Smoking first brisket ever for the super bowl - how does this cut look?

[tps7c]

Sorry for the delayed update, but it’s been a busy few days. First let me say thanks for all the tips and support! I can now say first hand that reading about smoking a brisket vs actually doing it are very different things, lol.

For whatever reason, it took almost 20 hours to finish, which I wasn’t expecting. I woke up to a disaster, or so I thought. Somehow the top grate tipped over and the brisket was leaning against the side of the smoker (pic below). Luckily it didn’t seem to burn the point, but it scared the crap out of me lol. In all my years so smoking ribs and butts, nothing like that ever happened.

The smoker ran at around 225 overnight, dipping to 217. When I woke up the brisket was between 155-165. I wound up wrapping about an hour later when the temp hadn’t changed. It just seemed to literally take forever, even though I bumped the temp up twice.

A few things to note: The flat was way drier than the point. I’m really happy with how the point came out, it’s pretty darn good. The flat was just ok. When I noticed the flat was finishing faster than the point, should I have split them? Also, some of the slices had a bit of the “pot roast” taste. Not terrible but very noticeable. Not sure what I did wrong there? The rub (Holy Cow) added a nice flavor. It was a rad on the salty side but not overbearing.

Overall it was a great experience and I can’t wait for the next one!

 

[bigfurmn]

@tps7c how did it taste to you? Would you do it again? Looks good from the pictures but I mean if you want to send me some...

 

[schlotz]

That pot roast taste can occur if the brisket is wrapped too early. I usually suggest wrapping after its been in the stall for a while, somewhere around an IT of 175º. Suggest for next time you try smoking at a higher temp. The old smoke everything at 225º is not a rule. In fact there are many here that run briskets at higher temps. Personally I run at 275º. It substantially reduces the stall time (actually had a few where it pushed right on through the stall i.e. no delay), allows one to avoid overnight smokes and there is no difference in the final outcome.

 

[tps7c]

That pot roast taste can occur if the brisket is wrapped too early. I usually suggest wrapping after its been in the stall for a while, somewhere around an IT of 175º. Suggest for next time you try smoking at a higher temp. The old smoke everything at 225º is not a rule. In fact there are many here that run briskets at higher temps. Personally I run at 275º. It substantially reduces the stall time (actually had a few where it pushed right on through the stall i.e. no delay), allows one to avoid overnight smokes and there is no difference in the final outcome.

I'm definitely going to smoke the next one at 275 and wrap it later in the stall. You guys have been really helpful! Overall I'm happy with it for my first attempt, I would have hated to ruin a $90 piece of meat. But LOTS to learn ahead.

We used some of the flat for the Fox Bros Brisket Chili, and that turned out great. A bit less jalapenos next time maybe. And I also left my friend's wife a few nice slices of the point to make a brisket reuben.

 

[SmokyMose]

Looks good, especially for a first time and in a kettle no less! I gave up on the flats a long time ago and cut them off for Pastrami and just smoke the point.
I don't know where that 225 thing came from but as far as I'm concerned it's a bogus "wives' tale".
Cooking too low for a long time will dry it out and I couldn't make my offset cook that low if my life depended on it. It's usually happy between 265 and 300 so that's where I cook everything and it works fine for everything.
Sounds like everyone was happy and none went to waste. Good job!

 

[indaswamp]

If you can find a shoulder clod, you can smoke that like a brisket, and it is usually 1/2 the cost... And it is a huge chunk of meat.. perfect for feeding a big crew for a super bowl party. See my signature for smoking a shoulder clod.

 

[schlotz]

I'm definitely going to smoke the next one at 275 and wrap it later in the stall. You guys have been really helpful! Overall I'm happy with it for my first attempt, I would have hated to ruin a $90 piece of meat. But LOTS to learn ahead.

We used some of the flat for the Fox Bros Brisket Chili, and that turned out great. A bit less jalapenos next time maybe. And I also left my friend's wife a few nice slices of the point to make a brisket reuben.

That's the nice thing about smoking a brisket. Smoked Brisket Chili is always there as an option for those times where it doesn't come out the way you expected. Only two of us here, so I cut, vac & freeze a fair portion of what's left into portions that are sized right for a full pot of chili.

 

[dward51]

If you can find a shoulder clod, you can smoke that like a brisket, and it is usually 1/2 the cost... And it is a huge chunk of meat.. perfect for feeding a big crew for a super bowl party. See my signature for smoking a shoulder clod.

I concur on shoulder clod or a chuck roll (some places carry both, some just the chuck roll which is going to generally have more fat than the clod - both are from the shoulder area). I also did a whole 22 pound chuck roll on a 18" WSM for an office pot luck lunch some time back and it came out great. You can slice or pull them. Save any trimmings for burger and sausage grinds (same as with brisket trim!).

My chuck roll smoke on the WSM is here:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/22lb-chuck-roll-smoke.253760/

 

[Smoking Allowed]

mmm brisket

 

[tallbm]

Sorry for the delayed update, but it’s been a busy few days. First let me say thanks for all the tips and support! I can now say first hand that reading about smoking a brisket vs actually doing it are very different things, lol.

For whatever reason, it took almost 20 hours to finish, which I wasn’t expecting. I woke up to a disaster, or so I thought. Somehow the top grate tipped over and the brisket was leaning against the side of the smoker (pic below). Luckily it didn’t seem to burn the point, but it scared the crap out of me lol. In all my years so smoking ribs and butts, nothing like that ever happened.

The smoker ran at around 225 overnight, dipping to 217. When I woke up the brisket was between 155-165. I wound up wrapping about an hour later when the temp hadn’t changed. It just seemed to literally take forever, even though I bumped the temp up twice.

A few things to note: The flat was way drier than the point. I’m really happy with how the point came out, it’s pretty darn good. The flat was just ok. When I noticed the flat was finishing faster than the point, should I have split them? Also, some of the slices had a bit of the “pot roast” taste. Not terrible but very noticeable. Not sure what I did wrong there? The rub (Holy Cow) added a nice flavor. It was a rad on the salty side but not overbearing.

Overall it was a great experience and I can’t wait for the next one!
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Congrats on your 1st brisket smoke. You will learn new things with almost every brisket smoke you do until you get tons under your belt.

As was already mentioned, the roast beef flavor is from wrapping too early. Many people do not accurately explain wrapping a brisket "at 165F". A brisket can stall for a long time at 165F so wrapping right when it stalls or towards the end of the stall can mean hours of difference. The longer the brisket goes unwrapped and gets more smoke the less likely you are to get roast beef flavor.

My solution is basically the same as what was suggested. Just don't wrap until way later. I don't wrap anything under an Internal Temp (IT) of 180F. I'm all about flavor and wrapping is often done to cook things faster in cases like this so just planning a longer cooking time fixes the issue and makes a WAY better tasting brisket.

Yeah 275F will save the day hahaha.
A larger brisket will actually be easier.
The Flat is always the problem child. If it is dry and tough then it is UNDERcooked. If dry and falling apart it is overcooked. If crusty dry and hard then it is burnt hahaha.
The Point will be hard to ruin but will be done well before the Flat so never pull a brisket based how the point feels, pull it when the brisket probes tender ALL OVER, especially the thickest centermost part of the Flat.

Finally, if you want to practice just do your brisket cooking approach on a pork butt and you will get timing, fire management, wrapping, and tenderness probing all figured out without the risk of ruining an expensive piece of meat. When you nail doing the brisket cooking approach on a pork butt you will be about 85% good for doing a brisket. The main cooking difference will be the the probing of the brisket all over and especially the flat to know it is done.
Just know that a pork butt will not give you brisket trimming experience and practice but that's ok. You will have gotten better on the cooking portion and can now improve on the other areas like brisket selection, seasoning, and trimming processes.

I hope this info helps :D

 

[JLinza]

Looks good from here.
I used to be a 225⁰ guy through & through. Now and then I will run that temp, depending on what im cooking and if I have the time. But brisket goes higher temp now. It was the age ole saying that brisket HAD to be cooked low & slow... but after seeing the success, so many people had cooking at higher temps, changed my mind. Glad you posted the cook. Your next one will be incredible