High Temp Brisket


 
Joel Kiess

Joel Kiess

TVWBB All-Star
I plan to try a high temp cook in a couple of weeks. Being that it's a bit cooler this time of year, the thought of not having to worry about starting late at night etc has some appeal. Looking through some threads on this, I gleaned the following from a discussion Kevin Kruger started:

- Expect that the total cook will be approx 4 to 5 hours
- add more lit coals at the start
- use smaller chunks of wood to get them going sooner and don't bury
- aim for temps over 300 and into the 350 plus range
- Expect the plateau to break in the 2 to 2 1/2 hour range
- Foil at about 2 1/2 hours
- Check for doneness at about 3 1/2 hours, every 20 minutes
- use feel/probe to test for doneness - not temps
- Pour off juices in foil
- Refoil and rest 30 minutes or more

I know every piece of meat will be different, so the times are generalizations. I want the brisket ready by six PM, so I'll add some safety time and start by noon at the latest.

Am I missing anything important?
 
Joel,

I think you've got it all there. When I've done hi-temps, I generally foil around the 1.5-2 hour mark; that's up to you. You won't get the same type of bark with the foiling, in case you didn't know. If a firm bark is important, remove the brisket from the foil at the end of the cook and let it firm up for about 20 minutes. Make sure you save any juices in the foil! Otherwise, they come out great.
 
Joel,

I've done lots of high temps. They have taken between 4-5 hours cook time generally. I cook them somewhere in the 300's, depending on where the wsm wants to settle.

I have cooked anywhere from 10 to 15lb packers.

You should be fine starting 6 hours early, just make sure you pull the brisket when it gets to fork tender (or very close to it).
 
One key thing, imo, Joel (and Rick), is to ignore internal temps for finishing. I don't temp the brisket at all during the cook nor for finish. At high temps and in a the moist environment of the foil temps can be all over the place; e.g., you can see a 195 temp 15 minutes after foiling. The brisket is not done--far from it--but the circumstances can lead to immediate high internals. (The same thing happens when making, say, pot roast, in a dutch oven in your kitchen--which is why you don't see finish temps on recipes for them or for similar items.)

Cook to fork tender, or just shy of it. I smoke 2-2.5 hours, foil, then start checking for doneness at 10 min before the 4-hour mark. I would check sooner if the briskets were on the thin side.

I usually only rest 30 min but one can rest longer if need be.
 
Thanks guys. I'm looking forward to this.

I like the no temp check aspect and the time frame. Although I may miss that look of awe I get when I tell people that the brisket took over 12 hours to finish. I guess I'll have to settle for the look of awe I get when they taste it.
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Kevin, did you post an actual recipe for the paste you made? or could you give us a general idea of the ratios of the ingredients?

Thanks again.
 
Joel, one of the recipes is here. Another is here, and though not written out in recipe form, I did give the amounts for the paste portion. I've done several others, not posted, but you should be able to get a good idea of proportion by looking at those two.
 
The high heat method works great (thanks KK).
A week before Thanksgiving I did two packers. I don't monitor temps at all, foil after two hours, then check with a fork after two or so more hours. You'll know when it's done. The fork slips in easily.
Trying to save all the juice, I put them in separate foil half pans with juice, added more beef broth/apple juice. As they rested, they sucked up more juice. I covered closely with saran, then tightly foiled and froze them.
When I defrosted in the fridge, I was able to pull off the congealed fat from the juice, then warmed it in a low oven. While they were still sorta cool, I sliced them with an electric knife, and put them back in the oven covered to finish heating, basting them in their juices.
I did the second one this last weekend and brought to a party. It was really great.
 
Joel, Once you get the lid temps where you want the only temp to watch is the internal of the meat til it hits about 170-175 then wrap. After that just check occasionally till it gets to the right firmness. When it has a little bit of resistance it's time to pull, rest and enjoy
 
OK the smoking and the event (my parents 50th anniversary) are over. Mom requested the brisket and a turkey breast. The turkey I did in advance and we served cold.

The cook went well. No problems with temperature or getting done in time. The brisket was just under 10lbs. I started at noon and had it in the cooler by four.

1) I think I should have pulled it off sooner than I did. Once I thought it was getting close to done, I decided to give another 15 minutes. I think I should of pulled it off right then or even sooner.

2) Appearance was good, nice smoke ring. Texture was good for slicing thin - actually just past that in some parts. Some parts were definitely falling apart (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

3) OK this is what I'm wondering about. The meat had a nice smokiness. Beef flavor. What I didn't get that I really hoped for was more flavor from Kevin's paste and rub. It was a really neat mix and I enjoyed making it. However, I really didn't get the flavor of the ingredients in the finished product. Don't get me wrong: there wasn't a speck left. But, I'd really like to some different flavors into my stuff at times. Any thoughts there?

I would absolutely do the high temp cook again. Probably not every time because there is just something about a long overnight cook. But if we just wanted a tasty brisket I'd go for it!

PS: Happy New Year everyone!
 
Joel, Ive taken the brisket from a high heat cook off a little earlier than normal(when you still feel resistence when a probe is inserted) and thrown it back on the smoker for about an hour(watch this closely). Gives the bark time to firm up again and get more of that smoke flavor
 
It really wasn't a problem with the smoke flavor - that was good. It was the seasoning. Kevin's recipe was outstanding - the flavor just didn't end up on the plate.
 
Joel,if you want the flavor on the inside instead of just the bark then you either have to marinade,brine or inject.
 
I appreciate what you're saying. Makes sense. If that's the case - and I'm asking this to expand and continue the discussion - why would we go to the trouble of doing the past and rub as I did? Certainly Kevin gets something out of it. He doesn't seem like the type to go to the trouble for no good result.
 
Just my opinion but the rub just adds to the flavor of the beef without masking it. By injecting,marinading or brining you change the taste of the product. A good rub should add to the flavor of whatever is being cooked.
 
I am trying to understand this so dont take this as a flame directed at Kevin. So Kevin, are you saying not to go by temps at all, just feel? Thats really going to be hard to do with the "if your lookin, your not cookin" rule! lol

It seems to me that the temps need to be very acurate in the smoker to go by time alone, and the piece of meat needs to be consistant everytime you cook without therms. I know some guys are so good, they dont need to have a digital thermometers to cook great food, but brisket for most beginners is another matter.
We check our temps at various stages of the cook, and we perform the all important fork test when the temps are close to our projected temp limits.

I guess competition cooking has distorted my thinking on home cooking. In retrospect, if I would have looked at my Xmas Rib roast sooner, maybe it wouldnt have been overcooked since my thermo took a dirt nap..
I should go back and read this again before I blather anymore.
Cook on brothers and sisters!
 
Dale, I was thinking the same thing but didn't want to ask or say antything. It would be hard for me to cook a brisket without checking temps sometime throughout the cook, sounds like a experiment I need to try at home. I think alot of competition cooks like us get hung up on using therms and getting meat to a certain internal temp to much. Like you said even at home I can't seem to even cook a hamburger without getting the thermopen out and making sure. Competition cooking has messed me up cooking at home for sure.
 
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