Brisket


 
L

Les Stubby

TVWBB Fan
Have had my WSM for a bit, and thinking about a brisket. I tried one on my weber kettle and it was a disaster-think I pulled it to quickly. Now I have thermometer, etc. and am looking fowward to a success. My question is, is it necessary or easier to cook a packer or can I just try a flat? If cooking only a flat, is it more critical to foil at the end? Any help will be appreciated.

Les Stubby
 
Click on Cooking Topics URL

Scroll down to Beef and you'll find the brisket topics.

There's also a brisket section at EGullett Smoking At Home about 75% of the way down.

I've cooked a 12 pound packer with no problems. Just orient the brisket and stuff it down between the top rack handles and it will shrink to fit as it cooks. Never foiled and never heard a complaint.

Brisket is actually relatively easy on the WSM especially compared to the kettle. You shouldn't have many problems, so just go for it. Good luck.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Les Stubby:
My question is, is it necessary or easier to cook a packer or can I just try a flat? If cooking only a flat, is it more critical to foil at the end? Any help will be appreciated.

Les Stubby </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Les, 90% of my brisket cooks are flats since I do not like the point meat. You can foil if you wish at 170. If you go the flat route make sure it has a decent fat cap on it and place the brisket fat side down for the cook. If foiling during the cook then place fat cap up once in the foil for the remainder of the cook. If you don't foil during the cook, make sure the fat cap is up after foiling for the 1-2 hr rest in the cooler before slicing.
 
I have done 2 brisket flats exactly as Bryan described....just the flat purchased at BJ's, both were in the 5-6 pound range. Each had a good 1/4" fat cap (maybe more) which I DID NOT trim. I trimmed the sides but not the cap on top. I dry rubbed it. I placed it fat cap down on the top rack and I never foiled or turned it or mopped it. Just let it cook to internal of 185 I think it was.

The last time I put it in a smaller dry cooler fat cap UP after double wrapping in foil, piled all the newspaper I could find on top of it, then filled the rest of the cooler with crappy bath towels and I left the Maverick probe in the meat. It was still at internal temp of 150 three hours later when I removed it.

When I sliced it up, I did have to trim some remaining fat which did not totally melt away, but that was no big deal. With sides, those 5-6 pounders would probably feed 8-10 people at my house, we had 6 people last time and still had almost 1/2 left over.

I've never done the full packer, but I might try one and use the point in some chili.
 
Just called Sam's and they said they have brisket at $3.00 per pound-is that good, bad, or average. They should be about the cheapest in town.

Les Stubby
 
At Sam's that might be just for a flat. We bought a point (that we thought was a mis-marked flat) for less than that. It was still very good.

Saw whole brisket in Walmart today for $1.68 and that seems to be their regular price around here.
 
Les,
I never did look at the price per pound on two that I bought at BJs. I do remember them being around $15 though so ya, I guess I probably paid about $3 per pound for just flat.
 
3 bucks a lb for a trimmed flat is a good price. You can usually buy the entire packer for around the same price. Here, the flats are actually about 10 dollars more than the whole packers. It blows my mind, but I guess some people prefer the flats only. I checked prices today and found an untrimmed packer for 1.7? per lb. I think it was around 12 lbs and 20 bucks for the entire thing. Not bad at all!

Good luck! Briskets are not as fool proof as butts, but they're still pretty easy if you go by the book.
 
Just picked up a brisket and it's 6 pounds, which means it should take 9 hours, more or less (pardon the pun). Can I cut it into 2 pieces and freeze half or will that affect the outcome. Tomorrow is the day.

Les
 
Beautiful sunny afternoon-75 and blue skies. Got the brisket on about 9:30 this morning. My father always used to say that any fool could ready directions, so naturally I used a bit of poetic license with the minion method and I fought the fire for an hour before I could get the brisket on. Has been on now for four hours or so and is holding at 142 degrees. Have to leave in an hour for a two hour airport run-hope I can juggle things around and still be able to foil-might have to skip that step.

Les
 
Ten hours now, it's 7:15 and we juist reached 165. Time to foil and kick the temperature up a ibt in hopes of eating before midnight. Will report tomorrow on outcome. It's only a six pound flat, but double checked temps with alternate thermometers and readings are accruate. Not pulling it until we reach 195. Maybe ham sandwiches for dinner.

Les
 
When the temp reaches mid-upper 180s start checking it. When a probe inserts with little to no resistance--irrespective of temps--remove the brisket and rest it, 20-30 min is adequate.
 
I foiled at 165 and kicked the cooker up to about 300 as recommended in another post (or recipe). Pulled at 195 and let sit. It was very tasty and tender, but I think, overcooked.
Suggestions? Back to the drawing board.

Les
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Suggestions? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sure. Read the post immediately above your last one.
 
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