Lower brisket temps (160's) seem to work for me.


 
Bill S.

Bill S.

TVWBB Pro
Either my thermometer is off. Which I don't think it is. Boiling water is still 212 degrees. Or I've been buying strange briskets...lol. I usually smoke flats in the 5-6 pound range. I've consistently had good results taking them off in the mid 160's or so. And they are still real tender. I wasn't paying attention last week and it got into the 170's and it was a bit on the dry side. I slice mine thin. 1/8 inch or thinner. Kinda like roast beef lunch meat, or steak um's. I don't know if that's making the difference or what. Anyone else have similar results with lower temps?
 
Hello Bill, this has nothing to do with your brisket cook but,are you a kc chiefs fan? if so why? why oh why and I stay here in KC and will not support that team. I am the local Prez. for RADIER NATION!
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whos the raiders ? broncos rule ! i did my first high heat cook just recently and it turned out great with a lot less time. not sure i want to go back to the slower version. course it will take a lot more "experimenting" to see what really works.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I am the local Prez. for RADIER NATION </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

R A D I E R s?? Now it all makes sense. They must be so proud to be so well represented.
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Sorta like that Snicker's commercial for the Chefs, eh? Great googly moogly!

Anyway, a brisket in 160s? Just like a well done steak? Unless you have carried it 30 degrees higher or so, you have not yet experienced the tenderness of probing room temp butter. Keep trying, and you will eventually have a Eureka! moment.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

Anyway, a brisket in 160s? Just like a well done steak? Unless you have carried it 30 degrees higher or so, you have not yet experienced the tenderness of probing room temp butter. Keep trying, and you will eventually have a Eureka! moment. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
You're losing me with the well done steak part. The meat is extremely juicy and just pulls apart, no chewiness at all. Maybe because I slice so thin, who knows? But like the results. A 5 pound flat usually takes 7 or 8 hours at 250 degrees (lid) so figure 235 at the grate.

How did I become a Chiefs fan? Basically when I was a kid of 5 or 6 around 1970. I wanted a Colts helmet. But the store was out so my father bought me a Chiefs helmet. And there you go, instant Chiefs fan.....lol. I'm a die hard. I think we had our closest shot when we had Grbac/Gannon in 97. Grbac got hurt. Gannon went 5-1 and was on fire. Then they throw Grbac back in and they lay an egg. Should have stuck with Gannon. Thats back when we had a great D too. The early 2000's we had that great offense but absolutely no D.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> But like the results. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

thats all that matters
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill S.:
A 5 pound flat usually takes 7 or 8 hours at 250 degrees (lid) so figure 235 at the grate.
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Interesting because I'm smoking a 6 lb flat now and the meat is at 154* after 2.75 hours at 250-270* lid and the meat was ice cold when I put it on. Not trying to punch holes in your post, but is it possible that you are actually cooking the meat substantially higher than 160* without knowing it? However, whatever works for you is good. Just a thought.
As for the Chiefs, good luck.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
but is it possible that you are actually cooking the meat substantially higher than 160* without knowing it? . </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thats what I've been wondering. My thermometer "rests"at 90 degrees at room temp which is actually about 70 or so. But boiling water reads 212. So with it accurate at boiling temperature could it be off at meat temps?
Have a couple of racks of baby backs purring away over a couple chunks of cherry that I put in about an hour ago. Haven't done ribs in a while. I've been on a brisket kick the last 5 or 6 smokes, before that it was butts.
 
Well, a steak is well done at 160-165. Dried out, not tender/juicy.

But if your therm shows room temp at 90 while resting, then it could be off 20 or so higher up the range. Even though it calibrates at 212, the metal inside the stem that provides the rotation to move the needle may be inaccurate.

Do you have a different therm to try?

But key thing is to cook til tender, not specific temp, which is why probe in room temp butter is the goal.

PS, I am also a huge Chiefs fan. It used to be difficult to follow other market teams, but internet and DirectTV NFL Sunday Ticket make it easy to follow nonlocal teams. Both 2nd grade and 3rd grade class pics are of me in my Chiefs shirt. Same shirt. Two years in a row. Oops. Funny now, not funny then.

I was poking at Dave for misspelling Raiders, but he hasn't edited his post yet.
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Bill, Something is not right here. Cooking a brisket to 160º will not get tender results, IMO. The fat, connective tissue, and collagen dosen't start to break down till that temp? I cook all my briskets till tender, wether high heat, or low and slow, so no help with exact temps. I do know that all my thermos, are quite accurate, and a brisket at 160º internal temp, when I usually foil a flat when high heat cooking one, it's like trying to push the probe through a potato. They are nowhere even close too being tender at 160º. Don't know about your situation and briskets Bill, I'm just saying about mine.
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Hi Bryan,

Just a FYI, connective tissue does break down at lower temperatures than that, it just takes a lot longer :)
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
Bill, Something is not right here. Cooking a brisket to 160º will not get tender results, IMO. The fat, connective tissue, and collagen dosen't start to break down till that temp? I cook all my briskets till tender, wether high heat, or low and slow, so no help with exact temps. I do know that all my thermos, are quite accurate, and a brisket at 160º internal temp, when I usually foil a flat when high heat cooking one, it's like trying to push the probe through a potato. They are nowhere even close too being tender at 160º. Don't know about your situation and briskets Bill, I'm just saying about mine.
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</div></BLOCKQUOTE> I'm going with my theremometer be off then. Because it is definately tender and in the 160's.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill S.:
I'm going with my theremometer be off then. Because it is definately tender and in the 160's. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Bill, it could be. .... but I'm not saying that your briskets can't be done in the 160's. Just because I've never had one done that low, doesn't mean it can't happen. Yes I find it odd, even strange, but not impossible. If it turns out your thermo is right, then you have me stumped
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and I want too cook one of these Alien briskets you speak of.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill S.:
I'm going with my theremometer be off then. Because it is definately tender and in the 160's. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Bill, it could be. .... but I'm not saying that your briskets can't be done in the 160's. Just because I've never had one done that low, doesn't mean it can't happen. Yes I find it odd, even strange, but not impossible. If it turns out your thermo is right, then you have me stumped
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and I want too cook one of these Alien briskets you speak of.
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</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

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Bryan, I’ve done two briskets (my first ever) this year.

My first on Tuesday 6-2-09 a 7 ¾ lb top rack I had at meat temp.175 degrees when a thunder storm interrupted me at 8 hours. I had the WSM in the open. My bad!

My second on Friday 6-19-09 a 8 ¼ lb. top rack. I hit my target meat temp. 185 at 8 ½ hours.

My question is if you don’t have a target meat temp, how do we tell if the brisket is done right? Can you tell us what to look for. I’m looking to improve my brisket and can use all the help I can get!

Thanks guys great post…GO EAGLES
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Thanks Bryan, I printed the question & answer and put it in my WSM binder under the brisket section next to my cooking logs. It’s the little thing that make a big difference sometimes.
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Bryan

If you cook till tender, sticking a probe in the side of the brisket with virtually no resistance.

Then foil and put in a cooler will you still be able to slice the brisket with out it "falling" apart. Especially cooking High Heat, I'm wundering if the carryover cooking would possible make it too tender to slice ?

I would like to cook a brisket so I could slice it and have it be tender.

I'd appreciate you thoughts.

Thanks
 
I don't foil and cooler high heat briskets because I'm not interested in carryover cooking. I remove some of the foil juices, leaving the rest alone, and let the brisket sit in its foil simply tented, for 20-30 min. I take my briskets to tender before I remove them.

As long as you don't take them well into tender while cooking you should be able to hold in a cooler, if needed, without worry. To be sure, you can either pull when just shy of tender, wrap and cooler, or you can remove when tender, allow to sit on the counter, foil opened, for 10 min or so to let some heat dissipate, then wrap and cooler.

As long as you don't go too into the tender zone you should be okay though, whatever you do. Still, since residual cooking is not required for briskets hitting tender while cooking I don't rest them long - just long enough for redistribution of internal juices - so I time my cooks accordingly.
 
Kevin

Thanks for your explanation. I now have a good handle on the high heat Brisket.

I assume "Low" heat you can cook till tender and then foil wrap and place in a cooler like a butt and not worry about carryover cooking with the low heat ?

My problem is timing on the high heat. You of course have a much better handle on the timing than I do. If I were to pull the Brisket just shy of tender as you indicate, allowing it to get to tender with the carry over cooking (high heat). Then I have a few hours window to eating time, allowing me to not have to worry so much about the timing till it's done. That what I'm kinda getting at.
 
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