Gary Bramley
TVWBB Pro
Larry,
How did the brisket turn out?
Q'n, Golf'n & Grill'n.... too many choices!
Gary
How did the brisket turn out?
Q'n, Golf'n & Grill'n.... too many choices!
Gary
-
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Trying foiled brisket
- Thread starter LarryR
- Start date
LarryR
TVWBB Diamond Member
So here's my post cook wrap up and updated PICTURES.
By far my best brisket effort, but still not where I think it should be. I'm basing this off of a local BBQ comp. I went to and the brisket a couple of the competitors allowed me to sample. So I was pleased but not yet satisfied. Everyone else loved it, I thought it was very good.
WSM preformed flawlessly; used a full ring of rancher, MM, clay saucer and my grate temp maintained between 210 and 225 so my lid would have been between roughly 225 - 240. Very little if any fussing with my vents. Pretty much ran the entire cook with 2 vents at 1/8 open.
I was very disappointed in my smoke ring. I had excellent smoke in the beginning of the cook and faint blue smoke throughout almost the entire cook. In-fact I commented to myself as I enjoyed a cocktail looking at the faint blue smoke and taking in the aroma, "this should have a killer smoke ring" but no. I used equal parts hickory and red oak. Four good size chunks of each.
Brisket was moist and tender with very good flavor. As always the Wild Willy's rub rocked! I love that stuff.
Brisket moved very quickly from 165 to fork tender, approximately 2 1/2 hours. As I suspected the foiling seemed to accelerate the cooking process. She was fork tender at 190.
I did not get to rest her as long as I wanted to in the cooler, only 1 hour. I'm wondering if longer would have made much of a difference?
Oh, I almost forgot, the ABTS were awesome. Worth the hell I went through preparing them - see my POST under Recipe Requests, I'm not sure. Not too hot, and I loved the bacon with the cream cheese and pepper. I know I'm going to get asked to make these for the Super Bowl so I've got to figure out a better way to clean this suckers.
Overall a good smoke. I wish I would have started earlier and had more time to rest. As always thanks to everyone who gave feedback on this and my past brisket posts, I think I'm getting there; the brisket did not beat me this cook! Foiling at 165 seems to be the way to go for me.
By far my best brisket effort, but still not where I think it should be. I'm basing this off of a local BBQ comp. I went to and the brisket a couple of the competitors allowed me to sample. So I was pleased but not yet satisfied. Everyone else loved it, I thought it was very good.
WSM preformed flawlessly; used a full ring of rancher, MM, clay saucer and my grate temp maintained between 210 and 225 so my lid would have been between roughly 225 - 240. Very little if any fussing with my vents. Pretty much ran the entire cook with 2 vents at 1/8 open.
I was very disappointed in my smoke ring. I had excellent smoke in the beginning of the cook and faint blue smoke throughout almost the entire cook. In-fact I commented to myself as I enjoyed a cocktail looking at the faint blue smoke and taking in the aroma, "this should have a killer smoke ring" but no. I used equal parts hickory and red oak. Four good size chunks of each.
Brisket was moist and tender with very good flavor. As always the Wild Willy's rub rocked! I love that stuff.
Brisket moved very quickly from 165 to fork tender, approximately 2 1/2 hours. As I suspected the foiling seemed to accelerate the cooking process. She was fork tender at 190.
I did not get to rest her as long as I wanted to in the cooler, only 1 hour. I'm wondering if longer would have made much of a difference?
Oh, I almost forgot, the ABTS were awesome. Worth the hell I went through preparing them - see my POST under Recipe Requests, I'm not sure. Not too hot, and I loved the bacon with the cream cheese and pepper. I know I'm going to get asked to make these for the Super Bowl so I've got to figure out a better way to clean this suckers.
Overall a good smoke. I wish I would have started earlier and had more time to rest. As always thanks to everyone who gave feedback on this and my past brisket posts, I think I'm getting there; the brisket did not beat me this cook! Foiling at 165 seems to be the way to go for me.
Ed Cardoza
TVWBB Pro
Larry your brisket looks like it came out great.I too smoked one yesterday as well, but it didn't come out so good. Mine seemed to be a bit dry and lacked flavor. I think my rub had alot to do with it. I just winged it when I put the rub together. I am going to try your rub next time, and now that I have my new DigiQ II figured out I won't have to keep messing with the dang thing. Put mine on at 6:30 yesterday morning and it was already pegging 140 internal at 10 am, so I called Larry and asked for some suggestions. We were both stumped on the way this power draft was working. I went to the BBQ Guru site and asked questions. There's a real nice guy by the name of Jasen, that answered all my questions through my email acct.
we were having trouble with the temp (pit) giving me some funky readings. The temps would vary between a low of 209 and a high of 240. Just before my email went down, Jasen had emailed me a solution to my problem, but I wasn't able to read until about 6pm and my email went down at 1:30. The problem was it was in the ramp on mode. Once I turned that mode off, everything started working as advertised. Unfortunately I learned my lesson too late into the cook. Spent too much time opening and closing the lid to check and adjust my pit probe to make sure I was getting the proper reading. Now that I know what to do, I will be trying another brisket real soon, but I think I'll smoke a butt first and do it as an overnighter.
we were having trouble with the temp (pit) giving me some funky readings. The temps would vary between a low of 209 and a high of 240. Just before my email went down, Jasen had emailed me a solution to my problem, but I wasn't able to read until about 6pm and my email went down at 1:30. The problem was it was in the ramp on mode. Once I turned that mode off, everything started working as advertised. Unfortunately I learned my lesson too late into the cook. Spent too much time opening and closing the lid to check and adjust my pit probe to make sure I was getting the proper reading. Now that I know what to do, I will be trying another brisket real soon, but I think I'll smoke a butt first and do it as an overnighter.
Larry,
With your stuffed peppers, I cook them all the time...but on a grill. I haven't tried them on the WSM yet, but plan on it. My cousin in San Antonio cleans them like you do. I have found a much easier way to clean/cook. I bought a pepper roaster and corer from Cabelas. Then you can fill them with the cream cheese using a cake decorating gun, or a ziploc bag with a hold cut in the corner. Works pretty slick! My setup would only work....if I wasn't cooking meat...because the roaster holds 48 peppers. That's why I do them on the grill.
Steve
With your stuffed peppers, I cook them all the time...but on a grill. I haven't tried them on the WSM yet, but plan on it. My cousin in San Antonio cleans them like you do. I have found a much easier way to clean/cook. I bought a pepper roaster and corer from Cabelas. Then you can fill them with the cream cheese using a cake decorating gun, or a ziploc bag with a hold cut in the corner. Works pretty slick! My setup would only work....if I wasn't cooking meat...because the roaster holds 48 peppers. That's why I do them on the grill.
Steve
Gary Michael
TVWBB Pro
Ive foiled both ways, covered the brisket itself, and just tent while in the pan. I find the biggest significance is after it is foiled set in a cooler for at least an hour prefer 2 hours. Also if you can get choice or CAB. I find much better results w/ CAB
LarryR
TVWBB Diamond Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">corer from Cabelas </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
It's funny you mention that Steve. Last night on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives a guy had a rack and a "corer." I said to myself, "damn, that's what I need." I'll have to go on-line and check out Cabelas. Thanks for the tip. Cleaning those were pure hell!
Toby if you want a lesson on how not to do a brisket visit my previous brisket posts, lol. This smoke actually went pretty well and results were good. Made Kevin's Chili Colorado with the point, damn good. Jump on in on your brisket, it's a pretty fun smoke.
It's funny you mention that Steve. Last night on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives a guy had a rack and a "corer." I said to myself, "damn, that's what I need." I'll have to go on-line and check out Cabelas. Thanks for the tip. Cleaning those were pure hell!
Toby if you want a lesson on how not to do a brisket visit my previous brisket posts, lol. This smoke actually went pretty well and results were good. Made Kevin's Chili Colorado with the point, damn good. Jump on in on your brisket, it's a pretty fun smoke.
Larry, Sorry I missed this somehow.
What's your biggest bi!ch about your brisket? Moisture, Bark, Texture, Flavor of Rub a combo of.....? I saw you like the Wild Willy rub, I'm not a fan because of all the Paprika in it which I think takes away from the meat, It's just too gritty for me. For brisket I like a good amount of salt, sugar and heat, with some good bold pepper, garlic, and onion flavor. Let me know what you are looking for, I love my briskets foiled or not, yes some come out better than others but most of that is the meat and fat content. I never had a bad one yet and I'm prob up to 60 of them by now. Matter O fact I'm doing one this weekend and some Pastrami is in my future real soon. Love to try to help you find the right combo if I can.
Wondering if the brisket went right from the fridge directly to the settled out WSM it would have spent more time under 140 and given a nicer ring?
Then again, what do I know - haven't jumped in on a brisket, and I've been Q'ing for about 6-8 years or so.
Other than that - Larry looks pretty good to me! Also looked like that CR was moving pretty quickly
Then again, what do I know - haven't jumped in on a brisket, and I've been Q'ing for about 6-8 years or so.
Other than that - Larry looks pretty good to me! Also looked like that CR was moving pretty quickly
Keeping the meat as cold as possible really helps with the ring especially when you foil. I've even cooked partially frozen meat.Cooking with foil seems to lighten the color of the ring BUT the overall finished product is great. The bark ,when foiling, comes out softer than I like but you can compensate for that by taking the meat out of the foil earlier and throwing it back on the smoker.
LarryR
TVWBB Diamond Member
Bryan, My biggest issue with briskets in the past has been texture and the fact that they've turned out dry. Here's a PICTURE of my typical brisket smoke. It was very dry and cracking from the outside in. I think I she was overdone as I was going off of temp. vs tenderness. What seemed to work better with this smoke was a combination of things; fat side down, foiled at 165 and pulling when fork tender vs. temp. Texture was much better than past briskets, however the smoke ring wasn't quite what I thought it would be and honestly I thought it could have had more of a smoky flavor to it. I used eight good size pieces of wood (hickory and red oak), maybe too few? Can a brisket handle more? Also, I was a bit disappointed with the bark on this one, however, I understand you won't get the same bark with a foiled brisket as you will a non-foiled brisket. From what I've read there's a trade-off here.
Ray, I went directly from the fridge to the smoker as I too have read this will deliver a better smoke ring. Ah yes, the CR went down very well that night.
Paul, that's interesting putting her back on the smoker after foiling to firm her up a bit. Interesting . . .
Any input is greatly appreciated as I really want to hit a brisket out of the park some day. I understand it's one of the more difficult cuts to get right, however I think I can still do a little bit better.
Ray, I went directly from the fridge to the smoker as I too have read this will deliver a better smoke ring. Ah yes, the CR went down very well that night.
Paul, that's interesting putting her back on the smoker after foiling to firm her up a bit. Interesting . . .
Any input is greatly appreciated as I really want to hit a brisket out of the park some day. I understand it's one of the more difficult cuts to get right, however I think I can still do a little bit better.
Gary Michael
TVWBB Pro
I love cooking brisket...once you nail one on the head..its a great acomplishmnet. I have found right from the fridge to the smoker makes no difference on my ring. I usually let it sit out for 45-min to an hour. Aplly a little mustard, rub, 20 mins later more rub, and then a little more befor it goes on the cooker. One thing I have learned over the years is PATIENCE. Evertime you lift the lid to peak or to poke at the meat is having a negative impact. I go by strictly temp, it has never let me dowm. Whether it be select or CAB. I have found that CAB takes slightly less longer and has much more juice to it. I will not open the lid to peak until it hits 165-170. I have not found any benefit or added moisture by mopping or spraying. At 195 pull and let rest. 1 hour will do but 2 is ideal. About the smoke ring...very odd it was so minimal. W/ that much wood it should of been killer.Maybe just an odd day at the ring.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LarryR:
Bryan, My biggest issue with briskets in the past has been texture and the fact that they've turned out dry. Here's a PICTURE of my typical brisket smoke. It was very dry and cracking from the outside in. I think I she was overdone as I was going off of temp. vs tenderness. What seemed to work better with this smoke was a combination of things; fat side down, foiled at 165 and pulling when fork tender vs. temp. Texture was much better than past briskets, however the smoke ring wasn't quite what I thought it would be and honestly I thought it could have had more of a smoky flavor to it. I used eight good size pieces of wood (hickory and red oak), maybe too few? Can a brisket handle more? Also, I was a bit disappointed with the bark on this one, however, I understand you won't get the same bark with a foiled brisket as you will a non-foiled brisket. From what I've read there's a trade-off here.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Larry, by looking at the pic of that brisket to me it looks like it had very little to no fat cap. When I get a flat that has a minimal fat cap I alwys foil it. Yes your bark will suffer somewhat but foiling it will go a long way in the moisture department. That said 2 things come to mind/forefront for a successfull brisket cook. Fat content (cap and internal fat) of the brisket and carry over heat. Carry over heat probably ruins more briskets than anything. i.e. you have a nice 7lb flat, could take 7 hrs could take 10 hrs, just depends. Well once you get over the plateua it'll carry over cook quite a bit, because of the long time spent on the smoker. A 7 lb chunk of meat, at 225+ temps for many hrs it's going to contine to cook long after it's removed from the cooker. Not to mention we wrap it up good and tight in foil, stick it in a cooler to hold the heat in. So if it was cooked perfect when pulled, it's over cooked once it's sliced for eating. Fat content and timing are key to a brisket, adjusting for one or the other or both is crucial for good brisket. HTH
Bryan, My biggest issue with briskets in the past has been texture and the fact that they've turned out dry. Here's a PICTURE of my typical brisket smoke. It was very dry and cracking from the outside in. I think I she was overdone as I was going off of temp. vs tenderness. What seemed to work better with this smoke was a combination of things; fat side down, foiled at 165 and pulling when fork tender vs. temp. Texture was much better than past briskets, however the smoke ring wasn't quite what I thought it would be and honestly I thought it could have had more of a smoky flavor to it. I used eight good size pieces of wood (hickory and red oak), maybe too few? Can a brisket handle more? Also, I was a bit disappointed with the bark on this one, however, I understand you won't get the same bark with a foiled brisket as you will a non-foiled brisket. From what I've read there's a trade-off here.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Larry, by looking at the pic of that brisket to me it looks like it had very little to no fat cap. When I get a flat that has a minimal fat cap I alwys foil it. Yes your bark will suffer somewhat but foiling it will go a long way in the moisture department. That said 2 things come to mind/forefront for a successfull brisket cook. Fat content (cap and internal fat) of the brisket and carry over heat. Carry over heat probably ruins more briskets than anything. i.e. you have a nice 7lb flat, could take 7 hrs could take 10 hrs, just depends. Well once you get over the plateua it'll carry over cook quite a bit, because of the long time spent on the smoker. A 7 lb chunk of meat, at 225+ temps for many hrs it's going to contine to cook long after it's removed from the cooker. Not to mention we wrap it up good and tight in foil, stick it in a cooler to hold the heat in. So if it was cooked perfect when pulled, it's over cooked once it's sliced for eating. Fat content and timing are key to a brisket, adjusting for one or the other or both is crucial for good brisket. HTH
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave/G:
Originally posted by Bryan S:
When I get a flat that has a minimal fat cap I alwys foil it.
Carry over heat probably ruins more briskets than anything. A 7 lb chunk of meat, at 225+ temps for many hrs it's going to contine to cook long after it's removed from the cooker. Not to mention we wrap it up good and tight in foil, stick it in a cooler to hold the heat in. So if it was cooked perfect when pulled, it's over cooked once it's sliced for eating.
So, Bryan, leads me to two questions:
1. when do you foil flats? At the usual 165* range?
2. what do you look for to determine when to pull the flat so that it isn't overdone 2 hours later? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Dave, I prefer to cook flats since I don't like the texture of the point meat. I'm kind of OCD on textures, all kinds.If I pick up a flat that has a solid 1/8" - 1/4" fat cap on one side, I will forgo the foil, and cook it fat cap down. If it's hurting in the fat cap dept, I will always foil it, and cook it at high heat, and let the bark suffer somewhat, I hate dry meat, there's that texture thing again. I often buy packers and seperate the flat from the point before cooking, and the fat cap is not in question on those briskets. When I foil, I do it in the 165 - 170 range, more towards 170. Remember 160 is just when the fat starts rendering out, and your entering the plateua so if your foiling at 160 your bark will really suffer, IMO.
The best way to check the meat is with a probe or fork. Kevin Kruger has posted the feel many times and I concour. You want it to feel just about like room temp butter. Probe/fork goes in easy but with some slight resistance, because of the carry over heat, brisket wrapped in foil, it will continue to cook once removed from the smoker. It's a feel you have to develope, but once you find the sweet spot, you'll know what to feel for, and never forget it. HTH