Brisket help

[Hozman]

I am not looking for your secrets to eternal youth but some inside thoughts or tips to help our brisket. We did our 3rd comp today and got our name called which was awesome.

However brisket has been our destroyer. It is always dry. I would like to explain our technique and then get input.

We smoke at 235* to IT of 165-170* We then wrap it in a liquid solution to finish it off to approx IT of 195* We then take it out and let it off gas and also separate point from flat. From there we cut our burnt ends which are always great and the flats go into the holding cooler for couple hrs.

Then we take them out and unrap. The foil is full of juices and when we make our cuts the slices just pour with juice. But by the time the box is finished our slices are so dry. So how do we keep our slices moist?

 

[Sawdustguy]

I am not looking for your secrets to eternal youth but some inside thoughts or tips to help our brisket. We did our 3rd comp today and got our name called which was awesome.

However brisket has been our destroyer. It is always dry. I would like to explain our technique and then get input.

We smoke at 235* to IT of 165-170* We then wrap it in a liquid solution to finish it off to approx IT of 195* We then take it out and let it off gas and also separate point from flat. From there we cut our burnt ends which are always great and the flats go into the holding cooler for couple hrs.

Then we take them out and unrap. The foil is full of juices and when we make our cuts the slices just pour with juice. But by the time the box is finished our slices are so dry. So how do we keep our slices moist?

Injecting the brisket before cooking with a solution comprised of flavor and phosphates is very, very helpful.

 

[DepChief22]

Injecting is a must. Also try letting it go tip IT is 200 to 205 that will help the tenderness. We wrap ours in a towel while its still in the foil. That helps it absorb the juices.

 

[J&B'sBBQ]

Agree with the injection but you could also let the slices sit in the juices after you slice them, before you box them, to soak up a little more juice before you box.

 

[Swamp Donkeyz BBQ]

Injecting will definitely help. Don't worry too much about internal temps. Wrap it when it has good color and pull it when it probes tender. Also, it doesn't hurt to let your slices lay in jus for a little bit before you box.

 

[Sawdustguy]

Injecting is a must. Also try letting it go tip IT is 200 to 205 that will help the tenderness. We wrap ours in a towel while its still in the foil. That helps it absorb the juices.

Taking your brisket to 205, then letting it rest in a cambro or cooler will take it to 215 or 220 and that will spell mushy, over cooked brisket.

 

[HarleyGirl14226]

Injecting the brisket before cooking with a solution comprised of flavor and phosphates is very, very helpful.

Taking your brisket to 205, then letting it rest in a cambro or cooler will take it to 215 or 220 and that will spell mushy, over cooked brisket.

Agree with the injection but you could also let the slices sit in the juices after you slice them, before you box them, to soak up a little more juice before you box.

Agree with all three...

 

[Full Draw BBQ]

I agree with what everyone said above, but I'll add this........go buy 3 briskets, inject all 3, cook as you have been. Wrap at 160 or whenever the color gets to your liking, then pull one at 195, and start probing the others around the same temp. When you get to "probe tender" (the probe slides in like butter) pull it, let it rest then slice up. Let the other go until it's really probe tender, (or another definition you'll find out only through experimenting) and pull it, let it rest and slice up. Compare the 3, and take notes. Whichever you liked the best use that as your new baseline, and do it again in a week or so. Brisket is not easy, temps have nothing to do with it being good. It's all about feel, and that takes time, and briskets. Good luck!!!

 

[INmitch]

Inject with any of the main three (Butchers, Kosmos, FAB). All are good. Don't pull till probe tender. Sometimes that's as high as 210*+ for me. Then straight to the cooler for 3-4 hrs. The only venting comes from the holes in the foil from my thermopen. Never had a mushy one............yet.

 

[SDAR]

Don't slice itvwhile it is too hot either. I like Bludawg's idea of letting it get down to around 155 before slicing.

 

[Ryan Chester]

Taking your brisket to 205, then letting it rest in a cambro or cooler will take it to 215 or 220 and that will spell mushy, over cooked brisket.

I don't agree with this one. Most of our briskets go past 200* and we cambro every single one of them for a few hours. I vent them first and never had a mushy one. Can it happen? Sure...But that doesn't mean it will happen.

I HIGHLY recommend injecting. I use Kosmos.

 

[JS-TX]

All of the suggestions above will help. I would also recommend finding a nicely marbled packer brisket too, that alone can give you a very moist brisket.

 

[bruno994]

I agree with what everyone said above, but I'll add this........go buy 3 briskets, inject all 3, cook as you have been. Wrap at 160 or whenever the color gets to your liking, then pull one at 195, and start probing the others around the same temp. When you get to "probe tender" (the probe slides in like butter) pull it, let it rest then slice up. Let the other go until it's really probe tender, (or another definition you'll find out only through experimenting) and pull it, let it rest and slice up. Compare the 3, and take notes. Whichever you liked the best use that as your new baseline, and do it again in a week or so. Brisket is not easy, temps have nothing to do with it being good. It's all about feel, and that takes time, and briskets. Good luck!!!

Once I reach probe tender, I let it go for 30 more minutes...

 

[basmsi]

how much do you think quality of meat plays into all this. this is our first year on the KCBS circuit and we have been using Costco brisket, and we inject. our brisket for the most part is coming out not as moist as we would like. talking with some of the teams that generally finish in the top five, all say they buy like Wagyu or some other mail order briskets. what do you think

 

[Stoke&Smoke]

Then we take them out and unrap. The foil is full of juices and when we make our cuts the slices just pour with juice. But by the time the box is finished our slices are so dry. So how do we keep our slices moist?

All suggestions already given are good, but juice "pouring" out when you're slicing might mean you needed to rest at room (air) temp for 5-10 minutes before slicing? When we slice ours, you can see the moisture in the meat, and some juice leakes out, but it doesn't pour out

 

[Cayman1]

how much do you think quality of meat plays into all this.

I think the quality of the meat makes a big difference in all four categories. Practice with waygu or prime before the comp as they definitely cook different with all the fat content.

 

[CBQ]

how much do you think quality of meat plays into all this.

op2:

Ah, the great Wagyu vs. Choice brisket debate, almost as popular as the "which smoker is best" question.

You can win with either, including your Costco brisket. Using an injection and being sure the meat is well rested will help a lot. Wagyu and the mail order prime briskets aren't a magic bullet (just like having expensive basketball sneakers will not turn you into Lebron) but since they have more intramuscular fat, they may give you a wider margin of error between under-cooked and overdone.

We got top 5 brisket calls last year with both Wagyu and with Restaurant Depot Superior (a choice brisket), so it's more in how you cook it. Using a high fat brisket and/or an injection will potentially change your cooking time, so be sure to keep an eye on it if you make a switch.