First time brisket

[Boardtowndawg]

Hello all! I have been smoking for about a year or two now and thought it was time to try my first brisket. Going good so far I guess. Don’t have anything to compare it to as far as brisket goes lol. My question is I’ve been sitting at 160 for an hour and a half now. Is that a long enough stall to pull and wrap or should I let it sit longer and see what happens? Cooking temps ranging between 235-255. I will include pics of what I have so far. The second pic is when I pulled it out of the fridge this morning. I seasoned it last night.

 

[gmc2003]

Your in the stall so you can either wrap it now, crank the temps up to 250 - 275* and push thru the stall or just ride it out. Which ever way you choose make sure to go by tenderness. Start probing the thickest part of the flat around 190*.

Enjoy
Chris

 

[Boardtowndawg]

This is just before the wrap.

 

[gmc2003]

Looks good, keep us updated.

Chris

 

[texomakid]

Man it will come on now that you've wrapped it. Few more hours and you'll be done! Man, all these briskets ........ I'm gonna have to get one and throw it in the smoker.

 

[Boardtowndawg]

Your in the stall so you can either wrap it now, crank the temps up to 250 - 275* and push thru the stall or just ride it out. Which ever way you choose make sure to go by tenderness. Start probing the thickest part of the flat around 190*.

Enjoy
Chris

So I actually started out around 270-275 right as it went on but it fell down to that 235-255 range after a couple hours. It seems like it’s going to fast though because I started with a 13.5 lb brisket and trimmed off about 3 pounds. I put it on at 5:30 central time this morning just seems to me it got to 160 quick. I’m about to bump it up to 250-275 and keep it there.

 

[schlotz]

Sounds like you're headed for a good eats meal! Once you've deteminded it's tender in the thickest part of the flat ie probed like butter, remember to remove and let it cool a few (5-ish) minutes on the counter (open the wrap) before closing back up and resting in a cooler with towels. This retards further cooking (IT drops into lower 190ºs assuming pulled IT was above 200º) but continues to allow rendering to occur while resting in the cooler since it's still above 160º.

 

[Boardtowndawg]

Sounds like you're headed for a good eats meal! Once you've deteminded it's tender in the thickest part of the flat ie probed like butter, remember to remove and let it cool a few (5-ish) minutes on the counter (open the wrap) before closing back up and resting in a cooler with towels. This retards further cooking (IT drops into lower 190ºs assuming pulled IT was above 200º) but continues to allow rendering to occur while resting in the cooler since it's still above 160º.

Thanks that’s good info

 

[Boardtowndawg]

Update: so I put the temp probe right where the point and flat meet. I feel like something is wrong because that spot says 203° already. I probbed a few places right around there and it actually feels pretty tender. However. I went a couple inches to the left where I guess it must have been thicker because that spot is reading 175. My temps haven’t been swinging to terribly much so I didn’t think that was the problem. Not sure what to do right now.

 

[Boardtowndawg]

So it cooled until about 1:30 and the entire flat was 203-205. I pulled and let it rest a couple hours then we ate. Seems to be a tad dry but I’m pleased with it being my first brisket. Any advice on how I could improve will be appreciated. These are pics of finished product.

 

[schlotz]

Sometimes going in from the side can get you a better reading. Not certain what you mean by "it cooled until about 1:30".

 

[Boardtowndawg]

Sometimes going in from the side can get you a better reading. Not certain what you mean by "it cooled until about 1:30".

I meant it cooked until 1:30. That’s my fault. I was going in from the side with my probe though. I definitely don’t think it was a failure by any means but I did learn today.