Brisket was decent but looking for tips

[Gormy]

Hey all,

I'm new here and hoping for tips. I'm a novice smoker and looking to get better. I've only smoked 3-4 briskets, with each getting a little better. I was pretty happy with yesterday's, but I know there's things to improve on. Here's what I did:

- 10.45 lb brisket (point and flat) from Costco. (I know they're not the best, but they're not the worst either)
- Trimmed fat down but didn't trim the meat like I've seen some places say should be done (Franklin and others). Seasoned with salt and pepper (our favorite rub)
- Set the smoker (Smoke Hollow electric) at 250º and used hickory chips and a water pan
- Put brisket in the smoker at 6:03 am and added more chips at 7:00 am. Had to leave the house for a few hours.
- Added more chips at 10:10 am and more water at 10:20 am upon returning home. Chips burned down and water ran out while I was out of the house.
- Meat appeared to push through the stall while I was busy (and faster than expected) and I didn't get to wrap it in time. Smoked it naked the whole time instead.

Temperatures (Q Tech digital gauge inserted in fat part of point, bluetooth checked by phone and didn't open the smoker each time):
- 12:10 pm - 185º
- 12:45 pm - 190º
- 1:35 pm - 192º
- 2:00 pm - 196º
- 2:30 pm - 194º
- 2:45 pm - 199º (meet was still tough)
- 3:45 pm - 207º (meet was starting to feel tender - less resistance with a toothpick)
- 4:30 pm - 210º (quite tender - minimal resistance when entering toothpick - removed from smoker). Total cook time - 10.5 hours.

I wrapped it in foil, then in a blanket, and let it sit in a closed cooler for 1:45.

Observations when cutting and eating:
- The thickest parts were juicy and tender. Not quite pull apart, but not dried out like previous briskets I've done. Very tender to eat and tasted great.
- The thin ends (both on the point and the flat) are very, very tough.
- Bark was too charred (a result of cooking it unwrapped I'm sure). Previous briskets I've wrapped had a much better bark.
- Seasoning was too light - I didn't use enough. Didn't overcome the burnt bark taste

Tips:
- Why was the thickest part the juiciest while the ends are nearly inedible?
- How common is it to need to cook the meat to this high of an internal temp before it feels tender? Most of the time I see 190-200º being ideal.
- What should I do for the meat to be pull-apart tender next time?
- I've tried 225º, 250º, and I think 275º. I'm now starting to take detailed notes so I know what I did each time. This time, 250º, turned out the best. But I also realized that I previously pulled the meat off based on internal temp and not feel. I've had briskets turn out really tough
- In general, what would you do differently?

Thanks everyone!

 

[bregent]

I'll just make a few comments:

1) I'd trim away all of the thin parts. There's just no way to have a thin section of the flat finish at the same time as the thicker parts. Saving the trim for burgers is better than having it burn up on the smoker
2) Don't trust that the thermometer you placed was indicative of the overall average temp. I've probed briskets with instant read thermometers and found almost 20F of variation. Leave in probes are nice to get a general idea, but if you want to know the temp use an instant read in several places. Frankly I would not worry much about the temp - you're already doing the right thing by checking for feel.
3) You can cook a great brisket at nearly any temp. Don't get fooled into thinking your failures are due to cooking at the wrong temp.

 

[Gormy]

I'll just make a few comments:

1) I'd trim away all of the thin parts. There's just no way to have a thin section of the flat finish at the same time as the thicker parts. Saving the trim for burgers is better than having it burn up on the smoker
2) Don't trust that the thermometer you placed was indicative of the overall average temp. I've probed briskets with instant read thermometers and found almost 20F of variation. Leave in probes are nice to get a general idea, but if you want to know the temp use an instant read in several places. Frankly I would not worry much about the temp - you're already doing the right thing by checking for feel.
3) You can cook a great brisket at nearly any temp. Don't get fooled into thinking your failures are due to cooking at the wrong temp.

Thanks. I figured cutting away the thin parts would have helped. As mentioned I didn't do this, but will the next time. It makes sense that there's just no way to cook those at the same speed as the thickest part.

I definitely need to work towards cooking by feel and not by temp, and I saw better results with that method yesterday.

As for it being quite tender but not quite pull-apart yet, do you feel it just needed to go even a little bit longer? It was essentially smoked for 1 hour/pound, so I imagine it can go a little longer.

 

[radio]

If smoking naked there is virtually no way to prevent crispiness on the thin parts. I never trim the thin parts from mine because I do not grind anything..
Near the stall i place mine in a disposable aluminum pan with a rack in the bottom to keep it up away from the braising liquid. I use brewed coffee and beef base for the liquid, then foil tightly and cook until about 195, then start probing for tenderness. Most of mine i het from Sam's club usually go to 205-207 before getting tender and had one that needed 210!

 

[schlotz]

Hey all,

- Why was the thickest part the juiciest while the ends are nearly inedible?
- How common is it to need to cook the meat to this high of an internal temp before it feels tender? Most of the time I see 190-200º being ideal.
- What should I do for the meat to be pull-apart tender next time?
- I've tried 225º, 250º, and I think 275º. I'm now starting to take detailed notes so I know what I did each time. This time, 250º, turned out the best. But I also realized that I previously pulled the meat off based on internal temp and not feel. I've had briskets turn out really tough
- In general, what would you do differently?

Thanks everyone!

The thickest part is the point which lays on top of the flat with an extra layer of fat in between plus its own. The point will always be juicier. BTW: you want to take the IT in the middle of the thickest part of the visible flat (not including the point).

Every piece of meat is different. I've had briskets probe tender anywhere from 196º to 210º. Generally PRIME briskets cook faster than CHOICE due to Prime having more marbling. The key is recognizing tenderness using a probe. In & out like a knife through warm butter. If a brisket is pulled when done I would highly recommend you let it sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes before wrapping and putting into a cooler with towels. If you wrap it immediately and place in the cooler, the cooking will continue for a while. If it's done, you want to stop the meat from cooking more, ie getting overdone.

All those temps can make great brisket, it comes down to the time you're willing to spend, and personal preference.

Good job keeping a journal of each smoke, it's a big help and key to always improving. I personally use my recipe program (MacGourmet) and add notes to each smoking recipe.

BTW: I never trust built-in smoker thermometers, they are notorious for being inaccurate. Get yourself a remote reporting one to verify what your grate temps really are. Search for Maverick or Thermoworks. There are others...

 

[Gormy]

The thickest part is the point which lays on top of the flat with an extra layer of fat in between plus its own. The point will always be juicier. BTW: you want to take the IT in the middle of the thickest part of the visible flat (not including the point).

Every piece of meat is different. I've had briskets probe tender anywhere from 196º to 210º. Generally PRIME briskets cook faster than CHOICE due to Prime having more marbling. The key is recognizing tenderness using a probe. In & out like a knife through warm butter. If a brisket is pulled when done I would highly recommend you let it sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes before wrapping and putting into a cooler with towels. If you wrap it immediately and place in the cooler, the cooking will continue for a while. If it's done, you want to stop the meat from cooking more, ie getting overdone.

All those temps can make great brisket, it comes down to the time you're willing to spend, and personal preference.

Good job keeping a journal of each smoke, it's a big help and key to always improving. I personally use my recipe program (MacGourmet) and add notes to each smoking recipe.

BTW: I never trust built-in smoker thermometers, they are notorious for being inaccurate. Get yourself a remote reporting one to verify what your grate temps really are. Search for Maverick or Thermoworks. There are others...

Thanks for the tips. I am not using a built in thermometer. I have one made by Q Tech that I probe into the meat and leave sitting in it. I do not have to open the door each time as it will bluetooth the temperature to my phone through an app. I don't have any reason to feel it is inaccurate, but I also don't have a reason to feel it's accurate either. I should test it in the oven or just laying in the smoker sometime to see if it matches the temperature at which I have the oven/smoker set.

I am going to run to a butcher store next time to see what options they have for brisket and see if they have anything a little better. I do like the briskets we have picked up so far, but I'm sure there are better.

With the info I gave above, and with the meat not being quite tender enough, is it your opinion that I still pulled it a little bit too early? Did I get most of the way there but still pull it before the rest of the collagen broke down? Next time I will trim the fat and make sure I wrap it in the stall to preserve a better bark, but I'm curious about what other adjustment to make for the most tenderness.

Thanks!

 

[schlotz]

Thanks for the tips. I am not using a built in thermometer. I have one made by Q Tech that I probe into the meat and leave sitting in it. I do not have to open the door each time as it will bluetooth the temperature to my phone through an app. I don't have any reason to feel it is inaccurate, but I also don't have a reason to feel it's accurate either. I should test it in the oven or just laying in the smoker sometime to see if it matches the temperature at which I have the oven/smoker set.

I am going to run to a butcher store next time to see what options they have for brisket and see if they have anything a little better. I do like the briskets we have picked up so far, but I'm sure there are better.

With the info I gave above, and with the meat not being quite tender enough, is it your opinion that I still pulled it a little bit too early? Did I get most of the way there but still pull it before the rest of the collagen broke down? Next time I will trim the fat and make sure I wrap it in the stall to preserve a better bark, but I'm curious about what other adjustment to make for the most tenderness.

Thanks!

I was referring to grate temps not IT. The point is if you set a smoker to 250º how do you know it truly is at 250º and not 230º or 280º? Relying on the smoker's built-in therm could become an issue as built-ins are notorious for being inaccurate. Ergo my suggested alternatives. I like to eliminate what variables I can. Wrapping will soften the bark but help in maintaining moisture. It's a choice. If the end result did not start to fall apart when sliced (sign of being over done) and the moisture was a tad on the dry end for the flat, my bet is it needed some more time in the smoker. JMTC

 

[uncle eddie]

I am not an expert by any means, but I have started to separate the point from the flat. They get done at different times and they cook way more evenly. I also trim away the thin parts (like suggested above).

BUT - I bet you are your harshest critic and your brisket was better than you thought...and it did sound like it was pretty good!

 

[Gormy]

I am not an expert by any means, but I have started to separate the point from the flat. They get done at different times and they cook way more evenly. I also trim away the thin parts (like suggested above).

BUT - I bet you are your harshest critic and your brisket was better than you thought...and it did sound like it was pretty good!

Thanks Eddie. You bring up a good point, and one that I read elsewhere and considered doing next time as well. I've seen that others will separate the point and the flat and smoke them for different amounts of time if needed. I think that will be something to explore as well. I also plan to trim the thin ends off as well.

So, tips from everyone include:
- Wrap it next time at the stall
- Trim thin ends
- Separate the point and the flat
- Let it go a little longer than I did this time

This sounds like a good list of variables to change for next time. Thanks for the continued feedback everyone.

 

[Gormy]

I was referring to grate temps not IT. The point is if you set a smoker to 250º how do you know it truly is at 250º and not 230º or 280º? Relying on the smoker's built-in therm could become an issue as built-ins are notorious for being inaccurate. Ergo my suggested alternatives. I like to eliminate what variables I can. Wrapping will soften the bark but help in maintaining moisture. It's a choice. If the end result did not start to fall apart when sliced (sign of being over done) and the moisture was a tad on the dry end for the flat, my bet is it needed some more time in the smoker. JMTC

Got it! That makes sense. My apologies, I misunderstood you at first. I think I'll set my digital thermometer up inside it sometime just to see if there is a difference. There very well could be. And I figured that I pulled it too soon still. This is the most done brisket I've made yet, but I likely still pulled it off when it needed a bit more time. I'm fighting the urge to pull it too early, as I worry that my prep and monitoring over 10+ hours can quickly be wasted by going too long. I need to trust the meat can handle a little more time.

 

[schlotz]

No problem! I too fight the urge to pull early and for the exact same reasons. That and of course, the part about getting hungry :P

 

[browneyesvictim]

Not one piece of advice that was given above would I not echo. All spot on. Definitely check your therms, and would also recommend a handheld instant read when doing your final checks.

 

[pigbark]

To answer your question about the thick area of the meat being more juicy-Fat Content ... if you look at a Brisket really close, you will see there is more fat on the thicker end "Tip"and it gets more lean and the not as thick to the end of the flat...so that should also anwser you other question about the end being inedible.. it has way less fat and its alot more thin... when looking for a Brisket, look for one that has the most fat marbling in the thinnest part of the flat.. Tip- remember you do not have to trim all of the fat off the thin Flat on the meat side- leave it there its fine.. you actually need it imo..

Here is something to think about- as a piece of meat is cooking. its pushing out Fat juices that have rendered fat and natural juice of the meat- when it is cooling, aka resting, it is pulling in juices... so a water pan which you are using is a good idea as it is adding water to the air in stead of pulling even more juices from the meat.. as mentioned above, putting the Brisket 'upside down" in a covered pan on a rack creates a steam type of cook.. i like mine upside down in the pan as the fat portion is not taking the abuse of the heat and now the fat can render down into the meat helping with a moist bite... so when i hit temp i flip the Brisket again so the fat is down and simply put it in the bottom of the pan because as it cools it sucks up the juices ... i do not towel wrap or use a cooler, i simply let it cool in its own juices.. if you want to seperate the Fat from the juice simply put it in the fridge over night and the fat will harden on top .. just spoon it off and disregard...

glad to see your keeping notes etc. you will have your own method nailed down before you know it.. pay attention to the weight of the Brisket, try to buy them as close to the same weight as possible..

 

[schlotz]

Also regarding weight, pay attention to the sticker weight and then weight all the trimmings. Do the math and you know exactly how many lbs you actually will be smoking. Good idea to put these figures in your notes as well.

 

[kelbro]

My last two smokes, the point and flat ran within 2° of each other.