Christmas Brisket

[tnshag]

Hello folks. Long time reader and smoker, first time poster.

Because of Covid this year, we aren’t going anywhere for Christmas. We are usually run ragged going to at least 5 different places for family get togethers on various days around this time of year. I told my wife, I’m doing a brisket for Christmas this year. I’ve never had the time before.

So I picked up a 12 pound packer brisket from Sams, day before yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, I covered with salt and black pepper and let dry brine in the fridge overnight. Got my smoker going early this morning and got it up to temp. Put the brisket on at 9:10 AM. Using a little cheap CharBroil offset smoker (not the greatest, but I’ve cooked many great meals in it). Blue and white Kingsford to start the fire and seasoned red oak from here on out.

I think this will be my fourth brisket on this little smoker. Every other time it been nice and warm outside. This time, the wind is howling, high today about 30, lows tonight in the middle teens. I put some plywood around as a wind break and not having any trouble maintaining 225-250 right now.

So, I started early this morning just in case it takes me 24 hours to get to 200-205. Im hoping to eat tomorrow around 12:00...so I should still have at least a 3 hour cooler rest.

Here’s my question though, let’s say it gets done at midnight tonight instead. How do you guys go about resting and reheating if it gets done ahead of schedule?

Thanks for any replies and sorry about the long first post. Merry Christmas from Tennessee!

 

[bregent]

So, I started early this morning just in case it takes me 24 hours to get to 200-205.

First of all, stop thinking about needing to get to a specific temperature. Just cook till tender - depending on a variety of factors, that could be much lower than 200F.
But, if you are able to maintain 225-250, then it probably won't take anywhere near 24 hours. It could easily be finished in 10-12 hours. Of course, every one is different so it's good to plan for longer times.

So depending on how early it finishes, you have several options, but I expect it will finish too early for you to keep it warm till noon tomorrow. I would just put it in the fridge when done and reheat. Of course, if it finishes 6 hours or less before you plan to eat, the FTC it till then.

 

[tnshag]

Thank you for the reply!

 

[TNJAKE]

Agree with bregent. Foil, towels, cooler if less than 6 hours till lunch. If it is more than 6 hours between finish and lunch you can wrap and hold in a 170° oven till lunch. I've never done that so not sure the quality of end result but I'm sure others will chime in and offer some other tips. And welcome to the forum from another Tennessean

 

[tnshag]

Thanks for the replies. I like the thought of holding it in a warm oven. My fear is that it will dry out in the process. From my previous experiences, brisket is a little more tricky after the fact as opposed to pulled pork. Pulled pork, just pull it and reheat on the smoker or in the oven and you’re good to go. Brisket seems to either dry out or get pot roasty.

I try the brisket at every barbecue restaurant I’ve ever been to that has it on the menu. In all honesty, most of it is crap. I’m not from Texas...and I’ve never been to Texas...but my brisket from previous smokes has been the best I’ve ever eaten.I just REALLY want this one to be good too. The time gap between it being done and lunch time tomorrow is worrying me.

TNJake...what part of TN are you from? I’m from the Cookeville area...roughly halfway between Nashville and Knoxville on I-40.

 

[tallbm]

Hello folks. Long time reader and smoker, first time poster.

Because of Covid this year, we aren’t going anywhere for Christmas. We are usually run ragged going to at least 5 different places for family get togethers on various days around this time of year. I told my wife, I’m doing a brisket for Christmas this year. I’ve never had the time before.

So I picked up a 12 pound packer brisket from Sams, day before yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, I covered with salt and black pepper and let dry brine in the fridge overnight. Got my smoker going early this morning and got it up to temp. Put the brisket on at 9:10 AM. Using a little cheap CharBroil offset smoker (not the greatest, but I’ve cooked many great meals in it). Blue and white Kingsford to start the fire and seasoned red oak from here on out.

I think this will be my fourth brisket on this little smoker. Every other time it been nice and warm outside. This time, the wind is howling, high today about 30, lows tonight in the middle teens. I put some plywood around as a wind break and not having any trouble maintaining 225-250 right now.

So, I started early this morning just in case it takes me 24 hours to get to 200-205. Im hoping to eat tomorrow around 12:00...so I should still have at least a 3 hour cooler rest.

Here’s my question though, let’s say it gets done at midnight tonight instead. How do you guys go about resting and reheating if it gets done ahead of schedule?

Thanks for any replies and sorry about the long first post. Merry Christmas from Tennessee!

Hi there and welcome!

At a constant 275F smoker temp I run unwrapped briskets and never open the door until time to check for tenderness (I start checking around 200F internal temp/IT of the meat) and I find my briskets run a little over an hour per pound until the brisket passes the tenderness test.

I would imagine your 12 brisket at 225-250F smoker temp will take about 18hrs or so before it becomes tender.
Also as mentioned above your brisket is only done when it is tender. It is tender when you stab ALL OVER with something like a kabob skewer or the meat probe and it goes in like butter ALL OVER. If it doesnt go in everywhere like butter then let the IT raise another couple of degrees and try again until it passes the tenderness test. The meat probe and IT is simply an indicator on when to test for tenderness and probe placement in the correct spot of a brisket is a difficult thing to nail, see this image where I have 5 probes in a brisket trying to find the right spot and only one finds it :)

Finally, if you finish 4-6 hours early then this is a good thing. You tightly double wrap in foil and then tightly wrap in 3 bath towels and set it on the counter and it will be ready to serve and eat 4-6 hours later.
If you are wait is longer then I suggest you foil and towel wrap for 5 hrs and then remove from towels but NOT the foil and place on a backing sheet and put in an oven at 170F to hold the meat until ready to eat. Super simple :)

This should buy you 4-9 hours of holding a brisket with no issue and doing simple things.

I hope this info helps :)

 

[tnshag]

Excellent information! Thank you tallbm! Suggestions on how to rest and reheat is exactly what I was looking for. I really appreciate it. I do not have a wireless thermometer to check internal temp...so I do open the cook chamber every now and again....I know, I know, if I’m looking, I’m not cooking. Almost 8 hours on the smoker and internal temp is at 150. I might time this just right to wrap and rest in a cooler and not have to reheat.

 

[noboundaries]

I like the thought of holding it in a warm oven. My fear is that it will dry out in the process.

If the brisket is double wrapped in foil with a little liquid, it won't dry out. Most ovens have a lowest temp setting of 170F. Some have programmable features that allows slightly lower temps. Check your oven manual.

I've smoked a few dozen briskets and oven roasted WAY more. The last brisket I smoked (Sept) probed almost tender in the flat WAAAY earlier than expected. IT was 207F and it wasn't quite butter tender, but almost. I threw it wrapped in a 170F oven for 3.5 hours and lunch. I expected it to be overcooked (crumbly and tender is overcooked), but no. It was the best brisket I've ever done, smoker or oven. Sliced beautifully, juicy, and the flat literally melted in your mouth without crumbling.

That brisket rocked my world, and every brisket I do from now on will have a long rest in the 170F oven instead of a cooler.

Just saying.

 

[tnshag]

Thanks noboundaries! 14 hours in and I just checked internal temp, 180 in the flat. I actually think it’s easier to keep the right temp on this little smoker when it’s cold out. In warm weather, I’ve had to remove coals cause it was running too hot. This hasn’t been bad at all.

 

[tnshag]

1:30 AM here. Just pulled the brisket, wrapped in foil and towels. Temps were between 196 and 207 and was tender everywhere I stuck it. I was hoping for a little longer cook. But when it’s done, it’s done. Gonna let it rest awhile and I’m gonna get a little rest myself. Thanks for all the input guys. I do appreciate it.

 

[TNJAKE]

40mi north of Nashville in robertson county. Close to ft campbell ky

 

[uncle eddie]

I have wrapped, towels, placed in cooler PP at noon at 195F and pulled it at 5:00 and it was still 155F. I do pre-heat my cooler for longer rests. Just microwave some water and place the hot container it in the cooler. I do this several times about a 1/2 hour before resting if a long rest is needed.

 

[tnshag]

40 minutes til slice time. I was wore out and overslept just a little so the brisket ended up in the cooler for about 6 hours. Still nice and warm when I opened the cooler up. Had to use the oven for cornbread first so after that and a cool down,it went in a 170 degree oven. Fingers crossed everything comes out good. Thanks for all the help guys! I really appreciate it.

 

[tnshag]

Brisket perfection! Best one I’ve ever done, hands down. Thanks again for the help guys.

 

[tallbm]

Brisket perfection! Best one I’ve ever done, hands down. Thanks again for the help guys.

Hahaha Merry Christmas! What a gift to get and give aye?
I'm glad it came out a success. You learned a ton on this cook that will surely help in the future :)

 

[TNJAKE]

Brisket perfection! Best one I’ve ever done, hands down. Thanks again for the help guys.

We love to see pictures

 

[tnshag]

I meant to take some pics. Everybody was salivating like a cartoon wolf so I sliced as soon as I unwrapped it. There’s nothing left to take pics of now. We didn’t have many over on account of Covid, but everybody loved it. My dad said he’s now getting a smoker and wants me to teach him how to do a brisket like that. Everybody said it was the best barbecue they’ve ever eaten. And my people are HONEST when they don’t like something.

 

[TuckersBarbeque]

Brisket perfection! Best one I’ve ever done, hands down. Thanks again for the help guys.

Glad to hear it was a successful cook! I was hanging on to the edge of my seat reading this thread getting the play by play.

 

[Millberry]

EXCELLENT Tallbm----This dummy is doing a "copy and paste" on your repy--Thank you...What an asset you are to this forum! -- Y'all OTBS Members are defintely hand-picked, cream of the crop folks!

 

[tnshag]

“Y'all OTBS Members are defintely hand-picked, cream of the crop folks!”

Amen to that! Thanks again to everybody for all of the help and great information.

TNJake, I know about where you’re at up that way. If you’re ever going east on I-40 and need some cooking wood, let me know. I’m a logger so I can get about any hardwood you can think of.