First attempt Brisket

[kcboomer]

Long time smoker first time brisket. '

I've heard its the holy grail of smoking and was scared for years to try, but i finally decided I was ready. After lots of research thru videos and articles i tried. I used a treager smoker with signature pellets. The point was tender and juicy the flat was still tough and firm. I used temp to determine when to wrap and pull off. Then at 160 I pulled off and wrapped in butcher paper and at 202 I pulled off and let stand in a cooler for 1 hour. any suggestions would be great I wanna try again but not till i know why I failed

 

[SmokinEdge]

Stop cooking to temp. Watch the temp and wrap around the 160’s if you are going to wrap, but then watch the temp to about 190-195* then just probe for tenderness. The probe, weather that’s a probe thermometer or a bamboo skewer, should slide in and out of the meat, all over, like pushing the probe into a jar of peanut butter. Then pull the meat. IT might be 197* or it might be 210*, what matters is the tenderness, not the actual IT. The flat will take longer than the point.

 

[slapaho_injun]

Stop cooking to temp. Watch the temp and wrap around the 160’s if you are going to wrap, but then watch the temp to about 190-195* then just probe for tenderness. The probe, weather that’s a probe thermometer or a bamboo skewer, should slide in and out of the meat, all over, like pushing the probe into a jar of peanut butter. Then pull the meat. IT might be 197* or it might be 210*, what matters is the tenderness, not the actual IT. The flat will take longer than the point.

Long time smoker first time brisket. '

I've heard its the holy grail of smoking and was scared for years to try, but i finally decided I was ready. After lots of research thru videos and articles i tried. I used a treager smoker with signature pellets. The point was tender and juicy the flat was still tough and firm. I used temp to determine when to wrap and pull off. Then at 160 I pulled off and wrapped in butcher paper and at 202 I pulled off and let stand in a cooler for 1 hour. any suggestions would be great I wanna try again but not till i know why I failed

i always wrap at 165 Double tin foil wrap and then I finish it to 205 IT but do probe like smokinEdge said. I miss getting $30 brisket. Haven’t done one in a while but I’d sure like to.

 

[schlotz]

Personally when doing a whole packer I ignore the point. It's always going to feel tender due to the fat content. Probing for tenderness is all about the flat. If it doesn't feel right let the temp rise a few degrees then test again, repeat until it's there. Note: if wrapped and you pull when its actually tender, DO NOT go directly into a cooler to rest. Instead, open the wrap and let it sit on the counter until the IT drops 5º or so, this halts the cooking process, then re-wrap and rest in the cooler. Otherwise, direct into a cooler and the meat will continue to cook for a while, which can lead to being overdone.

 

[kcboomer]

wow , thanks for all the suggestions. I appreciate it very much.

 

[MrAhmerGamer]

I am still very new too, but I'd say letting it cool before putting it in the cooler was the biggest standout in the thread. The cut of meat could be part of it too. Fat cap, how thick the flat actually was. I have put a temp probe in both the point and flat and have had to rotate my brisket mid cook because one side was cooking faster. But also like the advice to not use temp as the first guide to wrap. Should be bark and if the meat has stopped sweating. Good news is that you have to try again soon!! GL

 

[tallbm]

Long time smoker first time brisket. '

I've heard its the holy grail of smoking and was scared for years to try, but i finally decided I was ready. After lots of research thru videos and articles i tried. I used a treager smoker with signature pellets. The point was tender and juicy the flat was still tough and firm. I used temp to determine when to wrap and pull off. Then at 160 I pulled off and wrapped in butcher paper and at 202 I pulled off and let stand in a cooler for 1 hour. any suggestions would be great I wanna try again but not till i know why I failed

Hi there and welcome!

I think the guys have you on the right track.

The main thing is that the brisket is done only when it is tender, never by time or temp.
It is tender when you can stab ALL OVER with something like a kabob skewer (I use wooden ones) and it goes in with no resistance ALL OVER.

Next, temp will help tell you when to start checking for tenderness BUT the best place to put the meat probe is in the thickest yet center most portion of the FLAT muscle.
This spot is hard to nail so I always use 3 probes coming from different angles and 1 usually gets it right... the one reading the lowest temp at the end hahaha.
I usually check for brisket tenderness around 200F Internal Temp (IT) of the meat.
When I do a Prime brisket I check at 198F IT because it is fattier all over and gets tender faster than a Choice or Select cut brisket.
If not tender ALL OVER then let IT rise another couple degrees and check again. Repeat until tender.

When it comes to resting I agree that if you are using a cooler to let the temp of the brisket drop some before putting it in the cooler. I just tightly wrap in 2 layers of foil and then wrap in 3 bath towels and set on the counter. Then 4-5 hours later it is piping hot and ready to slice, serve, and eat.

Finally, lets talk brisket timing.
Again a brisket is not done by time or temp BUT you need to know when to start a brisket so you can have it ready by the time you want to eat.
I smoke briskets unwrapped the entire time in my rewired PID controlled MES40. At a steady 275F smoker temp it roughly takes me about 1hr & 5-10min a pound to hit the window where it can become tender. By the way, a brisket does not care what temp you are cooking it at as long as you arent burning it.
So knowing all of that I plan at that hr per pound and then add 4hours to the total time. Why?
Well if you finish 4 hours early then fantastic, you get to rest the brisket and it will be piping hot when ready to eat.
If you don't finish 4 hours early.... you have 4 hours of time to hope it gets done before hungry people attack you with forks and knives hahaha.


So lets sum it all up:

1. Brisket is done when it is tender, never by time or temp
2. A brisket is tender when you stab ALL OVER with something like a kabob skewer and it goes in without resistance, keep checking until tender all over
3. Put the temp probe in a brisket at the thickest yet centermost portion of the FLAT muscle and understand it is a difficult spot to nail so you can easily get high readings that mislead you because you may have missed the sweet spot a little. Hence tenderness checks :)
4. Let your brisket cool a little bit before putting in a cooler
5. Timing, timing, time! Figure out a reliable smoker temp so you can get your timing and planning down.
6. I didn't talk about this but... tweaks and improvements will put your brisket over the top. Once you get these other areas down then we can talk about trimming a brisket, wrap vs no wrap, etc.
   For example when it comes to trimming, the thin portion of the FLAT will burn up on you so I always trim it away and repurpose it. You will learn more about these other areas as you cook a few more. Once you nail the points above, improvement tweaks on a brisket will yield a better result in the end and avoid wasting good meat :)

Welcome to the world of brisket! Once you really nail one you will truly understand why it is the king of smoked meats :)

 

[sandyut]

Stop cooking to temp. Watch the temp and wrap around the 160’s if you are going to wrap, but then watch the temp to about 190-195* then just probe for tenderness. The probe, weather that’s a probe thermometer or a bamboo skewer, should slide in and out of the meat, all over, like pushing the probe into a jar of peanut butter. Then pull the meat. IT might be 197* or it might be 210*, what matters is the tenderness, not the actual IT. The flat will take longer than the point.

Personally when doing a whole packer I ignore the point.

Thats about What I was gonna say.

 

[Sven Svensson]

Lots of great info here. Thanks.

 

[JasonT734]

I've cooked a lot of good briskets and a lot of bad briskets. Some of the ones I'm not so proud of are delicious in breakfast burritos, quesadillas, and with ramen or soup. There are numerous inventive applications for it. My preferred method is to cover the bacon in foil and cook it, then utilize the bacon and fat juice to make a sauce. It always turns out so soft that it melts in your tongue.

 

[goofy Yno]

Thanks,
Very green newbie here. I was all set to ruin a good piece of meat by sticking to temps. Great advice with the probe test.

 

[harrychimp71]

Hi there and welcome!

I think the guys have you on the right track.

The main thing is that the brisket is done only when it is tender, never by time or temp.
It is tender when you can stab ALL OVER with something like a kabob skewer (I use wooden ones) and it goes in with no resistance ALL OVER.

Next, temp will help tell you when to start checking for tenderness BUT the best place to put the meat probe is in the thickest yet center most portion of the FLAT muscle.
This spot is hard to nail so I always use 3 probes coming from different angles and 1 usually gets it right... the one reading the lowest temp at the end hahaha.
I usually check for brisket tenderness around 200F Internal Temp (IT) of the meat.
When I do a Prime brisket I check at 198F IT because it is fattier all over and gets tender faster than a Choice or Select cut brisket.
If not tender ALL OVER then let IT rise another couple degrees and check again. Repeat until tender.

When it comes to resting I agree that if you are using a cooler to let the temp of the brisket drop some before putting it in the cooler. I just tightly wrap in 2 layers of foil and then wrap in 3 bath towels and set on the counter. Then 4-5 hours later it is piping hot and ready to slice, serve, and eat.

Finally, lets talk brisket timing.
Again a brisket is not done by time or temp BUT you need to know when to start a brisket so you can have it ready by the time you want to eat.
I smoke briskets unwrapped the entire time in my rewired PID controlled MES40. At a steady 275F smoker temp it roughly takes me about 1hr & 5-10min a pound to hit the window where it can become tender. By the way, a brisket does not care what temp you are cooking it at as long as you arent burning it.
So knowing all of that I plan at that hr per pound and then add 4hours to the total time. Why?
Well if you finish 4 hours early then fantastic, you get to rest the brisket and it will be piping hot when ready to eat.
If you don't finish 4 hours early.... you have 4 hours of time to hope it gets done before hungry people attack you with forks and knives hahaha.


So lets sum it all up:

1. Brisket is done when it is tender, never by time or temp
2. A brisket is tender when you stab ALL OVER with something like a kabob skewer and it goes in without resistance, keep checking until tender all over
3. Put the temp probe in a brisket at the thickest yet centermost portion of the FLAT muscle and understand it is a difficult spot to nail so you can easily get high readings that mislead you because you may have missed the sweet spot a little. Hence tenderness checks :)
4. Let your brisket cool a little bit before putting in a cooler
5. Timing, timing, time! Figure out a reliable smoker temp so you can get your timing and planning down.
6. I didn't talk about this but... tweaks and improvements will put your brisket over the top. Once you get these other areas down then we can talk about trimming a brisket, wrap vs no wrap, etc.
   For example when it comes to trimming, the thin portion of the FLAT will burn up on you so I always trim it away and repurpose it. You will learn more about these other areas as you cook a few more. Once you nail the points above, improvement tweaks on a brisket will yield a better result in the end and avoid wasting good meat :)

Welcome to the world of brisket! Once you really nail one you will truly understand why it is the king of smoked meats :)

This is good info for my 1st brisket attempt this weekend.

 

[tallbm]

This is good info for my 1st brisket attempt this weekend.

Plan to give yourself plenty of time and then follow the good practices of smoking a brisket and you will do fine.
ALSO, if it comes out tough and dry, do NOT throw it out!

Tough and dry = undercooked. You simply put it in a pan with some bbq sauce and a little bit of water (for steam) and cover tightly with foil and put in the oven at 425F for a while and it will braise up tender as can be for great chopped bbq brisket.

Undercooked brisket is easily "saved". I put "saved" in double quotes because its not really saved as much as it is simply finished lol.

 

[goofy Yno]

good to know I have a plan B

 

[bbqjefff]

I'm going to do the probe test tomorrow when I'm smoking a brisket on my offset for the first time.

 

[bigfurmn]

Also cutting matters. I tend it leave a tooth pick in so I know which way the grain goes.

 

[tallbm]

I'm going to do the probe test tomorrow when I'm smoking a brisket on my offset for the first time.

Make sure you test ALL OVER. The thickest yet center most portion of the flat is often the last to get tender. If not that area some other area of the Flat probably not too far off will be the last to probe tender.

When I find a non tender spot I often move my temp probe to that spot and sure enough its cooler than the rest of the brisket so I let the probe tell me when to check for tenderness again. This is a neat little hack that can help dial in things but the key is testing for tenderness by stabbing anyhow so as long as you do that and trust it then u are all good :)

 

[bbqjefff]

Brisket turned out great. Took like 20 hours and I got a bad sunburn but it turned out great.