First brisket

[tyco]

Going to be attempting my first brisket this weekend in my mes. I got it for 2.99 a pound and it was a 16 pounder pre trimmed. I got it trimmed and separated this morning (sorry no pics yet I was in a rush before going to work) I plan on rubbing it down when I get home tonight.

A few question, I know it would be easier to answer if you knew exact weights but I plan on cooking at 250 with the point a rack above the flat. Simple SPOG rub and don’t want to wrap unless I get desperate. Goal is to have it done and in the cooler for a couple hours before slicing but having it be ready to eat by the time the colts start at noon on Sunday. So what would be the recommended time I should throw them in? I was thinking 6pm tomorrow night.

also have a duel probe thermometer would you recommend sticking them both in the flat first since it’ll most likely be done before the point? I’m going to chop the point and do burnt ends. Thanks in advance

 

[tallbm]

Going to be attempting my first brisket this weekend in my mes. I got it for 2.99 a pound and it was a 16 pounder pre trimmed. I got it trimmed and separated this morning (sorry no pics yet I was in a rush before going to work) I plan on rubbing it down when I get home tonight.

A few question, I know it would be easier to answer if you knew exact weights but I plan on cooking at 250 with the point a rack above the flat. Simple SPOG rub and don’t want to wrap unless I get desperate. Goal is to have it done and in the cooler for a couple hours before slicing but having it be ready to eat by the time the colts start at noon on Sunday. So what would be the recommended time I should throw them in? I was thinking 6pm tomorrow night.

also have a duel probe thermometer would you recommend sticking them both in the flat first since it’ll most likely be done before the point? I’m going to chop the point and do burnt ends. Thanks in advance

Hi there and welcome!

I can't help you with the 250F timing BUT at a steady 275F and NOT opening the door you can expect a little over an hour a pound or so.
At 250F I'm guessing an hour a half a pound but could be way off so take someone elses word on 250F over mine when they respond.

I always recommend planning to finish 4 hours early. If it is 4 hour early then double wrap tightly in foil and then wrap in 3 bath towels tightly and set on the counter until time to slice and server 4 hours later. This will hold for 5-5.5 hours no problem.

The flat will be the problem child and probing it is a good idea. Try to get the probes in the center of the thickest part of the flat. The point will very likely end up tender way before the flat because of it's higher fat content but don't worry, it wont screw up the point. The Point is the easy part of the 2 muscles.

Remember a brisket is done when it probes tender. I stab a bamboo kabob skewer all over and when it goes in like butter ALL OVER then it is tender and ready to come off. Use the time to indicate WHEN to start checking for tenderness.

Follow that practice and you will have a good results :)

 

[mike243]

I trim mine but don't separate, good luck

 

[tyco]

Okay my smoker tops at 275 so I might go higher if in the middle of the night I don’t think it’ll be get done. I’m hoping for a 6-7am finish. I’m gonna weigh it when I get home so I can get a better guess on how long it’ll take. Since I split it it should take less then while I would assume, right? And ya I didn’t want to separate because I read you sometimes can lose moisture but it wouldn’t fit in my mes whole

 

[BB-que]

Going to be attempting my first brisket this weekend in my mes. I got it for 2.99 a pound and it was a 16 pounder pre trimmed. I got it trimmed and separated this morning (sorry no pics yet I was in a rush before going to work) I plan on rubbing it down when I get home tonight.

A few question, I know it would be easier to answer if you knew exact weights but I plan on cooking at 250 with the point a rack above the flat. Simple SPOG rub and don’t want to wrap unless I get desperate. Goal is to have it done and in the cooler for a couple hours before slicing but having it be ready to eat by the time the colts start at noon on Sunday. So what would be the recommended time I should throw them in? I was thinking 6pm tomorrow night.

also have a duel probe thermometer would you recommend sticking them both in the flat first since it’ll most likely be done before the point? I’m going to chop the point and do burnt ends. Thanks in advance

Take it for what it’s worth but I’d think twice about separating pre cook. Didn’t work out well for me, flat dries out. I’d clean out the fat about 1/2 way down the “seam” between the point and flat. So take the kernel off and then keep following the fat seam but don’t completely seperate. Then go fat side down and let the point baste the flat. By the time it’s down the point will practically lift off of the flat. Just kind of scrape it with a knife and it will separate. I’ve had much better luck with this. And I can tell you I overcooked my first couple, be careful looking for “hot butter” feel. I mean your gonna feel a little resistance in my experience in the flat but not much. Then wrap and rest with a bunch of towels for 4 hours on the counter. Good Luck.

 

[tyco]

I had read some people separate them but still late the point somewhat over the flat but moved over enough to fit so I had thought about that but was worried it would stop the flat from getting bark all over

 

[fivetricks]

"always recommend planning to finish 4 hours early. "

^^ this this and this. If I run a brisky in my mes, I'll start that bad boy about 9:00 night before. At 16lbs, you can expect anywhere from 16-24 hours unwrapped. But you can also raise temps, wrap, transfer to oven, etc if you're running behind.

 

[TomCrump]

Last weekend, I did a 15# brisket at 225-250 F. It took 14 hours until it was probe tender. The meat was wrapped when it stalled at 159 F. I started checking for tenderness at 205, and it needed more time.

I find it difficult to guess cooking times. Guests arrive, and the food may not be ready. My wife has eased the problem by fixing appetizer trays to get some food in to hungry guests. LOL

 

[tyco]

Okay I got them out and rubbed them down with SPOG and a little bit of spicy bbq rub. Weighed them both and they are damn near equal at about 5.5 pounds. So I think what I’m going to do is have them in by 6 light up the amazen probe them around 11 and then wakeup around 4 to see where they’re at and if they arnt going as fast as I’d hope I’ll wrap and crank the heat.

 

[tyco]

With both parts being about 5 pounds sound I expect the 1-1.5 a pound based off each part or based of the total 11 pounds?

 

[tyco]

Woke up at 3 and proved flat was at 157 and point was 155. I turned heat to 250 and woke up again at 6 F-175 P-175. I then double wrapped and foiled which brings me to now. Point hit 195 and probed with little to no effort. Put second probe in another part of the flat and reading 189 and 192. Smells and looks good only thing is looks like he flat doesn’t have much bark maybe from the fat of the point dripping on it? I hav the point wrapped and wrapped in two towels in the cooler hoping the flat will be done within the next hour. Sorry for no pictures yet didn’t have my phone in hand

 

[tyco]

Got the point out and chopped up been in the smoker about an hour with some more rub and sweet baby rays.

Plan on pulling the flat out at kick off not as confident in it. When I took it out to out in cooler one probe was 204 and the other 208 and I poke checked it since 198 when I finally pulled most of it was able to probe easy but there was a few tough spots still. I think I took to much of the fat off when I trimmed. I’ll post an update when I cut it up.

 

[tallbm]

Got the point out and chopped up been in the smoker about an hour with some more rub and sweet baby rays.

Plan on pulling the flat out at kick off not as confident in it. When I took it out to out in cooler one probe was 204 and the other 208 and I poke checked it since 198 when I finally pulled most of it was able to probe easy but there was a few tough spots still. I think I took to much of the fat off when I trimmed. I’ll post an update when I cut it up.

I hope it all turned out ok.

You really got an education on this brisket smoke. Briskets like to teach us something almost every smoke.
Also if you want more bark then don't wrap and you will get it. Again you gotta plan the timing to finish about 4 hours early and even broken up into two separate cuts the timing based on total weight is still close.

A full packer, unwrapped the entire cook, at a constant smoker temp of 275F, without opening the smoker until time to check for tenderness, usually runs a little over 1hr a pound for me.
I'm just making a little note here that your approach with the smoker at 250F most of the time along with splitting and wrapping took a minimum of 18 hrs. I'm guessing next smoke time would need to be started at 1-2pm the day before to ready early or just in time for a noon kick off. I'll be searching for this info again in the future should I run into this situation myself.

Keep at it man and you'll get it down exactly the way you need it and enjoy a great brisket feast! :)