Probe test on foiled brisket?

bmoorhouse · 03-01-2013, 01:24 PM

Cooking my first brisket this weekend on my KJ and have read page after page of different opinions on how best to do it.

One common point is that the brisket is done when it is probe tender, regardless of time or temp. For those of you that use the Texas Crutch method, how do you do this test? Do you just shoot for a target temperature or do you unwrap the foil, probe, and rewrap if necessary?

I plan on applying a salt free rub tonight and letting it sit overnight. Tomorrow morning, I will inject it with a beef broth/worcester sauce mixture and sprinkle with some salt before putting it on the grill at 225.

The only thing I have not decided yet is whether or not to foil it. If I can't use the probe test, I will probabyl just cook through the stall without foil.

aawa · 03-01-2013, 01:28 PM

When I have a large piece of meat foiled and need to probe it. I just probe right through the foil. You can feel when it pierces the foil and when it starts to push into the meat.

MS2SB · 03-01-2013, 01:35 PM

+1 Go ahead and jab that probe right through the foil.

landarc · 03-01-2013, 01:38 PM

Yep, easy to probe through foil or paper. No reason to worry about that.

John Bowen · 03-01-2013, 01:42 PM

When I wrap I put the brisket in an aluminum pan and wrap the top. When I probe I pull the foil back check it then if it needs more cook time I just wrap it back up and pop it back on the smoker. This helps me save all the juices and make handling the brisket a bit easier.

John Bowen · 03-01-2013, 01:47 PM

I also would suggest that you run the smoker at 250 instead of 225 degrees. Brisket can take a little more heat.

Ron_L · 03-01-2013, 01:52 PM

I probe through the foil, too. I take the tip of my Themapen and make a small hole, and then slid the probe in. I started doing it this way after my wife found a small sliver of foil embedded in a slice of brisket as we were getting out box ready at a competition. Apparently the probe tip pushed it into the meat. If she hadn't seen it, and the judges had, we would have been DQ'd, and that day we took first place in brisket with a perfect 180!

bmoorhouse · 03-01-2013, 02:06 PM

Thanks, everyone. I had read somewhere that breaking the foil seal was bad as it released the moisture it was trapping. Obviously, based on your experience, that won't be a problem.

One other thing I just thought of, if I apply the rub tonight, and inject tomorrow morning before cooking, will the injection wash away the rub? I just saw another video of someone injecting a brisket and the juices were seaping back out all over the place :( If that is a risk, perhaps I should inject and rub tonight. Any reason not to?

Chef Jim · 03-01-2013, 02:08 PM

All very good advise. A BBQ judge once told he uses a foil pan with an open top. Then he covers for the last three hours. I have tried it and it works very well. But the probe test is what I use along with the temp.

Don't try too many methods. Stick with whatever you decide and then see if you like it. It's beef so how could you not like it? then change just one thing for the next one, and so on until you have perfected it. Takes a little time but it's worth it.

Best of luck with it.

John Bowen · 03-01-2013, 02:20 PM

Quote:

One other thing I just thought of, if I apply the rub tonight, and inject tomorrow morning before cooking, will the injection wash away the rub? I just saw another video of someone injecting a brisket and the juices were seaping back out all over the place :( If that is a risk, perhaps I should inject and rub tonight. Any reason not to?

I would inject tonight wrap in plastic put in the fridge and then first thing in the morning apply your rub before you start your smoker. Your brisket can come up to room temp while your smoker comes to temp.

MS2SB · 03-01-2013, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmoorhouse

One other thing I just thought of, if I apply the rub tonight, and inject tomorrow morning before cooking, will the injection wash away the rub? I just saw another video of someone injecting a brisket and the juices were seaping back out all over the place :( If that is a risk, perhaps I should inject and rub tonight. Any reason not to?

You should probably inject before rubbing, not sure if it will rinse the rubb off, but it will be a lot cleaner process. If I inject I like to let the injection redistribute overnight and then rub just before going onto the smoker.

funugy · 03-01-2013, 03:29 PM

I used to jab a probe through the foil to check doneness.

Recently I have changed to using those disposable aluminum pans with a layer of foil over the top. When I do it this way it is easy to just open the foil lid and check then re-seal if needed.

When I was just wrapping in foil, it seemed I was always using 2-3 layers of HD foil and I still managed to rip a hole in the bottom of it somehow.

Ron_L · 03-01-2013, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funugy

When I was just wrapping in foil, it seemed I was always using 2-3 layers of HD foil and I still managed to rip a hole in the bottom of it somehow.

I think that is one of Murphy's Laws of BBQ

Quote:

Originally Posted by funugy

Recently I have changed to using those disposable aluminum pans with a layer of foil over the top. When I do it this way it is easy to just open the foil lid and check then re-seal if needed.

Do you notice a difference in the finished product? I foil very tightly to avoid steaming and in a pan it seems that is would steam the meat.

John Bowen · 03-01-2013, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Do you notice a difference in the finished product? I foil very tightly to avoid steaming and in a pan it seems that is would steam the meat

I don't see a difference and it seems to me once the meat is in an enclosed area with liquid some degree of steaming is going to happen anyway. Either way the meat is sitting in hot liquid.

funugy · 03-01-2013, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron_L

Do you notice a difference in the finished product? I foil very tightly to avoid steaming and in a pan it seems that is would steam the meat.

It's like what John Bowen said. I have not noticed a difference at all. I do try to get an appropriate sized pan though. Ya know, not use a 25lb turkey pan for a 5lb butt.

I have 4 different sized pans. They are cheap and thin. I get them at the dollar store, they cost a dollar.

03-01-2013, 01:24 PM	#1
bmoorhouse Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 08-20-12 Location: Norfolk, VA	Probe test on foiled brisket? Cooking my first brisket this weekend on my KJ and have read page after page of different opinions on how best to do it. One common point is that the brisket is done when it is probe tender, regardless of time or temp. For those of you that use the Texas Crutch method, how do you do this test? Do you just shoot for a target temperature or do you unwrap the foil, probe, and rewrap if necessary? I plan on applying a salt free rub tonight and letting it sit overnight. Tomorrow morning, I will inject it with a beef broth/worcester sauce mixture and sprinkle with some salt before putting it on the grill at 225. The only thing I have not decided yet is whether or not to foil it. If I can't use the probe test, I will probabyl just cook through the stall without foil.

03-01-2013, 01:28 PM	#2
aawa Babbling Farker Join Date: 07-03-12 Location: Virginia Beach, VA	When I have a large piece of meat foiled and need to probe it. I just probe right through the foil. You can feel when it pierces the foil and when it starts to push into the meat. __________________ ~Ren~ Fat Kids Club Founding Member
	1 members found this post helpful.

03-01-2013, 01:35 PM	#3
MS2SB is One Chatty Farker Join Date: 06-28-10 Location: Bothell, WA	+1 Go ahead and jab that probe right through the foil. __________________ Traeger lil Tex, 2 Weber 22.5", UDS "Go Cougs!" They call me "Dave" [B]Original Noobian Warlord [/B]Loser of Known Space
	1 members found this post helpful.

03-01-2013, 01:38 PM	#4
landarc somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 06-26-09 Location: sAn leAnDRo, CA	Yep, easy to probe through foil or paper. No reason to worry about that. __________________ [COLOR=DarkGreen][COLOR=DarkRed][SIZE=1]me: I don't drink anymore Yelonutz: me either, but, then again, I don't drink any less [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Pink]SSS[/COLOR] [/COLOR][/SIZE]

03-01-2013, 01:52 PM	#7
Ron_L Moderator Join Date: 12-09-04 Location: Wandering, but not lost Name/Nickname : Captain Ron	I probe through the foil, too. I take the tip of my Themapen and make a small hole, and then slid the probe in. I started doing it this way after my wife found a small sliver of foil embedded in a slice of brisket as we were getting out box ready at a competition. Apparently the probe tip pushed it into the meat. If she hadn't seen it, and the judges had, we would have been DQ'd, and that day we took first place in brisket with a perfect 180! __________________ "Ron Rico, Boss. You can call me Captain Ron..." Naked Fatties Rock! PKGo X 2/PK360/Weber Q1000/Blackstone Camping Griddle/Pit Boss Pro Series 850
	3 members found this post helpful.

03-01-2013, 01:42 PM	#5
John Bowen is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 01-09-13 Location: Tupelo, MS	When I wrap I put the brisket in an aluminum pan and wrap the top. When I probe I pull the foil back check it then if it needs more cook time I just wrap it back up and pop it back on the smoker. This helps me save all the juices and make handling the brisket a bit easier.

03-01-2013, 01:47 PM	#6
John Bowen is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 01-09-13 Location: Tupelo, MS	I also would suggest that you run the smoker at 250 instead of 225 degrees. Brisket can take a little more heat.

03-01-2013, 02:06 PM	#8
bmoorhouse Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 08-20-12 Location: Norfolk, VA	Thanks, everyone. I had read somewhere that breaking the foil seal was bad as it released the moisture it was trapping. Obviously, based on your experience, that won't be a problem. One other thing I just thought of, if I apply the rub tonight, and inject tomorrow morning before cooking, will the injection wash away the rub? I just saw another video of someone injecting a brisket and the juices were seaping back out all over the place :( If that is a risk, perhaps I should inject and rub tonight. Any reason not to?

03-01-2013, 02:08 PM	#9
Chef Jim Babbling Farker Join Date: 02-07-10 Location: Tequesta, Florida	All very good advise. A BBQ judge once told he uses a foil pan with an open top. Then he covers for the last three hours. I have tried it and it works very well. But the probe test is what I use along with the temp. Don't try too many methods. Stick with whatever you decide and then see if you like it. It's beef so how could you not like it? then change just one thing for the next one, and so on until you have perfected it. Takes a little time but it's worth it. Best of luck with it. __________________ Judge Jim, Given to me by Terry @ Git R Smoked. Chef Jim, Gym, Jim, or CJ. [B][COLOR=Black] I'm not a Chef, but I play one on the internet.[/COLOR][/B] [URL]http://www.chef-jim.com[/URL] [FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3][FONT=Tahoma]A veteran is Someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." That is honor, and there are far too many people in this country who no longer understand it. Author unknown.[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT] [COLOR=Red][COLOR=Black] [/COLOR][/COLOR]

03-01-2013, 03:29 PM	#12
funugy Take a breath! Join Date: 05-21-12 Location: Oak Harbor, WA	I used to jab a probe through the foil to check doneness. Recently I have changed to using those disposable aluminum pans with a layer of foil over the top. When I do it this way it is easy to just open the foil lid and check then re-seal if needed. When I was just wrapping in foil, it seemed I was always using 2-3 layers of HD foil and I still managed to rip a hole in the bottom of it somehow.