What makes the brisket flat dry?

[SmokinEdge]

I'll throw in 2 cents..... 1. With brisket flat you shouldnt push through a stall by rasing temp. Finish the brisket at the temperature you started with and be patient. 2. Start probing with a tooth pick when nearing 190 degrees IT. Probe at 5 degree intervals in different areas until the tooth pick slides in with little resistance and then rest for at least an hour. You and the brisket

Agree with Joe.

To add that a dry flat is most always under cooked. Lots of connective tissue to be reduced to liquid, this takes temp and time. Be patient.

 

[noboundaries]

I've said many times an overthought brisket is an undercooked brisket. I've been down that road. Technology has probably caused more dry packer brisket flats than any cooking/smoking method. I now use as little tech as possible and get melt-in-your-mouth flats and points. The VAST majority of the packers I smoke are the cheapest Select grade I can find.

I get my smoker stabilized with TBS, load the meat, and check the chamber temp after 4-5 hours. By that time the cold meat heat sink internal temp will have risen enough that a true chamber temp is shown. I adjust my vents to get a temp I want, usually 225°F, and go to sleep. I do not use my meat probes overnight because I'm too tempted to keep checking the meat's progress.

Next morning I'll check the meat temp just to get an idea where I'm at, which is usually somewhere between 165°F and 185°F. I wrap the meat in foil with a little beef broth, insert a meat probe, crank the chamber temp north of 300°F, and start probing the FLAT thru the foil for a little resistance around 200-205°F meat temp.

Into a pan still wrapped and into a 170°F oven. My center oven shelf is actually 155°F. I leave it there for 3-5 hours while I run errands, work, or do anything but think about that meat.

Then it's slice and serve time.

One point to mention here. I don't understand the "let the meat cool before putting it in the oven, cambro, cooler, etc. Heat flows from hot to cold. If you put a 200°F‐205°F hunk of wrapped meat in a 150°F-170°F oven, heat will flow from the hotter meat to the cooler oven until it reaches equilibrium.

Anyway, once I went more hands off, I've only had successes. I love tech, but it isn't the answer to perfection.

 

[indygreg]

The results were very very good. Clearly the reason the Flat end of my packers was dry was that it was undercooked. I let it ride longer and the texture was perfect. I assumed I was focused on getting the point end done since it is thicker but now I see that the thinner end of the brisket can come in last.

 

[gmc2003]

One point to mention here. I don't understand the "let the meat cool before putting it in the oven, cambro, cooler, etc. Heat flows from hot to cold. If you put a 200°F‐205°F hunk of wrapped meat in a 150°F-170°F oven, heat will flow from the hotter meat to the cooler oven until it reaches equilibrium.

With the brisket just covered in aluminum foil on the counter. Residual cooking can go on for 15 to 20 min. after you take the meat out of the smoker. If your cooking at 225* then the residual cooking won't be as much as if you were cooking at 250*, but if your brisket is probe tender then the carryover could possible morph a finished brisket into an overdone brisket. Letting the brisket cool will help lessen that variable when holding for an extended period of time.

 

[indygreg]

Agree with Joe.

To add that a dry flat is most always under cooked. Lots of connective tissue to be reduced to liquid, this takes temp and time. Be patient.

I should be clear that I am cooking a full packer. I was having a problem with the flat end being dry. Now I believe I was undercooking. I will be probing and paying more attention to that end now.

 

[indygreg]

With the brisket just covered in aluminum foil on the counter. Residual cooking can go on for 15 to 20 min. after you take the meat out of the smoker. If your cooking at 225* then the residual cooking won't be as much as if you were cooking at 250*, but if your brisket is probe tender then the carryover could possible morph a finished brisket into an overdone brisket. Letting the brisket cool will help lessen that variable when holding for an extended period of time.

I think this was worth doing for me. My Cambro holds at 145-150 which should continue to cook some. resting It before going in the cambro worked well. Maybe it lets it suck in some of that moisture and reduces how much it continues to cook. Not sure but what I did today really worked.

 

[indygreg]

I get my smoker stabilized with TBS, load the meat, and check the chamber temp after 4-5 hours. By that time the cold meat heat sink internal temp will have risen enough that a true chamber temp is shown. I adjust my vents to get a temp I want, usually 225°F, and go to sleep. I do not use my meat probes overnight because I'm too tempted to keep checking the meat's progress.

this raises a question I always struggle with which is when to start. i Have lately been starting in the morning the day before as my smokes have been taking 12 hours and I have had such success holding meat in the cambro. I pulled this brisket at 9 last night and held it until 2pm today. But I am thinking that for a dinner I might try a smaller packet like 10-12lbs and start at 6am for dinner that night. I have never had the confidence to do that but my last three briskets have been 12-14lbs and all have been done in 12 hours.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I should be clear that I am cooking a full packer. I was having a problem with the flat end being dry. Now I believe I was undercooking. I will be probing and paying more attention to that end now.

I was going to mention full packer, flat/point, but yes when cooking a full packer the point will always probe tender before the flat. That’s why many will cut the point off and make burnt ends with it. I like cooking full packers the best. You just need to pay more attention to the flat and “over cook” the point.

 

[gmc2003]

I think this was worth doing for me. My Cambro holds at 145-150 which should continue to cook some. resting It before going in the cambro worked well. Maybe it lets it suck in some of that moisture and reduces how much it continues to cook. Not sure but what I did today really worked.

I'm glad it worked for you. Brisket can be one of the hardest pieces of meat to get right, but the finished product is well worth it. Now that you've had a successful cook. Think back on your process - what went right and what may need some tweaking. Make adjustments to your method as you see fit.

Chris

 

[indygreg]

Will do. Here is a summary of this smoke:
- 14lb brisket packer
- trimmed to 1/4”
- mustard/apple juice thin coating then 50/50 kosher salt and #16 pepper
- smoked 3 hours on a traeger timberline with perfect mix pellets at 225 w super smoke on
- spritzed dry spots with apple juice and raised the temp to 255 for 3.5 hours. Spritzed every hour until it of 155
- pushed temp to 280 for an hour then wrapped in butcher paper
- smoked about 3 more hours at 240 and pulled. Point end shoes 210 so I thought I might have over cooked. It probed well.
- held in a cambro heated hotbox at 145-150 overnight.

next time I will do a few things:
- I will try the idea of rendering some of the fat and dripping it on the flat end.
- I will put temp probes in both ends when I wrap it then when the temp reaches 190 I will start poking it.
- I might try a smaller packer and see if I can do a same day smoke starting at 6am

 

[gmc2003]

Sounds like a plan. I wouldn't worry as much about the point. The point is very forgiving, but the flat isn't and will make or break the smoke.

Chris