Brisket Attempt #3


 
I've got 2 small flats (5-6#'rs). I am planning to overnight them which is my first time doing Brisket overnight. I feel Chris' apprehension. I think I'm just going to place them in a pan and foil from get-go untill they are tender. At the end I will probably remove the foil and firm up the bark. I will be injecting them with beef broth to hopefully keep them moist.
 
Just checked her again. Getting closer but still not what I think it should be. Meat is reading 209 degrees! Lid is around 275 grate about 300.

I'll start checking back every 30 minutes. I think I'm close. I don't plan on eating this tonight so I can rest it a good long time in a cooler. Will a 2 hour rest help get it even more tender?
 
Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
Am I confused? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
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There are a lot of threads on this very topic. I am not scientist but in my experience my lid is almost always 30 degrees cooler than my grate. Once in a while the temps will even out but I've cooked pork butts for 10 hours and I kept track of the lid and the grate temps. The grate was always hotter.
 
Keep in mind if you double foil and wrap in towels in a cooler when you remove it will keep cooking! I have seen most of mine become dry if too tender when you remove, however if you tent and eat 30 min after super tender, perfect!
 
I'll start checking back every 30 minutes. I think I'm close. I don't plan on eating this tonight so I can rest it a good long time in a cooler. Will a 2 hour rest help get it even more tender?
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If you're feeling adventurous and you're not eating it tonight, wrap her and throw her in the bottom of your freezer or pack her in ice. I've heard the rapid cooling helps the meat retain it's juices and delivers quite the moist brisket. I'll see if I can find a link on it for you.

Found a few posts on this HERE
 
Originally posted by Christopher_C_ G:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
Am I confused? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
Click to expand...

There are a lot of threads on this very topic. I am not scientist but in my experience my lid is almost always 30 degrees cooler than my grate. Once in a while the temps will even out but I've cooked pork butts for 10 hours and I kept track of the lid and the grate temps. The grate was always hotter. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Anyone else care to chime in and set me straight? I was under the impression that because the heat rises up the sides and around the water pan of the WSM the temp is hottest at the lid where it gathers and escapes out thru the lid vent. At least that has been my experience.
 
Originally posted by Glenn W:
Keep in mind if you double foil and wrap in towels in a cooler when you remove it will keep cooking! I have seen most of mine become dry if too tender when you remove, however if you tent and eat 30 min after super tender, perfect!
Click to expand...

I know but I don't usually get much of a carry over when I rest my food for whatever reason. When I did the butt a few weeks ago it maybe got 1 or 2 degrees higher before it started to drop during the rest.

This is the witching hour for me and what makes brisket so challenging (for me anyway). I can't really go by temp any more so I'm going for feel. After 10 hours I really don't want to screw this up. If I pull too soon it will be tough. If I pull too late it will be dry.
 
anyone else care to chime in and set me straight? I was under the impression that because the heat rises up the sides and around the water pan of the WSM the temp is hottest at the lid where it gathers and escapes out thru the lid vent. At least that has been my experience.
Click to expand...
Steve believe it or not I've read several posts where people report the same. In-fact, early on when I used to temp both grate and lid my grate temp would be hotter than my lid. The first I'd heard of this was in a post by David Lohrentz. David (and many others) were a great help to me when I first joined this forum and got my WSM. I'll look for some of my old posts where we discussed this.

EDIT: HERE YOU GO Here you go, **** re-reading this post was painful, it was from my very first overnight cook, lol.
 
Ha, I know what you mean! Im on a 60% success rate on briskets! Only sharing what I have experienced thus far. What I meant about continued cooking is not rising temp but staying the same for quite some time, which IMO is what makes it tender/ time at temp=doneness.

Just my 2 cents.

I think I am done for awhile with small briskets. I have had much better success with large ones. I hate to admit but I may look at high heat if my luck continues.
icon_confused.gif
 
Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
Anyone else care to chime in and set me straight? I was under the impression that because the heat rises up the sides and around the water pan of the WSM the temp is hottest at the lid where it gathers and escapes out thru the lid vent. At least that has been my experience.
Click to expand...

This is one of life's great mysteries. Fortunately smoking isn't like baking so a 25 degree temp variance isn't fatal though I would certainly like to understand once and for all why the temps do differ by 25+ degrees consistenly.

Check out this thread if you want to make your hair hurt.
 
Originally posted by Christopher_C_ G:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Whiting:
Anyone else care to chime in and set me straight? I was under the impression that because the heat rises up the sides and around the water pan of the WSM the temp is hottest at the lid where it gathers and escapes out thru the lid vent. At least that has been my experience.
Click to expand...

This is one of life's great mysteries. Fortunately smoking isn't like baking so a 25 degree temp variance isn't fatal though I would certainly like to understand once and for all why the temps do differ by 25+ degrees consistenly.

Check out this thread if you want to make your hair hurt. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I am not sure I have enough hair to chance making it hurt. I would hate to lose any more.
icon_eek.gif
 
Originally posted by Glenn W:
Ha, I know what you mean! Im on a 60% success rate on briskets! Only sharing what I have experienced thus far. What I meant about continued cooking is not rising temp but staying the same for quite some time, which IMO is what makes it tender/ time at temp=doneness.

Just my 2 cents.

I think I am done for awhile with small briskets. I have had much better success with large ones. I hate to admit but I may look at high heat if my luck continues.
icon_confused.gif
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I can't get packers easily (or really at all) so I'm sort of stuck with flats. This piece of meat was by far the most promising. CAB, good thickness, nice fat cap. I hoped this would be my lucky day.

I just checked again and it is definitely loosening up. The fork went in like butter in a few spots but I still felt some slight resistance in the thicker parts. I'm going to let it go until 8pm EST then pull. Will let rest for at least an hour then slice. The bark still looks decent though not as firm as I would like.
 
take pics if you can Christopher. Nothing is better then looking at a nicely cooked Brisket. Best of luck with yours, I am sure this one will be a winner.
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Not sure I would slice up tonight if your not going to eat it tonight. Unless you are going to use sauce with it for sammies or whatever!
 
Originally posted by Glenn W:
Not sure I would slice up tonight if your not going to eat it tonight. Unless you are going to use sauce with it for sammies or whatever!
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So you think I should leave intact until tomorrow? Wrap in foil and put in large tupperware? I would more than likely add sauce tomorrow regardless.

I'm dying to at least taste it tonight. I've got to at least cut myself a few slices for a late night snack!

I will snap a few pics when I unwrap to slice. The suspense is killing me.
 
Ok, here is what I would do: cut off and cube up the burnt ends and put in ziploc for burnt end sammies (warmed up in a pot w/ur favorite bbq sauce and then wrap with ur favorite bread/GOOD STUFF) and slice you off a couple pieces after it has rested for at least 1-1.5hrs then tent till it cools down some and tight wrap in foil and put in fridge!

Let us know how it tastes!
 
Originally posted by Glenn W:
Ok, here is what I would do: cut off and cube up the burnt ends and put in ziploc for burnt end sammies (warmed up in a pot w/ur favorite bbq sauce and then wrap with ur favorite bread/GOOD STUFF) and slice you off a couple pieces after it has rested for at least 1-1.5hrs then tent till it cools down some and tight wrap in foil and put in fridge!

Let us know how it tastes!
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Sounds like a plan.

So for tomorrow when I want to slice the rest how do you suggest I re-heat?
 
I usually use a sharp knife or an electric knife and slice only what were gonna eat! IMHO keeping the meat whole lets it stay fresh and juicy longer.
 
Originally posted by Glenn W:
I usually use a sharp knife or an electric knife and slice only what were gonna eat! IMHO keeping the meat whole lets it stay fresh and juicy longer.
Click to expand...

Makes sense. But how do you reheat? In the oven at 250 for 30 min spritzed with some apple juice or beef broth?
 
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