First Brisket Questions


 
R

Robert Jackson

New member
I am getting ready to do my first brisket cook, and I have a few questions for the experts:

As a little background I have mostly been cooking pork butt and ribs to this point and have done pretty well so I understand the basics of a longer cook and temp control.

I have two briskets ready to cook one is an 8 pounder and the other is 12. Both have been slathered and rubbed overnight and are generally ready to through on the WSM. I plan on cooking them to 190 internally.

I have people coming over at around 16:00 tomorrow and I would like to have dinner ready to go by the time they arrive.

Questions:

1) Since these are very different sizes do I need to put them on at separate times? Using a simple 1 1/2 hours per pound that makes the 12 pounder an 18 hour cook and the 8 pounder a 12 hour cook. Should I put the smaller brisket on six hours later than the larger one or just monitor it and take it off early?
2) How long will it hold in an ice chest while maintaining a temp above 140?
3) What is the normal procedure for the point? I have seen some folks take them off after the rest period and cook for another few hours.
4) What typical sides go with the brisket?
5) Other than sandwiches what ways do ya'll usually serve it?

Thats all I have right now, but I am sure a million more questions will come up.

Thanks for your help!!!!
 
Hi Robert,

I'll take a stab ... assuming water in water pan 250ºF top grate, suggest giving yourself 15 hours minimum (to include min 1 hour rest):

1: I'd put the larger on top and either like you said, together and remove the smaller sooner or stagger them, putting the small on the bottom ... my gut is telling me 3 - 4 hours difference, can't really back that up though

2: double foiled, packed with blankets towels, at least 4 hours, longer with both in the cooler

3: as is or burnt ends (I've not done burnt ends), there is a recipe for brisket point chile in recipes section

4: baked beans, salad, slaw ... spuds and brisket gravy, biscuits, corn bread ... ... ...

5: straight up (as is, sliced brisket)

Have fun, don't sweat it!
 
Hi Robert,

Welcome to the board!

Your briskets may or may not be ready when they hit 190. They're done when they're tender. When you poke it with a probe for example, there should be no resistance.

1) Since these are very different sizes do I need to put them on at separate times? Using a simple 1 1/2 hours per pound that makes the 12 pounder an 18 hour cook and the 8 pounder a 12 hour cook. Should I put the smaller brisket on six hours later than the larger one or just monitor it and take it off early?

I'd cook them at the same time and just pull them when they are tender (see above). You can certainly use the 1.5 hr as a gauge to go by.

2) How long will it hold in an ice chest while maintaining a temp above 140?

For at least a few hours. Multiple briskets will help. Foil them, then wrap them in towels. You can also pre-warm the coolers by filling them with hot water (then dumping of course).

3) What is the normal procedure for the point? I have seen some folks take them off after the rest period and cook for another few hours.

If you want 'burnt ends' you can put them back on. This will continue the bark development. The points have more fat marbled throughout, and can take longer cooks. Cut them up into quarters to speed things up if you're pressed for time.

4) What typical sides go with the brisket?

Gosh, the sky's the limit. Traditional items include slaw, beans (pinto or green), creamed corn, pickles, corn bread, salads....you get the idea.

5) Other than sandwiches what ways do ya'll usually serve it?

For the flat; I slice them against the grain around .25" to .38" thick. This can be served on a plate like steak. You can chop up your points and serve chopped beef sammies. The chopped beef can also be used for tamales, enchiladas, ABTs, all sorts of things.

Paul
Sorry Shawn, we overlapped...
 
Sorry Shawn, we overlapped...
Click to expand...
No need to apologize, I like some of your answers better anyways ... particularly about 'done when tender' good point
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One other thing Robert, I was just talking about 'standard' cook. You might want to check this thread and use the search function for high heat brisket.

That's how Kevin says he does them (which is always a great place to start) and others are raving about it as well, so it might be of interest.
 
Don't go by the 1.5 hour per pound.

The time depends on the temp cooked at.

When I've cooked low and slow (I do all high heat), the time is more of a "process" than a weight/temp thing.

An 8 lb'er might take almost as long as a 12 lb'er. Cooking low and slow, most briskets I did were in the 10-12 hour range.
 
Originally posted by Paul K:

For the flat; I slice them against the grain around .25" to .38" thick.
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.38" slices. LOL. You guys are too precise for me. Did you go to the Larry Wolfe school of brisket slicing? J/K.
Good info.
 
Originally posted by Dave/G:
.38" slices. LOL. You guys are too precise for me. Did you go to the Larry Wolfe school of brisket slicing? J/K.
Good info.
Click to expand...
Paul don't own a ruler so he uses bullets.
 
Paul don't own a ruler so he uses bullets.
Click to expand...

Oh please, everyone knows bullets are for chopped beef only. A single blast from a 12 gauge will take care of 6 briskets!
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And I think it was Larry that turned me on to the laser adapter for slicing knives...perfect cuts everytime!!
 
Thanks for all the replies. They are both on now (as of 22:00) and I am just going to take the smaller one off when it is ready and leave the other to finish.

I'll let ya'll know how it comes out!

Thanks again!
 
I have another question for the experts here.

I placed a remote probe type thermometer in the flat section of each brisket. Before I started the charcoal I tested both thermometers with boiling water and they were both within 2 degrees of 212.

The internal temp of the briskets was right at 45 when I put them on. Now, (3 hours into the cook) the one in the larger brisket is reading 100 and the smaller one is ready 136.

This just doesn't seem right. Do you think this is correct or is there an issue?

Thanks!!
 
Sounds about right to me, I think you're doing fine.

EDIT: I just checked a graph on a recent 12 lb brisket cook I did at 225 grate and she was at 103 at the 3 hour mark. Your smaller brisket is going to move a little faster.
 
[

And I think it was Larry that turned me on to the laser adapter for slicing knives...perfect cuts everytime!![/QUOTE]

Paul: are you serious about the laser adapter?
If so what type and where did you get it?
 
Overall I think it turned out pretty good.

I started both at around 20:30 or so, and the first was done at around 09:30 and the second came out at about 12:00. I kept the WSM around 245 throughout.

I foiled them and let them both rest about 2-3 hours before slicing.

I took off the point first then sliced the flat into about 1/8 - 1/4 inch slices. There was a nice smoke ring throughout the flat.

As for the actual taste it seemed that the flat on both were just a bit dry. Not so dry that it needed gravy or something, but dryer that I would have thought it should be. The points from both were extremely moist and basically just fell apart as I chopped it.

I know that this will seem odd, but I have actually never had a brisket before so I really don't have much of a comparison. I think that I may have slightly overcooked them, but I really can't be sure.

Either way it was a real hit, and everyone loved it!

Thanks for all of your help. This definitely wouldn't have worked out without all the help from these forums.
 
If tender but a bit dry then yes, probably a bit overcooked.

What did you do/use to determine 'done'?
 
I used a polder type probe horizontally through the flat section and looked for a reading of about 190.

My normal instant read thermo was on the fritz so I didn't start checking like I normally would (10 - 15 degrees before my target temp) so it could be that I placed the probe in a bad spot.

How moist should a properly cooked brisket be? Should it me as moist as a med-rare ribeye or a bit more or less?

What is the consensus on how to determine done?

Also, should I have basted throughout? I see some recipes call for it, but some other don't.

Either way I am still pretty happy with how it turned out overall. I am looking forward to some pretty dang good sandwiches at work this week!

Thanks again!
 
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