Packer vs. Flat

[Javaaman]

I will defer to those with much more knowledge and experience when smoking meats. I am a "Newbie" and have been smoking for about a month. I bought and am pleased with the GMG Daniel Boone.
That said, I am getting ready to try a brisket soon. Advice (very much appreciated!) has been to go with a packer brisket, which as you all know contains the flat and the point. Problem for me is the size. 12-14 lbs is just to big for my wife and I. I know I could "vacuum" and freeze the leftovers. Not ideal (for me) but it is an option.
From what I've read and watched on YouTube, advice seems to be to separate the flat from the point, either before or after cooking. Use the flat for slicing and the point for burnt ends. So my question is this - will a 6 lb flat cook up (given the shorter cooking time) much the same as a packer? If I'm separating the flat from the point, what's the difference? Does the point help to keep the flat from drying out? If so, why do some remove before cooking?
My thanks to all for your thoughts and advice!

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

If I was you I’d smoke a flat. Brisket is a tough cut to get right and if you mess it up it is highly regrettable to have all that meat that your not happy with. Get a smaller flat and start there.

By the way I separate the point from the flat between 160-170 and cut up the point for burnt ends.

Good luck
Scott

 

[jbellard]

Java,
I’ve only ever done full packers.
But I will say that most posts on here where people only do the flat, it come out dry, dry, dry.
IMO, if a full brisket is tricky, a flat by itself has got to be the trickiest.
That said try it and see how it comes out.
You can always share the love too though if you do a big one.
Once people taste how good smoked food comes out, they have asked me to buy and cook them one whenever there are sales on meat and they usually pay me back plus a little bit extra. We call that lagniappe here in Louisiana.

 

[noboundaries]

I can't remember the last time I did just a flat. That hunk of meat will drive you insane, UNLESS, you just throw some smoke on it for 2-3 hours, then wrap it in a pan with veggies, throw in some beef broth, beer, wine, whatever you want, and braise it until tender, either in the smoker or in the oven.

A full packer is a different story. I know folks separate the flat and point. I never do. I smoke the packer intact until the flat probes tender. I have the flat pointed away from the hottest part of my smoker. The point is infinitely more forgiving due to the higher fat content.

It is just my wife and me too, but a 12-14 lb packer shrinks about 50% once trimmed, and you may trim off a couple pounds of fat. We'll eat slices for a couple days, sometimes longer, or I get creative, using the leftovers for chili, soup, a casserole, stroganoff, etc.

 

[Bearcarver]

Hi Java,
The only Step by Step I have is a Small 3.75 lb Flat, from a long time ago.

It took almost 11 hours @ 230°, and it didn't get Dry. It was Great.
Brisket Flat


Bear

 

[SmokinAl]

I would go with a full packer, if you decide to just smoke a flat, then my suggestion would be to smoke it in a pan with some French onion soup. Leave the flat right in the soup & halfway through the cook flip it over. I have done them this way & they always come out juicy, and as an added bonus you have a ready made Au Jus to pour over the sliced brisket!
Al

 

[browneyesvictim]

I say go for the full packer. Leftovers are often the best part and it will freeze well! Or take it to work and impress your co-workers. They will be begging for more!

 

[Javaaman]

Thanks Al and all! So it would seem that the "point" does help to keep moisture in the flat? I realize taste is subjective, but I'm definitely seeing the consensus is to cook with the point on. It is curious why some of the "experts" say to remove the point before cooking. Going to set the alarm for 4am on Sunday and unless the wife has other ideas, try my luck with a packer.

 

[browneyesvictim]

Generally speaking the idea in doing that is to get a uniform thickness of the meat so that the skinniest part of the flat does not burn up and the thick end with the point is "under-done". Yet leaving the point on will help insulate part the flat to cook more evenly. And the point is very marbled with fat that you want to render out a bit more, which you will likely want to cook a bit longer than the flat.