What am I doing wrong with brisket?

[djb7595]

Hey guys. I did my first brisket a couple months ago and did my second last week on my Horizon offset smoker. I've watched tons of videos, read books, etc on the ins and outs of smoking a brisket. The first brisket I bought was a prime brisket from Costco. Trimmed it, rubbed it up, and smoked with post oak. Wrapped with butcher paper around 175 and pulled at 203. When I finally cut into it it seemed to be undercooked. The pull test was a fail and it seemed to be dried out. When I placed a slice over my index finger to see how it hangs, it was almost straight with no hanging over my finger. The second smoke was a choice brisket. Did the same thing only smoker at a lower temp around 225. 14 hours later I took it off. Better but still seemed a bit undercooked. It just doesn't have that texture where I grab it between two fingers and can easily pull it apart. I have no idea what to change or how I can make it better. I've attached a couple pics for reference.

 

[djb7595]

Here's the most recent brisket

IMG_3073.JPG

• djb7595
• Jan 10, 2017

 

[mike5051]

That brisket looks amazing!  A brisket is done when the probe slides in with no resistance, like warm butter.  I start probing once it hits 195.  My last two have been too fall apart for my liking.  Flavorful, tender and moist, just not perfect.  

Mike

 

[cal1956]

on a brisket forget about time  ..... decide what internal temp you want and use that as your  guide  ( i like an internal temp of 180-190 )  but you might find a different temp that suits you better but once you settle on a temp forget the time and just got by the temp

 

[daniel13]

This MIGHT help but when you are purchasing your brisket ( and I would only buy prime) put your hand underneath it in the center and the more it bends over, the more tender it will be. Just try to inspect the meat for marbling and flexibility (mostly on the flat part) before you buy it. Hope that helps.

 

[SmokinAl]

I think you answered your own question, when you said it seemed undercooked.

The best indicator of doneness is the probe test.

As said above, when a probe goes in like room temp butter in several places then it's done.

Could be 190 or 210, or anywhere in between.

Al

 

[djb7595]

It's tough too with the offset because I have the point towards the firebox so when it reads 200 the flat is only 175. Not sure how to fix that.

 

[SmokinAl]

It's tough too with the offset because I have the point towards the firebox so when it reads 200 the flat is only 175. Not sure how to fix that.

You could three things.

One, you could rotate the brisket halfway thru the cook.

Or two, you could separate the point & flat before you smoke them.

Or three, you could separate the point & flat, & when the point gets done & put the flat back on to finish up.

A lot of guys do # 3, and foil the flat with some broth & put it back on the smoker, then make burnt ends with the point.

Another option is to put a water pan next to the fire box. I do this on my RF & it evens out the temps from side to side.

Al

 

[wade]

It's tough too with the offset because I have the point towards the firebox so when it reads 200 the flat is only 175. Not sure how to fix that.

Regarding the temperature gradient - Can you not just turn the brisket round during the cook to even out the temperatures?

Regarding the meat tenderness - The tenderness is not just about the temperature that is reached but also the time that the meat remains above ~160 F at which point the collagen starts to break down into gelatin. The overall cooking time will depend on the individual pieces of meat (some will be more fibrous than others) and also the size and temperature of the meat when it goes into the smoker. It can take a frustratingly long time for a brisket to reach temperature, especially if it is thick, but it then needs to remain at that temperature for a while for it to become tender. This is commonly achieved by removing the brisket from the smoker once the desired final temperature has been reached, wrapping it in several layers of foil and then placing it in an insulated box wrapped in blankets for a couple of hours. This resting period will make a considerable difference to the texture of the brisket.

 

[djb7595]

This could be an issue as well. I've only been resting for 45 min to an hour. I'll try to rest 2 hours or longer next time.

 

[eheiman]

I would not expect good results with a Costco brisket..I learned my lesson buying from Gordons...very tough and dry

 

[SmokinAl]

I would not expect good results with a Costco brisket..I learned my lesson buying from Gordons...very tough and dry

I have to disagree with that. Costco & Sam's have very good meat.

Some of the Costco's have Prime grade brisket.

I buy Choice at Sam's & never had a bad one.

I see this is your first post.

So would you swing by "Roll Call" & introduce yourself, so we can all welcome you to SMF!

Al

 

[djb7595]

Yeah the Costco one I got was prime. They're just so big 16lbs. They're tough to handle. I need a 10-12 lb packer brisket but not sure if they make them that size.

 

[SmokyMose]

I would not expect good results with a Costco brisket..I learned my lesson buying from Gordons...very tough and dry

I've gotten all my briskets from GFS and have made some very good briskets.
There's something else going on here....

 

[gr0uch0]

Never had any issues with either Costco or GFS: last one I bought was Costco prime for $2.69/lb, and about 12 lbs. Had to ask their guy in meat department for a smaller one than what they had in the bunker.

My thought would be to bump your temp up by 20 degrees and give it another 45 minutes of cook time, and see what that does for you.

 

[rogerwilco]

  We too have a Horizon smoker. One thing that helps even out the temps is to place a water pan on the far right side (the fire box side) of the cook chamber. The brisket is then placed around the center of the chamber, with the point facing the fire box, where it remains for the duration of the cook. This also provides moisture in the cook chamber.

  We don't go entirely by either time or by temperature of the meat, but use both as a guide when cooking. We know kinda sorta how long a brisket will need to cook....but could be off by three or five hours. We know to start probing for doneness at around 190F, realizing that any given brisket may become "probe tender" anywhere from 190°F to 212°F, or even more. This rather broad range of indicated finish temperature is why some cooks take so much longer than others: it truly is "done when it is done," and it matters not whether the guests are getting anxious or not. Not wishing to have a riot because of a late-to-finish brisket, or to serve undercooked meat, we allow a whole bunch of extra hours for the brisket to cook, if needed. If it finishes long before the scheduled dinnertime, it simply rests in a cooler for that much longer. It will still be finger-burning hot when removed, and will just get that much more of a "rest."

 The main thing is to cook it until a probe can penetrate the flat in several places with almost no resistance. The result will be, after a proper rest, the brisket one would hope for.

 Good luck on the next one. I bet it will be a home run!

 

[eheiman]

20170115_155526.jpg

• eheiman
• Jan 15, 2017

Cooked this today.most tender brisket I have ever made..12 lbs cooked 12 hrs at 225

 

[eheiman]

20170115_160452.jpg

• eheiman
• Jan 15, 2017

 

[mike5051]

20170115_160452.jpg

• eheiman
• Jan 15, 2017

Nice Brisket!  

 

[txninnc]

I think getting it up to 190+ then resting in a cooler covered with a towel for about 2 hrs is the way to go. It's worked for me anyway.