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Competition Brisket Suggestions

The Giggler

The Giggler

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Anyone have any suggestions on competition brisket? We're just not happy with what we've had for turn ins. Time to experiment, maybe even get radical.

If anyone has anything they would be willing to share, we sure would appreciate it. Its three long years since we got a call in brisket.

Sincerely,

Mike
Giggling Pigs BBQ Co
 
Didn't you take our class ?

The Giggler said:
Anyone have any suggestions on competition brisket? We're just not happy with what we've had for turn ins. Time to experiment, maybe even get radical.

If anyone has anything they would be willing to share, we sure would appreciate it. Its three long years since we got a call in brisket.

Sincerely,

Mike
Giggling Pigs BBQ Co
Click to expand...
 
Yeah, we did really well with the chicken portion:) Really, we did learn alot in the brisket category portion too. The problem I have is that even following the recipe to the T - the cookers are different, and the stick burner keeps turning out a bone dry result (from which I can deduct that its a dryer environment). We've been messing around with the trim, rub, etc. Putting it out there for suggestions....

Got a beauty to do up this weekend. And selected the competition briskets for aging this very morning. Great looking stuff - best I've seen all year. Just hope I don't kill it in the process.
 
  • Turn up the heat. Try Cooking at 275-300
  • Put the fat cap between your brisket and the heat. For a stickburner that probably means fat down.
  • Wrap it in foil with a cup of flavorful liquid after ~165* internal or good bark has formed
  • Pull it at 188*
  • Rest in a cambro for 4 hours, wrapped in foil, fat cap up



The Giggler said:
Anyone have any suggestions on competition brisket? We're just not happy with what we've had for turn ins. Time to experiment, maybe even get radical.

If anyone has anything they would be willing to share, we sure would appreciate it. Its three long years since we got a call in brisket.

Sincerely,

Mike
Giggling Pigs BBQ Co
Click to expand...
 
Papa Hogg said:
Attend the Yankee BBQ Cooking class and you won't get a call again...Sign me up :lol:
Click to expand...

I'm still bent about not making it. I've got a nice credit with Southwest from the trip I couldn't take for that class!
 
All kinding aside, we've participated in a few comp classes - Yankee's was by far the most informative. We had a great time, and gained much more knowledge than the others.

One thing I have found is that cooking on an offset is different than what we have learned on in classes. Besides, our brisket has been struggling since our best finish of 5th in 2004.

Did you have any suggestions?....:)
 
have you tried painting your slice's with a mix of head country and apple juice?
 
The Giggler said:
All kinding aside, we've participated in a few comp classes - Yankee's was by far the most informative. We had a great time, and gained much more knowledge than the others.

One thing I have found is that cooking on an offset is different than what we have learned on in classes. Besides, our brisket has been struggling since our best finish of 5th in 2004.

Did you have any suggestions?....:)
Click to expand...

Well if you can figure out a cooking process on your offset the same flavor profile should come in handy. What are you doing now that is turning out bad, maybe if we know that we can help you adjust.
 
Anthony - thanks for the suggestion. I'll give the HC with apple a go.

Thanks Chris for the suggestion of keeping the fat cap b/t the heat and the meat. We'll give that a try too.

In terms of the process, the brisket is cooked fat side up until 165, then wrapped in a flavorful liquid until hitting 195, its pulled from the cooker, and sent for a nap until we are ready for slicing.

It looks good during the whole process, and gets a spray of apple juice after two hours, and every hour until foil.

Here's what I don't understand: it gets sliced, looks super moist, and within a couple minutes you need a chaser to get it down. The flavor is getting lost in the dryness, which we can't seem to get past.

I agree with you Steve, the flavor model is proven. Even modifying the trim, we're still missing something.

Our local is just around the corner, and in 2005 we got RGC. 2006 we got blanked. Trying to make a strong showing.
 
You might want to try pulling it at a bit lower temp For me 195 is too high we normally pull closer to 190. I also cook fat cap up.
 
Temps will get you in the ballpark but I'd give it a poke or two to see if it is ready to be pulled early. Wrapping and adding something tasty and moist is great, but if left too long you can still dry the meat out. I've boiled the moisture out of more than one brisket and turned it into sawdust that way.
 
The Giggler said:
Anthony - thanks for the suggestion. I'll give the HC with apple a go.

Thanks Chris for the suggestion of keeping the fat cap b/t the heat and the meat. We'll give that a try too.

In terms of the process, the brisket is cooked fat side up until 165, then wrapped in a flavorful liquid until hitting 195, its pulled from the cooker, and sent for a nap until we are ready for slicing.

It looks good during the whole process, and gets a spray of apple juice after two hours, and every hour until foil.

Here's what I don't understand: it gets sliced, looks super moist, and within a couple minutes you need a chaser to get it down. The flavor is getting lost in the dryness, which we can't seem to get past.

I agree with you Steve, the flavor model is proven. Even modifying the trim, we're still missing something.

Our local is just around the corner, and in 2005 we got RGC. 2006 we got blanked. Trying to make a strong showing.
Click to expand...

Are you injecting it? If so, maybe try injecting it again right before you foil it...
 
We've learned to pull the brisket sooner than most (usually anything above 180 works) because it continues cooking in the dry cooler. Typically we have 2 briskets and 4 butts triple wrapped in foil resting in a cooler for up to 6 hours before slicing and all of that heat keeps cooking the meat. Before we made that adjustment, our briskets were consistently dry after slicing. Also, consider using a Fab B injection. The phosphates seem to hold moisture after slicing.
 
ique said:
  • Turn up the heat. Try Cooking at 275-300
  • Put the fat cap between your brisket and the heat. For a stickburner that probably means fat down.
  • Wrap it in foil with a cup of flavorful liquid after ~165* internal or good bark has formed
  • Pull it at 188*
  • Rest in a cambro for 4 hours, wrapped in foil, fat cap up
Click to expand...

I think 188* may be a little high. I like to pull mine at 187*, dontcha know!:mrgreen:
 
ique said:
  • Turn up the heat. Try Cooking at 275-300
  • Put the fat cap between your brisket and the heat. For a stickburner that probably means fat down.
  • Wrap it in foil with a cup of flavorful liquid after ~165* internal or good bark has formed
  • Pull it at 188*
  • Rest in a cambro for 4 hours, wrapped in foil, fat cap up
Click to expand...

Oh, how I do love my Cambro! One of the best investments I have ever made. The next Que toy I will save my schekels for is one of those vacuum marinators.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. We do inject with Fab B. I saw a post about an alternative product comparable to Fab B being marketed by a Brethren, and can't seem to locate it now. Any info available is appreciated.

I will be cooking one this weekend, and will pull @ 185, triple wrap, n' rest. Fat cap down, injected, and rubbed. For finishing, we're going to try a couple different concoctions. I'll report how it turns out, and if I can figure it out - post some pictures.

We've got 4 more weeks of trial and error. Its a good thing we like brisket. Thanks again for all the responses.

Mike.
 
The Giggler said:
Thanks for the suggestions. We do inject with Fab B. I saw a post about an alternative product comparable to Fab B being marketed by a Brethren, and can't seem to locate it now. Any info available is appreciated.

.
Click to expand...

Try Le Gout Au Jus mix.
 
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