Brisket Internal Temp


 
R

Richard Laiche

New member
Hello all. I am a confused beginner BBQ cook. I scoured these posts trying to get the best advice for the perfect internal temperature for slicing a brisket. I have read everything from as low as 180 degrees all the way up to 205 degrees. Also, are these the temps at which the brisket is being pulled from the smoker or the temps at which the actual slicing is occurring? It seems that most of them are when the brisket is being pulled from the smoker and them rested for an hour or two. Should I monitor the internal temp of the brisket as it is resting and if so, at what temp should I actually slice it? Thanks.
 
From my experience I would get the brisket in the cooker to 195-201. Pull it wrap it in double foil, then a towel, and then stick all that in a cooler to rest for a few hours. As long as the temp stays above 150 you are good to go. If it dips below 150 before you start cutting you need to reheat it back above 165 or so.
 
Use a probe to test for doneness, most use temp as a guide to start testing for doneness. A brisket is done when a probe can be inserted without much resistence, like warm butter some say. It will come with experience ... but a brisket can be done anywhere in the 195 to 205 range. When you hit the doneness by probe feel, let the brisket vent uncovered for 15 minutes or so to stop the cooking process before you wrap for the hold.
 
Agree whole-heartedly with Mike & Mark above. I use temp as a guide to begin probing. 202 has seemed to kinda be my sweet spot. The window between probe tender and over-cooked is far smaller for brisket. It is not nearly as forgiving as pork butt. I was amazed at how easy the probe went in during my first brisket cook when it was done. Like buttah.
 
My best Briskets have been injected with the injection from howtobbqright.com. Foiled at 165 degrees, pulled off at 200 degrees, and rested for an hour in a cooler. I've never had a bad or a dry brisket this way. Ever since I started injecting they have all been very moist and delicious.
 
I've had really good luck with 203 in the point. I'm probably switching to probe tender when I cook this weekend and watch internal temps. I may or may not wrap. I just love that crust! I also like the way the fat renders in the point. I'll probably try the Butcher paper thing soon. Probably will wrap after the stall.
 
As said by many, probe tender is what you are looking for. Final meat temp is also a result if the temp you cook at and whether you foil during the cook. Higher temp cooks will yield a higher finish temp.
 
Learn what tender feels like and and internal temping is unnecessary. (I think beginning cooks needlessly extend their learning curve because of the unwarranted focus on internal temp.)

Internal temps do not cause tenderness. One temp or another might correlate with tender - and it might well not. The focus on internal temp - even when claimed to be "just a guide" - isn't really very helpful. If you focus on what tender feels like, irrespective of internal temp you will far more quickly learn how to cook consistently moist and tender barbecue and can judge time by feel alone. Temp won't tell you that.
 
I did a 13 pound packer two weeks ago and never once checked the IT. I did the HH method (325 degrees) and foiled it about 2.5hrs into the smoke. Then an hour and a half later I started checking for tenderness. I repeated every 15-30 minutes until it was probe tender. Then I removed and rested for 30 minutes and sliced. BEST brisket I ever smoked!! First time I did it without checking temps at all! It's all about the tenderness!!

Tim
 
Bravo.

And the same applies even for low/slow: Learn to judge tenderness by feel - make the focus the meat, not the temp - and cooking is less stressful, more successful and more easy to replicate.
 
I've had really good luck with the temp thing but I'm going to go with probe tender this next cook. I'll report my result. I feel like Luke Skywalker in the Death Star trench turning off the targeting computer!
 
Yeah Jeff. I put my temp probe into the thickest section of the flat. I don't know that is necessarily what is recommended, but a lot of my schmoking has been self-taught (along with a ton of info from here). Thickest part of the flat is the way I have always done it- so that is my reference point- & seems to work for me.
 
I've always had luck using internal temperature. I think I'll still use it but start concentrating on how it feels and poke it with my instant read and start training myself to go by feel instead of relying on just my probe.
 
I think the best thing I ever did was learn how to cook without using a temperature probe or pit thermometer. Learn to cook by sight and feel and you can pretty much turn out good food under just about any conditions with any cooker.
 
I guess my question and the reason I'll never totally ditch my probe is at what point do you start checking for doneness. I like my probe to at least let me know I'm at say 165 or so . I know a Brisket isn't ready at 165 but I'm not lifting my lid checking blindly etc before it needs to be checked. Do you guys start checking after say like 1 hour per pound at a certain cook temperature etc?
 
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