1st brisket, wrapping question and temp probe placement

[Woosan]

EDIT: i also posted this at smokingmeatforums, but wanted to also post here for more feedback.

hey guys, just finished my first brisket cook. 14lb packer USDA prime, on a 22" WSM, cooked total of 12 hours at 250F. this was my longest cook to date, and also my first overnight cook.

my question is in regards to wrapping, as i understand, its fairly standard to wrap in the 160F range. MY plan was to do so as well, using butcher paper. the primary reason for this is to power pass the stall and also helping keep the brisket juicy.

that being said, i started the cook at 11pm, knowing that the briskets could potentially take up to 1.5 hours a pound (max time of 21 hours.). i placed the temp probe in the thickest part of the point, lengthwise. i was watching fire and temps until about 1am, temp was rock steady between 250-260. i ended up falling asleep at around 130, last time i checked temp it was 252. my alarm woke me up around 530am, temp was 249 (sweet!). the IT read 178F, at this point it crossed my mind, "should i even wrap this brisket?". however, it was 530 in the morning, and i was EFF this im awake on saturday at 530, this B is about to get wrapped lol

went back to sleep and woke up again at 830 - smoker temp was still 249, unwrapped, and probed temp still 180 -_-
im thinking maybe because i didnt wrap the paper tight enough, and the butcher paper actually stalled the brisket or maybe the 5-8am wind chill kicked in or something. scratching my head, wondering what happened, i close cover and check again at 1030. At 1030, i check again, everything is probe tender and mega jiggly - however the probes were reading 190 in some places on the point and 199 in others, so i figured give it another 30 minutes. pulled at 11am, still temp readings all over the place 190-200, but all the signs pointed to done, probe tender and super jiggles. Went from WSM to rest for 20 minutes on the counter, then into a cooler with blankets for 2 hours.

when carving, brisket passed bend and pull test, was very juicy and very good.

now after all that, my questions: is should i have wrapped if it was at 178 when i woke up?
would a loose butcher paper, introduce a stall if not wrapped correctly?
where do people put their temp probe? i have heard some people put in the point, others in the flat?

pic below when i pulled the brisket off

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

That brisket looks great! To kind of answer your question, I know a guy that calls butcher paper "stall paper." I use it on my briskets but it's not usually that great for powering through a stall like foil is. The reason is exactly what you've said. It's hard to wrap the brisket very tight with paper. Those air pockets allow more evaporative cooling to take place. I've wrapped in paper and had meat go down a few degrees so it's possible you might have cause a slight stall. Generally though I'd think at 178 you would have been through the stall. What gets you out of the stall is that the surface of the meat has dried out. Once the paper is wet with the melted fat and juices of the brisket it works pretty similarly to foil. I sometimes give it a few spritzes to get a head start on that.

I put the probe in the thickest part of the flat. The point is always tender before the flat is so I don't really worry about it's temp. Harry Soo says the probe just go in just like room temperature peanut butter. You should check how the probe feels going into the brisket more so than the temp. The finishing temp can vary based on your cook temp and the quality of the beef.

 

[Danny B (Albany GA)]

6.5 hours in the smoke would’ve been a good time to wrap but it looks like everything turned out great. In my experience and from what I’ve read, butcher paper is more for acheiving the color you want and to keep the meat from getting too smoky. My last two briskets, I’ve gone back to foil and I am liking the results. They just cook quicker with foil. I like being able to get up in the morning at my normal time, get everything together and have a good finished product for an early or regular time dinner. The thickest part of the flat is where most place the probe. Looks like you had a great result for a first time.

 

[Timothy F. Lewis]

Well, I have never wrapped, mixing cocktails seems to help me get through the stall. I can’t help much but, whatever you did presents a delightful picture! If it was as good as it looks, don’t sweat it, you did just fine!
Dustin has helped me through my first few briskets and if I could send him a “virtual cocktail” I would when I pull every brisket (to foil and towel) since day one!
Thanks pal!

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Woosan's brisket looks beautiful, the bark looks crispy. I agree, if that tastes as good as it looks, then that's a great cook.

Does anyone else find that wrapping in foil produces a soft mushy bark ? Or is that maybe due to wrapping too soon ? Harry Soo says don't wrap ribs or brisket until " the bark is set " . He rubs his fingernail on the surface to see if the bark will move.