Trying again… brisket going in.

[SmokerNTraining]

Great smoke flavor but really dry. Not sure what I did. I definitely understand when people say it’s an art and takes practice.

 

[chopsaw]

Not sure what I did.

Maybe nothing . Start by making sure you're slicing across the grain , if you haven't already .

Could be the brisket itself . I stay away from the long hold needs to be done theory . I tried it , twice , and I'm not saying it doesn't work for people , but it didn't work for me . Came out dry both times . If you finish early and need to hold it , there's ways to do that . Resting is a different thing in my book . I go 40 or so minutes on the counter , and like to slice around 170 / 180 .

Check your slice direction , or chop some up and hit it with some BBQ , couple pickles and a bun .

 

[schlotz]

Yup it can happen but don't let that discourage you. The meat has a part in this equation and sometimes its the only part. Generally I try to avoid seriously long smokes when it comes to briskets but that's mostly because I don't want to run my smoker overnight.

BTW: chopped up smoked brisket makes excellent smoked brisket chili.

 

[tallbm]

Great smoke flavor but really dry. Not sure what I did. I definitely understand when people say it’s an art and takes practice.

View attachment 727865View attachment 727866

Here's some brisket texture and dryness info that is great to have.

• Dry and not very tender (usually tough) = under cooked. The collagen in the flat muscle still has not broken down into juicy goodness. When it does you get juice and tenderness.
• Dry and fall apart or crumbly = over cooked. The collagen has been broken down and even cooked completely out of the brisket to the point where the juiciness is lost and the brisket comes apart too easily
• Dry and burnt. Well if it's dry to the point where it has no moisture and is crispy, crunchy, etc. it is burnt. This state is pretty evident and sometimes you get corners or knobs that are burnt but not the whole brisket

Armed with this info you may know where yours stands. From the pictures alone it's not so easy to tell but you may be in the undercooked scenario since you know the probe placement was in the wrong spot and reading high too fast. The flat muscle is the problem so if the Point (back end in your picture) is seeming like it is tender and juicy but the flat is not, I would almost guarantee the flat is undercooked.

In any case with your brisket you are not out of luck, and there is a great way to still eat it as BBQ brisket!
Simply chop it up, throw it in a pan, mix in your favorite BBQ sauce and reheat it until it is hot and steamy.
I bet you eat AMAZING chopped brisket sandwiches with it.

Honestly this is my favorite way to eat brisket no matter what but everyone seems to enjoy the slices on their plate and eating it as is or putting that on bread for a sandwich so I slice most of my brisket.
When serving for a bunch of people (like 4-5 briskets feeding a bunch of people at an event) you can guarantee that it will be chopped brisket around here.

Don't get discouraged, you can still turn this thing into amazing BBQ meals! :D

 

[SmokerNTraining]

Great feedback! I’ll def have to give it another go. A friend of mine had bought a portion of a whole cow and had a package marked beef brisket in his freezer. When he came over he gave it to me to smoke, and it’s small and looks like its point only. Is it the same process when smoking the point only?

 

[WstTxSmokes]

Second attempt.
Pre-trim: 18.8lb prime from Costco.
Post: 15.3lb.
Smoker: MBE 40”
Seasoning: mustard binder, hard 8 bbq (outta Dallas). Basically salt, pepper, garlic.
Wood: Post oak

Went into smoker at 6pm at 225. Taking recommendations from the posts I’ve read , I’ll let it go until 165 AND the bark is set. Then wrap in butcher paper and back in until probe tender. Open the paper for like 20 min, and then rewrap and place in cooler for 5 hour rest.

i personally smoke at 250-275, cooks faster. Big key to brisket is the rest! I don't wrap. let it get to 190 and then with the leftover brisket fat i rendered while the brisket smoked i pour on the butcher paper and wrap and let it rest in the oven overnight.

 

[sandyut]

Great feedback! I’ll def have to give it another go. A friend of mine had bought a portion of a whole cow and had a package marked beef brisket in his freezer. When he came over he gave it to me to smoke, and it’s small and looks like its point only. Is it the same process when smoking the point only?

Same. 275 till probe tender.

 

[Coreymacc]

I will put my 2 cents in here. I solved my dry brisket issue when i discovered the rest was too rapid, it was cooling before the juice could redistribute. Once i discovered and solved that, moist brisket.

Corey

 

[SmokerNTraining]

I will put my 2 cents in here. I solved my dry brisket issue when i discovered the rest was too rapid, it was cooling before the juice could redistribute. Once i discovered and solved that, moist brisket.

Corey

How did you slow your rest down?

 

[WstTxSmokes]

How did you slow your rest down?

place the wrapped brisket in a cooler and surround with towels. It will stay warm for hours. Otherwise pop it in you oven on 150, if it doesn't go that low just open the door slightly if letting it rest overnight.

 

[SmokerNTraining]

place the wrapped brisket in a cooler and surround with towels. It will stay warm for hours. Otherwise pop it in you oven on 150, if it doesn't go that low just open the door slightly if letting it rest overnight.

We took it out and opened the paper up to test it. It seemed done so we left it on counter for 20 min. Then wrapped it with a towel and put it on an insulated bag to rest for 4 hours. When we pulled it out it was 130 degrees. Sounding like rapid cool down was a possible issue?

 

[WstTxSmokes]

We took it out and opened the paper up to test it. It seemed done so we left it on counter for 20 min. Then wrapped it with a towel and put it on an insulated bag to rest for 4 hours. When we pulled it out it was 130 degrees. Sounding like rapid cool down was a possible issue?

possibly. Check out Mad Scientist BBQ on youtube. He has some great videos.

 

[schlotz]

The key is maintaining the 170-185º range while resting where collagen continues to break down, ergo my comment about letting the brisket IT drop approx 5º before putting in a cooler with towels. While the 5º drop stops the cooking, the breakdown continues for quite some time. BTW: for food safety you want to monitor the IT while resting to ensure it remains at or above 150º.