Thawing, trimming, and re-freezing a Snake brisket

Roast Beast · Jan 25, 2018

Anyone thaw, trim, and re-freeze their SRF briskets ahead of time for comps? I’ve read about and generally understand the food safety issues (so assume that I could keep the meat under 40 during the entire thaw and trimming process), just wondering if anyone is actually doing this in practice.

Bald Hawg · Jan 25, 2018

I am replying since no one else had. Didn't want you to feel like no one was paying attention.

Roast Beast · Jan 25, 2018

Bald Hawg said:
I am replying since no one else had. Didn't want you to feel like no one was paying attention.

Thanks. Guess I’ll just have to #KOD! it and see.

BurntFinger_Jason · Jan 25, 2018

I've only done it once, and it wasn't by design. I was driving to a contest when I got a call from my pregnant wife saying the doctor told her she was going into labor. I turned around, drove home and threw everything into freezer. Ended up being a false alarm and we didn't have the baby for several more weeks.

It was nice to have all of the meats trimmed and ready to go for my next event, but I could tell the difference. The texture was slightly different and everything was a little on the dry side. Haven't tried it since.

CentralOhioBBQ · Jan 25, 2018

I think it would be good if it never got over low 40’s, but I’m just guessing.

Seems it’s probably not worth the potential downside, just to trim when it’s more convienient.

djqualls · Jan 25, 2018

I do it a lot. I'll buy six and trim and re vacuum seal and re freeze.

Jason TQ · Jan 25, 2018

Yes, but we suck a lot.

MeatyOakerSmoker · Feb 11, 2018

Refreezing can cause moisture loss.

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/10438-science-can-you-refreeze-meat

erichasaces · Feb 11, 2018

djqualls said:
I do it a lot. I'll buy six and trim and re vacuum seal and re freeze.

If qualls is doing it, then it's probably good enough for the rest of us!

I'd just recommend using a cold freezer and getting it frozen quickly. Rule of thumb is always freeze fast, thaw slow. I freeze any meat that I'm going to freeze in a real deep freeze that rarely gets opened instead of my normal meat refrigerator/freezer. Then I thaw my brisket in a very cold refrigerator for 2 weeks.

INmitch · Feb 12, 2018

I've posted this before but I'll tell the story again. A year n a half ago I had all meat trimmed for a comp and ended up not going and refroze my brisket. a few weeks later I bought a new motor home and had a comp in Madison IN the next weekend. Well on Friday afternoon in Madison I got in the new fridge to get out my rethawed SRF gold. Yup it was froze solid again. Long story short I won brisket with a 180.

Thawing, trimming, and re-freezing a Snake brisket

Roast Beast

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Bald Hawg

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BurntFinger_Jason

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CentralOhioBBQ

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djqualls

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Jason TQ

somebody shut me the fark up.

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erichasaces

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