Brisket - Good Days, Bad Days - This was NFG


 
A

Adrian Vom Willemstad K-9

New member
Have to post the results of this one. Which is NFG (No Friggin Good)

I was making some tests with these briskets and I knew that it could be great or just bad.


I had 2 briskets. 8 LBS each. Flat Cut. Rubbed them down with Basic BBQ rub. Got the WSM going last night and had them on at 1:00am. The temps were steady all night. My target was 225-235. Which I held on the remote therms.

Placed them fat side up. Then 7 hours later I turned them and placed bacon on top of each on. I sprayed them both with apple juice throughout the cook. Maybe about 5-7 times...

20 hours later the internal temps were only in the upper 170's. I had to light some kingsford - about 25 and added them. This was about 4:00pm. All along the temps were great. But the internal temp did not move much. I took them both off at 9:30pm about 20-21 hours later. Internal temp was 180. Wrapped them both in foil and in the cooler for an hour or so. Well, you already know the rest. It was very dry. It was tender. But dry. NFG!

All the therms are working. Just finished testing them. I did this cook with the BBQ Guru hooked up. Water pan was always full.

What should I have done?

Why do you think it may have taken so long?

What can I do to save this now so that we can at least make something from it?

Comments, ideas, and suggestions PLEASE...


--Adrian


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Guru and water pan was always full? I don't think you should use water and a Guru. I don't have one but I do have the Pitminder and have only used foil in the water pan.
 
I agree -- get rid of the water with the Guru. Second thing is that Jim Minion recommends cooking the brisket fat side down then rest fat side up. So far, fat side down has worked well for me. I also followed Jim's advice to put the bacon on the grate under the brisket and I threw a few slices on top.

The Christmas brisket cook (using Guru) with three small flats had the flat on the bottom finish up in under 11 hours and the two on the top took another 4 hours. go figure.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Adrian de Visser:
See I knew that I should have read that. So just foil it off. That's it?

--Adrian </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I use about an inch of sand under the foil. I think that Shotgun Fred recommends several layers of crinkled foil in the pan.
 
8 pounder, 21 hours at those pit temps, the therm reading the internal is off. At those pit temps 12 hours would have been a lot. My guess is it was tender at 12 to 13 hours.
Jim
 
Did you try re-positioning the meat therm to insure good contact. I've found that if you place the meat therm in at the beginning of a cook, that sometimes the shrinkage of the meat prevents good contact to the probe. I usually wait several hours before inserting the meat therm.

I also check periodically with a Thermopen just 'cause I am always nervous about overcooking. Keep in mind that temp is not the only method of telling when a piece of meat is done. If the probe or a fork slides in like the meat was butter, then it's done regardless of what the therm says.

You can always chop up the meat for beans, chili, or add some sauce for sammies. Its still gonna taste great !!!!!

Al
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim Minion:
8 pounder, 21 hours at those pit temps, the therm reading the internal is off. At those pit temps 12 hours would have been a lot. My guess is it was tender at 12 to 13 hours.
Jim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That was (2) 8 pounders. So it will have still been 12-13 hours?

Crinkled foil? Just place some right in the pan? Like balls? Flat?


--Adrian
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">That was (2) 8 pounders. So it will have still been 12-13 hours? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes Adrian.
 
There is a discussion on this somewhere, but the answer on the foil was to use 5 or so crinkled sheets flattened out. The idea was to create an air space.
 
I crinkle up 4 or 5 sheets so they cover the bottom of the water pan real well. Then I cover the top of the pan with a sheet to cover and catch the drippings.
 
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