Brisket Fail. Why ?


 
N

Neil Grant

TVWBB Fan
Well maybe not a total failure because about Cooked in 18.5 WSM. half of it was tasty...but, with the temp probe being in the thicker end of the 14 lb packer which also had a nice fat cap, by the time the temp in that half got to 195 and I pulled it, the thinner end was completely dried out and barely edible.

What did I do wrong ?

Also, I'm reasonably coordinated but was a total spaz trying to hold the WSM lid up while trying to insert the Maverick ET73 probe through the top vent into the meat, all while keeping the transmitter from falling into smoker. Tips for doing this solo ?
 
when you say the thicker end, do you mean in the point or the flat? i insert my probe into the thicker end of the flat at a 90 degree angle to the piece of meat and get good results that way.

as for your second question, i keep the smoker near a ledge/shelf on my fence so i can place it there while i'm fiddling with stuff inside. it's just close enough so that the probes don't come out.
 
It's difficult not to overcook thin ends. Your best bet is to cover the thin end with foil to deflect some of the heat. The obvious answer is to skip the briskets with thin ends, but depending where you live some don't get a lot of briskets to choose from.

Also the ends are at the side if the cooker which can be hotter than the middle (depending on your water pan setup).
 
the dry half was half that was only the flat, and had no fat there. To fit in the WSM 18.5 I needed to sort of drape it over a rib rack because if laid flat it would have been too long. At each end of the packer I did have foil on the grates.

I didn't use water pan. I used clay pot filled with sand, covered in foil, laying in the empty water pan.

Also, i cooked on the top grate. Not sure if that was a problem b/c I still cooked the thicker end to 195.

With the probe in the flat underneath the point, where the flat was thickest, I pulled at 195.

Also, every hour after about 8 hours I sprayed a mix of apple and grape juice per the overnight cook recipe I followed.

But the other end was less tender than the baseball glove my dad got me in 1978 at age 10 (which I still use).
 
Several problems here. First, cooking to some internal temp or another often does not work. Temp does not cause tenderness. Time relative to meat mass and quality relative to cooktemp does.

If you are going to temp a packer for whatever reason the probe goes into the middle of the flat, not the thickest part of the brisket, which is the point. The point and flat are two different muscles. It is the flat that determines done on a packer, not the point.

Cook till your probe goes into the middle of the flat effortlessly, irrespective of temp. When this occurs the meat is tender.

[You can run your wire for your probe under the lid if you wish. Not a problem.]
 
First brisket? Everybody thinks they failed on their first brisket. Brisket is the hardest cut of meat to smoke and get consistently good results (for most folks). It's just not going to be moist and tender like a pork butt. If you search a little, you'll see folks inject, foil or baste with broth or sauce after slicing. Lots of opinions about what temp to cook at too. Some folks stick with cooking at low temps around 225 and others prefer to cook a little higher like 275. I think cooking at 275 helps.
 
I'm with Kevin, temping is immaterial, and more of a cause for stress than any kind of indication of doneness.

I've never done an overnighter on briskets, only high heat, but they've all come out very nicely. I think it would be worth it for you to read the high heat brisket thread and give one a shot. Super easy, 4 hours start to finish, and a fantastic end product.
 
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