First brisket


 
C

Colin Battersby

New member
Hey guys - I've been lurking for a while and have learned quite a bit here. I got a WSM 22.5 in March and have since done multiple runs of baby backs, pork butts and beef short ribs. I've been pretty pleased with how most have come out - had some dryness issues with the first set of ribs and first pork butt, but I seem to have fixed that. I'm trying my first brisket this weekend. My question is about what kind of meat I actually bought. I had read to avoid flats, so I skipped over those and bought what is called only a "beef brisket" from Costco in cryovac. I assumed this was a whole brisket, but it is only 5.25 pounds. The things I've been reading lately seem to indicate that a whole brisket would be 2-3 times that large. Does that mean I bought just a piece of brisket, or is it possible to get a full one at that size? And if it is just a part of a brisket, does it change the way I cook and/or prepare it after cooking? Thanks for your help!
 
I'd have to guess that at that weight, it's a partial flat. It's perfect for your first brisket cook, since you've got less meat and money on the line. I cook partials the same way I do packers, but they're done quicker. I would pick a cook temp and a rub and a smoke wood and use this as an experiment. If you have a meat thermometer, stick the probe into the thickest part and start checking it for tenderness at about 190 degrees just like you'd do a full packer.
 
Dave is correct. They only sell partial flats at Costco, at least the stores here in the Northeast.

This is what a whole brisket looks like, although its on the small side (8 lbs):
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Thanks, Dave and Brian. That's what I thought, but it is good to have it confirmed. Although the brisket I bought does look pretty similar to the picture above. I'll try to remember to take a picture of it and the label when I get home and put it up. That will probably say it better than anything I can put together.
 
I have my local liquor monger order it by the case as I save 20%

You'll do fine, just enjoy doing it and all will be well
 
I just did a 14lbs packer on sunday. Read around and found a ton of variations, I decided on a hot and fast version. I injected with beef broth and did a standard rub and let it rest overnight. I started it at 7 am, fat cap down and had the wsm running at 275F. I waited until it reached 160F (around 130-2) then foiled and added beef broth to the foil, with fat cap up. When it hit 185 i started to poke to see if it was done. I took it off around 195F. I didnt have a deep smoke ring but had really nice smoke flavour. It wasnt dry at all, very tender and the slices P could break apart with my fingers. I was pleased with the results
 
Sounds like a nice result, Mike.

I just pulled mine off. It took slightly less than an hour a pound between 250-265 degrees. I was stunned how quickly it happened. I put it in the cooler because it is nowhere near dinner time. I'll report back about how it turned out. The temperature probe slides in fairly easily - not exactly like butter as I've seen described, but it hit 205, so I didn't think it should go any longer.
 
And I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was. There's plenty of room for improvement, but the flavor was good and it was pretty tender and pretty moist. I think next time I'll pay more attention to the marbeling of the brisket and maybe do some injections, but this was a good start. Thanks for the advice offered here!
 
Congratulations, Colin. Glad you got an encouraging result. My first brisket was a disaster; it took a few months before I was ready to try another one. I'd say it took me until the 8th or 10th one until I felt like I could get them to turn out consistently well, and there's still some that turn out better than others. Keep smoking!
 
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