What temp should I use to hold a brisket


 
L

Larry M

TVWBB Member
I will be cooking a brisket for Thanksgiving, but will not be home when it should be done. I like to cook brisket at 225 and want to set my ATC to reduce the pit temp when the the meat is close to being done. What temp should I aim for my pit to hold the meat without over cooking it until I can get home and take the brisket off?
 
Anybody have any ideas? I am thinking about 180 to 185 since that is close to the finished meat temperature.
 
Hi Larry,

Harry Soo suggests, after removing from the cooker, to let the brisket cool to 170 deg F before wrapping back up and storing. If you were to reduce your pit temperature to 170, the meat's temperature would take forever to reach this temperature. And it will still be cooking during this time !

Quick question... if you are away from the pit, how are you going to determine when the brisket has reached the tender state ?

Bob
 
Bob, I agree that the meat will continue to cook while the temperature is going down, which is why I am not sure how low to let the pit drop. The forecast for Thursday is for a high in the 40s, so the WSM should cool fairly quickly. My (maybe ill conceived plan) is to start reducing the temperature when the meat reaches 170 and then when I return bring it back up until the fork test tells me it is tender. I do not have enough experience to know whether this plan will work or should I come up with another plan. Thanks for letting me know what Harry Soo suggests.
 
Larry,

How long will be you away during the cooking cycle ? I was wondering if, due to your schedule, you could cook at say 250 degs and then foil, so that the finish portion of the cook would fall within the time you are nearby.

Bob
 
I will be gone for 5 to 6 hours and when I return I will want to pull it after no more than an hour. I can start the cook at any time, so I could plan for the brisket to be done before I have to leave, but in my limited experience I have not been able to time how long it will take. From what I have read the cooking time on brisket cannot be predicted because each piece of meat will cook at a different rate and of course the pit temperature can vary some. So say I allow 1 1/2 hours per pound and start so it will be ready before I have to leave - what if it is ready a few hours early or get's ready after I have left. On the one hand I would have to hold the brisket in a cooler for up to eight hours or it will be over cooked. This is why I was thinking I would plan on it being close to done about two hours before I return and reduce the pit temp to slow the final cooking until I returned. But, as you point out since the meat will continue to cook as the temp in the pit comes down this may not be doable.
 
Another alternative (if possible) is to cook in advance, let rest and cool.. maybe 1 hr, slice, chill in freezer for maybe another 30-60 minutes, then store in frig with defatted juices in a hotel or foil pan.

One hour before serving warm in oven (seal pan with foil) with juices and beef broth for a little more au jus.
 
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