Too small, too hot or too long?

[tabley11]

Hi there,

I’ve been keen to try smoking for ages and with the current global lockdown I thought now was as good a time as ever!

I bought a 3.3kg/7lb brisket yesterday - it looked a bit too big for my smoker and also there is only 2 of us as no-one is allowed to come round and share! So, I halved it - making it around 1.6kg/3.5lb

I’ve spent a lot of time researching how to smoke a brisket using the minion method in a bullet smoker. I did around 4 hours uncovered and then 4 hours in foil.

It came out OK, but not what I’m aiming for - bit too dry.

I have the other half to do on Monday so I’m looking for some advice!

I should add that my smoker went to about 235F a few times during the course of the smoke - which I doubt is an issue but potentially?

My question is a few parts - is a 1.5kg/3.5lb brisket too small to get good results from if you are using the method for a larger brisket? Or was 8 hours too long and should I reduce the time to say 4 hours total? Or as above, would going up to 235F a few times cause a brisket to dry out? (Small or large I guess..)

Thanks - would really appreciate some help!

 

[gmc2003]

It came out OK, but not what I’m aiming for - bit too dry.

When you say to dry - was it crumbly? Or was it tough?

Crumbly is a symptom of overcooking, and tough is under-cooked. I'm guessing by your thread it was under-cooked.

Chris

 

[JCAP]

Sounds like it was undercooked. Are you going by time or going by final temp? Temp is better, but a toothpick or probe sliding in easily is best.

Temps aren’t really an issue. People do brisket low and slow and hot and fast. Doesn’t seem to be a wrong temp to use.

I’ve had 0 success with flats so far but points are much more delicious and a bit easier in my opinion. So if it was a lean flat only that could also be an issue.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Yea.. I suspect it wasn't done... but then again.. 4 hrs wrapped might have been to long... your problem is your going by time instead of internal temp (IT) of the meat ... Did you even use a thermometer to check the IT ??

 

[tabley11]

When you say to dry - was it crumbly? Or was it tough?

Crumbly is a symptom of overcooking, and tough is under-cooked. I'm guessing by your thread it was under-cooked.

Chris

Hi Chris - thanks for the reply. No it wasn’t crumbly, or too tough tbh, just a little bit dry. Basically like a well done steak, perfectly edible but definitely not how I like it.

My gut says is wasn’t undercooked - but I guess next question is - is it possible to overcook a brisket at 220-235F?

Thanks again,
Rob

 

[tabley11]

Sounds like it was undercooked. Are you going by time or going by final temp? Temp is better, but a toothpick or probe sliding in easily is best.

Temps aren’t really an issue. People do brisket low and slow and hot and fast. Doesn’t seem to be a wrong temp to use.

I’ve had 0 success with flats so far but points are much more delicious and a bit easier in my opinion. So if it was a lean flat only that could also be an issue.

Thanks for the help - I think definitely need to go by temp next time.

 

[tabley11]

Yea.. I suspect it wasn't done... but then again.. 4 hrs wrapped might have been to long... your problem is your going by time instead of internal temp (IT) of the meat ... Did you even use a thermometer to check the IT ??

Pretty sure too long! However very clear where I went wrong.

I held off from having a probe in the meat as I was reasonably confident (after hours of research) in the timings and didn’t want to lose moisture, obviously got that wrong.. Would you advise putting a probe in at the start of the cook and leaving it in there? Or checking every now and then and trying to get the probe in the same hole?

Thanks for your reply and help!

 

[SmokyMose]

You keep talking about time, not IT. You say the cooker went to 235 a few times. What were you shooting for? I think you're cooking too low and it just wasn't done enough.
Cooking too low for too long will dry out a small cut....

 

[thirdeye]

If it looked too long for your smoker, put an empty beer can underneath it to pull the sides in. It's possible to smoke small flats, but very difficult. Brisket will lose 40 to 45 percent during cooking, so a 7 pound flat wound yield about 4 pounds of meat. With the 3.5 pound one, I would have injected it and smoked for 2 hours, then re-seasoned and foiled it with some jazzy beefy broth then cooked it tender, maybe another 2 or 3 hours. If you have a meat grinder, buy a 3 or 4 pound chuck roast and grind it along with the other 3.5 pound piece of brisket, you will get some awesome burger.

For competitions I trim flats down to just over 4 pounds and I can have them resting in a hot box in 6 hours, but I'm using injections with phosphates and foiling at 2.5 hours, and watching them like a hawk because I'm cooking at 300°. But, I only use 8 or 9 slices dead center.

 

[tabley11]

If it looked too long for your smoker, put an empty beer can underneath it to pull the sides in. It's possible to smoke small flats, but very difficult. Brisket will lose 40 to 45 percent during cooking, so a 7 pound flat wound yield about 4 pounds of meat. With the 3.5 pound one, I would have injected it and smoked for 2 hours, then re-seasoned and foiled it with some jazzy beefy broth then cooked it tender, maybe another 2 or 3 hours. If you have a meat grinder, buy a 3 or 4 pound chuck roast and grind it along with the other 3.5 pound piece of brisket, you will get some awesome burger.

For competitions I trim flats down to just over 4 pounds and I can have them resting in a hot box in 6 hours, but I'm using injections with phosphates and foiling at 2.5 hours, and watching them like a hawk because I'm cooking at 300°. But, I only use 8 or 9 slices dead center.
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Thanks - really useful information.

Really couldn’t decide whether to chop it in half or not but I thought as it was my first time I’d at least get two goes if I did!

Will definitely give the beer can method a go next time

 

[JckDanls 07]

Would you advise putting a probe in at the start of the cook and leaving it in there? Or checking every now and then and trying to get the probe in the same hole?

Sounds like you'll be using a remote thermometer and not an instant read... I would wait until about the 4 hr mark before inserting the probe and then leave it in there... even when you wrap it... I usually wrap when IT gets to 165` .. then start probing for tenderness at >195`... Once wrapped IT will climb rapidly ... when probing for tenderness be careful not to poke through the bottom of the foil and lose all that good juice in there ... usually it needs to go to 200-205` IT ...

 

[mike243]

Looks to be little to no fat on the meat, you will need to add liquid when you foil imo.

 

[JCAP]

I think I saw this on Instagram and obviously not new but Steven Raichlen wrapped a flat totally in bacon. Would be fun to try.

 

[tabley11]

Used my other half today. 3 hours smoked and then 3 hours wrapped - took off when 190f IT and very pleased with the results!

 

[Blues1]

Looks great! Satisfying isn't it? ;)