I suck at smoking brisket!


 
C

Chris Hosston

TVWBB Member
Every time I do brisket it never comes out right. Today I did a prime brisket flat from Costco and cooked it to 200 degrees and wrapped it in foil and put it in a cooler for 1 hour. It was so dry. What gives? I'm really frustrated! Maybe I will need to stick to ribs and pork butt as they are a lot easier.
 
Chris Hosston said:
Every time I do brisket it never comes out right. Today I did a prime brisket flat from Costco and cooked it to 200 degrees and wrapped it in foil and put it in a cooler for 1 hour. It was so dry. What gives? I'm really frustrated! Maybe I will need to stick to ribs and pork butt as they are a lot easier.
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That's the problem with cooking to a specific temp. The brisket continued to cook for the hour it was in the cooler wrapped. Might have gone up to 210, 215 who knows
 
I have never done a high heat brisket. Gotta try that.

Briskets have been a hard thing to master. I'm still trying to get it right. Sometimes they come out great, and others... well, not so much. I normally buy prime packer or choice flats from Costco. Mostly I buy flats because it is just me eating it, and an entire brisket is just too big.

Below are some things I have found for cooking flats. Please keep in mind that these are just my opinions. Some people may disagree. Feel free to ignore anything or everything.

1. Most important: go by feel, not just internal temperature! Early on, I was so obsessed with temps and measurements that I was taking the briskets off too early. Use the meat temp around 185 or 190 as a starting point to check the feel. For a flat, the probe should feel like it's going through room temp butter. The meat should feel very "bendy" and supple.

2. Second most important: after it gets probe tender, let it cool down to about 170 before putting it in the cooler. The goal is to have the cooking process stop before resting.

3. Let it rest! After it gets to 170, wrap and put the brisket in a cooler for 1 to 2 hours. This makes a big difference for me.

4. Salt liberally the night before. Then add just pepper when you are ready to cook.

5. Last but not least: I have had the most success using really low and slow for flats. The slower, the better (within reason). I keep the WSM at about 210 to 225 for brisket flats.


Again, just some opinions from my trial and error.
 
Chris - The best brisket I ever made was using the link Dwain posted in this thread. And I now use that method everytime with success. High heat, fat side down. And don't worry so much about the temperature, it more about the feel of the meat. At around 195 degrees use your meat thermometer and probe in a few place on the meat. If it goes in like you are sticking into butter /muffin smooth and easy - pull it and wrap in cooler for at least an hour... If not continue cooking and check every 15-30 min until it "feels" right. Also make sure you are slicing against the grain. Hope it works out for you, keep smokin!
 
I've got nothing to add,, those who posted above are speaking the gospel,, whether low n slow or hot n fast.. Probe tender,,,,, then rest. I am a hot-n-fast subscriber.
 
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I'm kinda with Mark -- low and slow -- although I cook at around 250. The short story:

Salt and pepper
Cooker at 250, water in the pan
Throw it on
Take it off when it probes tender
Sit it out until 170 internal
Wrap in foil and rest for 2-3 hours.

The longer story: I haven't smoked a flat in years and only cook prime packers anymore. Salt and pepper and into the WSM with a half-dozen or so pecan or post oak chunks. I fill the water pan once and let it go. The brisket goes on around midnight and the WSM usually stays within 5-10 degrees overnight. I don't wrap at the stall. I start probing at around 185. I've never had a prime go to 200 before it probed very tender. Usually takes about 12-14 hours for a 9-12 pounder. Take it off the cooker, let it rest on the counter until it drops to about 170 internal, then wrap it tightly in foil and put it in faux Cambro for at least 2, and preferably 3 hours. Slice and enjoy smoky goodness. wrap leftovers and enjoy brisket tacos for a week.

Jeff
 
I have only done briskets low and slow. Jeff Hassleberger is spot on. The only thing I do different is foil at the stall. To me the key is to probe for tender above 195* and then every half hour until probe tender. However I am going to start probing for tender at about 185* since I am now only doing Costco's USDA prime brisket packers. Doing it this way has been the ticket for me and I have never (not yet anyway) had a brisket failure. Same holds true for pork butt. For me, the big fails were ribs and chicken. After taking Harry Soo's class, ribs are doing great and since getting a Vortex, chicken it also doing much better. This is what works for me and the real key, is whatever works for you is what you should do. Good luck and don't give up.
 
If it was dry and crumbling/falling apart, it was overcooked. If it was dry and chewy/tough to pull, it was undercooked.


Just some points to ponder:

  • The higher the cooking temp, the higher the internal temp of the brisket will be when it is "done".
  • The lower the chamber temp, the lower the finished IT.

(It's possible for a brisket to be "done" at 180 degrees if you cook it for a long enough time at a low enough temp.)


  • The higher the grade of brisket, the lower it's finished IT will be.
  • The lower the grade of brisket, the higher the finished IT will be.


What this means is that IF you could duplicate most other variables, then a Choice brisket cooked at 225ish would have a lower finished IT than a Choice brisket cooked at 300.
Also, a Prime brisket cooked at 225 will have a lower finished IT than a choice brisket that was also cooked at 225.


These are just some of the reasons why, as others have mentioned, you shouldn't use internal temp to determine when a brisket is done. Go by how the brisket feels.
 
Like Dwain I also am a fan of the HH method. I also agree with Mark about letting your brisket rest before putting it in your cooler to hold.
 
then it was undercooked believe it or not. also make sure your cutting it against the grain that can also make it chewy.
 
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