Brisket Flat cook today-Dry and not much bark


 
K

KenB

TVWBB Fan
Was going to cook some ribs and a pork shoulder today but found a 6 pound brisket flat in the freezer that the wife wanted to cook this week. I figured what the heck and why not try smoking it. I wasn't expecting the best since I heard it's not the easiest meat to cook right, especially for a beginner.

Fired up the wsm witha full load and added 30 lit coals and a couple of apple chunks. Rubbed the brisket flat with salt and pepper on both sides. The flat had a nice fat cap which I did not trim. Got the smoker to 250 on the lid thermometer and put the flat on the top grate fat cap down. Brisket was smoked at 250 for 4 hours and checked for meat temp. Meat temp was 175 and not rising so I wrapped in foil with some beef broth. When I looked at the brisket before wrapping it had almost no bark. Cooked until the temp reached 200 and pulled the brisket and rested for 30 minutes. Brisket was cooked for a total of 7.5 hours. The probe had slight resistance when pushed into the thickest part of the meat. Sliced the brisket and it was dry but edible. Almost seemed over cooked. Can anyone give me some reason why the meat was so dry and minimal bark?
 
If it was dry and crumbly it was overcooked. If it was dry and a bit tough it was undercooked.
 
After cooking a few, I've come to the personal conclusion that brisket doesn't like low dry heat; 225 to 250°F. It likes moist medium heat; braising at 325 to 375°F. I've followed the "High Heat" method (higher than usual for BBQ but really medium heat by definition) on a few with spectacular results in half the time.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket4.html

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?7188-High-Heat-Brisket-Method-A-Compilation

I also believe bark is developed from the rub. SPOG doesn't produce like a rub with sugar in it.

Maybe it's just me...
 
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The meat was dry and tough. Will bark be created with a good rub if I use a waterpan? Will the cooker get 325-375 with a waterpan? If I don't use the waterpan, how do I get moist heat?
 
Kenb, this was a 17 pounder which cooked 12:40 at around 245. It was rubbed down heavily with salt and pepper and lightly with garlic and onion powder and injected with beef broth. I cooked unwrapped the entire time and until the probe went in with very little or no resistance. No water in the water pan, just foiled it.


 
I cook em below 250 with a dry foiled pan, usually takes 14 - 16 hours for a ~12 lb packer, I only use SPOG for a rub, they look like a meteorite when they come out of the WSM and they are succulent.
Everyone has to find their own way, I like to have my BBQ for lunch and I like sleeping through the night so the extended cook times work for me.
 
Dwain Pannell said:
After cooking a few, I've come to the personal conclusion that brisket doesn't like low dry heat; 225 to 250°F. It likes moist medium heat; braising at 325 to 375°F. I've followed the "High Heat" method (higher than usual for BBQ but really medium heat by definition) on a few with spectacular results in half the time.

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/brisket4.html

http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?7188-High-Heat-Brisket-Method-A-Compilation

I also believe bark is developed from the rub. SPOG doesn't produce like a rub with sugar in it.

Maybe it's just me...
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Brisket just likes to be cooked until it's done, whether it's at 180 degree chamber temp (which takes forever), 225 (which takes a long time), or 350+ (which goes by relatively quickly).

Also, you can get plenty of bark just using SPOG.
 
Thanks to all for the advice.

Dean, that brisket is a thing of beauty and what I am striving for. You said you cooked unwrapped the entire time but then stated you foiled it. When did you foil it?
 
KenB said:
Thanks to all for the advice.

Dean, that brisket is a thing of beauty and what I am striving for. You said you cooked unwrapped the entire time but then stated you foiled it. When did you foil it?
Click to expand...
Foiled the empty water pan not the brisket.
 
KenB said:
Dean, did you baste the meat throughout the cook?
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Mopping shouldn't be necessary. I also cook unwrapped the whole time, although I use water in the pan.

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Cooking a flat is kind of hard to do without drying it out. Even if you cook it near perfectly the slices generally start drying as soon as you cut them. I'm a salt and pepper kind of guy. I generally get great bark. I also cook in the 225 to 250 range depending on where I can get the smoker happy. I haven't used water in a while. I've cooked wrapped, unwrapped, foil, butcher paper. Right now I'm playing with the butcher paper.

Bottom line on everything seems to be knowing when its done.
 
KenB said:
Dean, did you baste the meat throughout the cook?
Click to expand...

KenB, I did not baste at all.
1 – If the brisket is untrimmed trim it to your liking
2 – apply a light coat of oil or hvy mustard. I oil. At this stage I also inject with beef broth.
3 – season heavily with salt and pepper (my choice) or a rub
4 – put on smoker/kettle and let I settle in at or close to your desired temp. I don’t worry about a 25 degree or so fluctuation in temps as long as it does not get too low
5 – do not open the cooker until the brisket reaches 165 or so if you are going to wrap or 185 or so if you don’t wrap. Either way start probing for tenderness at 185 or so IT. At this point forget about the IT and cook until the probe slides into the meat with little or no resistance. The IT to achieve the desired tenderness can be quite different from one brisket to the other.
6 – allow enough cooking time to be able to let the brisket sit on the counter top and cool to 170 or so to stop the cooking at which time you need to wrap it and let sit an hour or two in a 170 degree oven or in a closed cooler with a couple of towels covering it.
7 – slice against the grain and enjoy

Notes;
Don’t overthink/worry about it. Its easy
Don’t use too much wood thereby over smoking the meat. This has not been a problem for me regardless of how much wood I’ve used since going to cooking with charcoal. This can be a real problem when cooking with all wood
As stated above start checking for tenderness at the appropriate IT to avoid under cooking or over cooking.
I generally do large briskets and cook overnight while I sleep. I don’t set any temperature alarms meaning whatever happens just happens and they always come out good. Some better than others but always at least good. Short of a break in or the house being on fire I aint getting up in the middle of the night especially for a cook. I’m trying to have fun here.
I do prefer choice or prime grade meat although I've cooked plenty of outstanding select grade briskets.
So relax and get after it and at all cost have fun.
 
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Get a digital thermometer. The thermometer in the dome is not accurate. Mine is off anywhere from 30-50°
 
I prefer packers over flats because I like the brisket point better than the brisket flat but I have done a couple of flats and didn't change my cooking method.
Whether the flat is cooked separately or as part of the packer it still starts to dry out as soon as it's sliced, just the nature of the beast.
 
Mike Cout, great looking brisket!

Dustin and Charles, thanks for the great advice.

Dean, I will follow your cooking procedure next time I cook a brisket. Your procedure seems straightforward.

Jeffery, I cannot find a packer anywhere and my butchers prices on a packer are unreasonable( he has to special order it).

S.Six, I just ordered a digital from Amazon. Do you find the temp of the dome thermometer is 30-50 degrees above or below the grate temperature?

Thanks again to all for the great advice.
 
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