First Brisket Effort

[willsuffolkuk]

Hey all

Had my first pop at brisket on my Weber yesterday, a few photos of various stages. 

I injected with beef stock and used a ready made rub I'd been bought, some generic Texas BBQ

Cherry wood blocks for smoking. 

Relatively happy with the results. Not quite as juicy as I'd hoped, I did wrap in foil for last 2 hours, but maybe should have done it a bit earlier? Was on there for around 6 hours in the end. 

Temp was probably a little too high, it was around 120c / 248f, for most of the time but then went a little higher for the last couple of hours.

Heat beads worked a treat, I did jacket potatoes on the BBQ too, in total had it at a good cooking temp for about 9hours.

It was the first time I used a wireless thermometer, made such a difference, not having to worry about what was going on, thanks for the tip Wade.

Going to try it again in a couple of weeks.

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• willsuffolkuk
• Oct 16, 2016

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• willsuffolkuk
• Oct 16, 2016

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• willsuffolkuk
• Oct 16, 2016

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello Will.  Can't beat those heat beads!  That looks a pretty good brisket.  You are only getting a SLIGHT  bit of crumble when slicing.  All in all I think it is a very good first try.  Brisket is not always the most moist of cuts.  It also depends on the quality of meat you start with.  That doesn't mean you need to use wagu.  It just means you need to find a good butcher who uses good quality local beef.  I often use a baste to help the brisket be more moist at the end of cooking.  A baste will mess up your "bark".  I let my dog bark; I don't want my brisket to.  I also do not trim before cooking or wrap in foil and I don't frind the need to inject.  Just some ideas.  Check out the link below to see many different processes.  Find what works for you and the family and THAT process is the correct way to smoke a brisket.  Have fun.  Keep Smokin!

Danny

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/181613/lets-talk-brisket

 

[bmudd14474]

I moved this thread to the beef forum so that all members can see it and chime in.

Thanks.

 

[willsuffolkuk]

Thanks Danny.  I went to school with a guy who now runs his own local butchery, so meat was good, but he did trim a lot of the fat from it, even though I asked him to keep it on. 

Will check out the thread, and change up my tactics for try no.2!

 

[SmokinAl]

It sure looks good from here!

Nice job!

Al

 

[smokin monkey]

Hi Will, looks good.

Possibly a bit "dry" as it was a smaller piece of brisket, judging from the photo, also what did not help was the temeperature running away a bit.

But all in all a great effort!

 

[bmudd14474]

Will the color of the rub looks interesting. Care to share what is in it?

Also it looks great for your first attempt. I found that the more I have done them the better it gets.

Thumbs Up

 

[willsuffolkuk]

Hey 

Hi Will, looks good.

Possibly a bit "dry" as it was a smaller piece of brisket, judging from the photo, also what did not help was the temeperature running away a bit.

But all in all a great effort!

Uncooked is was 3.5kg (7.7lbs) Do you usually use larger? I had the butcher cut off about 1/4 of the thin end. (that's probably not the technical term!)

 

[willsuffolkuk]

Will the color of the rub looks interesting. Care to share what is in it?

Also it looks great for your first attempt. I found that the more I have done them the better it gets.

Thanks, there will definitely be more attempts. This one got devoured by the guys I had around, I was hoping for some leftovers.

I confess to cheating, and bought a packet of this: 
It has Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt, a few different types of chilli powder, dark brown sugar, sweet paprika, Mustard powder, dried oregano, cayenne, cumin, black pepper, ginger, allspice.

 

[bmudd14474]

Will the color of the rub looks interesting. Care to share what is in it?


Also it looks great for your first attempt. I found that the more I have done them the better it gets.

Thumbs Up

Thanks, there will definitely be more attempts. This one got devoured by the guys I had around, I was hoping for some leftovers.

I confess to cheating, and bought a packet of this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00R36RLC4

It has Garlic Powder, Kosher Salt, a few different types of chilli powder, dark brown sugar, sweet paprika, Mustard powder, dried oregano, cayenne, cumin, black pepper, ginger, allspice.

Sounds like a good rub.

Might I suggest just good old Salt and Pepper.

Also check out this thread. I have had this one as well and it was great

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...liced-brisket-defies-conventional-wisdom/0_40

 

[willsuffolkuk]

Sounds like a good rub.

Might I suggest just good old Salt and Pepper.

Also check out this thread. I have had this one as well and it was great

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...liced-brisket-defies-conventional-wisdom/0_40

Thanks for the thread, a good read. I'll try this next time. My butcher trimmed the fat, even though I asked him not to, but he promised not to screw it up next time! :-) 

 

[bmudd14474]

Sounds like a good rub.


Might I suggest just good old Salt and Pepper.


Also check out this thread. I have had this one as well and it was great

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...liced-brisket-defies-conventional-wisdom/0_40

Thanks for the thread, a good read. I'll try this next time. My butcher trimmed the fat, even though I asked him not to, but he promised not to screw it up next time! :-) 

Sounds awesome. I can't wait to see how it works out for you.

 

[disco]

Looks like a great brisket to me! Did you let it rest in the foil for at least an hour after cooking? That helps the moisture content in my humble opinion.

Disco

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello Will  Been away awhile.  Sorry.  GOOD advice above!  Start with the trimming of the brisket and then only use salt and pepper.  Let the meat and smoke speak for itself.  Get THAT right ( walk before running ) and you are off and running!  Too many variables: Did I trim too much fat?  Did I not trim enough?  Was the rub OVER caramelised?  Not enough?  Was it dry?  Too long in or too hot on temp.?  Try a brisket from a different supplier and treat it EXACTLY as your last brisket.  Is the meat quality the same?  TAKE NOTES!!!!  Write down EVERYTHING!  Wind, outside temp., smoker temp., EVERYTHING you can think of!  When you get a GOOD brisket; recreate it one more time.  If you get the same results then you have your method.  NOW you can play with rugs, injecting or whatever.  Just do ONE thing at a time and see what the results are.  Adjust and modify.  I don't use rubs; only SnP but that is how I like it.  Find what you and your family like and THAT is the correct way to smoke brisket.  Keep Smokin!

Danny

.

 

[b-one]

Great first attempt! Practice makes perfect,I'm still trying,time for another so you don't get rusty!

 

[willsuffolkuk]

Sounds like a good rub.

Might I suggest just good old Salt and Pepper.

Also check out this thread. I have had this one as well and it was great

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...liced-brisket-defies-conventional-wisdom/0_40

Did a second lot of brisket yesterday. Took your advice, and just used salt and pepper, Also took some advice from other threads and tried without injecting and wrapping, worked really well, was nice to let the meat shine!

No photos this time. 

 

[scooby]

Looks good for a first try. Nowhere to go but up further from here. A few suggestions if I may:

1. 24-48 hours before your cook, sprinkle about 2-3 TBS of kosher salt on each side of the brisket. Wrap with plastic wrap and give it a nap in the refrigerator. This is called a dry brine and makes a world of difference in the final product. There are some who will shout "It will be too salty after you add your rub!". No, it won't.

2. Leave it in the refrigerator right up to the point that you are ready to smoke it and then take it out and apply your rub. Your rub can be anything you like (traditional Central Texas style is a "Dalmatian rub" of just plain salt and pepper mixed equally). I use a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, cracked black pepper, chili powder and mustard powder . Rub is merely a top dressing for the meat and doesn't penetrate but a couple mm into the beef (the purpose of dry brining is to let the salt penetrate into the meat and help flavor it and as the meat heats up in the smoker, the salt will penetrate even further inward)

3. Get your smoker to maintain 225-250 and put the meat in with the point (the large, round end) facing toward the heat source. Fat side up or fat side down? It's really your choice. I've done both and found no difference in the final product. That being said, if you're plannning on putting a tray of beans or some other side in under the brisket, go fat side down and let all of the melted goodness drip into the bean pot.

4. Don't sweat the stall. I have one in right now that's been on since 8:45 last night and it just broke out of 160 internal temp. It stuck there at 2 am and it's now 7:45 a.m. I don't foil mine (Texas crutch) or use any water pans or anything like that. I've smoked everything from Select to Prime and have never found a difference in using a water tray other than it will in fact disrupt your Amaze n Pellet tray from working properly if you do use one. My thought is that the water makes for too humid an environment (especially here in southeast Texas where it's already dripping wet from humidity) for the tray to burn properly.

5. Shoot for an internal temp of 203 in the flat. Once that happens, pull it and wrap it tightly in peach paper (unlined food safe butcher paper, Amazon it). Wrap it in a towel or blanket after that (one that your wife don't mind donating to the cause because it's only going to be able to be used for meat now) and put it in a cooler to rest for 2-3 hours. Use that 2-3 hours to make your sides and get everything cleaned up for your guests.

6. DON'T RUSH IT. Brisket is a tough piece of meat that needs low and slow to make it's deliciousness come out. Expect 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound (after trimming) as an eyeball estimate of total time (remember the 2-3 hours rest gets added on too).

Sorry for the long post but a lot of this advice is condensed from others here on the site (thank you BearCarver for helping me get my start) and from my own mistakes.

Good job! Looking forward to seeing the next one. You will quickly get addicted to doing briskets and will find yourself with one in the freezer at all times. :)

 

[willsuffolkuk]

Looks good for a first try. Nowhere to go but up further from here. A few suggestions if I may:

1. 24-48 hours before your cook, sprinkle about 2-3 TBS of kosher salt on each side of the brisket. Wrap with plastic wrap and give it a nap in the refrigerator. This is called a dry brine and makes a world of difference in the final product. There are some who will shout "It will be too salty after you add your rub!". No, it won't.

2. Leave it in the refrigerator right up to the point that you are ready to smoke it and then take it out and apply your rub. Your rub can be anything you like (traditional Central Texas style is a "Dalmatian rub" of just plain salt and pepper mixed equally). I use a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, cracked black pepper, chili powder and mustard powder . Rub is merely a top dressing for the meat and doesn't penetrate but a couple mm into the beef (the purpose of dry brining is to let the salt penetrate into the meat and help flavor it and as the meat heats up in the smoker, the salt will penetrate even further inward)

3. Get your smoker to maintain 225-250 and put the meat in with the point (the large, round end) facing toward the heat source. Fat side up or fat side down? It's really your choice. I've done both and found no difference in the final product. That being said, if you're plannning on putting a tray of beans or some other side in under the brisket, go fat side down and let all of the melted goodness drip into the bean pot.

4. Don't sweat the stall. I have one in right now that's been on since 8:45 last night and it just broke out of 160 internal temp. It stuck there at 2 am and it's now 7:45 a.m. I don't foil mine (Texas crutch) or use any water pans or anything like that. I've smoked everything from Select to Prime and have never found a difference in using a water tray other than it will in fact disrupt your Amaze n Pellet tray from working properly if you do use one. My thought is that the water makes for too humid an environment (especially here in southeast Texas where it's already dripping wet from humidity) for the tray to burn properly.

5. Shoot for an internal temp of 203 in the flat. Once that happens, pull it and wrap it tightly in peach paper (unlined food safe butcher paper, Amazon it). Wrap it in a towel or blanket after that (one that your wife don't mind donating to the cause because it's only going to be able to be used for meat now) and put it in a cooler to rest for 2-3 hours. Use that 2-3 hours to make your sides and get everything cleaned up for your guests.

6. DON'T RUSH IT. Brisket is a tough piece of meat that needs low and slow to make it's deliciousness come out. Expect 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound (after trimming) as an eyeball estimate of total time (remember the 2-3 hours rest gets added on too).

Sorry for the long post but a lot of this advice is condensed from others here on the site (thank you BearCarver for helping me get my start) and from my own mistakes.

Good job! Looking forward to seeing the next one. You will quickly get addicted to doing briskets and will find yourself with one in the freezer at all times. :)

Happy with the detail! Thanks for advice. Will