Brisket help...


 
R

RKruger

TVWBB Member
Help! After mentioning a very successful high heat brisket I made I got elected to cook for New Year’s Eve. What I failed to mention was the 5 others that I have done would be fine candidates for shoe leather… (All done low and slow – but obviously wrong).
To make things more complex the wife brought home (1) 7lbs and (2) 2.5lbs flats.
1. I plan to use the high heat method.
2. Should I put the 2 pounders on the top grate or the 7 pounder?
3. I am planning to cook them tonight and then reheat them tomorrow should I rapid cool them? Or would I stand a better chance cooking them tomorrow and just holding them wrapped in a cooler?
 
Welcome RK!

IMO, I'd put the larger flat on top. The top rack is going to be a little bit hotter. Monitor that flat for temps. Since you're just cooking flats, I'd recommend foiling a little earlier; say around 150*. What you lose on bark formation, you gain on moisture content.

As far as the cooling and holding vs cooking tomorrow; it really depends on your schedule. Flats will hold very well foiled and toweled in a cooler (like a few hours).

Don't stress; just basically copy your last brisket and these too will be 'very successful'.

Paul
 
Thanks! I’ve been trolling this web site for 2 years now and absolutely love reading the techniques of the experts. I’m glad I tried the high heat method as this produced my only brisket success.
What smoke wood would you recommend for a brisket? I have mesquite, hickory, and apple on hand.
 
Bob,

For the shorter smoke, you could use any of the wood on hand. Hickory is a natural with pork, apple is great with poultry and pork. Mesquite is stronger and I've grilled over it, but never used it to smoke with. You might try a 50-50 combo of hickory and apple. Let us know how it turns out.

Paul
 
Bob,

Good luck with the brisket. I agree with Paul on the larger on top. You can foil all of them at the 2 hours mark (or when they are b/w 160 and 165*). You will probably pull the smaller ones first. Look for the feeling of the probe going through room temp. butter for the feeling of doneness (instead of internal temp). Either way they will probably take between 4 and 4 1/2 hours if you smoke them at 350*. Remember, there will be a good deal of juice contained in the foil when you pull them (makes a great base for sauce!).

I strongly recommend making them the day you serve them and keep them foil-wrapped, then blanket wrapped in a pre-warmed cooler. That way, it's one less thing that can go wrong. If you have to reheat them, do you have a food saver? If so, you you can rapid cool them, seal them (don't slice), refrigerate and bring back to hot by simmering them in the vacuum bag in a pot for about 30 to 40 minutes. Dry the bags, then keep them foil-wrapped in the vacuum bags, in a blanket-wrapped cooler until ready to serve.

For wood, I'd stay away from mesquite. In fact, if it was me, I'd go only apple.

Enjoy your New Year!

-Mike
 
You can also stack the two small briskets fat to fat. I have used this method several times in my pit, when cooking for very large groups. After a couple of hours of smoke ring formation, you can reverse them, but it will give you a thicker mass of meat to cook nearer in time to the big flat. You can wrap the two together in foil as well. Good luck. Woodman
 
Thanks for all the info. I have decided to wait until tomorrow for this cook. I have plenty of hickory and apple wood however, the apple wood is all chips. When using chips should I use a handful of chips to represent a chunk or should I evenly spread them through the charcoal?
 
If i were to only have chips available I would wrap a handful in two layers foil w/ like 2 or 3 holes pokes in it, I would call one foil ball.. one "chunk". I've tried this before and it works, but I do (probably like you) like chunks better. hope that helps also.
 
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Small one at 155deg. smoker at 310 and holding. Guests due in 2.5 hrs...
 
Thank You All! The brisket was a good success. I had a bit of a hard time getting the temps up due to the high wind. I added coals and the lid temp went from 275 to 450 in really short order, so I caramelized the rub a bit (the briskets were foiled at this time). However, everyone said they liked it and most of the people said it was the best they ever had. It came out tender and reasonably moist. I am looking forward to making another and avoiding a few mistakes that I made. Next time I’ll really knock there socks off!
 
Looking for some help. I have a 6.5 lb flat that has been on for 8 hours temp reads 180 but does not feel tender. Probe does not slide in easly any advise. Temp has been a consistant 225-250. closer to 250
 
Jarrod, doesn't sound like she's done. My advice, keep her on and keep checking for fork tenderness every hour. I only use temp as a guide to start checking for tenders, not as an indicator of when shes done. My .02
 
i've had briskits not get as tender as others before and found out the hard way while waiting on them, don't know why. I prefer the bark of a low and slow, and in general prefer cooking low/slow (235-250) but I would probably prefer the consistency of a high heat cook, (from what I hear anyway) but im stubborn and never have yet. I'll go out on a limb here and say it may not be the greatest but im sure edible, i've been there, but another GOOD chance and MOST of the time she could be tender as hell and delecious in about an hour! let us know!
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