Important brisket :)

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DDK

Newbie
Original poster
Oct 1, 2020
2
2
Smoking a brisket for my daughters wedding dinner. Not sure how but started an 18 pound packer at 225 at 9 pm and it was already at 197 at 7 am. I wrapped it in foil and put it back in lowering temp to 200 as meal is still 9 hours away. The first couple briskets I smoked took way longer. Suggestions?
 
watch like a hawk. probes tender pull and wrap in cooler. sure someone will reply but briskets can be held a long time.
 
My .02, don’t mess with the temps too much. Finish it out so you have a good brisket, then figure out go to keep warm, reheat. Beef doesn’t like temps jumping around. If you have an oven you can wrap it and hold in @ 160 if possible or as close as you can get to that although it will continue to cook emend at that so could over cook. Othe, and maybe better option, carry on with usual process and then reheat later. There’s plenty of posts about how to reheat the best.
 
Smoking a brisket for my daughters wedding dinner. Not sure how but started an 18 pound packer at 225 at 9 pm and it was already at 197 at 7 am. I wrapped it in foil and put it back in lowering temp to 200 as meal is still 9 hours away. The first couple briskets I smoked took way longer. Suggestions?
I did one, started at 11PM, finished at 203 at about 10:30AM dinner at 6! I already had it wrapped in butcher paper so I put it in my yeti cooler, covered it with towels, stuck a digital wireless thermometer in it and watched. Thought for sure I screwed it up. At 6 Pm it reached 145 and was absolutely the best brisket I ever had. I think the Yeti was the trick not just any cooler.
 
You can hold it at 160 for hours and hours, it will only get more tender.
Many if not all big time pitmasters (who push volume) use holding ovens.
HIgher than that and it will overcook, lower than that and evil critters can grow in it and cause sickness.
 
I just watched this yesterday. BBQ places put in 170 degree holding tanks for many hours.
I agree with this. I did something similar with my last packer in early Sept after reading or watching something about holding at 170F.

Overnight at 225F. Wrapped it at 185F at 7:30 am. Chamber at 275F. Only an hour later the flat of the packer was at 207F (that's fast) but didn't quite probe as tender as I like. Threw it wrapped in a 170F oven for several hours. Best packer I ever smoked! Sliceable, juicy, and melt in your mouth richness.
 
That is the one thing about a brisket, you never know when it’s going to be done, but wrapped in double foil with a little pan juice & put in a 170 degree oven It will stay hot for hours.
Al
 
Thanks all. Kept a close eye on it and was able to take it to 12:30 (five and a half hours til dinner) before I pulled it. Tried getting a Yeti cooler but couldn't find the big one in town. Coleman Xtreme will have to do. Wrapped in foil and towels and in the cooler. Will check temp later and put in oven at 170 if necessary. Appreciate the input
 
Those Coleman Xtremes are decent coolers at a MUCH lower price than the Yeti. I have three of the Xtremes. Lids seal tightly and can be a bit of a frustration, but I've desert camped in 100+F heat and they lived up to their 3-day and 5-day claims based on their size.
 
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