Question About My 1st Brisket on a WSM 18.5


 

Christine Hall

TVWBB Member
Hi Everyone -
I just recently found a fascination with barbecuing. I purchased my first packer brisket yesterday. Unfortunately I didn't have time to look for a choice brisket so I purchased a select brisket at the local grocery store. It weighed 13.46 pounds. I decided not to inject so I just threw on some rub. I figured that it should take about 20 hours or so to cook so I put it on last night around midnight. The temp stayed between 220 to 250 all night. This morning I added more lit coals around 9 am. At that time I checked and the bark has set. I checked the temp and it says 185 in the flat but it definitely is not tender. The probe did not feel like it was going into butter. What am I doing wrong? I did not put water in the pan not sure if that makes any difference. Should I just let it go for the entire 20 hours although it reads 185?? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Oh forgot to say that the brisket didn't fit in my 18.5 so I lay it over a rib rack.
 
Christine,

Welcome to the forum.

Let it go until it hits 203 - 205 degrees and re-check. It will start to tender up soon. No worries. Once it gets to the 200 range, you can remove and wrap in foil and place in a cooler with some towels. Let it rest for about 2 hours and it will get super tender. Enjoy!!!!
 
Thank you J Pichey! I was worried because it was a select cut that I purchased at Randalls. They said it was "Rancher's Reserve." I was in a rush and didn't check the stamp on the package. I could of purchased the same brisket for a 1/3 of the price at Sam's Club. Oh well, live and learn!
 
You can never go wrong with Sam's. I get most of my meat there unless I am looking for a special cut. I have a group of friends that say Costco is just as good, but I don't have a Costco membership. I'm sure its all good.
 
Don't get hung up on temperatures just go by probing for tender. If Your holding a brisket warm for a few hours after it is done it is best to wait 20-30 minutes before foiling it to stop the cooking process otherwise you may end up with an overdone piece of dry crumbly beef.
 
When I checked Sam's last they carry select brisket. I called Costco today and they said that their brisket is choice. Might have to go to Costco to try one next time to see the difference for myself.

Bob - thanks for the advice! I do have to hold the brisket until later when the hubby gets home from his out of state golf trip. What's wrong with this picture???
 
One last question - I know rule of thumb is 1.5 hours/lb so my brisket should have take about 18 hours or so. It's been on the smoker for a little over 12 hours and I've stayed pretty much under 250, according to the temp gauge on the Weber because my remote temp died part way through the cooking, and the temp is 199. Okay I have to confess when I added extra lit coals it did climb to 275 but it didn't stay their for more than 15 mins. How does one gauge the doneness of a brisket if you are having a party and you are expecting the meat to be done at a certain time and it's done way too early? I did let my meat sit outside the fridge while I was getting the smoker lit.
 
You can easily hold a brisket foiled wrapped in towels and placed in a cooler for 4 hrs. It also helps if you preheat the cooler with hot water. I am so jealous of your husband right now, golf and brisket, he's a lucky man
 
Bob - thanks for the info. I'm not so sure if he's lucky because my first brisket may be dry as beef jerky. We'll have to wait and see. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

So I checked the brisket temp in the flat and it says 205 on my Thermapen. The point temp is lower. In the flat area the probe doesn't go in as smooth as the point. Should I just leave it on the smoker or go ahead and let it rest and foil??
 
I check for doneness where the point meats the flat. At 205 I would pull it rest and foil. Its kind of hard to tell by temp and I don't temp my BBQ when I'm cooking it.
 
Thanks Bob.

Tony - It actually turned out pretty good. I was ready to throw the potential brisket jerky in the trash because the piece I cut off was DRY! However after wrapping it and putting it in the cooler for close to 3 hours it was pretty tasty and juicy! Unfortunatley I forgot to take pictures!! It had a nice bark on it. I think the reason why my brisket was done so early was because I draped the brisket over a rib rack because it was too big for my 18.5 and the 2 ends were in the direct heat area.
 
Glad to hear it worked out. I have only done 4 briskets. But everytime I do them I get better at it. I learn from every cook.
 
I was ready to throw the potential brisket jerky in the trash because the piece I cut off was DRY!

And in the event that you do ever "ruin" a hunk of meat , don't be too quick to chuck it. You can add dry brisket or pork butt to chili , baked beans or even spaghetti sauce. The meat gets rejuvenated by the moisture and it adds a nice flavor to whatever you put it in.
 
The tip of the flat is usually thinner so cooks faster. Next time put some tinfoil under the ends to protect from the heat. Glad it turned out.
 
Bob and Frank - great idea! Never thought about adding it to another dish. At least it wouldn't go to waste. Can't wait to do another brisket!
 

 

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