Brisket Help


 
T

Tom Chips

TVWBB All-Star
I've been reading this forum for a while, and figured its time to jump in and pick some brains. I appriciate any replys.

I have had great sucess with my pork butt using a flower pot style smoker ( don't start throwing the rotten vegetables yet ) I will probably break down and get a Webber Bullet soon as well. But for now I am very happy with what I have.

The problem comes to my brisket. I made one yesterday, 11 hours on a steady 230 degree heat, using hickory. I have read a few of the posts about basting, and think that might be my missing link. My flavor was good, but the meat was so dry, I will end up using it in beans or chili.

Judging by the rest of the cumilative experience from this forum, I would benefit from any advice.

Do most of you routinely baste your brisket? And has anyone just stuck with adding liquid to the water basin? Or both?

Thanks again
 
I don't baste and I doubt many here do.

Some details: What size brisket? Packer or flat? What internal temp did you take it to?

Basting will not make meat juicy.

And jump in anytime!
 
Thank you! I have been busy strolling thru all the 269 pages here, looking at different methods.

I was curious to see how many people baste. The brisket was a 10 lb packer, I took it to 180, pulled it, thinking I was done(rookie) and wrapped it in foil as it cooled down. A quick call to Dad, reminding me I should take it to at least 190 or fork tender, I went back out and threw it back on, foiled. I let it come to 199 before I took it off.

I have used this smoker for mostly pork butt, and I always get a great smoke ring and good moisture, since its good at keeping the heat steady and moist.

I got back today from restocking on more brisket, this ones 11 lb packer as well, select.

I think I will try to put this next one on here at about 2 am, and I will put some apple juice in the water pan I fashioned as a drip pan and see what that does.

I just wonder about the whole foiling method. I dont want it to dry out, but I dont want my nice bark to become soft and mushy either. I appriciate anyone throwing their hat in the ring on this one.
 
Tom,

I have not had a dry brisket since I started foiling. I know some folks say it's a crutch but I think of it as a tool. I sell my Q so I need consistancy and the foil gives me that.

I cook packers,as well as flats, fat side down to protect from the drying effects of the heat coming from below. I take the meat to 165°-170° taken in the middle of the flat then, if it's a packer, I separate the point to put back on the smoker, naked, for burnt ends and wrap the flat in foil with a little beef broth mixed with some bbq sauce.Then it's back on the smoker till the temp hits 190°-195°. Pull and place in a dry cooler wrapped in several towels, fat side up for 2-4 hours. Slice and enjoy.

Oh, by the way putting apple juice in your pan wont give you much except hot apple juice.

Al
 
FWIW,When I want sliced beef,I cook flats only. Do it pretty much the same way already described above. Fat side down, foil at 160 and pull about 195+or-a few degrees. Double wrap in HD foil and rest in a cooler wrapped in towels fat side up for about four hours.
If I want pulled or shredded beef I do beef shoulders the same way. Remove from cooler to a shallow pan and unwrap. This will save the juices. Pull the beef in the pan. Mix with the juices. Serve and listen to the people say WOW.
 
The apple juice got pitched out at about 1 AM. My chamber temps were only 200 degrees. I just fliped the brisket at 8, and restoked the hickory.

I am going to follow your suggestion Al, and foil it, and let it rest. I know the last time, I didn't rest it very long, and I was carving into it rather early. Thank you.

I think Im just going to step up to the plate and get a WSM, or a BGE, I need to weigh my options. I spent 4 hours on here last night, and from what I gathered, the WSM is near impossible to beat, especially for the money.

Comparing my last brisket with this one, its apparent there is literally 4 times the fat cap on the second one. It extends almost all the way to the end. One of my many mistakes was to put that first one on, fat side up. I Also realized how important it is to get the right shape and quality, thanks to the Brisket Bible post by Keri C/ Danny Gaulden.
 
If you want a better bark..

Foil at about 160, pull it out of the foil at 190 (save any liquid in the foil) and put it back in the smoker till 195. That should tighten up the bark for you.

BUT, I hate to tell you, there are as many different ways of doing brisket as there are cooks. Listen to everyone but experiment and use your own method.
 
Thanks Steve, thats what I'm going to try.

Pending the outcome of this brisket, and possibly one more later on in the week, I'll decide if ditching the flower pot method and going to a WSM is in the cards.

Like I mentioned before, I can't fault it for the way it turns out great pork butt and ribs. I am chalking up most of my difficulties to operator error.... I wasn't expecting miracles with my first attempt at brisket. So we'll see.

Thanks again everyone, and keep em coming!
 
The past few months I have been cooking brisket just about every week. I finally stopped using a thermometer at all on my brisket. I know roughly how long it takes roughly to finish. I start checking with with a BBQ fork. When it slides through like butter I take it off. I have noticed that brisket is more moist than going by temp like I used to do.

I have been reading this over the years it just took me a while to adopt and understand. IMO doing this will greatly improve your results.
 
Here's what I ended up with.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a179/chipsth/firstbrisket.jpg

It started out at 11 pounds and finished at 7. It was on the smoker for 14 hours. I'm not too thrilled with the miniscule smoke ring. But it has a good smokey flavor, its much more tender than the last one, and I let it rest 3 hours before carving into it.

I didn't pull it and foil it like I had planned. I had mentioned that I was going to follow the general advice here and foil it at 160, and bring it to 195. But when I realized the probe was in the fatty point rather than the flat, reading 160, the flat was already 190. I didn't foil it till taking it off. But if got ahead of me and finished at 198.

The slices seen in the photo are now rather dry, after eating them at near room temp. And there still a bit chewy.

I'll make one more attempt in a week or so, once I consume some of this batch. If I dont get better results then, its going to be replaced with a WSM
 
Ya or just move to Austin!! We have all of the smoked brisket you want!
 
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