Texas Crutch Brisket - Final temperature?


 
Vince

Vince

New member
I'm going to smoke two packer briskets Friday night on my new 22.5 WSM using the Texas Crutch method. I've read that the ideal internal temperature should be 203° F. I've also read that it doesn't matter what the ending internal temperature is as long as it passes the "ice pick" test. (cooked so that a probe pushes very easily into the meat)

So I'm wondering of those that use the Texas Crutch method, what is your final internal temperature?
 
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Depends on the individual brisket, I've had them finish anywhere between 195° and 215°. That's why the 'ice pick test' is a good one.
 
I've never temped after I foil. I always go by what I read on here and that's foiling changes the dynamics of a cook. So in theory you could reach xyz rather quickly but it could still be fairly tough so
I always go by the probe test.

Tim
 
Vince...
Wishing you a very enjoyable cook. Should be good !
Ditto on what Greg and timothy said.

Meat temperature is only an indicator and then only good for 2 things...

To indicate when you are in the stall
and
when (following the cook) the temperature has fallen below the cooking temperature.
 
Yup, understood about the ice pick being the indicator of done. That being said, what is the final temp when you do pull off your brisket after the ice pick slides in easily? Do any of you write it down or remember? Just wondering if a certain internal temp is too hot.
 
Vince. Perfect time for you to tell us:)
After you're ice pick slides in easily, insert you're probe and see what you have.:wsm:

Tim
 
Vince said:
Yup, understood about the ice pick being the indicator of done. That being said, what is the final temp when you do pull off your brisket after the ice pick slides in easily? Do any of you write it down or remember? Just wondering if a certain internal temp is too hot.
Click to expand...

Though I did not use the Tx crutch, the last packer I did the temp measured 200*. I would have pulled it sooner but there was one portion that the probe had more resistance than in other areas so I left it on. I retrospect, I could have trimmed that piece off and either cooked it more later in leftovers or put it back on right then because the areas that were ready earlier were overdone when the tough portion got done. Hope this helps. (go with the probe test)
 
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Bob Bass said:
Vince...
Wishing you a very enjoyable cook. Should be good !
Ditto on what Greg and timothy said.

Meat temperature is only an indicator and then only good for 2 things...

To indicate when you are in the stall
and
when (following the cook) the temperature has fallen below the cooking temperature.
Click to expand...

I agree with the above, wholeheartedly. Therm probes are helpful tools, but they're not for indicating when a piece of meat is tender enough to be called BBQ. The meat might be 200* or 210*, and it will be different temps at different places. In my opinion, internal temp and time simply don't correlate when it comes to judging perfect bbq tenderness.

After my Weber gauges finally bite the dirt, I think I'll do a brisket cook "by hand", and leave the Maverick and therm probes in the cabinet. Think I'll read a good book and sip something in the shade of my umbrella between occasional passes of my hand over the vent. I'll check and wrap it in butcher paper some when it looks good after four or five hours of smoke, and use nothing but the aforementioned ice pick and my two hands to tell me when it's done. What did pitmasters do before gauges and therms on pits much harder to manage than the wsm? Anyhow, it sounds like a good way to spend a Saturday, huh? :wsm:

I track temp mainly for the purpose of timing the cook, but IT* is especially non-pertinent if wrapping a brisket or butt in foil. Harry Soo of "Slap Yo Daddy" bbq fame even tells his students to put a piece of tape over their Thermapen read-out when checking for tenderness.

Hope that helps.
Dave
 
Dave Russell said:
I track temp mainly for the purpose of timing the cook...
Click to expand...

Same here. Although there is an air temperature probe controlling the fire throughout the cook, the meat probes get removed & disconnected once in the stall. Their only purpose is to let me know when to start checking for proper bark formation for foiling (haven't tried the paper, yet). Once I get other variables under control and have a better feel for when the stall will happen, time wise, no meat probe will be used at all.

For the variables, still playing around with meat quality and charcoal type.

Bob
 
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