Need a little help ASAP Please

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

thackertommy

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 5, 2014
10
10
I put a 8 pound brisket on my new master built smoker at 4:45p. I have the temp set at 225. The outside temp is 50

  at 7:30 I noticed I was at 168 IT in the point area where I had the probe placed. I used the probe in a few other places and the lowest I could find was 165. It was 189 in the flat area. I am shooting for some super tender brisket.

  I planned on wrapping at 170, but there is no bark even beginning to form. Also How deep am I supposed to have the probe?

I am totally surprised that it got to that temp so quickly.

I would appreciate some advice please. I don't want to ruin my brisket.

Thanks
 
OK so every place I probed was 172 IT or better. I wrapped in foil and put it back on.

I did notice in a few areas that the probe slid in really easy. Maybe that is a good sign?

  I will pull it when all the IT temp readings are at 205. I have an ice chest waiting on it.

 Thanks
 
just curious.... have you check your thermometer that your using to check the meat with.. in boiling water ?... something sounds a little off ...
 
R u running a separate thermo for the smoker temp? Mostly from what everyone says and also with mine the temp gage that is on the unit is not accurate. If your temps got up that fast u would bet your running hotter then what u set it at
 
I have not tested it.

The probe thermometer is the one that came with it.

I think you are right about it being off. I really researched and studied a lot before I did this and it got to that temp WAY before any post I have read before.

Is there a thermometer that I can use other than the internal one?

Thanks
 
IMHO, I don't think you have ruined it. However I have never foiled a brisket before I rest it. I pull my briskets at 200* IT cause remember it will still rise a little in IT if you plan to foil, wrap in towels and put in cooler for a few hours to rest. Hope this helps, WHB
 
You can cook it with no therm at all ! Is the brisket tender? Stick a skewer in it. If it slides in like butter , it's done. People been cooking brisket since ancient times with no electronics. Just do it old school.
 
I forgot to tell ya and maybe you know this but after I pull at 200* IT, foil, wrap with towels and put In a cooler to rest a few hours. The IT will rise a little but then will start working back down, I usually let it drop to 185-190* IT and this help with the redistribution of the juices thru the meat and makes it very tender. Though each piece is a little different for the most part they turn out Thumbs Up If ya know all this, sorry not meaning to tell ya what to do, it's just I didn't know all this on my first brisket and these tips helped ALOT. Hope this helps, ya will nail it ! WHB
 
You can cook it with no therm at all ! Is the brisket tender? Stick a skewer in it. If it slides in like butter , it's done. People been cooking brisket since ancient times with no electronics. Just do it old school.
The temp probe sure is sliding in pretty easy, but this is my first one, and I don't really have a feel for it.

When I get all the way through the brisket to the bottom, it feels a little tough like it is a different texture right where the fat layer is. Is that normal?
 
Since you only have one probe, you can use it to check your smoker temp by getting a small potato or onion and push the probe all the way through it so that the tip is sticking out of it.  Then put the probe in the smoker making sure that the probe doesn't touch anything metal or it will ruin your probe.  Then you can check the smoker temp to see how far off your gauge is.  IT may take a while stabilize but you can get really close assuming that your probe is accurate. 
 
 
Since you only have one probe, you can use it to check your smoker temp by getting a small potato or onion and push the probe all the way through it so that the tip is sticking out of it.  Then put the probe in the smoker making sure that the probe doesn't touch anything metal or it will ruin your probe.  Then you can check the smoker temp to see how far off your gauge is.  IT may take a while stabilize but you can get really close assuming that your probe is accurate.
OK Thanks, I will do that.

Thanks for all of the help guys!
 
At 11:45 tonight the ITs were 103, 104, 106 and 106 again. The probe just slid through the brisket.

I have it wrapped in a towel in an ice chest, and I plan on staying up to try it.

I will let yall know how it turns out.

I appreciate all of the input.
 
I just tried the brisket, and it was excellent
beercheer.gif
. I think I would have liked it a little more juicy, but it was much better than many BBQ restaurants that I have been to. It did come apart really good too, but I thing I lost juice using the probe.

  I am very impressed with myself right now, and I could not have done it without all of the information on this forum. I cant wait until this is gone so I can smoke another one.

Thanks
 
Nice, glad it turned out for ya, if I had known the pro's were behind me with their info I would have just watched the show ! Glad it turned out for ya Thumbs Up. WHB
 
Glad to hear it turned out well for you. It is very satisfying to have a successful cook!

A couple things I noticed while reading the thread.....

Masterbuilt smoker....the electric ones have natoriuosly incorrectly calibrated thermometers. I had to check the one we have at work and just make my own adjustments with the temps I set. They can not be adjusted, or I have not seen a way to adjust them......

Desire for bark..... It is very hard to get a bark in that style of smoker, it can be done. Use no water in the water pan and have top vent all the way open. You also do not want to wrap the product. Any crisp bark you form will be lost when wrapped.

Wrapping with towels and holding........ As mentioned your temps will rise then fall after time. This is an effect we refer to as carryover cooking. Since you have wrapped you product with foil, towels and placed in a insulated container. The heat has no where to go to but back into the product. Good because you don't loose heat and you can hold hot for a long time. Can be bad if you don't plan on what will happen to the product when this happens. Your product will continue to cook, so if you hold for a long time a properly cook product can not be over cooked.

Sticking with probe observation....... Yes the more you stick the product with the large probe the greater your chance of drying out there is. I use a tooth pick to test tenderness........


Keep on smokin Thumbs Up the more you cook, them more comfortable you will get.

Jeramy
 
The temp probe sure is sliding in pretty easy, but this is my first one, and I don't really have a feel for it.

When I get all the way through the brisket to the bottom, it feels a little tough like it is a different texture right where the fat layer is. Is that normal?

I would bet it is. My guess is that your brisky is done and done. If it was me , I'd pull it out , let it rest a few minutes and then wrap it if you're keeping it for later. I mean it's 10 am as I write this....when are you serving it?

Edit: ok , I just went back and read all the posts and it seems like you are all set this time. Brisket came out good and you are happy. Nice job.
Now , moving forward I'd say you have learned a lot from this cook. You got a lot of good info from the other posters and I would file that for future reference.my only suggestion at this point is that from here on out , use internal meat temperature as a guide and start testing for tender once the brisket hits 170-180 or so....a toothpick is good so you don't poke giant holes in the meat. I have an old fashioned " cake tester" which is a thin stiff wire doohickey and it works perfect. But my point is not to get so fixated on a particular IT that you cook your meat right past perfection and turn it all crumbly. (Been there , done that). Well , hey. Have a good weekend and enjoy the rest of that brisket.
 
Last edited:
I'm making sausage out of duck meat. At what temp and how long do I smoke the meat after, so I can vacuum pack it for a later date?
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky