Early A.M. Brisket Question


 

Stone

TVWBB Super Fan
I smoked a brisket last night -- mostly. I'm in NY, and it was about 40* outside most of the night. I'm using a 22", and ran low on charcoal. I went to sleep at 4 a.m., with an internal brisket temp of about 160*. When I woke up a little bit ago, the coals had died down, and my internal temps is about 130*. I'm going to finish it in a 350* oven. I assume I should still bring it up to 205* internal? The fact that it went up to 160* once and then yo-yo-'d a bit isn't going to change anything?

Thanks for the advice. This is my first smoke in about 3 years, and the cold weather is throwing me off a bit.
 
I would not shoot for an internal temp. I would cook till its probe tender in the center of the brisket where the point and flat meet.

The outside of the brisket will be hotter than the center. The outside gets done first. The point will get done sooner, because it has more fat and the meat is not as dense as the flat. So to determine doneness, that leaves the center where the point meets the flat.

I can't speak to the " yo-yo " , I've never experienced that.
 
I have done the same thing. i wrapped It (had good bark) and finished in the oven at 275F. Once done and sliced, did not noting anything different.

Hope that helps.
 
That’s what I did. Pulled it off a few hours later at 205* internal. It had to sit about 5 hours until dinner. I thought it wasn’t tender enough. Not sure if I should have left it in another 30 minutes, or if the long rest affected the texture.
 
That’s what I did. Pulled it off a few hours later at 205* internal. It had to sit about 5 hours until dinner. I thought it wasn’t tender enough. Not sure if I should have left it in another 30 minutes, or if the long rest affected the texture.

What part was not tender enough ?
 
The flat, although the point was also a little firm. Most people didn’t notice, it was still pretty good.
 
I have fallen asleep running my Offset like that many years ago. I also finished it to temperature rather than probe tender. Got pretty much the same result as Stone. :(

I sleep better these days . My brisket is done in a pellet grill these days.
 
I really prefer getting up a 5 AM and getting brisket on on early vs trying to run all night. Generally I take a nap (or get a big cup of coffee) after wrapping. At this point, if I'm low on charcoal or the weather has turned bad, I'll finish the cook in the oven. Once you've got bark set, btus are btus...
 

 

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