Brisket Failure - Please Help

[Demosthenes9]

brisket can be cooked successfully without braising. thus a braise is not a requirement.

braising greatly improves the chances of success for beginners and seasoned pros alike.

heh, if you say so.

 

[m-fine]

First you say:

ill say it one more time, just in case it was missed.

brisket flat really needs a braise. it doesnt have enough fat to protect it during a long cook, and it is a thin piece of meat that drys out easily.

Then you change your tune:

brisket can be cooked successfully without braising. thus a braise is not a requirement.

braising greatly improves the chances of success for beginners and seasoned pros alike.

Still wrong. You should try actually braising a brisket.

Here you go...

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/552-how-to-braise-brisket

Note how even professional cooks can struggle with dry brisket even with braising if not done right. Braising liquid is no miracle cure for beginners.

When you have braising figured out, try smoking one.

Note that the technique that they use for temp management in braising also works for smoking, but over a longer period. Try smoking at a higher temp at first, and then when you get to 180, cut the smoker temp and hold the meat in the 180-200 range until tender. You can and should also do an extended hold in a cooler or a holding oven. The hold period makes a more tender yet juicy brisket. That is what Frankin is really doing at the restaurant, not braising.

 

[el luchador]

Lol. Not wrong and didn't change my tune.

Brisket can be smoked without a braise if you have a fully loaded smoker and have a way to control humidity and generate high levels of it, provided you have a brisket that doesn't have a 1" thick flat which is all I see nowadays

For average Joe , or Aaron Franklin, braising provides that humidity and gives a far greater chance of success.


Please post some pics of your brisket flats. Youve been a member for years and never posted even one pic. Thanks. thanks. Lol


Edit. BTW here is mine since I know you'll ask

 

[m-fine]

I am only posting to correct the stupid miss information you post so others don’t get led astray. I have no interest in directly feeding a troll or getting in a mud wrestling match with a pig. Yes your penis is bigger, let’s move along.

 

[el luchador]

LMAO. I guess we will never see a brisket flat pic from m-fine. EVER!

 

[Sickboy579]

As for myself, I’ve never found it so complicated as all this here. My only experience has been offset stickburners. 15#-18# packers. Trim some fat, basic rub, naked and dry smoke. 250* until it’s done, FTC for 3-4 hours and never lost a soldier on my watch. Nothing for nothing, it’s always been very simple. Juicy, slices good, holds together and pulls easy. Keep trying, slower and lower if need be.

 

[CentralOhioBBQ]

Lol. Not wrong and didn't change my tune.

Brisket can be smoked without a braise if you have a fully loaded smoker and have a way to control humidity and generate high levels of it, provided you have a brisket that doesn't have a 1" thick flat which is all I see nowadays

For average Joe , or Aaron Franklin, braising provides that humidity and gives a far greater chance of success.


Please post some pics of your brisket flats. Youve been a member for years and never posted even one pic. Thanks. thanks. Lol


Edit. BTW here is mine since I know you'll ask

EL - you sliced you're brisket incorrectly. Separate the point and flat then slice each against the grain (the grain of the cuts run different ways). Also, you're seriously lacking bark, a key to great brisket. Try smoking till 160ish and then wrapping - as opposed to braising. IF you do this you'll aslo develop a much more robust smoke ring than that baby one you have in the pic.

Keep practicing, you'll get there..

 

[JS-TX]

Braising will help you get a tender brisket, but it will also give you BBQ pot roast. I choose to add very little liquids if anything in the foil, and then put the brisket back on the cooker for about 20min when it's done to firm up the bark. I also like to use coarse spices (mainly salt and pepper) to help me get a nice bark. I use other spices/rubs too for flavor but always a layer of the coarse stuff.

 

[bobaftt]

when I have a "bad" brisket I have the absolute best chili shortly thereafter.

 

[el luchador]

EL - you sliced you're brisket incorrectly. Separate the point and flat then slice each against the grain (the grain of the cuts run different ways). Also, you're seriously lacking bark, a key to great brisket. Try smoking till 160ish and then wrapping - as opposed to braising. IF you do this you'll aslo develop a much more robust smoke ring than that baby one you have in the pic.

Keep practicing, you'll get there..

:thumb:
thank you for the advice shifu

 

[Steve S]

Wrapping in foil does not equal braising, even with the addition of some liquid.... still.

 

[Bob C Cue]

Most of you guys are BBQ posers who wouldn't know a properly cooked brisket if it smacked you in the face and jiggled just right! I on the other hand nail them time after time with one arm tied behind my back. Here is one of my typical perfectly smoked briskies! Eat your heart out guys.

 

[CentralOhioBBQ]

Most of you guys are BBQ posers who wouldn't know a properly cooked brisket if it smacked you in the face and jiggled just right! I on the other hand nail them time after time with one arm tied behind my back. Here is one of my typical perfectly smoked briskies! Eat your heart out guys.

You need to learn how to properly rub your meat. Did you use minced garlic?

 

[CentralOhioBBQ]

This is how it's done. Take notes on the color and bark.

 

[Burnt at Both Endz]

This is how it's done. Take notes on the color and bark.

Not too bad for a Walmart brisket!:razz:

 

[Demosthenes9]

Lol. Not wrong and didn't change my tune.

Brisket can be smoked without a braise if you have a fully loaded smoker and have a way to control humidity and generate high levels of it, provided you have a brisket that doesn't have a 1" thick flat which is all I see nowadays

For average Joe , or Aaron Franklin, braising provides that humidity and gives a far greater chance of success.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong. you don't need a fully loaded smoker, nor do you need some magical way to control humidity.


You can smoke a flat all by itself in an offset stickburner, a vertical gas, electric, gravity fed or stick burner, a UDS, a WSM or any other smoker. There's only 2 things that you really need to do. First, keep it OUT of direct thermal air flow. You do this with diffusers / baffles. Then, you need to know wtf you are doing, i.e. how to tell when a brisket is done.



That's basically it. For all the talk otherwise, smoking a brisket is remarkably uncomplicated. Stick it into a smoker under indirect heat and cook it until it's done. It's that freaking easy. Even for a flat.

 

[Bob C Cue]

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong. you don't need a fully loaded smoker, nor do you need some magical way to control humidity.


You can smoke a flat all by itself in an offset stickburner, a vertical gas, electric, gravity fed or stick burner, a UDS, a WSM or any other smoker. There's only 2 things that you really need to do. First, keep it OUT of direct thermal air flow. You do this with diffusers / baffles. Then, you need to know wtf you are doing, i.e. how to tell when a brisket is done.



That's basically it. For all the talk otherwise, smoking a brisket is remarkably uncomplicated. Stick it into a smoker under indirect heat and cook it until it's done. It's that freaking easy. Even for a flat.

Amen. And when you do it right it turns out like this. Note the heavenly bark, the obligatory smoke ring and the flow of juices:

 

[CentralOhioBBQ]

Amen. And when you do it right it turns out like this. Note the heavenly bark, the obligatory smoke ring and the flow of juices:

One more thing on this minced garlic rubbed flat. You sliced with the grain, rookie.

 

[el luchador]

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong. you don't need a fully loaded smoker, nor do you need some magical way to control humidity.


You can smoke a flat all by itself in an offset stickburner, a vertical gas, electric, gravity fed or stick burner, a UDS, a WSM or any other smoker. There's only 2 things that you really need to do. First, keep it OUT of direct thermal air flow. You do this with diffusers / baffles. Then, you need to know wtf you are doing, i.e. how to tell when a brisket is done.



That's basically it. For all the talk otherwise, smoking a brisket is remarkably uncomplicated. Stick it into a smoker under indirect heat and cook it until it's done. It's that freaking easy. Even for a flat.

OK :thumb:

 

[Burnt at Both Endz]

One more thing on this minced garlic rubbed flat. You sliced with the grain, rookie.

You sure he didn't just cut of the point and your looking at the end of the flat?