Brisket isn't easy to get for a decent price where I live for whatever reason. My local Dillons (Kroger) had them on sale for $2.99/lb for choice, and since that is about as good as it gets here, I grabbed two. I've had hit or miss luck with Dillons brisket as far as quality/marbling, but these were okay. Both were about 13 lb. raw before I trimmed. I'm not a big trimmer as whatever dries out on the thin edges I just chop, so I just try to get the big clumps of fat that won't render and trim down the cap to about 1/4 inch like everyone else.
Both were cooked on my Camp Chef Woodwind with their Competition Blend pellets which I really like. I like to rinse them out of the bag and then trim and season, wrapping in plastic wrap and into the fridge overnight. I try to get it out to room temp about 2 hours before it goes on the smoker too.
Brisket 1 - cooker set at 225 and read close to that, seasoned with Meat Church Holy Cow, smoked until wrapping at around 174 when bark looked good, separated point at 195 and put both point (seasoned the underside) and flat back in the smoker until 203 but parts had gone higher to 210sh, rested for both cuts for 2 hours, cubed point and seasoned with my SBR/honey/red vinegar sauce and put the burnt ends back on for 30 min. Total cook was about 10 hours.
Flat - awesome bark and smoke ring color but a bit overdone/crumbly and slightly dried out. Bark was really dry too though heavy and delicious.
Point - overdone also but only slightly, burnt ends didn’t take to the extra smoke well which I would remember for brisket 2.
Brisket 2 - cooker set at Smoke High which it says is 220 but I was reading a little lower (likely due to the pan setup I'll describe). Seasoned with 70/30 blend of Meat Church Holy Cow and Gospel, which I liked better. Put it on at 4pm meat reading 55. Put pans underneath it to catch the drippings (but they likely deflected heat) and set it on a rack. Wrapped at 158-160 after an early stall. At 9am (17 hours later) it was still only reading 180 in the thickest part of the flat. I think the pans made the temp inconsistent because the point actually was reading higher and the skinnier part of the flat (right side of smoker) was reading lower even than the thick of the flat. Cranked heat to 250 and pulled it when probe tender in point and most of the flat (still not there in the skinny part of the flat go figure). The IT was 205ish through point and thick flat. 193-195 in the thin flat. Rested wrapped in a towel in a cooler for 3 hours until it had fallen to 150. Cubed point and added my doctored SBR sauce for burnt ends, into the oven for only about 15 min to set the sauce a little. Total cook was 19(!!!!!!) hours.
Flat - really good if a little inconsistent (see temp issues above). The best parts were the best brisket slices I've done.
Point - absolutely stupid good burnt ends. Maybe the best I've ever eaten.
Brisket 2 was easily the better of the two, and even with the extra time it took (has anyone had one cook that long before lol?) I would use that same setup again. Having the reserved juices was awesome, and the smoke high setting let the bark get where I wanted faster than the higher temp actually.
Now for the pictures!
Brisket 1 raw headed to the smoker
Brisket 1 cooking
Brisket 1 going in the wrap
Brisket 1, the flat only finished
Brisket 1 finale - slices and burnt ends, a poor man's blind box haha
Brisket 2 finished leaving the butcher paper to slice
Brisket 2 sliced
Last but not least, the bend shot on brisket 2 -- see the inconsistency in the flat? Left slice perfect bend, the right still a hair tight.
Both were cooked on my Camp Chef Woodwind with their Competition Blend pellets which I really like. I like to rinse them out of the bag and then trim and season, wrapping in plastic wrap and into the fridge overnight. I try to get it out to room temp about 2 hours before it goes on the smoker too.
Brisket 1 - cooker set at 225 and read close to that, seasoned with Meat Church Holy Cow, smoked until wrapping at around 174 when bark looked good, separated point at 195 and put both point (seasoned the underside) and flat back in the smoker until 203 but parts had gone higher to 210sh, rested for both cuts for 2 hours, cubed point and seasoned with my SBR/honey/red vinegar sauce and put the burnt ends back on for 30 min. Total cook was about 10 hours.
Flat - awesome bark and smoke ring color but a bit overdone/crumbly and slightly dried out. Bark was really dry too though heavy and delicious.
Point - overdone also but only slightly, burnt ends didn’t take to the extra smoke well which I would remember for brisket 2.
Brisket 2 - cooker set at Smoke High which it says is 220 but I was reading a little lower (likely due to the pan setup I'll describe). Seasoned with 70/30 blend of Meat Church Holy Cow and Gospel, which I liked better. Put it on at 4pm meat reading 55. Put pans underneath it to catch the drippings (but they likely deflected heat) and set it on a rack. Wrapped at 158-160 after an early stall. At 9am (17 hours later) it was still only reading 180 in the thickest part of the flat. I think the pans made the temp inconsistent because the point actually was reading higher and the skinnier part of the flat (right side of smoker) was reading lower even than the thick of the flat. Cranked heat to 250 and pulled it when probe tender in point and most of the flat (still not there in the skinny part of the flat go figure). The IT was 205ish through point and thick flat. 193-195 in the thin flat. Rested wrapped in a towel in a cooler for 3 hours until it had fallen to 150. Cubed point and added my doctored SBR sauce for burnt ends, into the oven for only about 15 min to set the sauce a little. Total cook was 19(!!!!!!) hours.
Flat - really good if a little inconsistent (see temp issues above). The best parts were the best brisket slices I've done.
Point - absolutely stupid good burnt ends. Maybe the best I've ever eaten.
Brisket 2 was easily the better of the two, and even with the extra time it took (has anyone had one cook that long before lol?) I would use that same setup again. Having the reserved juices was awesome, and the smoke high setting let the bark get where I wanted faster than the higher temp actually.
Now for the pictures!
Brisket 1 raw headed to the smoker
Brisket 1 cooking
Brisket 1 going in the wrap
Brisket 1, the flat only finished
Brisket 1 finale - slices and burnt ends, a poor man's blind box haha
Brisket 2 finished leaving the butcher paper to slice
Brisket 2 sliced
Last but not least, the bend shot on brisket 2 -- see the inconsistency in the flat? Left slice perfect bend, the right still a hair tight.
