Shootr's First Brisket Ramblings

[Shootr]

It was 13lbs before trimming so yeah, I think 12 is a fair bet - not a lot of fat came off it - probably too much in places.

"Self-diagnosed OCD" is a you-know-what (LOL) - being a compulsive planner has it's pluses and minuses - but minimizing the surprises and hitting goals close to the mark is kinda like winning a gambling bet to me. But yep, right at 13 hours for the cook.

I read somewhere that maybe I should have let it cool a little back down before throwing it into the cooler - I have a feeling that throwing it in right after pulling it off the grill led to it cooking a bit more than it should have.

Learning to use a smoker and how to cook low and slow is addicting - I've got honest critics living in-house but haven't had an inedible mistake yet - that's the beauty of this new found "hobby".

Appreciate the good folks in this forum letting noobs like me ramble on and ask endless questions.

 

[gmc2003]

Glad it worked out, yeah I let my brisket cool down to about 170* to 180* before wrapping and putting it in the cooler. You just want to maintain temp not continue the cooking process.

Chris

 

[Shootr]

2.99/lb at Costco for a prime - and with a long weekend ahead - figured I'd give it another go.

It's all injected with marinade and will trim it and start it tonight. Hope to correct a few mistakes from the first one:

• Trim more evenly
• Keep better track as it approaches the stall
• Check for doneness more frequently when it's close to being done
• Let it rest and cool down on the counter instead of closed in a cooler

Last one was rested in the cooler and I think it over cooked and got tight, but otherwise the seasoning, the bark, the flavor was spot on.

 

[Shootr]

And away we go again... All trimmed, rubbed, and onto the fire 7pm local time.

 

[Shootr]

4 hours in and the heat curve started flattening, so went ahead and wrapped them in the pink paper to finish.

Grill is holding temps very well for mid-low 40's ambient. Pellet tube burned out fully, nice wisps of smoke from the chimney the whole time. Smell and look wonderful

 

[illini40]

Looking good! How is it going this morning?

 

[Shootr]

Looking good! How is it going this morning?

About perfect. Wound up taking the point off first at 2am, the flat around 3am. Both had areas that probed a little tight, but my a&& was dragging so they both went into the cooler hot off the grill to rest/finish. (No clue why I decided to start in the early evening...)

Got up about 7am to slice them, and realized I forgot to mark which corner to start at on the flat - I guessed right - and it started out looking tight again. But I guess that's just how the thinner ends can be? Because when I started to get towards the center I was seeing a great knife droop and much more juice.

Point was even better. Juicy through all of it except the very edges. Seasoning (SPOG) and the injected marinade all seemed very good too.

I'm guessing I have 8-9 pounds of KETO-starting diet food to kick off the new year!

 

[Civilian]

Looks great! Now I know what I'm cooking for new years eve. Thanks for the inspiration.