First attempt at Brisket...couple of questions


 
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David H

New member
I will be attempting a 6lb flat on the WSM this weekend. I will have the brisket on the bottom rack, below a 6 lb Boston Butt cooking on the top rack. A few questions:

(1) Do I need to marinate the brisket before the cook ? I am thinking that the basting help I get from the Boston Butt will help me with moisture in the brisket.

(2) Fat cap up, or fat cap down ? Wondering whether this matters given the Boston Butt that will be overhead.

(3) Wondering if there is a particular rub that is best for a Butt over Brisket cook ? I was planning on using the basic dry rub described by Chris on the front page.

Many thanks !!!!
 
No, you do not need to marignate the brisket before the cook. Marignating will do little to the meat, injection is a different story. I prefer fat cap down, this will be a shield from the heat coming up, plus the drippings for the butt will hit the meat. I have tried both but only do fat cap down now. I found much better results. As far as the rub for the brisket, use something to compliment the beef, not over power it. Salt/pepper/onion powder/garlic powder is great. Your butt will take much longer than a 6lb flat though.
 
David,

I'm a little on the lazy side...any way you can get both pieces of meat on the top shelf? Less hassle reaching into the brisket etc.

I can't remember the last time I cooked fat side up.

If your brisket is well trimmed, think about foiling after a couple hours or so and adding a little liquid to the foil. Helps keep the end product moist.

As for rub, can't beat Smokin' Guns Hot...for either brisket or butts. But if you don't have any around, I agree, that simple is great for brisket, salt/pepper/garlic powder, maybe a little chilie powder.

Have fun!!
 
Thanks for your responses.

One more question for the group...for sliced brisket I should be cooking to an internal temp of 188 - 190, correct ?
 
I cook to 195 internal, yeah its a "general" rule but never had a bad one at this temp. Id wrap at 165, pull it at 195 and let it rest for an hour at least, then cut against the grain. The brisket wont reseble itself when it was first put in, so I make a notch/cut at the very end piece against the grain, bout half way through the meat. Thaat cut will be visible after you pull it out, then cut the same way and slice up. Flats are more "sensitive" than whole briskets. oh yeah, forgot you had the butts on top to aid in the basting. I personally would cook to 195 though. But still let it reat in foil for 1 hr after your done.
 
Put my 6.5 lb brisket flat on at 8:30 am. internal temp has climed to 103* in just 30 minutes?

WSM lid temp is 250*

I was expecting a cook time of 1 hr or so per pound. Does brisket hit a lengthy plateau like boston butt does?

Thanks!
 
Yes it does...Also where are you sticking your probe? With Brisket you want to go more by the feel of your probe as its inserted into the meat.
 
Thanks Rick.Could you explain a bit more about going by the feel of the probe ? Right now the probe is inserted mid way in to the thickest part of the flat. One hour in to the cook the probe is showing internal temp of 133*

Thanks!

david
 
Brisket is one of those cuts of meat that many people prefer to judge its doneness by feel rather than by temp. When a brisket is done, the probe should slide into the meat like it is sliding into a warm stick of butter (softly, with very little resistance).

As for your temps - it'll jump in the first hour and then slow down. With a 250* lid temp your bottom grate is probably around 215-225*. The rise of the meats temp is not linear. As the meat rises towards the temp of the smoker, it'll slow down. Jumping from 40-140* during the first hour is quite normal. Now it's time to go do something else. It'll not only slow down, but may even lose a few degrees when it plateaus.

The fat-cap issue is one of those things that many still argue over. Through many cooks I've found that the fatcap on top does not make the meat any moister. Fat is one of those things that really doesn't penetrate the meat like some think. With fat-cap down it offers a layer of protection from the heat source. This is especially true for those that cook with a WSM and without water. The radiant heat can dry out the bottom of meat and that is where the fat-cap down method really shines.

Cooking a brisket under a butt is a great way to go. The drippings add a nice flavor layer. As for basting, that's a personal decision. I prefer to keep my cooks simple and choose to rub, cook and eat. I don't mop, inject, or anything else. I find mopping adds a layer of flavor, but does very little to keep the meat moist. This is something you'll need to experiment with to see what works for you.

All that aside, good luck on your first brisket cook. It's a tough cut that takes some time to master.
 
Thanks Russ. What a great forum.The advice from all of you is much appreciated.

Will definitely start looking for tenderness/feel when I get in the 180* range.

I have done a search (probably should have done that in the first place) for "brisket plateau" and have found some previous posts that have assured me that indeed temps will slow down.

Thanks again to all!
 
Brisket turned out good. I took it off the WSM at 190*, foiled it, and put it in a dry, warm cooler for about 1.5 hrs (fat cap up), then sliced it.

The middle (thicker) portion of the brisket seemed a little less moist than the outer edges, but I would not say the middle was "dry."

The food critics (wife and my boys) enjoyed it, and were pleased to have a new type of BBQ in the repertoire !

Thanks to all. Love this forum !
 
David:

I've not tried brisket yet; with the brisket & butt together what was the total cooking time? Did you end up going with the butt over brisket or both on the top rack?

Thanks,

Rick
 
Sounds good, I'm trying my first brisket this weekend. Gonna do butt over brisket. I'll start the but at midnight and wake up at 5 or 6 to put the flat on. I can't wait for a different piece of smoked meat.
 
Rick-

Sorry for the late reply..been on the road for a few days.

Yes, I did go with the Butt over the Brisket. The butt was appx 6 lbs, and the brisket (flat) was appx 6lbs. I put both of them on the WSM around 8:30 AM (minion method, water in the pan)and cooked at a lid temp of appx 250*.

The Brisket was done around 4PM (190* internal) , the Butt was done around 6PM (195* internal).

Good luck !
 
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