Help with largest Brisket ever.


 
K

Ken Serwatowski

TVWBB Fan
I recently have become the owner of a Large BGE to go along with my WSM18. I purchased it at a small family owned business and as a thank you I received a gift certificate for a free Brisket or Pork Butt at a small meat market down the road. I had to pick up the brisket before the gift certificate expired an unfortunately just before leaving town so I had to freeze it or so I thought until reading about cryovaced meats.

I am currently in possession of a frozen 17lb untrimmed brisket and have some questions. Up to this point the largest I have done has been a 12lbr but most of my experience is with flats since I usually only cook for my wife and I.

First question.......thawing this monster? Kind of too big for my fridge with a pan under it. Is the cooler, water, and ice combo safe? If so how many days in advance should I start the thaw?

Second question........other than additional time anything else these larger briskets need over smaller ones?

All comments and suggestions are welcomed including anything you would change since the meat was frozen and will lose some of it's liquid during the thaw etc.

Thanks in advance, Ken
 
Freezing it doesnt change anything. The larger the brisket the better the end product will be. As far as thawing a cooler will work fine. I would pull it atleast a few days in advance. If its cryovac then you dont need a pan under it in the fridge it will not leak, just wrap some paper towl around it to catch the condensation
 
I notice no loss in moisture from frozen briskets, and many of my best ones came from the freezer. I have an extra fridge, but would think that the cooler would be fine as long as you kept the meat up out of melting ice. If in cryovac, no issues assuming no pinholes in the plastic.

As for fitting on the 18, I'd cut off a good bit of the point, at a point before it overlaps the flat. You could use that piece for burnt ends and don't worry with foiling it. For the flat and what's left of the point, cut off a little more length and square it up, grinding that with chuck for burger. Other than how to get it to fit, just smoke it.
 
I doubt it would defrost "a few days" before the cook.

Turkey is not brisket but for Easter I put a frozen 12 lb bird in my fridge a week before Easter. SEVEN days later, there were still ice crystals between thigh and body.
 
I've done quite a few partially defrosted briskets, chuck roasts, butts, and some fully frozen. I feel I get a juicer end product, but for that 17# to fit it needs to be pliable enough to shoe-horn between the handles. Some use a rib or overturned roast rack and lay it over so it curves. It will shrink as you cook it, than you can remove the rack and set it right on the grate.
Add some foil under the outer edge of the flat so it doesn't overcook.
Tim
 
I noticed on the high heat posts guys recommend 10 to 12 pounders. I've never tried anything high heat. Do you guys think this is too big for a high heat cook? Ken
 
Thanks for the replies.......so it looks like other than more time to cook than a smaller one high heat is ok. I think I may give that a try. Everything I've done so far has been low temperature cooks, Ken
 
Just read high heat isn't for higher end Briskets on that link you shared due to the fat marbling in the better ones. Maybe I'll do this low temperature and just cook it overnight and break out some Scotch and my fire pit. lol
 
Ken we don't seem to have as much choice around here in our grades but I had a nice fresh Angus from a processor I did on my kettle and I cooked it in the range of 300-325, it worked out well. I've cooked about a dozen briskets in the last 3 years and one thing I have noticed is the smoke flavor for me is not as strong as a LNS cook but I sure do appreciate the convenience. When I cook overnight I use water simply because I know my temps won't get away on me.
 
Also Ken, if fitment is a problem I would trim some of the flat if you are not making burnt ends, let it cook seperatly where it fits and use as suggested for chili etc.
Even with trimming that hunk will still be on the hot outside edges and would suggest making a aluminum foil shield under the tips for the first few hours until it shrinks down.
I would also suggest a six pack of something cold
 
Ken, that sounds like a great idea. Believe it or not, I saw one posted a while back on the bbq brethren forum that was literally doubled over on itself to fit the wsm. It kind of just shrunk and looked to me like it turned out great. Like all things BBQ, there's more than one way to skin a cat.
 
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