Brisket too big?

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huskerfan1414

Fire Starter
Original poster
Dec 28, 2013
60
13
Nebraska
I've already posted one question before my upcoming brisket smoke, and this is the last one I swear!! 

I have a 9 pound packer that I just rubbed up and stuck in the fridge, gonna start the smoke at 3 a.m. Saturday.  I have a masterbuilt dual fuel, two door smoker and the brisket won't fit without rubbing against the walls of the smoker.

What should I do?  Any tips or suggestions?

Thanks in advance to all who answer.
 
Hello.  Hind sight is a wonderful thing.  Wish you had not put rub on the whole thing but it is what it is.  I would have said smoke half and freeze the other.  One school of thought is to place something in the smoker ( rib rack ) so as to "accordion" the brisket and allow it to fit.  Place a HEAVY frying pan on the stove on HIGH heat.  Think of the brisket as a rectangle.  Cut it in half across the narrow width.  When the skillet starts to smoke, sear the cut end to stop the juices from escaping.  Now smoke the 2 halves according to your plan.  Just my opinion.  Keep Smokin!

Danny
 
Can you maybe tie some twine around it curving the side up and as it cooks and shrinks it should relax the twine and eventually lie flat. Just a idea.

Stan
 
You could separate the point from the flat and use 2 shelves/racks in the smoker
 
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What if I put it in a foil pan, but didn't cover the pan?  This way it curls up over the edges.  Or would that restrict smoke?
 
 
You could separate the point from the flat and use 2 shelves/racks in the smoker
 
Can you maybe tie some twine around it curving the side up and as it cooks and shrinks it should relax the twine and eventually lie flat. Just a idea.

Stan
I wold say go with one of these two suggestions. Not being a butcher myself I would go with the twine idea HANDYMANSTAN put out there.
 
Unless you're worried about the walls of your smoker being unsanitary, a 9 pounder isn't all that huge and will shrink, so I'd say just stuff it in there and let it touch the walls. Probably halfway through the smoke it won't be touching anymore anyway. If that doesn't work for whatever reason, I'd separate the point from the flat per Boykjo's suggestion. They tend to cook at different rates anyway, so that might be the best course of action. I'd do the point to 195˚ or so with no foil, and the flat I'd foil at 165˚ or so and start probing for tenderness at 190˚.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
 
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I agree with Joe and Handyman. I actually really like the twine idea because it'll shrink the twine will just eventually lay flat on the shrunken brisket
 
I'm a point & flat separater.  No one will convince me that thin flat won't be dry by the time the point is done so I pull them from the pit at different times.
 
 
Unless you're worried about the walls of your smoker being unsanitary, a 9 pounder isn't all that huge and will shrink, so I'd say just stuff it in there and let it touch the walls. Probably halfway through the smoke it won't be touching anymore anyway. If that doesn't work for whatever reason, I'd separate the point from the flat per Boykjo's suggestion. They tend to cook at different rates anyway, so that might be the best course of action. I'd do the point to 195˚ or so with no foil, and the flat I'd foil at 165˚ or so and start probing for tenderness at 190˚.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
I'm with this. If it's barely touching the walls, the standard shrinkage of a brisket will take care of the problem in a few hours in the smoker. 
 
Cool thanks all.  I got some twine and I will consider either just throwing it and letting it rub, or tying it up with twine.  I'm still a little worried that it would touch the sides too much, and not just a little bit.  But we'll see.

Thanks for all the pointers.  The smoker gets fired up at 3 a.m.  I'll be sure to have some Q view of the triumph or failure 
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She's going strong.  Now I stuck two probes in it and one is reading ten degrees warmer than the other.  They are both accurate.  Should I go with the Maverick?  That's the "nicer" one.  It's also the hotter one.

Gettin close to foil time.  Any help is appreciated.
 
switched the probes.  Now, the maverick is 10 degrees cooler and the other one is ten degrees hotter.  Exact!  They are no more than an inch apart.  The hotter one is closer to the point. 
102.gif
 
Nevermind.  I re-inserted them from the center going against the grain toward the point of the flat that I will start cutting from.  They now both read very similar, and much cooler around 150.  I'm thinking this is correct.
 
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th_What_NO_QVIEW.gif
   
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Haha! I'm sorry.  I have one Qview pic of the rub I will post when I'm done.  I meant to take a pic when I foiled it but I forgot in the hustle-n-bustle.  Mad at myself!  But trust me, there is plenty of Q-view to come when all that I am smoking is finished.

Currently at 185 internal temp on the brisky...gonna throw the beans and ABT'S on soon so the beans can go for three and the abt's will go for two while the brisky rests for a few hours.
 
 
I'm a point & flat separater.  No one will convince me that thin flat won't be dry by the time the point is done so I pull them from the pit at different times.
I was curious about this and figured I'd read a couple of brisket threads until I saw something about this issue mentioned.  Do you cut the meat then sear the ends where you made the cut?  I've yet to smoke a brisket, is it obvious where the thin transitions to a point?
 
Noggin,

After I cut, I give each piece a heavy mustard rub and dry rub which seals the pieces pretty well.  When you go to make a cut, it is just by eye where the roast looks like it begins to get significantly thinner.  Lots of purest here that don't do it this way and leave it whole.  Everyone has their own method and nothing wrong with that.
 
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