Brisket advice

I had the same result on Saturday and followed the same process except I pulled at 186. Its fine, don't get me wrong. I had another taste today for lunch with the kids. It was totally presentable for company, but it wouldn't win any awards. Just short of being perfect. I'm thinking 150 may have been a better time to foil it. Dunno.

Norcoredneck said:

Well I cooked my brisket this weekend. Tasted good, but a little not so tender, ....

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Answered your own question right there. Cook it a bit more!

Without arguing how and where to test temp, if it was "not so tender", add 5 or 10 degrees to your target temp and try again :lol:

Don't change anything else or create more variables.

Enjoy the next one even more!

TIM

Foil at 170 if you want to foil and pull at 190 minimum and 200 preferably. It will be tender.

I hate to be the odd man out, and this is only one technique, whatever works for others is great too.

In my pit, once a brisket reachs 180, temperature is irrelevent. I stop looking at temps and pay attention to the feell of a probe going into the flat at a nearly horizontal angle. once there is no resistance, i remove it,foil it(if its not allready) wrap in a towle and let it reswt for a little while. Sounds like in your case, it needed a little more time, possibly some cooler time would have done it.

My point is, pay more attention to feel than temp. Waiting for a brisket to reach 190-200, when it was done at 185 will give ya nothing but dried out/overcooked brisket.

Some bbq engineering nerd needs to develop a brisket durometer. They would make a killing(please give me 5-10 percent for the idea).

BBQchef33 said:

I hate to be the odd man out, and this is only one technique, whatever works for others is great too.

In my pit, once a brisket reachs 180, temperature is irrelevent. I stop looking at temps and pay attention to the feell of a probe going into the flat at a nearly horizontal angle. once there is no resistance, i remove it,foil it(if its not allready) wrap in a towle and let it reswt for a little while. Sounds like in your case, it needed a little more time, possibly some cooler time would have done it.

My point is, pay more attention to feel than temp. Waiting for a brisket to reach 190-200, when it was done at 185 will give ya nothing but dried out/overcooked brisket.

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Phil, you hit it on the head. I was amazed when I joined this group on how some were so bent on what temp to do whatever (foil, rest, juggle). A brisket is done when it is done, these temps are quidelines. I've had a brisket "loosen up" at 170, I had one that I about threw into the ditch, because it was at 195 and still hard as a rock, then bam it was fine (the only reason I know this was I was experimenting to see if what I was reading here and elsewhere online was really true about the temps).

Now I will say that I use a therm. on pork butts. But I had one this weekend that wouldn't hit 170 to save its life. Wrapped it and put in the cooler, came out perfect, but it only reached 160 and stayed there for 2 hours. Not sure it wasn't a therm problem. But I checked it several places and all registered between 160-165.

My advice, keep on trying, you'll hit it sooner or later. Like you said it wasn't bad, just wasn't as good as some others. It is like riding a horse, the more you do it, the better you look doing it.

Another technique to try is to stick a long tined (2 tines) fork into the point. If you can twist it 180 degrees without forcing it, pull it. If you can't cook it some more.

I foil at 165. You also might try doing the cook in an aluminum pan. *blutch ducks!* The last two briskets I did that way and they were incredibly tender.. I prefer more bark, so won't do that next time.

B

tjus77 said:

Now I will say that I use a therm. on pork butts. But I had one this weekend that wouldn't hit 170 to save its life. Wrapped it and put in the cooler, came out perfect, but it only reached 160 and stayed there for 2 hours. Not sure it wasn't a therm problem. But I checked it several places and all registered between 160-165.

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I will agree with you that temps are only guidlines ,and I also have had briskets tender below "optimum" temps....but....they are definatley the best way to insure that your doing the same thing every time.Something that is a must for newbies ,IMHO.....I ruined many a good brisket before I got the hang of it and still do occasionally,ussually it's because I tried something different.....Not that there arent new techniques to learn but consisteny is the key .All in all the foil at 180 and put in a cooler guidline has worked for me for years...
Also, on the butts not wanting to go over 160....I've had them stay at certain temps..( ussually around 150-170) for EVER:icon_pissed, then by some magical push BOOM they go up....my advice for newbies is paitence,patience,patience.....it'll come .

tjus77 said:

A brisket is done when it is done, these temps are quidelines.

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So True, So True. Practice makes for very good food. I love to hear people tell me they good great brisket on their 1st attempt. My first one would not make good show leather. I don't think I can miss on a brisket unless I drink too much, or just don't pay attention.

Keep practicing, your briskets will only get better.
Take notes so you can make it more than once.

In every smoke I've done so far, I've cooked a brisket. That's 'cause I LOVE BEEF!

Willaim Shatner said:

With that aside . . . I've measured the temp every time and every time it's been a different temp that I've pulled it off. Something . . . inside . . . something . . . telling me . . . that it's time to come off. Maybe it's the clear liquid on top - just like my burgers on the grill.

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So far my intuition has paid off with some delicious slices of beef heaven.

I can only thank the guidance I've received here . . .

Thank you Brothers!

/Brother Dave

Ummmm, I first have to thank Phil for my introduction to the cooler method.
More times than I can count he's mentioned it in many other threads. I'd never tried it untill this past weekend.

To make a long story shorter, for super bowl(late Saturday nite) I went to Sam's to get me some brisket and ribs. Wouldn't ya know it, all the untrimmed briskets that I have to ring the bell for, and bust the butchers balls for were all gone. At least thats what the farker behind the window said.

Anyways, all they had left were the trimmed up flat bottoms. Like farkin 3.5 - 4 pounds!!!!! WTF!!!! am I gonna do wit somptin like dat????

Well, beyond my better judgement(like I got any a dat chit stored up somewhere) I went for it. I thought....5 hours tops and it will be done, if not and it turns out as chit, I'll beat it to a sorry death and we'll have tacos instead.

I foiled at 175ish, let it sit for another hour-declining heat in the smoker 200-. Resigning myself that I have succeeded in making shoe laces, I then I had to go to my kids karate, so I threw it in a cooler where it sat for another 2 hours.

UNFARKIN believeable that a dumb arse like me could produce something so juicy! I don't mean like juicy when you cut it and juice goes everywhere. I mean that sombitch was still juicy for left over frenchy dip sandwich's 3 days later.

I am forever humble with the knowledge gained here. Thanks again Pooh!

Kevin