Brisket. What did I do wrong?

[southnjsmoke]

Hello all. I need some help to figure out where I went wrong with my brisket.
I trimmed the fat cap back to about a 1/4 inch, a little less in some spots. I then injected it with a beef broth mixture I made up and I rubbed it with just a basic rub.once I was ready to put the brisket on the smoker I used a mix of hickory and mesquite wood.I had the smoker running between 240-250 and I took the brisket off when it reach 155 internal temp.I wrapped it in foil with some more beef broth and put back on the smoker until my internal temp reach 203. After I hit that temp I took it off wrapped it in a towel and let it rest in a cooler for two hours.
The flavor from the wood tasted good but my smoke ring was minimal and the brisket was dry and overcooked. The brisket was 4.5lbs. Any suggestions on what I can do differently next time?

 

[southnjsmoke]

20161211_190703.jpg

• southnjsmoke
• Dec 12, 2016

 

[dirtsailor2003]

What kind of smoker were you using? Stick burner, charcoal, electric, propane? if you were using electric or propane you wont get much of a smoke ring. Foiling could also be part of the issue. You're basically blocking the meat off from the smoke. I have also founds that meats that have been injected usually have less of a smoke ring. IMHO smoke ring really doesn't mean much unless you are in a competition and they are judging on the smoke ring. You can have a great smoky flavored hunk of meat without the smoke ring.

As for the dryness, the size of your brisket could be part of the culprit. As could be the final internal temp. If your brisket was the flat (which it looks like from the photo) a lower IT may have helped. I start probing the meat when I hit an IT of 185° with a toothpick. When it slides in like going into warm butter the meat is done. Flats are not as forgiving as the points so they are easier to dry out.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Here's a good read that every brisket smoker should take a look at.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...ood-sliced-brisket-defies-conventional-wisdom

 

[southnjsmoke]

Thank you for that info.
I was using a charcoal smoker, weber smokey mountain. Yeah I only smoked the brisket flat which now seems a little crazy for me to let the IT to reach 203.
Next time I will use the tooth pick method and start checking that around the same 185 IT.
Should I not worry about foiling it during the process?

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I don't foil when I cook brisket, I also don't inject.

With the wood that you used and the since you were using the weber you should have had a nice smoke ring. Cherry wood will give a very pronounced ring also. Injected meat or meat that had been marinated will not always show a smoke ring either.

 

[SmokinAl]

For a small flat like that I usually smoke it in a pan with a little beef broth or French onion soup.

You can flip it about half way thru if you like, I don't.

You can also foil it, but I don't & they always come out juicy & tender.

Al