Brisket Help - WSM 18.5"


 
P

PMcArthur

New member
Hello everybody! I am a new WSM 18.5" owner living in South Texas. I have used the smoker three times and I love it already. I have had a great first trial run on pork ribs. Although the brisket has great flavor, it is not fork tender and was hoping for some input from the WSM veterans.

Here are the inputs for my cook:

18.5" WSM
8.25 lb trimmed brisket
8 hour smoke
Average of 250 degrees (ranging between 225 -265)
Took the brisket out with an internal temperature = 195
Wrapped in foil for the last hour, brisket rested in cooler wrapped for 1.5 hours
Salt/pepper rub
Pecan wood chunks and Kingsford coal (Minion Method)
Fat side up

I am guessing that I need to wrap the brisket earlier. I noticed that the Virtual Bullet smoker website recommends finishing off the brisket in the oven, but is that really necessary if I can maintain the temperature? Thanks for your help, I would like to be ready for the Super Bowl.
 
Howdy. Welcome to the family.

On the foiling question... there are 2 'types' of foiling. One that is used during the cooking process and one afterwards for holding. If you're talking about foiling during the cook, may I suggest that you check if the bark has fully set and you are in the stall. Then it's ok to foil. If you're talking about foiling after the cook, make sure to allow the brisket to cool to below the cooking temperature (approx 170 degF) before foiling.

Looks like yours might have been a brisket flat rather than a whole packer (based on the weight info only). I can't speak to only the flat. But what is important no matter if a full packer or a flat is that you pull it off the smoker once it reaches the tenderness stage, not at any specific internal temperature or time.

Because the WSM heats from below, fat side down seems to work the best. Helps protect the meat, if you will.

You could finish it in the oven, but like you question... why. Too much fun doing it all on the WSM.

Again, Welcome to the Family ! Wishing you BBQ Enjoyment and Great Eats !
 
Very good advice, Bob...

With mine, I typically foil around 160 or the color I like, whatever comes first. When I foil, I put the meat in a foil pan, dump in a beer and my mix of beef broth, apple juice and some rub. I'll always cook it "to feel" which is typically past 190. By "feel," I mean not looking at the temperature reading, but seeing how the probe pulls out and goes in. Should be like butter, with little to no resistance.

When done, I'll pull the meat in the pan, let it rest for a while and then slice her up. I also only slice what I need to serve, rather than all at once. Once I slice a piece, I'll dip it in the juices from the pan, just to add some flavor.

The next one, I'd let her go a bit longer maybe and keep it moist.

A couple questions though:

Did you have water in the pan? - I run mine dry...

We you sure to slice against the grain?

How thick were your slices? If I have one that's not the texture I like, I end up slicing it thinner...

Good luck!
 
Like the others said, get rid of that temp probe and check for done by feel not temperature. Only temperature you should care about is the cooker temp.
 
I always wrap mine in that 160-165 mark. Like others I wrap it with some sort of liquid. I start checking for tenderness about 190 but it may go 205 before it is like butter on probe test. I too cook dry with no water in pan.
 
So it looks like based on the comments that I pulled the meat too early. If the brisket is not tender to the touch, do I continue to cook it beyond an internal temperature of 205? Or do you pull brisket once it hits 205 no matter what?

The brisket was point and flat, just trimmed to 1/4". Slices were against the grain - big pencil point and little pencil for the flat, using the Texas Turn.

Thanks for the input, this great advice.
 
What Derrick said. Finished product should be check by tenderness not temp. It takes a few times but you'll get it.
 
It's tough to get at first, but once you do, it's great... I have some that are tender on a probe at 190 and others over 200.

Sometimes you'll get one that's super moist and tender on one side and not there on the other. I have never had two brisket cooks the same.

CM
 
It's done when it's done...I can't remember not ever having one not hit tenderness by 205. Maybe 208 once. Again as hard as it is disregard temps. I use 190 as a place to start checking but from there it is strictly probe test.
 
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