First Brisket on my new WSM Qview

[tacswa3]

A big thanks to all who gave great advice to my first thread here

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...rating-tips-for-first-brisket-updated-w-qview

My first brisket on my new WSM turned out very "acceptable". It wouldn't have won any awards but I doubt anyone would have complained if they ate it.

10.5 hours at an average temp of 230. Probably a little to high, but the WSM seemed to want to settle at this temp the easiest. Had a 30* Temp drop 3.5 hours in and a 15-20* spike the last couple hours. Not sure the cause, it was fairly breezy today.  Wrapped in foil at 170* and removed to rest at 185* Rested for an hour, I was hungry so thats all I gave it. Still had half of my fuel left...amazing

Was tender enough but just a tad on the dry side. Any ideas what I could have done different for more juice? Injection maybe?

A few pics

Rubbed down

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• tacswa3
• Mar 28, 2013

7 1/2 hours in

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• tacswa3
• Mar 28, 2013

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• tacswa3
• Mar 28, 2013

Sliced up

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• tacswa3
• Mar 28, 2013

Half of my fuel left after 10.5 hours...18.5 WSM

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• tacswa3
• Mar 28, 2013

 

[bama bbq]

My opinion: low temps help preserve moisture.  I believe the temp was the reason the meat was dry.  I know what you mean about the pit wanting to settle in at a certain temp but you have to close the vents down to get it where you want to cook.  I like to go LOW and SLOW on brisket.  There's not a lot of fat marbled in like a butt so it is much less forgiving.  GHood thing you wrapped it.  You can use the au jus to add moisture when serving.

 

[mdboatbum]

10.5 hours at an average temp of 230. Probably a little to high, but the WSM seemed to want to settle at this temp the easiest. Had a 30* Temp drop 3.5 hours in and a 15-20* spike the last couple hours. Not sure the cause, it was fairly breezy today.  Wrapped in foil at 170* and removed to rest at 185* Rested for an hour, I was hungry so thats all I gave it. Still had half of my fuel left...amazing

Was tender enough but just a tad on the dry side. Any ideas what I could have done different for more juice? Injection maybe?

Yes, I have an idea as to why your brisket was dry. I've highlighted it in red. All the injections, rubs, wrapping, chanting, dancing and praying in the world won't do a thing to help a brisket turn out moist and tender unless you catch it at that magic moment when the connective tissue (collagen) breaks down into gelatin. You just pulled it too early.

Oh, and as for pit temps, the guy whose brisket is widely touted as some of the best in the country does his at 275˚. But he goes by feel to know when it's done.

 

[dougmays]

when you wrap it up you can put some beef broth in the foil to steam back into the meat...this will help retain moisture.

nice smoke ring by the way! Another thing you can do is when you unfoil it....pour the drippings into a pot and you can make a Au Jus (sp?) for it

 

[manchester bob]

Tacswa3:

Was tender enough but just a tad on the dry side. Any ideas what I could have done different for more juice? Injection maybe?

Looks like the injection question has been  debated here before:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/105846/to-inject-or-not-to-inject-brisket

But if you do decide to inect, there are a lot of recommendations on this site...here's one thread:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/91638/brisket-injection

I like the statement about writing down what you try, so that you can remember it later if it turns out good. That's a mistake that I've made more than once!

 

[bruno994]

I'm with Mdboatbum on this one, the brisket never got to reach it's magic moment.  I have a sex analogy for cooking briskets, but I'll leave that for later...Cook by feel not IT, use IT as a guideline only (when to wrap, when to start checking for tenderness, etc.).  After the meat reaches 185 IT, then start checking for doneness every 30-45 minutes or every 5 degrees in change on the IT.  Once your toothpick or probe slides in easily, she's done, vent it, rest it, slice it.  There is a myth on this forum by way TOO many members that if you want sliced, you take it off at 185 to 190 and if you want to pull or shred, you take it off at 205+...not so fast Jack (a Si reference off Duck Dynasty), I slice every brisket I cook and most of them reach toothpick tenderness at 205 +.  As far as pit temp, I have cooked at 225, 250, 275 and 300+, all juicy, it's all about the collogens breaking down.  When it's done...it's done, no truer words can be spoken about brisket than those few.  Once you've had brisket that was cooked to "probed like butter", you won't go back.

 

[mdboatbum]

There, I completed the Si reference for ya!

 

[disco]

Thanks for sharing. I have yet to do a brisket yet and your post and the responses will be helpful.

 

[smokinclt]

I'm with Mdboatbum on this one, the brisket never got to reach it's magic moment.  I have a sex analogy for cooking briskets, but I'll leave that for later...Cook by feel not IT, use IT as a guideline only (when to wrap, when to start checking for tenderness, etc.).  After the meat reaches 185 IT, then start checking for doneness every 30-45 minutes or every 5 degrees in change on the IT.  Once your toothpick or probe slides in easily, she's done, vent it, rest it, slice it.  There is a myth on this forum by way TOO many members that if you want sliced, you take it off at 185 to 190 and if you want to pull or shred, you take it off at 205+...not so fast Jack (a Si reference off Duck Dynasty), I slice every brisket I cook and most of them reach toothpick tenderness at 205 +.  As far as pit temp, I have cooked at 225, 250, 275 and 300+, all juicy, it's all about the collogens breaking down.  When it's done...it's done, no truer words can be spoken about brisket than those few.  Once you've had brisket that was cooked to "probed like butter", you won't go back.

        

 

[tacswa3]

Thanks for the future tips guys. When I poked and prodded the brisket, it felt tender to me, but I haven't had anything to compare it to in the past.  I know smoking meat is a different game than grilling or over baking, but how many times have you cooked a steak or burger until 185 IT. Thats considered well done for beef and they are always dry and tough at that point. You guys have way more experience than me so I will try your advice on my next brisket.

 

[dj mishima]

I have only tried brisket once.  It was a whole packer and I didn't trim any fat off of it.  That seemed to be a pretty good "crutch" to keep it nice & juicy.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/137695/first-brisket-on-mes-30-with-ampns

If you can get them that way, I'd recommend it.  I was almost going to buy a trimmed 5 pound flat from Walmart instead of the whole 12 pound packer.  The price per pound was almost half as much for the whole one as opposed to the trimmed flat.  I was a bit worried that it would be too much meat, but I was glad I did it.  It gave me a chance to make burnt ends and I now have to wonder if I had bought the trimmed 5 pound flat, if it would have turned out dry...