HELP !!

[Guest]

I put a 9 pound brislet on this morning at 8:30... The grill temp by my Nu-Temp thermometer has been pretty consistent around 245* - 255*... I have a thermometer in the fattest (not in the fat itself) part of the brisket and it is reading 193* at 1:30 - only 5 hours of cooking... Is it possible this is done !?!?!? Do I need to get it off - I keep reading where it should be 1 to 1 1/2 hours per pound... I was thinking more like 5:30.. WHAT SHOULD I DO !!! Hope somebody gets this in time to help !!
Gary in Searcy, AR

 

[Guest]

Gary, you're right, unless you've been cooking about 100? hotter than you've posted, it shouldn't be done yet. I would move the meat therm from the point end and place it into the middle of the flat about 4 inches. In other words, push through the middle of the flat horizontally, toward the middle of the brisket. See what the temp reads there. Also, if the brisket is getting done the meat should feel soft when you squeeze it. If it looks done and the temp in the flat shows done, it must be done. The only reason for that would be if the temp was running hotter that what you think.

Good luck.

 

[Chris Allingham]

Gary,

It's not going to be done after only 5 hours. Remove the probe from the "fat" end of the brisket and insert it through the edge of the thin, flat section. You want to measure the temp of solid meat, not the fat. Make sure the tip of the probe is centered in the meat, both in terms of the thickness and width of the flat section, and stick it in at least 3-4" in from the end of the meat. You should see a vastly lower temp reading after making this change.

Hope this helps, and hang in there!

Regards,
Chris

P.S. Just posted and then saw Doug's response. He beat me to the punch!

[This message has been edited by Chris Allingham (edited 07-27-2001).]

 

[Guest]

Chris, glad to see great minds think alike!

 

[Guest]

horiThanks guys for the response... Believe it or not, I took this brisket off the grill at 6 hours... I stuck the probe in the meat in 3 different placesand in the flat not the fat, each time as far in as I could put it... Everytime it read between 190* and 193*... The temp from the probe in a potato and the grill never got above 267* and was pretty consistent around 250*.. I didn't even have to open any of the vents... I started with the minion method - filling the charcoal ring and putting about 20 - 25 lit coals on top... I have checked the calibration of both probes in ice water and both were on the money...
I have cut a couple slices off the brisket and it is just perfect... Couldn't ask for it to be any juicer or tender...
The only thing I can think of is that maybe I paid for a 9 pound brisket and got a 6 !! However to put it on the top grid, I had to do a little tucking under the grid handles to get it to fit...
Thanks,
Gary - still confused - in Searcy, AR

[This message has been edited by Gary Smith (edited 07-27-2001).]

 

[Guest]

Gary, glad it came out ok, though I really don't understand why it got done so fast. Sounds like a 9 pounder if it just fit on the grill. Now the problem is you won't know how to duplicate your great result!