Brisket & Butt Cook


 
C

ChristopherCG

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I will be attempting my first ever butt over brisket cook tomorrow night. I found a local butcher that is hooking me up with a whole brisket and 6.5 lb pork butt.

Most seem to recommend cooking the butt on top and letting the juices baste the brisket down below. The butcher said the brisket is huge, like 15 lbs. He said he'd cut it down to fit on my 18.5 inch WSM but it may still be closer to 10 lbs.

Should I put the brisket on earlier? a 6-7 lb butt usually takes be about 10 hours at 235*. Briskets usually seem to take longer. I'm not expecting guests until later in the day so I have plenty of time. I was going to get started tomorrow night around 10pm. Hopefully get the meat on by 11p and off to bed by 12:30a.

I'm struggling trying to work out the timing here. Any help would be appreciated.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">He said he'd cut it down to fit on my 18.5 inch WSM but it may still be closer to 10 lbs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
No, no, no! Don't let him ruin it. It'll fit fine.

I don't do mixed meat cooks but I'd likely put them on at the same time. The butt can rest while the brisket finishes, should it finish sooner.

If scheduling is an issue you certainly could start the brisket a bit sooner - but I wouldn't were it me if I could avoid it.
 
Depends on how much "later in the day" your guests arrive.

I'd be a little concerned about the brisket drying out.

Since butts held wrapped in towels and placed in a cooler will keep for hours, I'd just started them at the same time. If the brisket takes longer, okay.

EDIT: Yeah, like KK says.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">He said he'd cut it down to fit on my 18.5 inch WSM but it may still be closer to 10 lbs. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
No, no, no! Don't let him ruin it. It'll fit fine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I wasn't sure if it would fit. If it does, great. He said he'd measure it for me to make sure. I have a food saver now so I will likely be storing a lot of leftovers. I guess I will put them on at the same time just to keep things simple. I'll put the Maverick in the pork butt since that will be done first then move to the brisket later on.
 
I would tell him not to cut it, were it me. He should know - and apparently doesn't - that the brisket will shrink substantially. I've done larger briskets than that no problem - as have many others here.

You simply have to bow the brisket up in the middle. On the upper rack one simply wedges it between the handles. On the lower you can drape it over something - wadded it foil is what I usually use - being careful to protect the ends that extend over the grate edges. I put foil under them to deflect the heat. Alternatively you can put fat trimmings under them. (I don't trim so not an option for me.) The brisket will shrink substantially and when this occurs simply remove the prop. (You can do this with long tongs through the access door or just lift off the butt on its grate, lift the brisket slightly, remove the prop, replace all - done.)

Whatever you do, have a great cook.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
I would tell him not to cut it, were it me. He should know - and apparently doesn't - that the brisket will shrink substantially. I've done larger briskets than that no problem - as have many others here.

You simply have to bow the brisket up in the middle. On the upper rack one simply wedges it between the handles. On the lower you can drape it over something - wadded it foil is what I usually use - being careful to protect the ends that extend over the grate edges. I put foil under them to deflect the heat. Alternatively you can put fat trimmings under them. (I don't trim so not an option for me.) The brisket will shrink substantially and when this occurs simply remove the prop. (You can do this with long tongs through the access door or just lift off the butt on its grate, lift the brisket slightly, remove the prop, replace all - done.)

Whatever you do, have a great cook. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

He did not suggest cutting it down. It was my hesitation on the phone wondering if a 16lb brisket would fit (even with tucking it under the handles) on my 18.5 inch WSM. He offered to oblige if I was reluctant. I'll be picking it up later today so I'll have a better idea once I see it.

This ought to be interesting. I've never cooked a whole brisket before so I'm a little nervous about slicing it and dealing with the point. I've been studying up but there is almost too many different opinions. Hard to really know which technique will work for me.
 
Ah, okay.

On the other front: There are many opinions because there are many ways that work - so keep that it mind and let it calm your trepidation.

The operative concern should be not overcooking. If you're temping, temp the middle of the flat (not the middle of the brisket). For low/slow cooks I suggest checking for tender in the mid- or upper-180s to get a feel for things. No need to poke all over (and ignore the point entirely); simply pick a spot in the middle of the flat (you can insert the probe from the side or the top) and feel how it goes in. When the brisket is tender it will feel tender. i.e., the probe will go in with little to no resistance.

A couple or three points:

Once you start checking for tender internal temps don't matter at all so feel free to ignore them and/or shut off the probe.

If the probe goes in with substantial resistance feel free to wait 30 or 40 minutes before checking again. If there doesn't seem to be a whole lot check again sooner, maybe in 15 or 20. Repeat as needed.

Don't overthink it too much. Feel what it feels like. If the probe goes in with little resistance but you're unsure if you should go longer go 15 more and give it another shot. If still not sure you can pull the brisket, wrap and rest, and let residual cooking even things out.

Me, I leave the point alone and after serving the flat, cool then freeze it for future use. Others prefer the burnt end route and will separate the two after cooking, returning the point to the cooker for further cooking while the flat rests.

When I used to low/slow packers I didn't foil during cooking. You can though, if you wish. Keep it as an option, anyway, should you want to speed the cook up a bit, say, after the butt comes off. Your choice.
 
Thanks Ken. All the opinions are great it just makes it hard for rookies to know which way to go. I've cooked about 4 briskets and each has been better than the last. However all have been smallish flats. I'm anxious to try the whole packer.

Logic would seem to dictate that separating the flat and point would make sense once the flat has reached fork tender. If I decide to separate and return the point for burnt ends how much longer should I cook it? What's my guide as to when it's done and ready for chopping?
 
If will be done when the flat is done, i.e., tender. But it will still be fatty. Just go till it renders to your liking. Most go an hour or two.
 
Good Luck on the Brisket Chris. I've never done one myself personally - maybe some day.

That cut of meat and the size has always seemed a bit intimidating.
 
I just got back from the butcher. After he trimmed all the large sections of fat it came in at 11.5 lbs and about 18" so it ought to fit just barely.

After seeing a whole brisket in person for the first time I was surprised at how small the point is. For some reason I was expecting it to be more like 50/50 but it seems more like 80/20.

I'm figuring on a 15+ hour cook for the brisket so I may get started around 8pm tonight. Get the brisket on by 9pm and then the butt around 11pm. Gonna be a long night.
 
Christopher, I would suggest that cooking time for the brisket may be closer to 1hr/lb. Your overall cooking temp will determine that . If you go L&S. The only reason I mention it is because I did a packer about the same size as yours and thought 15hrs with a 4 hrs rest. The guests weren't coming till about 5:30pm. Well mine was done in about 12hrs, held for 4 hrs and then still had a few hrs till dinner. I ended up rapidly cooling in ice and then a couple hrs later had to reheat. Would have been a lot easier if I could have skipped that cooling process. Of course the fact that my beagle found the cooler and ate 1/2 the point was just an incidental.
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Try to get some sleep. Set the Maverik alarms. The temps should even out after 2-3 hrs. Easy for me to say. I was awake every hr on my first all nighter.

Mark
 
Bow it up in the center, if needed, and it should fit. Remember to protect the parts at the grill edge and beyond from the direct heat from below.

I'm with Mark. I never had a brisket go more than 1:15 or :20 when I used to low/slow. Many at just over an hour. It depends on temps though. I'd start them at the same time, were it me.
 
The few flats I've cooked have always taken closer to 1.5 hours per pound. Does a whole brisket tend to cook faster? I think I cooked a 6 lb flat once for almost 11 hours. It just did not feel tender until then.

It will be easier to just start them both at the same time. I'm not cooking with any set dinner time. A lot of what I'm cooking will be frozen and given to friends (assuming it doesn't come out like crap).

Do you guys suggest foiling the brisket at any point? I've generally foiled around 170, added some beef broth and taken up to 190 or so. I'd prefer not to foil as I don't really want to mess with this monster but the flats I've cooked have always come out a bit dry. I do not foil the butts. Never felt the need.
 
Well, I'm underway. Got WSM around 250 then added brisket. It was not easy. It was so big it was practically touching the sidewalls. I foiled the ends and mashed it in there. It was really hard to see with the dark and all the smoke. Put the butt on a few minutes later.

Lid is showing about 240, upper grate about 215. I'm using Royal Oak Ultra 100 lump briquetts. I have had great results with it. We'll see how it goes.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Does a whole brisket tend to cook faster? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Size is relative. Smaller cooks slower per pound because of the rendering issue. (I'm not much of a 'time per pound' devotée.)

You can foil or not. I never foiled packers when I low/slowed. I am not a flat-only fan, but if you are going to cook flats I would suggest foiling at 165; 160 if overtrimmed, thin or both. Skip the broth - imo.
 
Well, made it through the night. Went to bed around midnight with lid showing 245 or so. Woke up at 3am and checked things. Lid was 250, grate was about 270. Went back to bed. Checked at 6am and the temps were the same. Pork butt was reading 181.I checked the brisket and it was around 185. I guess I missed my window to foil.

I'll probably pull the butt around 190-195. The brisket did not feel overly tender when I inserted the probe. It may need some more time. They will both be held in a cooler for several hours. Hope the brisket isn't dry. The bark on both look superb.

The pork butt was showing 189 about an hour ago now it's reading 186. I used my thermapen to double check and was getting wildy different readings depending on where I inserted it. Some were showing in the 170's other spots in the 180's. Brisket is still showing about 187 but probe went in a lot smoother.
 
I took the pork butt off. Seemed like it was done. Brisket is really close. The thinner part of the flat seems very, very tender. The probe slides right in. The thicker part I'm still feeling some resistance. The point section also feels very tender. Temp is reading 196 in the thickest part of the flat. I guess I'll let it go a bit longer.
 
You may consider pulling the brisket off and wrapping in foil and a towel in a cooler to finish off so it won't over cook.

JMO
 
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