Brisket - where did I go wrong?

[mikeintx]

Greetings all! I smoked my first brisket this evening (Masterbuilt dual door propane smoker) and ran into a few troubles and would like to know what to do or not to do next time. For starters, my brisket was a bit on the small side - about 6 pounds - and after I had trimmed it some I realized that it didn't feel all that tender under my fingers. You can usually tell by how a piece of meet feels before you cook it if it'll be tender or not, and this one wasn't feeling like it was going to make me happy. Strike one, but I soldiered on.

I smoked it between 225 and 240, and was looking for an IT of 185 or so with temperatures provided courtesy of a tested Maverick ET-732. According to what I have read, an IT of 185 or so should lead to a nice brisket. Things were moving along nicely until the temp got to about 150, where progress seemed to halt. I've read about "the stall" so I was expecting this. After the temp sat not budging for over an hour, I did a little online research and learned about the "Texas Crutch", so that is the direction I took. I foiled the brisket, put in some liquid (some worcestershire and cooking sherry was what I had on hand, seemed like a good combo), and popped it back in the smoker. After a bit, the temps started creeping up again. Now, what was causing me some concern at this point was that due to "the stall" I was looking at going well over the 1.5 hour per pound standard cooking time. No worries, I thought. The internal temperature shall be my guide to brisket salvation.

Alas, this was not the case. When the IT hit 185 I pulled it off and let it rest a bit in the foil for 30 minutes or so before I decided to take a peek. It was WAY beyond "well done" and was headed for "shoe leather". I mean there wasn't a bit of pink to be seen inside this poor piece of meat. Flavor-wise, it tasted good so no concern there. As already mentioned, it was not particularly tender - that was a shopping error and is easily rectified. What I don't get though, is why was it so overcooked? Is IT merely a guideline or a suggestion? As it was, it went closer to 1.75 hrs per pound, so should I have stuck to 1.5 hours per pound and ignored IT altogether? Not sure what I need to do differently next time, but I'd appreciate any words of wisdom.

Thanks folks!

 

[pops6927]

At 185° you will not see any pink inside other than a smoke ring, which is difficult to accomplish in an electric smoker, but propane shouldn't be too difficult.   The target temp for interior pink is 130° - 145° in roasts and steaks.  And brisket, a normally tough piece of meat in any circumstance, needs the extra temp to tenderize the meat.

185° is great for slicing temp.  There should be enough juices to collect in a drip pan or in the foil to render some great au jus or to make gravy with.  By cooking it low and slow it will tenderize the meat.  At 205°, it should pull apart for pulled brisket for sandwiches or on a wick.

Concerning juiciness, that is subject to many factors, including if you pre-injected and with what, foiling vs. waiting out the stall, whether you cook fat-up or fat-down, how much fat is trimmed and a couple dozen other factors too!  Reading in the forums here will give you plenty of ideas on your quest to cooking the 'perfect' brisket, for your tastes.   Everyone's taste is different.  But, the best thing is practice, practice, practice!  

Along the way, and you don't have to get carried away with it, but keep a good log.  What the weather was, how you prepped, was different did you try, what the results were.  And post your successes and trying to be successes too!  Take tons of Qview and be proud of your accomplishments!  You will refine the art of smoked meats and build a great following too!   It's a whale of an adventure and you eat your successes!  There will be ones you just didn't figure right on, we all have those stories too; best thing is go another day to a new smoke!  This hobby is just plain TASTY!

 

[kathrynn]

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...ur-thermometer-and-the-boiling-point-of-water

Your thermometer could be off too!

 

[mikeintx]

At 185°

Care to elaborate? From http://www.smoking-meat.com/brisket-smoke - "I normally remove the brisket once it reaches 185 degrees unless I am going to pull it". I wasn't pulling it, it was to be sliced. What's wrong with 185?

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...ur-thermometer-and-the-boiling-point-of-water

Your thermometer could be off too!

My thermometer has been calibrated, but I appreciate the help. Thanks!

 

[pops6927]

I said that 185° is great for slicing temp; pulling temp is 205°.

I apologize!  I will start a post with a few words and submit it, then go back and finish the post; it keeps my place in the order of posts as I type so slowly!  Please forgive me!

 

[mikeintx]

I said that 185° is great for slicing temp; pulling temp is 205°.

I apologize!  I will start a post with a few words and submit it, then go back and finish the post; it keeps my place in the order of posts as I type so slowly!  Please forgive me!

No worries!

I saw "At 185" and then nothing else and I was really confused... 

 

[pgsmoker64]

Pops has you covered.  Sounds to me like the brisket actually came out okay!

Bill

 

[bruno994]

Briskets have a mind of their own, you just have to ride the stall, cook it until it's tender and enjoy.  I know there are a lot of folks on here who say you need to slice at 185 and pull at 205, but I cook all my briskets to 205+ and slice them all, both at comps and at home.  I like to be able to take a slice of brisket, hang the slice over a knife, give the knife a little bounce and have the slice break in half, now thats good, Texas style bisket, no rubber bands here.  Seems like you were on target with everything you did, just let it go a little longer.  I cook until the flat portion is toothpick tender, when a toothpick or temp probe slides into the flat with little to no resistance, it's done.  Rest it, slice it and eat it.  Good luck on your future smokes, good to have another Texan here.

 

[mdboatbum]

At 185˚ your brisket was 35˚-40˚ PAST being anywhere near pink inside. And guess what? It wasn't done. 185˚ might be a great internal temp for slicing, it also might be a great internal temp for pulling. In many cases, however, it's the perfect temp for dried out, shoe leathery brisket that appears to be hopelessly overcooked. As has been said countless times on this forum and many others, Brisket, and to a lesser extent chuck roast and even pulled pork, will be done when it's damn good and ready. It doesn't care what the temperature is. It doesn't care how long it's been in the smoker, or whether it's been wrapped in foil, butcher paper or  brightly colored Christmas paper. All that matters is that wonderful moment when the connective tissue breaks down and the meat, for lack of a better word, goes completely limp. Chuck roast and pulled pork are a little more forgiving, as there is more internal fat in the meat and they tend to be a little more predictable. Brisket, however, can be tricky, as there is a much narrower window between tough,dry and seemingly overcooked and tough, dry and actually overcooked. The only reliable way to catch this thin window of perfection is not by time or temperature alone, but by feel. Starting at around 185˚, probe your meat with a toothpick or something similar. Continue doing so every 15 minutes or so until it slides in with no resistance, in several places all over the brisket. When this happens, take it off the smoker, wrap it ( if it isn't already wrapped) and rest it.

**Edit, I need to type faster. Bruno said it all much more succinctly than I did, while I was typing out my longwinded response.

 

[ellymae]

I'm with mdboatbum on this one.. 

To me BBQ is not about time or IT - these are guidelines. It's all about how the meat probes. When you probe it and the probe goes in like a hot knife through butter pull it off the pit, wrap in foil, then in a towel, and toss it in a warm, cooler for an hour or two. 

Keep a journal of what you do, what rubs you use etc. 

Good luck!

 

[bruno994]

Md, well stated and there is nothing wrong with being longwinded, I get that way at times myself.  LOL

 

[pthefree]

I have been a cook to temp Guy for as long as I have been smoking briskets. I have been reading more and more about the toothpick test that begins right around 185°. I will try that on my next one. I will say that none of my briskets have ever come out bad. Well there was this time that I had too much Jack and Coke and I think we all have made that mistake before.

 

[bruno994]

I have been a cook to temp Guy for as long as I have been smoking briskets. I have been reading more and more about the toothpick test that begins right around 185°. I will try that on my next one. I will say that none of my briskets have ever come out bad. Well there was this time that I had too much Jack and Coke and I think we all have made that mistake before.

You won't be sorry for trying it.  I use IT for timeline purposes only now, 160-165 IT, I wrap, 195 IT, I start probing...I do love me some Jack and Coke while Q'ing too!

 

[skinnyb37]

I'd say you did great for a first attempt! Agree with a couple other posters, though...I bring mine up to 205F and it slices nice...I also maintain smoker at no more than 225F (usually 210F). Trimming is also a personal taste thing...I usually don't, but certainly if the fat is too think (an inch or so), I'd trim it. If I'm worried about it drying out (usually not, since I generally smoke on a BGE), I will make a mop sauce. I (for the most part) follow Steven Reiclen's (sp?) recipe of a spicy apple vinegar sauce (with my own additions/subtractions)...extra goes in a pan I keep under the brisket to catch the drippings for a sauce (as a fellow Texan, I assume you don't like the sweet sauce for brisket...I just mix the drippings with ketchup and simmer it down till it tastes good). What smoke did you use (just curious)?

Keep practicing...and like others have said, keep notes, but don't assume just because one takes you 12 hours to make the next one will...briskets are pretty fickle!

 

[mikeintx]

Plenty of good feedback here, I appreciate all of the help. I've spent 35+ years in the grilling world and can grill meat on instinct alone. 

  The smoking of things is a whole 'nother deal entirely, but I'll get there. Last night's brisket had a great flavor, seems that I just needed to be a little more patient with it to get it as tender as I wanted. Next time...

 

[billbo]

As everyone has stated Brisket is a tricky one. By far a challenging smoke. I turned one into charcoal once so don't give up!

 

[rstr hunter]

I don't do these very often, but was taught by a guy who lived about 10 years in Texas to make sure to leave some fat on the top to render down and cook in an aluminum pan with beer even with the top of the brisket.  The beer will evaporate and you will get a smoke ring but end up with a moist and juicy brisket.  I've also seen some here inject and some marinate as other options.  I'm not sure there is a right way just the way you want to use.  Good luck and post q-view next time.