HH brisket issue


 
P

Paul H

TVWBB Gold Member
I've done this cook many times always finished within 4-5 hours not yesterday. Had a 16 lb brisket I was going to do for a friend. Well, since I have an 18.5 the brisket was too big to fit on the grate so in my ultimate wisdom I decided to put something on the grate to lift the center of the brisket up and create a sort of a bridge so it would fit. Little did I know that it would just about double my time. Couldn't imagine for the life of me why it took so long to get to the wrap temp. Then it seemed to take forever to get tender. Yes, I took the bridge out before I foiled . The meat was laying flat after foiling. Took 9 maybe 10 hours to finish. The only thing I changed in my cooking was the bridge. I'm thinking that the bridge, since it lifted the meat off and away from the heat, was the reason for the length of the cook. What do you guys think??
 
Hard to say really. I've done a lot of high heat briskets as well, and some big ones, up to 19 pounds. I usually just wedge them between the grate handles so they are a little bent up to begin with, but with the shrinkage, they fit nicely by the end of the cook.

I'm guessing that your bridge material acted as a heat sink, and impeded the heat getting into your meat. Being higher up in the cooker shouldn't matter, since at the lid will be where it actually the hottest.

How did it come out, taste wise?
 
Mike, I tasted just the burnt ends which came out ok for my first shot at making them. I sold it all,the flat and the burnt ends. I guess I'll call him and ask how he liked it.
 
Sure, may as well ask him! Plenty of people only associate brisket with the prettly slices you see on tv, but that (to me) is inferior to top notch burnt ends, or even smoked chuck roast.
 
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