Brisket question

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Patcar

Newbie
Original poster
Apr 17, 2022
3
4
Just smoked my first brisket and it finished 3 hrs early. Cooked on a traeger at 220 degrees until IT was 165. Bumped up to about 240 for 3 more hrs and cooked until IT was at 203 degrees in both flat amd tip. it took 12.5 hrs instead of 15.5 hrs total time. I was planning on resting it an hr or 2 wrapped in foil and towels in a cooler. My question is. Will wrapping it in foil, 4 towels and placing in a cooler for 5 to 6 hrs a bag thing? Will this dry out the meat.
Thanks
Pat
 
For the OP: Brisket is not steak, but both are beef. Steak muscles are lazy and will get dry if cooked too long. Brisket is a tough, hard-worked, weight-bearing muscle that is filled with connective collagen. It will taste tough and dry if not cooked long enough to melt the collagen. Melted collagen gives brisket its juiciness. Briskets cooked too long will not be dry. They will fall apart because all the collagen will have melted, but it will still be juicy unless you allow all the collagen to seep away. (If you've ever seen gel in a pan of meat that has been refrigerated, you are looking at melted collagen. It is FULL of flavor).

Don't confuse steak with brisket. A long rest (3‐5 hours) of a wrapped brisket in an insulated environment or an oven set at a 140°-170°F will give you a melt-in-the-mouth brisket that retains its juiciness and structure.
 
Cooking to temp and saying it's done 3 hours early worries me .

Did it probe tender ?
Yes. That worried me also but it turned out amazing. Let it rest for 5 hrs wrapped in towels in a cooler. The temp only went down to I65 when I took it out to cut. Was insane. So good. Can't wait to try another.
 
That will be fine. Let the brisket cool a few degrees before you wrap it in foil so it doesn't continue cooking. At 5-6hr you will still have a hot and juicy brisket out of the cooler.......also we like pics
Thanks for the tip. That is exactly what I did. Let it cool to 195. Wrapped it up, and 5 hrs later it was still 165 in the cooler. Turned out amazing. Thanks again
 
  • Like
Reactions: texomakid
Just smoked my first brisket and it finished 3 hrs early. Cooked on a traeger at 220 degrees until IT was 165. Bumped up to about 240 for 3 more hrs and cooked until IT was at 203 degrees in both flat amd tip. it took 12.5 hrs instead of 15.5 hrs total time. I was planning on resting it an hr or 2 wrapped in foil and towels in a cooler. My question is. Will wrapping it in foil, 4 towels and placing in a cooler for 5 to 6 hrs a bag thing? Will this dry out the meat.
Thanks
Pat
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Hot Threads

Clicky