First two meat cook


 
Jerry N.

Jerry N.

TVWBB Emerald Member
I have a 7lb. brisket flat (with a pretty good fat cap). I want to do that with BRITU and have a few questions to run by the guru’s (and the amateurs) of this forum.

What is the best guess on how long the flat will take if I foil? Still 1.5 hours/pound?

Will the BRITU method of raising the temp mid cook cause any problems for the brisket?

I was thinking of starting the Brisket assuming it would take about 10 hours. Then after 5 hours I would foil it and then start the ribs. Three more hours and then the heat goes up for BRITU. I’m thinking with foil the brisket will be done pretty soon. Take the brisket off at 200° and hold it until the ribs are done. Once the ribs are done – eat.

How’s that for a plan?
 
I think that looks pretty good. I've found that the cooking time for my flats varies greatly. They seem to be much more vulnerable to temperature than whole briskets. I cooked one at 250 the whole time and it was done in just under 1 hour per pound.

If you keep 225-235, your timing will probably be pretty good. The good thing is that you'll have some flexibility with times, since you can rest your brisket...

btw, I guess it's my personal preference, but brisket at 200 is way to dry for me. By that time, it no longer has that great moist tenderness... it has started to get drier and stringier - even when it's been in foil. I never take mine over 190.

But, that's just me...
 
I'm with Adam; brisket at 200 is too high for me. The meat fibers have given up their juices and you're relying on the reabsorbtion of those juices during the rest to provide moisture in the mouth. This happens (better having foiled than not), but the illusion of 'moist' can be thwarted by the stiffness/firmess of the meat fibers. If you can temp the brisket while it's wrapped then you can check it with a fork periodically (I start in the 180s) or, if you'd rather not open the lid and foil to check then a ballpark pull temp would be upper 180s to 190 or so. Wrap further and rest.

Your plan looks good to me. The foil will speed the brisket as you suspect, but the increased temp for the ribs is not a problem for the brisket so long as you monitor its rise more closely. With the higher temp you can expect a bit more of a temp rise after you remove it (than what you'd likely see if cooked only at the lower temp) so plan for that. If fork-testing the brisket you can pull when the fork enters with just a bit of resistance (the post-cook rise will take care of that) or you can wait till the fork enters cleanly. There is some leeway here.
 
Thanks Adam and Kevin. I'll plan on taking the brisket off once it hits 185.

Kevin, I'm going to have to learn that fork test, but since the brisket will be on the lower rack and in foil, I'm not going to mess with it this cook.
 
Lower rack--I wouldn't either in that case. But Craig's right--temp is not always an accurate measure of 'done'.

The fork test is like a probe or pick test for ribs. The fork should go into the brisket cleanly. If the meat is not yet done the meat's fibers are compact and it will take some effort to insert the fork. The fibers will grip the fork tines. If done this does not occur--you can pull the fork out easily with little to no gripping by the fibers. Alternatively, you can insert the fork and give it a little twist. The meat will feel tender.
 
I guess I can put the ribs on the lower rack and spend more time learning on the brisket. I do want to try that fork test. When you do that test are you trying to put the fork in with the tines parallel or perpendicular to the grain of the meat (or does it matter)?
 
Out of habit I check it from the side. It feels sort of like soft butter. Could happen anywhere between lower mid 180's to 190's. I would say fork test average is upper 180's.

Funny, but I don't think I've ever fork tested from the top. Don't ask me why, just never have.
 
I've got to say... I can't tell a brisket if it is done with the fork test. I know folks swear by it... but when I tried it a while ago, the sucker was overcooked by the time it seemed "fork tender."

I think to have the fork test work, you will have needed to have cooked plenty of brisket first so you really know the feel of a perfectly done brisket. Otherwise you don't have a point of reference.

When starting out cooking briskets, I think it is far better to use temperatures as a guide. While the cut of the brisket will vary one to another, if you don't already know what a well-cooked, but not overcooked, brisket feels like, then I think you will have a much higher probability of getting it right with a thermometer.

I've since cooked a number of briskets. And, I've got to tell you, I still don't rely on the fork test. My thermometer is a better guide for me. I remove the sucker at 188. Just my preference and it seems to yield pretty consistent results.
 
So there it is. I will measure temp and between 180 and 190, I will fork the brisket about every 2-3 degrees. That will give me a point of reference. Myabe I'll get the hang of it.
 
Hey Jerry, I did a flat overnight. The cook ave. 240 with water. Top rack had baby backs. My goal was to pull at 185-190. It hit 188. The flat cooked 10 hours. The smoke flavor is great but it is a touch dry. This flat would have been better if I pulled it by 180. I am not a brisket pro but this one did not need to go as long as I let it go. As for the fork test-I can't wait to learn it. I am sure it would help judge doneness.
 
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