Dumb Question: Brisket

[Smiller15]

So last year I bought a 12 pound brisket, full packer, that I smoked for ~16 hours until it was done. I didn't separate the point from the flat and as result the flat was a bit drier than the point. This is a really dumb question but I ordered a 14 pounder that I'll pick up next week and wondering if I separate the point from the flat and smoke both of them, should I aim for roughly 1.5 hours of cook time at 7 pounds or 14 assuming point and flat are same weight?

 

[Preacher Man]

Not a dumb question at all. Here's an article that'll help you: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...sconception-of-the-1-to-1-5-hour-rule.166136/

It's hard to give a hard line answer, because you really never know. I once had a 3 lbs brisket flat pastrami take 11 hours!

 

[Smiller15]

Not a dumb question at all. Here's an article that'll help you: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...sconception-of-the-1-to-1-5-hour-rule.166136/

It's hard to give a hard line answer, because you really never know. I once had a 3 lbs brisket flat pastrami take 11 hours!

That's perfect. Thank you. I'm safely assuming then that the point would take longer to cook than the flat since the diameter is a bit larger and overall weight is only semi-relevant.

 

[BB-que]

So last year I bought a 12 pound brisket, full packer, that I smoked for ~16 hours until it was done. I didn't separate the point from the flat and as result the flat was a bit drier than the point. This is a really dumb question but I ordered a 14 pounder that I'll pick up next week and wondering if I separate the point from the flat and smoke both of them, should I aim for roughly 1.5 hours of cook time at 7 pounds or 14 assuming point and flat are same weight?

I’ve separated and both times flats have been dryer than you’d like. I can tell you without the point sitting on top the flat can dry out on you. Just FYI

 

[Smiller15]

I’ve separated and both times flats have been dryer than you’d like. I can tell you without the point sitting on top the flat can dry out on you. Just FYI

Yea and flat I did the flavor was all there, just a bit tough. Still good though.

 

[pineywoods]

After separating the point from the flat they won't both be the same weight. I would either inject the flat or when it gets to 160 degrees or so put it in a disposable aluminum foil pan and add some liquid maybe beef broth about 1/4-1/2" deep then put the flat in and foil over the top of the pan and seal the foil tight.

Oh and there are no dumb questions people just end up doing dumb things because they didn't want to ask a question they considered dumb

 

[tallbm]

So last year I bought a 12 pound brisket, full packer, that I smoked for ~16 hours until it was done. I didn't separate the point from the flat and as result the flat was a bit drier than the point. This is a really dumb question but I ordered a 14 pounder that I'll pick up next week and wondering if I separate the point from the flat and smoke both of them, should I aim for roughly 1.5 hours of cook time at 7 pounds or 14 assuming point and flat are same weight?

Hi there and welcome!

The main thing to know about a brisket is that it is done ONLY when it is tender.
A brisket is tender when you stab it all over with a tootpick, meat probe, or my go-to a bamboo kabob skewer, and when stabbed it goes in with no resistance (or very very very little).
If you stab all over and you find that it is tough in the center then keep cooking and check back again for tenderness.

In general you use a meat thermometer in the thickets yet center most portion of the flat. When you get to a temp like 195F (I wait to 198F) then you start checking for tenderness and come back and check again every few degrees until it is tender and ready to pull.

So if you want a good brisket don't cook based on time. Heck don't cook any BBQ based on time. Go by temp and/or tenderness based on the cut of meat you are cooking.

The flat is the problem child of the brisket. If you had dry and tough then it wasn't cooked long enough. Dry and fall apart it is cooked too long. Dry and charcoal like, it is way overcooked lol.

The point is hard to mess up and even if it is bigger it will finish before the flat.

Go any route you like but I feel it would be easier to leave the whole thing as a packer and just trim it well so you get a good finished brisket without lots of crusty inedible bits.

I did a very detailed write up on trimming and my approach for doing whole packers and I have an image I always post to illustrate my trimming recommendation here:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/my-brisket-flat-trimming-approach-explained-qview.286564/

BrisketFlatTrimAway

• tallbm
• Oct 7, 2017

Best of luck and let us know how it turns out! :)

 

[hardcookin]

So last year I bought a 12 pound brisket, full packer, that I smoked for ~16 hours until it was done. I didn't separate the point from the flat and as result the flat was a bit drier than the point. This is a really dumb question but I ordered a 14 pounder that I'll pick up next week and wondering if I separate the point from the flat and smoke both of them, should I aim for roughly 1.5 hours of cook time at 7 pounds or 14 assuming point and flat are same weight?

I have found that smaller cuts take more time per pound than larger cuts. I good rule of thumb is to allow 90 minute per pound at 225-is, 75 minutes per pound at 250-ish and an hour per pound at 275-ish, but each piece of meat is different, and will be done when it is done.