First Smoked Brisket - A little Tough

[Buzzbromp]

I smoked my first brisket yesterday. I followed a recipe that seemed to get a lot of likes. I modified it slightly based on other searches, oooops!

I smoked at 180 for 5 hours with super smoke mode turned on (Traeger). I then smoked at 225 for an additional 5 hours. Then, I pulled off and wrapped in 2 sheets of butcher paper, and put back on the smoker at 225. I smoked for an additional 5 hours, and never got to 203F. When I pulled it off, it was about 195F. I wrapped in a towel and left in a cooler for about 4 hours. When I pulled it out, the cooler was all steamy inside. The bark and smoke ring looked ok (I think), see pics. However, the meat is a little saltier then I would like and a little drier than I would have liked. Its not bad, I just think I messed some things up. Honestly, it kind of has a corned beef flavor, which I don't want. Maybe this is from the beef broth injection or too much salt rubbed in.

What I did different was.

After trimming the fat, I separated the flat from the point as I read from some articles that this was a good idea. In the end, both cooked the same time and never got about 200F.
I injected it with a mix of traegar coffee rub, kosher salt, and beef broth. This followed the recipe. however, it seemed to squirt everywhere and I don't think much got injected into the meat in the end (maybe because I separated the brisket).
Instead of cooking at 225 until it hit 160 and then wrapping (recipe said about 5 hours), i cooked 180 for 5 hours and 225 for 5 hours. At this point, it was at 175 when I wrapped it. Maybe I dried it out by cooking it to 175? However, some recipes state it is fine to leave on the grates and not wrap at all.

I'm going to try again and follow the recipe to a tee next time!

Thanks if anyone has any ideas on what I may have messed up!

 

[indaswamp]

Bump the temp. to 250*F to push the brisket to 203*F.

 

[912smoker]

Yep every brisket if different. But most need a min IT of 203. And that injection combo could be the cause of the salty taste imo. But sounds like you took good notes and your 1st brisket is in the books ! Nice bark and smoke ring, too !

 

[1MoreFord]

Your final IT and being dry and tough all indicate your brisket was not done yet. You can't cook brisket or pork butt by time or temp.

I'd cook it less time at 180 and move to 225 sooner. If it doesn't cook fast enough then bump it to 250 to finish. Cook it til it probes tender.

 

[Buzzbromp]

Thanks. I’ll try crank it a little hotter next time.

Any thoughts on splitting this flat and point before cooking? I was thinking keeping them together might have kept it more moist.

 

[gmc2003]

19 total hours WOW you have a lot more patience then I do. I would bump the temps up to 250 at least and let her fly. Your injection is definitely the reason it's a little salty, but I'm not sure where the corned beef flavor would have come from. My suggestion for you next one would be to keep it whole, no injection(just a good rub), and bump your temps up after the super smoke stage. Also slice against the grain.

I will say it looks pretty darn good from the pics sorry it didn't turn out as expected.

Point for sure
Chris

 

[Chasdev]

Beef tastes like beef, you don't need more than salt and pepper to achieve outstanding taste.
As to tenderness, I agree it was undercooked BUT if you started with a tough piece of meat, nobody could make it as tender as a higher grade.'
Avoid ungraded and "select" grades, go for choice and prime.
Not that you can't get a loser choice once and a while but 90% of them are great.

 

[leol2]

Beef tastes like beef, you don't need more than salt and pepper to achieve outstanding taste.
As to tenderness, I agree it was undercooked BUT if you started with a tough piece of meat, nobody could make it as tender as a higher grade.'
Avoid ungraded and "select" grades, go for choice and prime.
Not that you can't get a loser choice once and a while but 90% of them are great.

Agree

 

[cinnamonkc]

Unless I want to make pulled brisket, I smoke at 225, and pull it at internal temp of 185. I wrap it in foil and toss it in the cooler for a few hours. Always turns out great.
I do not wrap it as it’s cooking. I only do that to ribs. I also do not cut it in half unless I am in a hurry. I give myself about 1.5 hours per pound for sliced and 2 hours per pound for pulled (Beef or pork)

 

[leol2]

Agree Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper is all I use. I start at 250 until the bark sets and then move it up to 275 but I only use charcoal or logs for briskets. Cook to 203 IT. Sometimes I wrap and sometimes leave naked depending on the bark.
Looking at your pictures did you cut against the grain?

 

[thirdeye]

Your photos look good, you just need some fine tuning and more pit time because briskets are unpredictable.

What altitude are you cooking at?
Was the point moist and flavorful?

In the '60's and 70's barbecue was all about lo-n-slo and cooks like Smoky Hale barbecued almost all meats in the 200° -225° pit temps with the theory that cooking closer to the boiling temp of water was best. People also mopped meats more often at these temps. Over the years, this thought has changed, meat has changed and our choice of cookers has greatly improved. Smoking near 200° is fine for a couple of hours, as it builds flavor and helps a smoke ring, but pit temps of 250° - 300° are easier to maintain and your overall 'cook time' is shorter. You may have been drying your brisket with the lower pit temps. Also a whole brisket has more mass, so separating the point may have worked against you.

 

[Buzzbromp]

That makes sense that separating and cooking longer may have dried it out some. I also didn't mop it. Next time I won't separate it. For pulled pork, sometimes I get it to around 190 and pull it off. It doesn't pull as well, but is still moist and tastes great. If I get it to 200-205 with a longer cook time, it pulls great, is still moist, and tastes great.

I'm not sure what grade the brisket was. The guy said it was free range and not farm raised, so there wasn't as much of a fat cap. The soft fat was actually very very thin, almost translucent. Next time I won't inject with beef broth and try just salt and pepper. I like the idea of making it with different flavors (different types of rubs), but maybe that is a pork thing and not a brisket thing.

I'm near Denver, so I'm at about 5,400 feet.