.
I’ve wrecked a couple of briskets the past few weeks and need some good counsel.

I picked up a prime flat from my local butcher shop. The cut looked good and it weighed about 6 lbs. I trimmed part of the fat cap and removed all the silver skin. I used Meat Church Holy Cow rub since it has a good bit of pepper. I didn’t use a binder, just rub. I let it sit for 30 minutes while my Traeger got up to 225. I threw it on at 7AM fat cap down. 3 hours later it was at about 145 degrees and looked a little dry so I spritzed with Apple cider vinegar. Another 2 hours and it was at 165 and the bark looked nice so I wrapped it in butcher paper. I thought it was bizarre for a 6lb brisket flat to take 5 hours to reach 165 internal temp. I then raised the temperature to 275. After a couple more hours the temp was reading 205 so I wrapped in a towel and put it in my cooler. After about an hour of rest, I opened it up only to discover it was dry. The taste was great, but the brisket was too dry for my liking.

what could I have done differently? Is it the cut of meat that was bad? Did I over cook somehow? I use a thermapen probe and that thing is as accurate as can be.
 
I normally don't trim my brisket and I marinate mine in a hickory and pepper marinate. Then I inject it with marinate and then I put garlic and pepper rub on it. Then do like you have done cook at 225 until internal temp is at 165 Then wrap in pink butcher paper until
 
What are you using to measure temps, was it probe tender when you pulled it, dont go by temp. it could be just a bad cut but lots if times dry brisket is just undercooked.
 
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I normally don't trim my brisket and I marinate mine in a hickory and pepper marinate. Then I inject it with marinate and then I put garlic and pepper rub on it. Then do like you have done cook at 225 until internal temp is at 165 Then wrap in pink butcher paper until the internal temp 203 I wrap in foil and a towel let rest for 45 minutes and eat . GOOD LUCK.
 
Find out where your hot spots are on your cooker, I've had cuts turn out dry only to realize I had it on my hot spot.
 
A few thoughts:
Flats are rather challenging to cook. I tried flats for along time not knowing this thinking a full packer was too much and too hard. this is not he case. a flat by itself can be a challenge. after many I was able to make them pretty good, but by that time i moved to full packers and these seem to be much less problematic. I run them at 275, no wrap, no spritz, just Holy Cow rub. I trim the fat cap to 1/4" or so, remove all hard fat and some of the fat between the flat and the point - especially if its real thick and hard.

for the one you just cooked, might be worth checking your probes to make sure they are accurate and also check the chamber temp with an accurate thermometer to see what going on there is what you expect/set it at.

last thought: I too used to shop at a butcher. if you cook much meat at all, i would move on to the grocery or costco/sams. at least for me the butcher was not always better, but was always more expensive.
 
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This may help you, a brisket flat that is trimmed really well is one of the hardest pieces of meat to cook.
Al
 
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