Problem with a brisket

[SmokerMN1968]

I was smoking a 3 1/2 lb. brisket flat yesterday in my Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. I had it set for 225. put the meat in about 1:30pm.
From what I read online it should take about 5 hours to get up to 195 after wrapping at the stall. Mine took 6 hours just to get to 160 degrees.
I'm not sure what the problem was. I wrapped it in double foil and put it back in for another hour. It still didn't move.
It was a bit windy yesterday, but nothing I haven't dealt with in the past and had decent results.
I finally brought it in the house and put it in the oven to see if I couldn't kick start it in there.
Still nothing! Not sure what happened. I ended up tossing it in the garbage.
This was the first brisket I've ever tried. In the past I've done Bison roasts, chicken, game hens, fish, and turkeys. with no problems ever.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated...
Thad Overocker
St. Paul, MN

 

[SmokinEdge]

Stop cooking at 225*
250-275* much better and eliminates lots of problems. The MES is another issue all together.

 

[Thicc Stallion]

I agree with SmokinEdge. Cooking at 225 the entire time is pretty rough. If you do start out at 225 to get a bark that's fine but probably kick it up to 275 after the wrap. However, that being said, I usually do the entire thing at 275. Same result if not better. Hope that helps and good luck on the next one!

 

[schlotz]

Best to start at the beginning: have you verified the smoker temp with a calibrated thermometer? What temp was the flat when you put it in? Beyond those, opening the MES to remove and then again to replace with the wrapped flat will really reduce the MES heat requiring time to just get back up to 225º. I also agree with SmokinEdge that 250-275º is better. Since you wrapped, no more smoke was going to get in so I would have gone straight to the oven at 270-300º.

Take good notes for each smoke and refer to them for next time.

 

[Fueling Around]

^^^ explained well.
Don't believe the online whatevers that claim they smoke it at 225°
Lately, I smoke most of my meats in a foil pan to collect drippings plus it is an easy foil cover and finish in the oven.
My last brisket was a smaller trimmed piece. My wife moved my smoking log book or I would give details.

 

[schlotz]

Look for a recipe program that allows you to add notes to each of your recipes. That is where I continually add notes for each smoke on a specific recipe. I'm on a Mac so I use MacGourmet.

 

[OldSmoke]

I just did a 3.5lb flat for chili. I ran it at 250 in a foil pan, covered at around 170. It took almost nine hours to probe smoothly. Among other things, it is the thickness of the meat rather than the weight that seems to affect the amount of time. It fools you. It surprised me.

 

[eaglewing]

From what I read online it should take about 5 hours to get up to 195 after wrapping at the stall. Mine took 6 hours just to get to 160 degrees.

I don't know who gave you that read...
I've done 3 briskets 5lb and under...
3.5lb

another 3.5lb brisket

Auto-created session

share.fireboard.io

• 9 hours, 38 minutes

3.5lb

Mini Brisket smoke

Auto-created session

share.fireboard.io

• 7 hours, 46 minutes

5lb flat like yours

Overnight 5.5lb brisket for evening hunt supper

Auto-created session

share.fireboard.io

This was low temp on purpose for an overnighter

• 15 hours, 25 minutes

 

[912smoker]

One on the earliest (and hardest) lesson that I had to learn was.......
It's done when it's done
I'm also in the 275° club

Keith

 

[Meat Man Matt]

I respectfully disagree with the above comments about 225 degrees. I smoke nearly all my brisket and butts at this temp (and I live at altitude too). That said, there are several factors that could have an impact on the experience you had; some of them already mentioned above.
Are you sure your chamber thermo is accurate?
Are you sure your meat thermometer is accurate?
How many times did you open the cabinet to try various fixes? This hurts your chamber and meat temps when still that low.
Using time alone to gauge where your temp should be is a flawed mechanism. I'd have just let her cook through it.

From what you describe, when you took it out to wrap, then put it back in, you gave it an hour right? Probably just got a little impatient. What happened there was you let a bunch of heat out of your chamber twice, and then only giving it an hour isn't enough. You hit the stall, and even if you never open the smoker at that point, it's not uncommon to even notice a couple degree temperature drop during that time as the collagens break down, turn to liquid, and permeate through the meat.
Definitely try again, and remember that every piece of meat truly is different. I know people hate to hear it sometimes, but brisket is a cut that really is done when it's done.
Note: even though I disagreed with the 225 degree comments above, there is still absolutely no harm in cranking up the heat if you need to push through the stall. Or even if you just plain find that you like it better that way.

 

[SmokinAl]

This may help you!

BRISKET FLAT, MY WAY

It's no secret that a lot of folks have a problem smoking a small well trimmed brisket flat. I to had my struggles for a while, but a couple of years ago I found this method and have been using it ever since. So I would like to share my method with all of you. If you already are successful...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Al

 

[eaglewing]

I respectfully disagree with the above comments about 225 degrees. I smoke nearly all my brisket and butts at this temp (and I live at altitude too).

Yes, I did mine low too, but never got one DONE in 5 hours at that temp.
That's the OPs query that he thought 5 hours was doable.
I also agree that 275° can turn a brisket into a tough roast flavor instead of enjoying the low and slow juices.

 

[SmokerMN1968]

I don't know who gave you that read...
I've done 3 briskets 5lb and under...
3.5lb

another 3.5lb brisket

Auto-created session

share.fireboard.io

• 9 hours, 38 minutes

3.5lb

Mini Brisket smoke

Auto-created session

share.fireboard.io

• 7 hours, 46 minutes

5lb flat like yours

Overnight 5.5lb brisket for evening hunt supper

Auto-created session

share.fireboard.io

This was low temp on purpose for an overnighter

• 15 hours, 25 minutes

It was something that came up on Google. Once it got past 5 hours for me, I knew it was BS.

 

[OldSmoke]

Lately, I smoke most of my meats in a foil pan to collect drippings plus it is an easy foil cover and finish in the oven.

This was my plan as well. When I wrapped, I added a cup of beef broth. By the time it finished, I had a nice bit of drippings. I let the dripping sit overnight in the fridge, skimmed the fat, then added the broth to my chili. It was a nice blast of beef flavor.

 

[eaglewing]

It was something that came up on Google. Once it got past 5 hours for me, I knew it was BS.

Ahhh OK, yeah, I can't even do a chuckie at 250° under 7 hours...
Just remember, a brisket can actually stay wrapped for hours just like a Butt can in foil and towel and in a cooler. SO cooking too early is better than cooking too late.

 

[SmokerMN1968]

Yes, I did mine low too, but never got one DONE in 5 hours at that temp.
That's the OPs query that he thought 5 hours was doable.
I also agree that 275° can turn a brisket into a tough roast flavor instead of enjoying the low and slow juices.

I wasn't sure if 5 hours was doable. That was something I read on another thread off Google. I've always thought 225 seemed too low. I've smoked turkeys between 225- 250 and that was always good.

 

[SmokerMN1968]

This may help you!

BRISKET FLAT, MY WAY

It's no secret that a lot of folks have a problem smoking a small well trimmed brisket flat. I to had my struggles for a while, but a couple of years ago I found this method and have been using it ever since. So I would like to share my method with all of you. If you already are successful...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Al

Thanks Al! I'll give it a read.

 

[SmokerMN1968]

I respectfully disagree with the above comments about 225 degrees. I smoke nearly all my brisket and butts at this temp (and I live at altitude too). That said, there are several factors that could have an impact on the experience you had; some of them already mentioned above.
Are you sure your chamber thermo is accurate?
Are you sure your meat thermometer is accurate?
How many times did you open the cabinet to try various fixes? This hurts your chamber and meat temps when still that low.
Using time alone to gauge where your temp should be is a flawed mechanism. I'd have just let her cook through it.

From what you describe, when you took it out to wrap, then put it back in, you gave it an hour right? Probably just got a little impatient. What happened there was you let a bunch of heat out of your chamber twice, and then only giving it an hour isn't enough. You hit the stall, and even if you never open the smoker at that point, it's not uncommon to even notice a couple degree temperature drop during that time as the collagens break down, turn to liquid, and permeate through the meat.
Definitely try again, and remember that every piece of meat truly is different. I know people hate to hear it sometimes, but brisket is a cut that really is done when it's done.
Note: even though I disagreed with the 225 degree comments above, there is still absolutely no harm in cranking up the heat if you need to push through the stall. Or even if you just plain find that you like it better that way.

Yes, my meat thermo is accurate. I smoked a 13# turkey last fall with no issues.
Last summer I smoked some steelhead trout that came out perfect. Also, some game hens, a bison roast, and a couple of chickens all without issues. My meats hit the proper temps every time.
I did open the door a couple times, but, never had any major issues with it in the past. I thought the same tho. I probably just got impatient and it hurt my cook time.
I already bought another brisket to try again soon. I'm just going to turn the heat up to start with and just let it do it's thing. It'll be ready when it's ready.
Thanks for the insights!

 

[OldSmoke]

It'll be ready when it's ready.
Thanks for the insights!

Keep on trying!

Even if it isn’t perfect, it has to be really bad before you can’t salvage it for chili or stew!

 

[Fueling Around]

Sorry, I didn't explain fully.
225° is a doable temperature for brisket, butts, chuckies, or other large mass meats.
It just isn't going to done in less than a very long time to serve as sliced meat.
A MES has very little convection flow so it will be even longer time.
Poultry and fish is not large mass.
I guess you didn't take the bison roast to well done required of the chewy cuts?

OldSmoke hits it on the head to basically braise out by making stew or chili from smoked but not fully cooked brisket. It doesn't have to be fully tender when diced and dropped in the pot.