Need a Brisket Plan Tonight

[HowlingDog]

Good Evening Everyone..

I have a brisket on as I type, and I need a plan.....

Background: 14 pound full brisket from Costco went on at 10am this morning (Friday). Will serve Sat with other BBQ (ribs, tri tip) about 5 ish. I do not mind re-heating and I started today knowing it would likely be reheated because I have other meats to do tomorrow.

Probe in thickest part reads 124 now at 6pm Pacific Time. I know briskets are done when they are done. Originally, I was hoping it would get to 190 before I went to bed, and I could wrap it, put it in the fridge overnight and finish it in the morning. But, at 124, not sure what time it would hit 190.

So, what is a good plan to finish the brisket??

Could I wrap it at whatever temp it is when I go to bed, set the over to 190, pull, wrap and rest in cooler when it hits an internal temp of 190?? Is that a viable option? Can a 14 pound brisket take 20 hours??

Thanks All!!!! And Yes, I am having fun and I am not in a panic

HowlingDog

 

[Geos7812]

What temp are you working at? That seems like a long time to get to 124.

 

[HowlingDog]

Running between 230 and 270

 

[pineywoods]

That is a long time to still be that low of a temp. Have you tested your thermometers both on the smoker and the one your checking internal with? Probe in a couple spots with the internal to make sure your not in a fat pocket which will give a false reading.
That said you can pull it off the smoker wrap in foil and put into the oven any time you decide to. Yes I have heard of a 14 lb brisket taking 24 hours and longer to finish.

 

[tbrtt1]

What kinda pit are ya using? Are you using a temp control? In other words, can you go to bed and let the brisket ride? Do you have a leave in the meat probe that alarm you when it gets to a certain temp?

Sorry for 20 questions. Here's what I would do:

*Bump the heat up a tad (unless you are already running at 275 or above). You wanna get some bark on that puppy. Post a pic if you can so we can see what the bark looks like.

*When you get a nice bark, wrap it in foil so it will power through the stall and speed the cooking (don't use butcher paper as that will make the cook longer than with using foil).

*Should be able to finish it at a reasonable hour, say before midnight. Once it hits above 190* or so, start probing it and see how tender it is in the thickest part of the flat. When it probes very easily or just before that pull it. Let it rest for and cool for an hour or so. Set an alarm for 90 minutes and get some sleep. When alarm goes off, put it in the fridge (should be cooled down enough).

* Go back to sleep.

*About an hour before you want to serve the brisket tomorrow, put it in the oven or smoker and get it up to about 143* IT (Franklin says that is the optimal temp for slicing).

*Eat it.

 

[HowlingDog]

Well, Pineywoods hit the nail on the head!! The smoker thermometer is new so I am confident there. The meat thermometer has been already destroyed with extreme prejudice!! Pulled out the Thermapen and lo and behold, it is NOT 131, it is in fact 179.... Now it is beyond the temp I wanted to wrap, but I feel far better about progress now.

When I inserted the Thermapen, it went in smooth..... Not butter smooth, but it was doing nice!!

Gonna wrap it, take it to 190, rest it for a bit, fridge it, go to bed and then have a great party tomorrow with friends.

Lesson learned. Do NOT use older thermometers, use the Thermapen!!

Thanks tbrtt1 for the finishing steps. Got a plan!!!

I will take a pic and post it when I wrap it.

HowlingDog

 

[pineywoods]

Don't be confident in the thermometer mounted in the smoker they can be off and most of the time are off. Some are off by a little and some are off 50 degrees think the worst I've heard of was 75 degrees

 

[HowlingDog]

Thanks Everyone. I was using old thermometers for both the brisket and my pit. They have been disposed of and I will be getting new ones.

Here is the brisket at 188:
View media item 554355
Plan is to bring it to 190, let it rest for a couple hours, then in fridge, then re-heated tomorrow.

For what its worth, here is the smoker I built and use:
View media item 554315
Used hickory and Weber charcoal.

Thanks again! Have a good evening all.

Howling Dog

 

[pineywoods]

Smoker looks good how about some more info on it and of course more pics.

Old thermos aren't a bad thing as long as they work and are accurate for you at least know how far off they are.
That being said if you are looking at new thermos check out Inkbird's they are great

 

[Geos7812]

Awhile back I was having similar issues. I bought new probes for me thermometer and boom.... better temps. I think the probes will wear out after being used for a long time. Mine also probably got wet which is a big no no. Good luck with the party.

 

[gary s]

A lot of Good advice, I check all my temp gauges periodically .
Brisket looked great, Smoker really looks Great

Gary

 

[tbrtt1]

Love that smoker! Please do post some more pics of it.

FWIW, I have a Maverick ET733 (dual probe). that is about 3-4 years old. I keep spare probes on hand and check them periodically. The probes are easy to find and about $10-$12 per on Amazon. I can go a year on the same batteries as well.

 

[Geos7812]

Love that smoker! Please do post some more pics of it.

FWIW, I have a Maverick ET733 (dual probe). that is about 3-4 years old. I keep spare probes on hand and check them periodically. The probes are easy to find and about $10-$12 per on Amazon. I can go a year on the same batteries as well.

That’s funny. That is the same one I have that needed the probes replaced. Not a bad ide to have spares.