7 LB Brisket tomorrow


 
M

Mark (markx3)

TVWBB Member
Greetings!

Tomorrow I’m doing a 7lb brisket in Denver. My last brisket I cooked was in October and it was also 7lbs. Surprisingly it was done and at 200 internal in about 5 hours, instead of 1 hr per pound or 1.5 hrs per pound like I was planning on. When I did the cook last October it was around 60s outside and tomorrow will be in the low 40s. My guests are coming over at 6pm and we would eat around 7pm.

So I’m not sure because of the weather how long I should plan on this brisket cooking? What do you guys think based on the previous info?

Also, last time I foiled the brisket at about 150 internal. There ended up being a lot of juice in the foil the meat was cooking in. Is that okay? Can I use that as gravy? Or should I poke holes in the foil to let it drain, this way maybe the bark will be more crusty?

This last brisket I cooked ended up being very tender but I really disliked the oak wood I used. This time I have hickory. I’m going to try to keep the temp in the gray smoke range whatever temps I get, providing it’s under 300.

Thanks for reading and the advice!
 
Mark - You didn't mention at what temp you cooked in October. You were probably a little over 300 probably close to 325 - there's nothing wrong with that but I've found that the lower and slower a brisket cooks the better it is. I don't run my WSM's to much over 250 maybe a little lower for brisket and allow 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hour per pound + stall time. But a lot of Texas people cook brisket at a higher temperature.
I don't foil but you really don't want to lose those juices. Those drippings are great! You might want to cook the brisket on the top rack and place a drip pan on the lower rack to collect the juices.
 
Hi Larry!

My temps were all over the place but not over 300ish, then I would adjust the vents to bring the smoker down. So I don't have an exact answer to what my temps were because they fluctuated.
 
I do HH briskets all of the time. Your times look about right.

I usually get my WSM to 300-325 for the duration of the cook and I foil at 170 until fork tender.

The cooking topics section has a great explanation of how to prepare HH briskets.

The bark softens a bit using this method; however, I find it's easier and less stressful than low and slow and the results are always good, IMHO.
 
oh..........and done means fork tender....the internal temp is a good guide, but I never pull it out of the smoker until it's fork/probe tender.

mine are usually fork tender somewhere in the neighborhood of 200-205.


good luck!
 
By the way ... I know most recomend and/or cook to an internal of 190. I like to pull mine around 180 and slice at 185. I like my brisket to slice nicely - not almost fall apart when I slice it.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Also, last time I foiled the brisket at about 150 internal. There ended up being a lot of juice in the foil the meat was cooking in. Is that okay? Can I use that as gravy? Or should I poke holes in the foil to let it drain, this way maybe the bark will be more crusty? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes, it's okay. It's part of the point of foiling. You can use the drippings if you wish in a sauce. I make a paint out of them, after removing the fat.

A 7-pound brisket isn't a brisket - it's a piece of a brisket, likely the flat, sometimes a portion of the flat plus a portion of the point. That's fine. When to foil flats should be determined by the quality of the flat. If it's nice and thick and well marbled foil ~160 or 165; if thinner foil ~160; if heavily trimmed (which would be unfortunate) or if the thickness tapers dramatically foil ~155.

No need to bother temping once the meat is foiled, especially if cooking at higher temps (I cook whole packers at 335-375, don't bother temping at all (I foil around the 2.5-hour mark) and the meat is done ~4 hours start-to-finish irrespective of weight). Check for tender with your probe, which will insert effortlessly whrn tender is achieved. Internal temp has nothing to do with tenderness. When the meat hits tender simply rest ~25 min, just tented with foil. It will slice just fine.
 
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