What went wrong again

[BWSabio]

I followed all the brisket smoking directions ... 4-pound brisket, trimmed, smoker was 250°, wireless four-prong thermometer at four hours it was 160°, I pulled it and wrapped it in butcher's paper, an hour later it was 175° and I pulled it off ... it was done and dry ... tasted okay ... there was no possible way I could have left it on any longer and no possible way it was going to get close to 200° ... just not sure what I did wrong again ... it was not tender?

 

[Brokenhandle]

You pulled it way too soon! At 250 degrees it would have gotten to over 200...you want probe tender which could be 203, 206, 211 degrees. It's gonna vary with each piece if meat. Don't be afraid to run your smoker at higher temps like 275.

Ryan

 

[bigfurmn]

Needed to cook it longer. Brisket gets more tender the hotter it gets. The tissues (I know it’s not tissue but can’t think of the word right now) didn’t break down. Brisket needs to around 200IT to be juicy and tender.

 

[JckDanls 07]

nothing more that I can say that hasn't already been said...

UNDERCOOKED !!!!!

You say trimmed... did you leave any fat on it ??
Once temps get high enough and the fat starts rendering down... the meat soaks it in and this is what makes it moist/juicy ...
You just didn't let the IT get high enough to start the rendering ..

 

[BWSabio]

You pulled it way too soon! At 250 degrees it would have gotten to over 200...you want probe tender which could be 203, 206, 211 degrees. It's gonna vary with each piece if meat. Don't be afraid to run your smoker at higher temps like 275.

Ryan

So if I left it on until it hit 195° wouldn't get more well done and dry out more?

 

[BWSabio]

nothing more that I can say that hasn't already been said...

UNDERCOOKED !!!!!

You say trimmed... did you leave any fat on it ??
Once temps get high enough and the fat starts rendering down... the meat soaks it in and this is what makes it moist/juicy ...
You just didn't let the IT get high enough to start the rendering ..

I probably trimmed off way too fat ... DUH!

 

[BWSabio]

And my wood chips should be dry or wet?

 

[normanaj]

Way undercooked as already stated.

 

[pineywoods]

The guys have said it under cooked. Trim it but leave at least 1/4" fat I personally leave a little more. Believe it or not I have found I can usually smoke a brisket that weighs around 12 lbs in the same or less time than a 4 or 5 lb one.
You didn't say what kind of smoker you were using but you said chips personally I'd recommend an amazen smoker pellet tube you use pellets and can load it up and get it going and usually have good smoke the entire cook without having to mess with it at all.

 

[cal1956]

your wood chips should be DRY in other words the wood should be seasoned wood , wet chips produce white smoke which is mostly steam and will give your meat a bitter taste

 

[bigfurmn]

B BWSabio
In the case of brisket, no. It will get more tender and juicey at 200+ degrees than at 175 degrees. It has to do with getting hot enough to break down the tough tissues.

 

[BWSabio]

your wood chips should be DRY in other words the wood should be seasoned wood , wet chips produce white smoke which is mostly steam and will give your meat a bitter taste

Third time will b e a charm ... I HOPE ;-)

 

[BWSabio]

B BWSabio
In the case of brisket, no. It will get more tender and juicey at 200+ degrees than at 175 degrees. It has to do with getting hot enough to break down the tough tissues.

Definitely an 'ART' that takes time to get proficient at.

 

[Marknmd]

B BWSabio
In the case of brisket, no. It will get more tender and juicey at 200+ degrees than at 175 degrees. It has to do with getting hot enough to break down the tough tissues.

Exactly. It's counter-intuitive, but true.

 

[bigfurmn]

Definitely an 'ART' that takes time to get proficient at.

Next time you do one, post pictures and updates. The people here can help you get done right!

 

[BWSabio]

EXCELLENT ... I THOROUGHLY appreciate all the posts and help!!

 

[JckDanls 07]

So if I left it on until it hit 195°

This is when you want to start PROBE TESTING... use your probe or a skewer or the like... and start poking it in all over the place... it should slide in like poking it in peanut butter... no resistance ... then it's done ...

 

[cal1956]

a big part of learning to smoke meat is learning to tell when its done ,relax we have all been in your shoes !!! some on here relie on fancy temp probes and others have just done it so long that we can tell by the feel of the meat ...which every way to choose just remember none of us learned it overnight ......enjoy the ride and happy smoking

 

[noboundaries]

So if I left it on until it hit 195° wouldn't get more well done and dry out more?

The above statement shows a confusion about muscles on a steer. There are lazy muscles that make steaks. There are hard-working muscles that are filled with tough, connective-tissue collagen that support the weight and movement of the animal.

Steaks get dry and tough if overcooked beyond about 150°F internal temp. Anything labeled "eye," or cut from an eye roast, is a steak muscle.

Collagen-filled muscles taste dry and tough if the collagen isn't melted by heat. Brisket is one of the hardest worked, highest collagen-filled muscles on the animal. 195°F is a minimum internal temp for brisket. Most, though, don't get tender until north of 200°F internal temp. I've had briskets get probe tender as low as 189°F, and not quite probe tender as high as 207°F. That's why you smoke collagen muscles to probe tender, using meat temp as a guide, not a destination.

Bottom line, anything labeled brisket or Chuck is filled with collagen. The one exception is a "chuck-eye" which will be one of the most tender, flavorful steaks you'll ever eat, and needs to be treated like steak, not chuck.

 

[BWSabio]

WOW an amazing statement and reply ... many thanks!