First smoked brisket

A

Andrew

Guest
20130310_201924_zps3824905f.jpg


im good with ribs and really good with pork shoulders, but decided its time to try a brisket.

the taste was great, just was too tough, not sure what i did/didnt do, but will try again in a couple weeks.

180-200 for around 10-11 hours, 1 hr wrapped, 2 hours rest, took it to 180 degrees meat temp.
 
thanks, but i think if i would have left it in there any longer it would have been a board.
 
Ramp up the heat to 250 at least next time. And check for probe tender(when putting a thermo in is like sticking it in a tub of butter) Start checking for this at ~195. It could take up to 205 to be tender.

And yes that is way to low, thats nearing beef jerky temps. You almost had one huge piece of jerky.
 
im getting alot of mixed info, i was told by a person that makes great brisket (i have eaten it alot of times) to pull it at 165, i rendered a ton of the fat, i really dont see how it would soften up with more heat and longer. :(
 
You either misunderstood the dude who said 165 or he does not know what he does.

Brisket is done at 195-212. If you cook it at those extra low temps, you will dry it out before hitting your target. Try just a little hotter pit (smoke a lot of great briskets at 225) and if you are afraid of drying it out, foil it when you get to a nice color.

IT WILL SOFTEN UP somewhere around 200 degrees (if you do not dry it out).
 
Hawg Father of Seoul said:
You either misunderstood the dude who said 165 or he does not know what he does.

Brisket is done at 195-212. If you cook it at those extra low temps, you will dry it out before hitting your target. Try just a little hotter pit (smoke a lot of great briskets at 225) and if you are afraid of drying it out, foil it when you get to a nice color.

IT WILL SOFTEN UP somewhere around 200 degrees (if you do not dry it out).
Click to expand...

Big George's BBQ said:
Cook @ 225 or higher and cook it longer The test is the probe goes in like it is Butter
Click to expand...


i have smoked a few briskets with a friend is getting me into this.

but some we took to 185 and some to 205 and those were fairly dry as well, not sure but it has to be something small that we are doing wrong.
 
I get mad when my WSM gets under 250°. Just makes things take longer.

A higher temp will make 'er more tender. Like Hawgfather said, it needs to 'feel right'
 
I agree with the above mentioned advise about higher cook temps. You may want to try smoking at 250*. The Texas Crutch method is also a good way to go. Smoke it at 250* until the meat gets to 150* then wrap and continue till the meat hits 200* Pull it and wrap in a towel or blanket put into a pre warmed ice chest (put some hot water in it then empty before you add the wrapped meat) and let it rest for an hour or more.
 
im just not a fan of high temps, i was a big science person in school, more heat can draw out more moisture. but too many of yall are telling me the same thing.

now i want to take off of work and do it again LOL

thanks guys!
 
The magic wont happen in a tough piece of meat until you break it down by getting it around 200. Same concept as pulled pork from a pork butt.
 
Andrew said:
im getting alot of mixed info, i was told by a person that makes great brisket (i have eaten it alot of times) to pull it at 165, i rendered a ton of the fat, i really dont see how it would soften up with more heat and longer. :(
Click to expand...
You will often get what seem like mixed messages if you study the methods practiced by various board members here. That's because there is not always one way to smoke any particular meat. You have to examine the various methods and try them out to see what you prefer. The results are generally successful but not identical.

In this case it seems that the results were not fully successful. I hope you enjoyed the brisket nevertheless.

As to how more time/higher temp will produce more tender meat, one of the reactions that takes place during cooking is that connective tissue in the meat fibers softens and dissolves at a certain temperature. You are correct that if you try to get to that temperature too fast, you risk drying the meat. However if you do not reach the threshold temperature to dissolve the connective tissue, the meat will remain, uh... firm. :wink: As far as moisture goes, there is a lot locked up in the muscle fibers. Beef brisket contains about 71% water so you have a surprising amount to work with. If you don't do anything too extreme, you will not drive enough off to make the meat dry. At the point where you removed the brisket, there was still plenty there locked in the fibers that would be released as the meat continues to cook.

You have tried one strategy and found it not to produce results that please you so I'm happy to see that you are ready to try something different. :thumb:
 
Ok Amigo this is the deal you got your cherry popped now it's time to learn how to tease that brisket until it is putty in your hands.

Your cooking at to low a temperature 180-200 is jerky making temps. You can start off low say 230 fro the first two hrs they ramp it up, You need to run your pit at 275-300 deg until that brisket probes tender Internal temps do not tell you when the meat is fully rendered and all the collagen has broken down this will not happen at temps below 220, your first result is proof of this.

This is how I cook mine it is proven and it works everytime
I light my pit and bring it to 300 deg and get a split preheating on the fire box
Then I go in and remove the brisket from the Cyro and rinse it under cool water and pat it dry
Trim all the hard fat, and thing out the fat cap to 1/4"
Apply my rub 50/50 Ksalt & med grind Black pepper
Put the brisket on the pit Fat Cap up Point to the fire box
Maintain 300 deg
At the 4 th hr I wrap in a layer of Butcher paper and go back on the pit Fat Cap up point to the fire box
At the 5.5 hr mark I start to test the flat for probe tender once it probes like butter I pull it and put it on a sheet pan and allow it to sit wrapped until the brisket s temp drops to 150 this can take up to 3 hrs.
Now it is time to enjoy a giggly moist tender & juicy Piece of Bovine Love
DSCF0019.jpg

DSCF0046.jpg

DSCF0020.jpg
 
Johnny_Crunch said:
The magic wont happen in a tough piece of meat until you break it down by getting it around 200. Same concept as pulled pork from a pork butt.
Click to expand...

i do make an amazing pulled pork! i just didnt want to try a brisket until i fully knew my smoker and smoked enough meats to get some fundamentals down.

HankB said:
You will often get what seem like mixed messages if you study the methods practiced by various board members here. That's because there is not always one way to smoke any particular meat. You have to examine the various methods and try them out to see what you prefer. The results are generally successful but not identical.

In this case it seems that the results were not fully successful. I hope you enjoyed the brisket nevertheless.

As to how more time/higher temp will produce more tender meat, one of the reactions that takes place during cooking is that connective tissue in the meat fibers softens and dissolves at a certain temperature. You are correct that if you try to get to that temperature too fast, you risk drying the meat. However if you do not reach the threshold temperature to dissolve the connective tissue, the meat will remain, uh... firm. :wink: As far as moisture goes, there is a lot locked up in the muscle fibers. Beef brisket contains about 71% water so you have a surprising amount to work with. If you don't do anything too extreme, you will not drive enough off to make the meat dry. At the point where you removed the brisket, there was still plenty there locked in the fibers that would be released as the meat continues to cook.

You have tried one strategy and found it not to produce results that please you so I'm happy to see that you are ready to try something different. :thumb:
Click to expand...

this makes complete sense! and for 1, i dont get discouraged, i try things first to see what doesnt work so i can exclude that from further processes!

its the fine line i have to ride, between too hot and not hot enough.

thanks guys!
 
Bludawg said:
Ok Amigo this is the deal you got your cherry popped now it's time to learn how to tease that brisket until it is putty in your hands.

Your cooking at to low a temperature 180-200 is jerky making temps. You can start off low say 230 fro the first two hrs they ramp it up, You need to run your pit at 275-300 deg until that brisket probes tender Internal temps do not tell you when the meat is fully rendered and all the collagen has broken down this will not happen at temps below 220, your first result is proof of this.

This is how I cook mine it is proven and it works everytime
I light my pit and bring it to 300 deg and get a split preheating on the fire box
Then I go in and remove the brisket from the Cyro and rinse it under cool water and pat it dry
Trim all the hard fat, and thing out the fat cap to 1/4"
Apply my rub 50/50 Ksalt & med grind Black pepper
Put the brisket on the pit Fat Cap up Point to the fire box
Maintain 300 deg
At the 4 th hr I wrap in a layer of Butcher paper and go back on the pit Fat Cap up point to the fire box
At the 5.5 hr mark I start to test the flat for probe tender once it probes like butter I pull it and put it on a sheet pan and allow it to sit wrapped until the brisket s temp drops to 150 this can take up to 3 hrs.
Now it is time to enjoy a giggly moist tender & juicy Piece of Bovine Love
DSCF0019.jpg

DSCF0046.jpg

DSCF0020.jpg
Click to expand...


Trim all the hard fat, and thing out the fat cap to 1/4"
Apply my rub 50/50 Ksalt & med grind Black pepper
Put the brisket on the pit Fat Cap up Point to the fire box
Fat Cap up point to the fire box

these things i did do.

its starting to make more sense, at the higher temps the meat breaks down, so me running low wont break down the meat properly.

i always left a probe in to contantly monitor the temps, i have a fear of over probing and making a swiss cheese and lose even more moisture, but im guessing yall will tell me that isnt the case LOL!
 
Andrew. Less than 4 months ago, I was exactly where you are. Exactly. Asking all of the same questions and getting the same advice. I listened to what I was told, and now Brisket is the family favorite.

Here is a short video of my Brisket from Saturday.

[ame]http://youtu.be/SUKjvgiTyGw[/ame]


The family loved it.

Here is the thread I started last October. Check out the advice I was given there.

Finally I gave in and cooked the Brisket at 270F according to Pitmaster T's Edict

Cooking at 270F seemed counter intuitive since the whole reason why I got a smoker was for slow and low cooking, but trust the results.. it works!
 
thegizzard said:
Andrew. Less than 4 months ago, I was exactly where you are. Exactly. Asking all of the same questions and getting the same advice. I listened to what I was told, and now Brisket is the family favorite.

Here is a short video of my Brisket from Saturday.

http://youtu.be/SUKjvgiTyGw


The family loved it.

Here is the thread I started last October. Check out the advice I was given there.

Finally I gave in and cooked the Brisket at 270F according to Pitmaster T's Edict

Cooking at 270F seemed counter intuitive since the whole reason why I got a smoker was for slow and low cooking, but trust the results.. it works!
Click to expand...

this is exactly what is going thru my head! to the T!

nice!! and LOL to having a kid on the counter, just like at my house, always wanting to see what dad is doing!

looks fantastic!

looking back thru my pics, i have determined, i maintained moisture but not tenderness, which would backup what yall are saying!

20130310_201421_zpsd31c6ce8.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

TheHojo
Old School - Shoulder Clod and lockhart style sausages
Replies
17
Views
1K
TheHojo
TheHojo
B
First brisket on my Brazos offset was not a success.
2
Replies
23
Views
1K
Bald-Headed John
B
S
K.I.S.S Brisket
Replies
5
Views
485
Big George's BBQ
Big George's BBQ
TheHojo
Jalapeño Sausage
Replies
17
Views
918
cowgirl
cowgirl
J
Brisket tastes a little like stew beef
Replies
16
Views
973
JCBII
J
Back
Top