Brisket Help

[jhayden11]

I need some advice on my briskets. The last two that I’ve made, the flat has come out pretty dry and I cooked both almost identical. Seasoned with just S&P, on the top rack with an empty foil pan underneath it at 225-230 and had the fat cap up. I pulled the most recent one on Sunday off the smoker at what seemed like probe tender and was at a temp of 197, and it rested for almost four hours in cooler with towels. The only thing I can think of is that I did them both as overnight cooks and never wrapped either one during the stall. Would that make the biggest difference by wrapping them at the middle of the cook with tallow? If so, if I’m doing an overnight cook, is the only way to wake up and wrap it? TL;DR - Does wrapping a brisket during the stall and adding tallow really make the biggest difference to keep the flat from drying out? TIA

 

[SmokinEdge]

I need some advice on my briskets. The last two that I’ve made, the flat has come out pretty dry and I cooked both almost identical. Seasoned with just S&P, on the top rack with an empty foil pan underneath it at 225-230 and had the fat cap up. I pulled the most recent one on Sunday off the smoker at what seemed like probe tender and was at a temp of 197, and it rested for almost four hours in cooler with towels. The only thing I can think of is that I did them both as overnight cooks and never wrapped either one during the stall. Would that make the biggest difference by wrapping them at the middle of the cook with tallow? If so, if I’m doing an overnight cook, is the only way to wake up and wrap it? TL;DR - Does wrapping a brisket during the stall and adding tallow really make the biggest difference to keep the flat from drying out? TIA

Dry brisket is 99% of the time not cooked enough. You must render out all fat and THEN cook long enough to melt the collagen in the meat completely, that collagen is what makes the brisket cut juicy but only once it melts.

If a brisket is over cooked it then pulled apart and is not sliceable. When a brisket is done, it will jiggle like jello. The point most always is tender before the flat. To the point that the point will want to pull apart sometimes by the time the flat finishes. That’s the big reason that points are turned into burnt ends while the flat finishes.

 

[Astralogics]

First off, welcome in! Stop by in Roll Call to introduce yourself so we can greet you!

Eric beat me, it's sounding like it could potentially be undercooked. While my point will probe tender in the upper 190/low 200s, my flats can go all the way up to 210 sometimes.

Also, what kind of cooker are you using? Some people can get away with not wrapping at all (though, if I recall, it's because they have decent humidity where they are/in their cooker).

 

[jhayden11]

Dry brisket is 99% of the time not cooked enough. You must render out all fat and THEN cook long enough to melt the collagen in the meat completely, that collagen is what makes the brisket cut juicy but only once it melts.

If a brisket is over cooked it then pulled apart and is not sliceable. When a brisket is done, it will jiggle like jello. The point most always is tender before the flat. To the point that the point will want to pull apart sometimes by the time the flat finishes. That’s the big reason that points are turned into burnt ends while the flat finishes.

Thank you. When I pulled it off, I did start to worry that it was too early. I think I went off of the point feeling so tender and was worried about it becoming mush. Which the point on this one didn’t cut easily and just became more shredded.

 

[jhayden11]

First off, welcome in! Stop by in Roll Call to introduce yourself so we can greet you!

Eric beat me, it's sounding like it could potentially be undercooked. While my point will probe tender in the upper 190/low 200s, my flats can go all the way up to 210 sometimes.

Also, what kind of cooker are you using? Some people can get away with not wrapping at all (though, if I recall, it's because they have decent humidity where they are/in their cooker).

Thanks for the warm welcome! Long time lurker on the forum reading posts and decided to finally make an account to seek direct help! Haha

I mentioned it in my reply to Eric, but yeah I always worry about the point becoming mushy which I have had happen previously too. So I probably am pulling it too early.

I have a Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 that I use. I live in San Antonio, TX, so it is pretty humid here most of the time.

 

[912smoker]

Also what grade of meat? Select, Choice or Prime?

Keith

 

[jhayden11]

Also what grade of meat? Select, Choice or Prime?

Keith

Always Choice so far. Haven’t pulled the plug on Prime just yet.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Read through @SmokinAl's thread... This will help tremendously...

BRISKET FLAT, MY WAY

It's no secret that a lot of folks have a problem smoking a small well trimmed brisket flat. I to had my struggles for a while, but a couple of years ago I found this method and have been using it ever since. So I would like to share my method with all of you. If you already are successful...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[SmokinEdge]

Always Choice so far. Haven’t pulled the plug on Prime just yet.

This is where the concept of an extended hot hold comes to play. The idea there is to smoke the meat until it’s close to but not quite done, maybe in the 190’s. The meat is usually wrapped in red paper at the usual 160-170 IT range for the stall and for the later hot hold. When the IT is close but not quite there yet, say in the 190’s, the meat is pulled off smoker still wrapped and placed in a electric holding cabinet, usually in the 150-160 range, and help for anywhere from 10-20+ hours. During that hot hold the collagen finishes melting making the meat juicy and tender.

This concept is continued with SV. Where cuts like brisket or chuck can be cooked at ~140 for around 48 hours making the meat moist and tender. Just understand that what makes brisket or chuck moist and tender is the collagen melting away completely. It’s not about temperature or time per se, it’s about melting that collagen and knowing when it’s complete. This can happen with IT anywhere from 195-212 and cook temps 225-250 in 10-18 hours, depending on the meat piece, but the same can be done cooking at 140 for 48 hours. Or you can use a combination. Smoking/hot hold or you can smoke then wrap and stuff in a cooler for a long hold. In all cases the hold seems key to meat nirvana.

The meat is done when it’s done when it comes to tough cuts, you really can’t use time and temp like you would with a cut like a prime steak, there IT is everything. Not so much in low slow bbq brisket or chuck.

 

[zwiller]

Good info from the class. My take on it: not sure if you've seen it but the famous brisket folks trim a TON. Much of the flat is removed. Very wasteful unless making sausage or GB. A good way around that is a method I learned from @chopsaw. Break packer down into 4 parts. Make corned beef with flat, pastrami from point, and then smoke the center pieces as you would typically. OMG no other way if you ask me. Bonus is those pieces take much less time on the smoker than a whole packer would. This was around 8hrs, directly off the smoker/no hold.

 

[Astralogics]

Thanks for the warm welcome! Long time lurker on the forum reading posts and decided to finally make an account to seek direct help! Haha

I mentioned it in my reply to Eric, but yeah I always worry about the point becoming mushy which I have had happen previously too. So I probably am pulling it too early.

I have a Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 that I use. I live in San Antonio, TX, so it is pretty humid here most of the time.

Woo, great replies here. Eric is right on point, which is actually what Goldee's does. They go the whole cook unwrapped (which is what you wanted to attempt) and then wrap in foil with tallow and do a long hot hold overnight.

A good way around that is a method I learned from @chopsaw. Break packer down into 4 parts. Make corned beef with flat, pastrami from point, and then smoke the center pieces as you would typically.

I'm gonna need to start doing this once in awhile. As much as I love making sausages and burgers, it can be a little too time consuming. And who'd complain about having corned beef and pastrami on hand?

 

[912smoker]

Basically undercooked.
Probe tender means the probe goes in like butter AND comes out with no resistance. I wrap but that's a personal preference. Use paper and add tallow or Kosmos Q Brisket mop. Then when it's time to pull, wrap the package in seran wrap, place in pan and into an oven or towel packed cooler for 3~4 hr rest.
Keep notes of your cooks and make small adjustments.
It can be a process so don't give up!

Keith

 

[jhayden11]

Thank you all for the help so far! I will plan to attempt another one soon and make the adjustments that were mentioned. I will report back.