I can ruin a good brisket with the best of 'em!


 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Todd H.:
Alan, I've done plenty low and slow, 12+ hours that turn out moist and tender. Dried out is usually under or over cooked(Atleast in my experiences)
When I'm in a hurry I will do them high heat and foil with a little beef stock, once the bark is where I want it, usually around 165-170 degrees. When I got plenty of time on my hands, I like to do them low and slow, usually uncovered the whole way. I'm NO brisket expert but these methods have always worked well for me. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've only cooked about 10 brisket, but every one done at 225 - 250 turned out dry or with only a litle mosture.

The plateau is the meat losing mosture. IMO a long plateau is your meat giving up it's juice. I'm all about the HH brisket, and injecting regardless of what temp you cook at.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alan F:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Todd H.:
Alan, I've done plenty low and slow, 12+ hours that turn out moist and tender. Dried out is usually under or over cooked(Atleast in my experiences)
When I'm in a hurry I will do them high heat and foil with a little beef stock, once the bark is where I want it, usually around 165-170 degrees. When I got plenty of time on my hands, I like to do them low and slow, usually uncovered the whole way. I'm NO brisket expert but these methods have always worked well for me. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've only cooked about 10 brisket, but every one done at 225 - 250 turned out dry or with only a litle mosture.

The plateau is the meat losing mosture. IMO a long plateau is your meat giving up it's juice. I'm all about the HH brisket, and injecting regardless of what temp you cook at. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Alan, yes you will lose some moisture in the plateau, but the plateau is not just meat giving up its juice, during the plateau, connective tissue and collegian are breaking down in the meat and this is what is making a tuff cut of meat like brisket nice and tender. There certainly is a million ways to cook a brisket. Low and slow, hot and fast, foiled or un foiled, fat cap up or fat cap down, to inject or not. A good cut of brisket well marbled will make a difference too. Regardless of your cook method good brisket juicy and tender can be turned out low and slow or hot and fast, definitely no wrong way, I personally cook them both ways. But back to the OP Sam, brisket is done when it's tender, temp is only a guide regardless of method.
 
I really do appreciate everyone's replies. You guys really are a helpful bunch. I plan on smoking a pork butt and a brisket this coming weekend. Should be fun!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Bob Sample said "If it's tough and dry then you took it off to soon", and James Jacobson said "If you over cook it, it falls apart and is dry". Paul H said "Sam, time and temp are only guides. The tenderness of the meat is the true indicator of being done".When is it tender and juicy? What exactly am I looking for? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
When typically tough meats (brisket, many chuck cuts, beef ribs, pork ribs, butt) are not cooked to the point of tenderness (that is, undercooked) the meat usually feels dry and tough in the mouth. This is because insufficient rendering has taken place. Rendering lubricates the muscles fibers.

When any of the above are overcooked the meat either feels tender but dry, or stringy and dry. This is due to the renderings having been lost with overcooking.

When tough meats get tender they will let you know. Temp is immaterial. When tender they will yield to a probe with no resistance.
 
May just be me but ...
I've never done a flat. I've never done HH but know this is the way most of the great Texas barbecue places do them. I don't foil but will put a drip pan on the bottom rack to collect the juice. Get packers in the 10 -12 lb. range. Trim level out the fat cap to about 1/2" Usually use Billy "Bones" Wall's Beefmaster rub on them but have tried other rubs or just salt & pepper. Don't mop. Do low and slow - like to run the WSM in the 235 - 240 range for brisket. Pull the brisket at 180 and slice at 185. Keep the lid on and let my Redi-Chek tell me when I hit temperature. Will add charcoal and/or wood chunks through the door when necessary. This is the way I like them and can't think of ever having done a bad brisket.
 
So I'm in the same boat with undercooking. I have a question about checking the temp with the probe. When your inserting the probe and it's still not don't do you remove the probe and check later? But by doin this arent I losing juices but repeatingly stabbing the meat to check if it done?

Thanks
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Yes, if it is not yet tender one checks later. (No need to repeatedly probe the meat when checking. Check the center of the flat (not the point, if doing a packer). If it is not tender, recrimp the foil (or not, if low/slowing and choosing not to foil) and check again later. (One gets used to the feel and learns how long, based on the feel, to go before checking again. If unsure, go with 20 min.) Again, internal temp doesn't matter much.

Yes, one might lose a bit of juice. This does not appreciably affect the juiciness of the brisket.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by D Arita:
I just looked for Chris's high heat brisket, but couldn't find it. Where can I find it? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It's not actually Chris's HH method. This is a compilation and discussion of the HH method.
 
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