"Time Delay" Brisket

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windlaker

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jul 21, 2012
39
23
Wind Lake, WI
I've done a few Briskets in the past, but I have a situation here I'm trying to solve.

Having friends over for lunch...Noon, 1:00. I'd like to have the brisket ready to slice when they arrive.

I'm thinking to smoke it the day before. Get it up to 200˚, then keep it in the oven overnight (starting at 10:00 PM or so).

Would I set the oven at 180˚ to keep it "Low and Slow" overnight?

Do I smoke it to a lower temperature, then the 180˚ oven?

I am NOT staying up all night to start at 10:00, 11:00 PM to have it ready for a Noon lunch.

Open to any and all proven methods.

Thanks in advance.
 
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I read his post. Sounds like just what the doctor ordered.

I do have a question. A few years ago I let it rest (wrapped in a towel, overnight). It was pretty tough. I was told by someone on this forum that if you let it rest too long it will get tough...something about the meat tightening back after resting...not 100% sure the exact reason. But since then, I've been doing 2 hour rests with good results.

With Dan resting it overnight, then cooking again @ 170˚...does that "undo" the long rest issues?
 
A tough brisket was underdone before it was rested. 200°F final temp without any probing for tenderness is setting you up for the EXACT same tough result. Never smoke to temp. Use it as a guide not a destination.

I don't know what type smoker you are using. I'm guessing a wood-burner. If I had your timing issues, I'd smoke the packer until there was only a slight resistance in the flat. Could be anywhere from 195°F to 210°F internal meat temp. Then stick it wrapped in a 170°F oven for 3-5 hours. Refrigerate, unsliced, until 2-3 hours before serving. Pop it wrapped into a 250°F oven until the meat temp is around 140°-150°F. Slice and serve.

That's what I'd do. Others may have a different approach.
 
I don’t do long holds on meat so hopefully Danblacksher Danblacksher or one of the other guys who long hold will chime in. Dan didn’t say what temp his warming cabinet was set to but I’m guessing somewhere between 145-160F he also didn’t say what the IT of the brisket was after 10 hours on the smoker. All that said,

A tough brisket is undercooked to start with. It’s the breaking down or melting of the collagen that does this. This happens instantly at temperatures anywhere from 195-210F on IT. usually right around 203-205F is the sweet spot but not always. When your IT hits about 195F start probing the meat all over the flat with either a probe thermometer or a bamboo skewer. Your not so much looking for temp but residence in the probe going in and out. It should feel like pushing the probe into a jar of peanut butter, nice and smooth in and out, that’s when it’s done, do note the temp but just for reference.

Collagen will break down at lower temperatures but it takes much longer to do. So it would seem to me that when using a long warm hold you need to allow for a little more cooking. Meaning if you pull the brisket as I describe and then long hold it at 170F you could end up with a mushy or pull apart brisket that won’t slice. I hope this helps and I hope one of the other smokers chime in.

I agree with noboundaries noboundaries on the reheat method. It works well.
 
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Trim brisket. Make tallow.

Put probe in each muscle. I would cook it the day before - start in the morning - cook all day to 190 F IT in the lowest temp muscle.

Set brisket on the counter until the bark on top dries out a bit.

Lay your butcher paper out. Then plop some tallow on butcher paper, place brisket on tallow flat down, and wrap tight. Crimp the corners nice and tight. Put some more tallow on top of the package. Place tightly wrapped brisket package in foil pan covered tight with two layers HD tin foil crimped all around and put in oven at 150 F or close as you can get until noon the next day.

Slice and serve.

Good luck
 
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This is a cook I did last year. Smoke in afternoon about 6-8 hours. You can see the rest fo the details in the thread.

 
The lowest setting on my oven is 170°F. If I put a thermometer probe in the door to keep it cracked open a bit, the chamber temp drops about 10°F. If you test the temperature of each shelf, you may find it to be less than the selected setting (my gas oven is 5°-15°F lower depending on the shelf I'm using, and that's with the door closed). So before you spend money on a new piece of gear, test your oven.
 
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I've been doing 2 hour rests with good results.
I went 4.5 hours with a small 5lb brisket before and it was NOT tough at all, same juicy hot as if it was a 1 hour rest.
YES, I can see an overnight rest being almost letting it cool too much to where it hardens up. 2-4 hours is never let me down before.
So you can be 4 hours OFF your 'shoot for' time and still serve it perfect.
BTW, I also add Tallow.. it helps
 
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I'm seriously considering buying this roaster for the holding brisket at 160 degrees. My oven doesn't have a setting this low.


I got one and LOVE it... but my Traeger goes down to 165° in the 'warm' setting, sometimes I use that for an hour or 2 also. You won't be disappointed to have a roaster!!! For turkey, even RIBS during the wrap or pull pork to serve
 
I'm seriously considering buying this roaster for the holding brisket at 160 degrees. My oven doesn't have a setting this low.


150 F definitely works. I've done it 3x overnight with great success. Jirby holds at 140. Here is a link discussing holding at 160 and even 170 overnight.


Also, consider post #9.

Otherwise, here's another option but it's gonna cost some coin. It's what Chud uses


It holds as low as 80 F !


Good luck
 
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I've done a few Briskets in the past, but I have a situation here I'm trying to solve.

Having friends over for lunch...Noon, 1:00. I'd like to have the brisket ready to slice when they arrive.

I'm thinking to smoke it the day before. Get it up to 200˚, then keep it in the oven overnight (starting at 10:00 PM or so).

Would I set the oven at 180˚ to keep it "Low and Slow" overnight?

Do I smoke it to a lower temperature, then the 180˚ oven?

I am NOT staying up all night to start at 10:00, 11:00 PM to have it ready for a Noon lunch.

Open to any and all proven methods.

Thanks in advance.
Windlaker when I use to use my oven for the hold, I would finish the brisket at around 10-11 pm I start the rest when it hits 195-200 and set my oven on 170. I use the foil boat method, so I leave it uncovered on a baking sheet with a wire rack so it does not sit directly on the pan. At the 10 hour mark I cover it, because after 10 hours it starts to work like a dehydrator if you leave it uncovered. When I get up in the morning i cover it and I turn the oven off. I set a delay start at 170 and have the oven cycle on about every 45 minutes for about 30 minutes until I serve. this kept my oven at around 150, even though my lowest setting is 170. Once I started using the wire rack I have not had one where the bottom of the brisket starts to get a little tough. I am fully sold on the long hold. if you look at the foil boat in the pic of the brisket you can see how I do the long rest.
 

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The small appliances are fine in you're only doing one brisket but if you occasionally do more than one, you either have to use a different technique or get multiple appliances. I do a few larger cooks each year and hope to do more, so I got and electric smoker to use as a holding oven. I've only used it once so far and held a small brisket flat for about 6 hours at 155°-ish and was very happy with the result. I'm hoping to try an overnight hold soon.

There's usually a fair number of used electric smoker available at good prices; if you're willing to do a little work, you can sometimes get one with a bad controller for a very cheap price and replace it with a PID controller that will hold a very stable temperature. I planned on going that route but didn't find anything local so I got a new digital 40" Masterbuilt for $300 from Academy Sports. With a small brisket flat and a full water pan, it had a 12° swing around the set temperature; I expect it to do better with a bigger load of meat.
 
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The small appliances are fine in you're only doing one brisket but if you occasionally do more than one, you either have to use a different technique or get multiple appliances. I do a few larger cooks each year and hope to do more, so I got and electric smoker to use as a holding oven. I've only used it once so far and held a small brisket flat for about 6 hours at 155°-ish and was very happy with the result. I'm hoping to try an overnight hold soon.

There's usually a fair number of used electric smoker available at good prices; if you're willing to do a little work, you can sometimes get one with a bad controller for a very cheap price and replace it with a PID controller that will hold a very stable temperature. I planned on going that route but didn't find anything local so I got a new digital 40" Masterbuilt for $300 from Academy Sports. With a small brisket flat and a full water pan, it had a 12° swing around the set temperature; I expect it to do better with a bigger load of meat.

Yes. Or if you happen to have a drum smoker and a Thermoworks billows, same deal.
 
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The small appliances are fine in you're only doing one brisket but if you occasionally do more than one, you either have to use a different technique or get multiple appliances. I do a few larger cooks each year and hope to do more, so I got and electric smoker to use as a holding oven. I've only used it once so far and held a small brisket flat for about 6 hours at 155°-ish and was very happy with the result. I'm hoping to try an overnight hold soon.

There's usually a fair number of used electric smoker available at good prices; if you're willing to do a little work, you can sometimes get one with a bad controller for a very cheap price and replace it with a PID controller that will hold a very stable temperature. I planned on going that route but didn't find anything local so I got a new digital 40" Masterbuilt for $300 from Academy Sports. With a small brisket flat and a full water pan, it had a 12° swing around the set temperature; I expect it to do better with a bigger load of meat.
This is what I was looking at before I was given the cabinet as an option, but the smoker is a great idea never thought of it.


The smoker idea is even better

 
I'm working on getting my oven down to 150˚.

The Owners manual says I can do it...didn't work following the instructions.

Tech Support says I can do it...didn't work following the instructions.

They're getting another call today.
 
I'm in the camp of cook it completely reheat.
It works and is as simple as:

  1. Cook completely and is done when it is tender ALL OVER (never time or temp)
  2. Wrap in double layers of foil and set on a pan and let rest like normal
  3. When cooled down enough to not heat up your fridge to much put it in the fridge
  4. On day of meal (hours before) put in the oven and heat up until it hits about 150-165F Internal Temp. It will still be in foil and in a pan (to hold any drippings if the foil has a hole.
  5. Hold in oven at low oven temp until time to eat
  6. Slice and eat
 
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