Hi all. Been a member here for quite some time, and have done a lot of reading here and other places. So believe me, asking this isnt on a whim its after a lot of reading and trial/error.
In a nutshell, my briskets are coming out amazingly flavorful but amazingly dry and I cant seem to fix that. Heres my process:
I have an electric smoker (looks like a small fridge). My last brisket was about 9 pounds trimmed up. I trimmed it well on the bottom and kept the fat cap to about 1/4", rubbed it in olive oil then a liberal coating of course black pepper, salt and garlic powder. Sometimes a little cayenne for heat but not this time.
I preheat the smoker to 250F, and toss in the brisket, fat cap up. In goes my wireless thermometer into the middle. Not the thickest part, not the thinnest part, but somewhat of an average. I have calibrated the thermometer previously so its accurate.
Heat it to the stall temp about 165, take it out, wrap it in butchers paper and put it back in, fat cap up. I then let it go to about 205 internal temp. I then keep it wrapped in the BP and put it in a cooler for anywhere between 30-60 minutes, while Im making the rest of the meal. When I take it out, its some of the best tasting jerky ever. hahaha. OK not quite that dry but damn close it seems. Its literally hard to even swallow its so dry.
What Ive tried to fix this:
Injecting it
Lower temp, longer cook
higher temp, shorter cook
Lower internal temp before taking it out.
I generally dont spray it (I have found it negatively affects the bark), and I do have a dish of water in there the whole time. Sometimes I use beef broth.
My cooks have been anywhere from 7-13 hours for similar sized briskets with all the variations Ive tried yet all of them seem dry. I have read (here in fact!) that dry means it hasnt been cooked long enough but for some reason that is counter to my brains thinking.
Flavor is a 10, smoke ring is a 10, Bark is a 9-10 every time. Its just too damn dry. ANY tips most appreciated!!
In a nutshell, my briskets are coming out amazingly flavorful but amazingly dry and I cant seem to fix that. Heres my process:
I have an electric smoker (looks like a small fridge). My last brisket was about 9 pounds trimmed up. I trimmed it well on the bottom and kept the fat cap to about 1/4", rubbed it in olive oil then a liberal coating of course black pepper, salt and garlic powder. Sometimes a little cayenne for heat but not this time.
I preheat the smoker to 250F, and toss in the brisket, fat cap up. In goes my wireless thermometer into the middle. Not the thickest part, not the thinnest part, but somewhat of an average. I have calibrated the thermometer previously so its accurate.
Heat it to the stall temp about 165, take it out, wrap it in butchers paper and put it back in, fat cap up. I then let it go to about 205 internal temp. I then keep it wrapped in the BP and put it in a cooler for anywhere between 30-60 minutes, while Im making the rest of the meal. When I take it out, its some of the best tasting jerky ever. hahaha. OK not quite that dry but damn close it seems. Its literally hard to even swallow its so dry.
What Ive tried to fix this:
Injecting it
Lower temp, longer cook
higher temp, shorter cook
Lower internal temp before taking it out.
I generally dont spray it (I have found it negatively affects the bark), and I do have a dish of water in there the whole time. Sometimes I use beef broth.
My cooks have been anywhere from 7-13 hours for similar sized briskets with all the variations Ive tried yet all of them seem dry. I have read (here in fact!) that dry means it hasnt been cooked long enough but for some reason that is counter to my brains thinking.
Flavor is a 10, smoke ring is a 10, Bark is a 9-10 every time. Its just too damn dry. ANY tips most appreciated!!