My second brisket was the same as my first - not great


 
T

TomInBlaine

New member
Hello - I'm looking for some guidance/advice regarding smoking a brisket.

I've been following this forum for a while, among others. I do plenty of research, watched countess videos. I am discouraged as to the outcome of my briskets. particularly the slices off the flat. I'm happy with my other meats, I just can't figure this brisket deal out. I was not happy with my first brisket, but it got done way too early in the day, had to reheat it, etc. I was really looking forward to redeeming myself!

With my last brisket - which I did this past weekend - I started with a 12.5 lb. packer, I ended up with about 9 lbs. after trimming it. (Trimmed fat cap to about 1/4 inch, trimmed all the other typical fat sections, it looked like a great start.)

Smoker temp was 255* when I put it on at 6:00 AM (was shooting for 220* or so but the 16 lit briquettes I added to my full ring was a few too many). I used hickory and pecan chunks. I closed bottom vents completely and I know this is ill-advised but the only way to keep my temp from racing above 250* was to also close the top vent. The temp fell very little (and very slowly) over the next few hours and I ran between 235* - 250* during the cook. At 1:00 PM and 167* IT, I wrapped in butchers paper and put it back on. At 4:00 PM the IT was 202* - I pulled it and placed in cooler with towels to rest for an hour, then separated the point and cubed for burnt ends, flat went back in cooler.

After about an hour and a half the burnt ends were about done (would have gone longer but they we close and we were hungry).

The ends were darn good but the flat is where my disappointment comes in. When I took a slice of it and held it up, it did not separate easily and did not have a wow-factor in the least.

I swear I've watched videos and read articles where this brisket was cooked very similar and they claim it melts in your mouth and is succulent.

Something doesn't add up in my mind so I would love some help here.

Thanks for reading and providing any input!
 
The flat was probably undercooked if it was hard to pull apart. You have to go by feel, not temperature. People also exaggerate with their descriptions. Brisket flat is hard. You're probably on the right track. I tend to slightly undercook my briskets. At a certain point it becomes a matter of having enough briskets under your belt.
 
First, welcome to the forum Tom.

On things like brisket and pork butts, what I find works for me is I check is the bark is set at about 165*. If it is set then I foil and put back in the smoker. At 195* I start checking for tenderness. I do this by inserting a probe (an instant read thermometer, a fork, or even a long bamboo toothpick. If the probe goes in like a knife into warm butter it is ready to pull and then open the foil for 20 min. and then re-foil and put in the cooler for a few hours. If the brisket is not tender at 195*, what about 30 min. and check for tenderness again. Repeat as necessary for tenderness. This also works when you wrap in butcher paper.

It could also help to know your process. What cooker are you using, are you using water in the pan, are you using rub, are you injecting, any other thing you are doing. Many of us here love to help with issues. Good luck.
 
Bob Ivey said:
First, welcome to the forum Tom.

On things like brisket and pork butts, what I find works for me is I check is the bark is set at about 165*. If it is set then I foil and put back in the smoker. At 195* I start checking for tenderness. I do this by inserting a probe (an instant read thermometer, a fork, or even a long bamboo toothpick. If the probe goes in like a knife into warm butter it is ready to pull and then open the foil for 20 min. and then re-foil and put in the cooler for a few hours. If the brisket is not tender at 195*, what about 30 min. and check for tenderness again. Repeat as necessary for tenderness. This also works when you wrap in butcher paper.

It could also help to know your process. What cooker are you using, are you using water in the pan, are you using rub, are you injecting, any other thing you are doing. Many of us here love to help with issues. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dustin and Bob.

To address Bob's specific questions regarding my process:

1) Cooker: 22" WSM
2) Water: I use a clay saucer in the water pan
3) Rub: My last rub was Turbinado sugar, salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion, ground coffee, paprika, ancho chili powder, couple others. I applied very lightly
4) Injecting: No injecting
5) Anything else: Not that I can think of

I will say that I used the temp probe from my instant read to check for doneness and it didn't go in like "warm butter" like I understood it should. It was more like going into room temp butter, which in my mind is pretty soft...this seems so subjective to me and is quite possibly my issue. Perhaps this is the key to my problem.

I say perhaps because even though I'm now convinced that it was "undercooked", it's hard for me to believe that an extra hour or two would yield something that's considered "wonderful" as opposed to "pretty good".

Before I attempt another brisket, I feel I need to sample one that is in fact accepted as "wonderful". I'm pretty sure I've had brisket before, but I don't know when or how I liked it! Having an exceptional brisket now will give me some perspective.

Thanks for the help!
 
Tom,

Would like to suggest contacting the Minnesota BBQ Society. They are multiple contests coming up soon. Might be a great chance to try some "exceptional" brisket... IF you get a chance to try their competition stuff.

And yes... Excellent Brisket is truly wonderful !
 
I understand that I'm going to take a lot of fire from a bunch of people ( especially from Texas ) but brisket isn't all that. It is not a juicy, tender, melt in your mouth like a M&M cut of meat. They are a pain to cook correctly, need to be sliced correctly, and even then it end up being a vehicle for sauce.

Your times look a tad short for your temperatures, but not horribly so. I find briskets like to be cooked wetter, you may wish to try water in the clay saucer, or "spritzing" the meat as it cooks. Also be sure to cut across the grain -I did that wrong one time!

Brisket in a day and eat at a sane time is hard. It requires a very early start time. I try to have mine on the smoker by 5am. I prep as much as I can the day before - including having the smoker loaded. That way I get up, light the smoker, get it up to temp (about an hour) and then get the meat on by 5. Then it usually a nap on the couch for an hour or 2 until the kids are up.
 
To each his own on whether brisket is good to eat. My wife and I both love it so I make it. I prefer to cook the whole packer briskets. I do use water in my pan and cook them at 225*. One thing I do to them on the day before is inject the beef. Helps keep them tender. I prep them the day before and start them on the cooker by 10:30pm the night before they will be eaten. Once the bark has set, about 165* I foil and work through stall. At 195* I start probing for tenderness. Once it probes tender, I pull it and open the foil for 20 minutes to allow it to stop cooking. Normally this happens between 10 and noon the next day. I then rewrap and put it in the cooler with towels and that way I can serve anytime later that day. When the brisket is served, it is tender and juicy and very tasty.

Also Andrew, excuse my stupidity, but I am not sure of your definition of M&M cut of meat.
That is how I do it and for me it works. No flak, just my thoughts. To each his own.

Andrew F said:
I understand that I'm going to take a lot of fire from a bunch of people ( especially from Texas ) but brisket isn't all that. It is not a juicy, tender, melt in your mouth like a M&M cut of meat. They are a pain to cook correctly, need to be sliced correctly, and even then it end up being a vehicle for sauce.

Your times look a tad short for your temperatures, but not horribly so. I find briskets like to be cooked wetter, you may wish to try water in the clay saucer, or "spritzing" the meat as it cooks. Also be sure to cut across the grain -I did that wrong one time!

Brisket in a day and eat at a sane time is hard. It requires a very early start time. I try to have mine on the smoker by 5am. I prep as much as I can the day before - including having the smoker loaded. That way I get up, light the smoker, get it up to temp (about an hour) and then get the meat on by 5. Then it usually a nap on the couch for an hour or 2 until the kids are up.
Click to expand...
 
Andrew F said:
I understand that I'm going to take a lot of fire from a bunch of people ( especially from Texas ) but brisket isn't all that. It is not a juicy, tender, melt in your mouth like a M&M cut of meat. They are a pain to cook correctly, need to be sliced correctly, and even then it end up being a vehicle for sauce.
Click to expand...

I would have agreed with 100% until I had some good brisket. I'll still agree with you somewhat about brisket flat. Fatty brisket on the other hand can be life changing with the fat properly rendered and some good bark.
 
Sorry you've had, or seem to have had such bad experiences with brisket, Andrew.

Myself... I can say that I've 'sampled' brisket from the whole gamut, Inedible to Excellent. And I do so regularly. Mostly on Saturdays around 1:30PM. And YES... Brisket can be wonderful !
 
Hey Tom.

Briskets have been one of most difficult things for me to barbecue. Like Andrew, I'm also not a huge fan of beef brisket. Don't get me wrong. I like brisket but it's nowhere near my favorite. For my money, nothing beats St. Louis style ribs off the WSM! But... brisket is a challenge so I keep at it.

For what it's worth:

1. Make sure you are not buying Select Grade meat. If the brisket is not specifically labeled Choice, Prime or Certified Angus, it's almost certainly Select. In my opinion, that grade never makes a good brisket.

2. Even if you are buying Choice Grade, make sure that you choose the best individual brisket from the ones that are available. Look for good fat marbling, and pick the one that is the most pliable in the cryovac. FYI - Costco has some excellent Prime Grade whole packer briskets for somewhat reasonable prices!

3. Let it cook longer. The probe should go through the flat with little to no resistance, kind of like jello or room temp butter.

4. Something I just learned that made a huge difference--When you pull it off the smoker, partially unwrap it and let it come down to 170 before putting it in the cooler. This can take 60 to 90 minutes. After it gets down to 170, then you can separate the flat and point. While you are making burnt ends, put the flat back the cooler for two hours, or until it reaches 140 degrees. Personally, I never separate the flat and point. I don't care about burnt ends so I just put the whole brisket in the cooler for two hours.

Hopefully this helps!
 
Last edited:
Sorry my post came off a little rough, I was on a conference call for work and slightly distracted. My phrasing was not as exact as I would have liked.

I have had some excellent brisket, and some, well lets just say it might have been an excellent boot before it was brisket. Even the best stuff still has a fair amount of chew to it. It is not going to melt or dissolve like a good prime rib or tender loin can. It's just not that type of cut. I think it is described that way in compared to brisket. Think of it as XXX is the best pick-up truck there is, but it still is going to be a good sports car.
 
Totally understand Andrew.

While we have cooked many a brisket, most of our 'sampling' has been on the pro bbq competition circuit as bbq judges. Competition briskets can indeed (almost) melt in your mouth. One must remember what the best teams are starting with. Not your normal Choice and Select grades. Not even Prime. Most teams are able to prep, cook and hold their briskets so that they are full of moisture with loads of flavor. Every once in a while, you get the honor of sampling one that is truly wonderful. BUT... on the flip side, I wouldn't desire to make a meal of these briskets... They're basically 'One Bite Specials' !
 
First off, thank you for all the help. I'm sure a question like mine has been asked a million times, so thanks for taking the time to respond.

It was indeed a Choice. I picked it up from a local meat market and it looked great. The first one I did was a Choice from Costco. Even though they were both labeled Choice, to me (and my limited knowledge on the subject) this last one appeared to be a better brisket.

I definitely need to cook it longer and I will also try the technique of letting it rest partially unwrapped and cool down more (170) before separating.

Thanks again!
 
If great brisket was easy to cook then everyone would do it. Regardless of how much you watch, read or study just remember that it takes time to get good at it. Practice makes perfect and keep notes.
 
Hi All Been smoking now for 4 years..Brisket has been my downfall. Must have smoked a dozen briskets, all with same results, tender and tasty but always the flat was dry.
Tried Hot N Fast, Low N slow foiled unfolied.. All briskets past the probe test and pull test.Last time I tried a prime brisket was one of worst cook for brisket so far.
I haven't given up yet,going to keep trying till I get it right!! My briskets have come by Restaurant Depot and were either choice or Angus.
Dan
PS Haven't tried brisket with my WSM yet..Next time I will do and over night cook at 225*
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top