toddcc1
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2015
- Location
- Monument...
I think it's great to see all the "1st Brisket" cook questions. The reply information is even better and fairly consistent. Rather than reply to each one, I thought I'd begin a thread discussing the entire process of logging your cooks. Searching "log" turns up quite a variety, so I'll go with "logging".
I'd like to share the importance of logging your cooks. I too learned via the threads, but also by a tremendous amount of trial and error. Every time I do a brisket, I share that it's about a $1,500 dollar piece of meat, as that's how much brisket was ruined trying to get it right. I also logged each and every cook. I'm a data scientist, so the data was of interest to me. Every hour I logged the cooker temp, probe at grate temp and middle of flat temp. I also logged if I spritzed, added wood and what grate the meat was on. After 15 brisket specific cooks, I finally was able to repeat with extreme accuracy the duration, times and taste that was acceptable to me and more importantly to others. Now, I'm no judge, but I think I know when I've ruined a brisket.
What I've learned:
The quality of the meat matters more than I originally thought. After 4 cooks, I sought out and established a relationship with a local distributor that carried Creekstone Farms briskets. Not that I advocate them over any other, but you can see the coloring difference in CF briskets vs. the CAB briskets I had been using. At this point I made a choice to only use CF briskets. It helped that I was getting them at about $4/lb. direct from the distributor. Even within the CF brisket boxes they had, I began to find the ones with the thickest fat cap on the flat and would test them by bending them from end to end, checking for pliability. If there was any strain in bending them, I wouldn't select it. I also became sensitive to the package date. If it was 50 days, I would age it another 8 in my own fridge, prior to the cook.
Rubs:
Like many, I've bought so many, mixed them up, added some from others, modified to the point that I've come full circle and now only use salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't slather with mustard, pickle juice or anything else. I do score the fat cap, but make sure the rub doesn't "stuff" in there. After the rub, I wrap tightly and let rest in the fridge for about 10 hours.
Spritz:
I do spritz. Dale's Marinade. I've used mixtures of all recommendations and one day saw it and decided to try it. It's not too salty, but adds a great beef flavor to the brisket without overcomplicating the taste. I dilute it down and it's all I use now. I spritz every hour, on the hour.
Temps:
I've ruined more briskets due to poor temp control and eventually became comfortable with my cooks and smoker to deal with maintaining a constant temp. I start at 190 degrees and hold between that and 200, until the brisket reaches 160 degrees, I then ramp the smoker up to 230 degrees and cook until it's finished. I do not wrap.
Rest:
I lay the brisket out on the counter, put my temp pen in the middle of the flat and let it sit until it reaches 160 degrees.
What the data tells me about being done:
For the 15 briskets:
Mean: 200 degrees
Standard Deviation: 2 degrees
Though, I would be a poor data scientist if I didn't share that 30 samples is considered adequate. But, with modern statistical programming, we're able to create a data sample on 100 cooks, using the data from the 15.
What is it saying?
Well, based upon 100 cooks, with 95% certainty, a brisket with a mean weight of 12.6 lbs, will be finished cooking between 201 and 202 degrees. So, when someone says "it's done when it's done", that's actually not accurate. Though, there will be 5% of the cooks that will be outside of that temperature. If we want to be super accurate, 2.5% will be finished above 202 degrees and 2.5% will be finished below 201 degrees.
That has been my experience and hopefully some newer aspiring BBQ cooks find it helpful.
I'd like to share the importance of logging your cooks. I too learned via the threads, but also by a tremendous amount of trial and error. Every time I do a brisket, I share that it's about a $1,500 dollar piece of meat, as that's how much brisket was ruined trying to get it right. I also logged each and every cook. I'm a data scientist, so the data was of interest to me. Every hour I logged the cooker temp, probe at grate temp and middle of flat temp. I also logged if I spritzed, added wood and what grate the meat was on. After 15 brisket specific cooks, I finally was able to repeat with extreme accuracy the duration, times and taste that was acceptable to me and more importantly to others. Now, I'm no judge, but I think I know when I've ruined a brisket.
What I've learned:
The quality of the meat matters more than I originally thought. After 4 cooks, I sought out and established a relationship with a local distributor that carried Creekstone Farms briskets. Not that I advocate them over any other, but you can see the coloring difference in CF briskets vs. the CAB briskets I had been using. At this point I made a choice to only use CF briskets. It helped that I was getting them at about $4/lb. direct from the distributor. Even within the CF brisket boxes they had, I began to find the ones with the thickest fat cap on the flat and would test them by bending them from end to end, checking for pliability. If there was any strain in bending them, I wouldn't select it. I also became sensitive to the package date. If it was 50 days, I would age it another 8 in my own fridge, prior to the cook.
Rubs:
Like many, I've bought so many, mixed them up, added some from others, modified to the point that I've come full circle and now only use salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't slather with mustard, pickle juice or anything else. I do score the fat cap, but make sure the rub doesn't "stuff" in there. After the rub, I wrap tightly and let rest in the fridge for about 10 hours.
Spritz:
I do spritz. Dale's Marinade. I've used mixtures of all recommendations and one day saw it and decided to try it. It's not too salty, but adds a great beef flavor to the brisket without overcomplicating the taste. I dilute it down and it's all I use now. I spritz every hour, on the hour.
Temps:
I've ruined more briskets due to poor temp control and eventually became comfortable with my cooks and smoker to deal with maintaining a constant temp. I start at 190 degrees and hold between that and 200, until the brisket reaches 160 degrees, I then ramp the smoker up to 230 degrees and cook until it's finished. I do not wrap.
Rest:
I lay the brisket out on the counter, put my temp pen in the middle of the flat and let it sit until it reaches 160 degrees.
What the data tells me about being done:
For the 15 briskets:
Mean: 200 degrees
Standard Deviation: 2 degrees
Though, I would be a poor data scientist if I didn't share that 30 samples is considered adequate. But, with modern statistical programming, we're able to create a data sample on 100 cooks, using the data from the 15.
What is it saying?
Well, based upon 100 cooks, with 95% certainty, a brisket with a mean weight of 12.6 lbs, will be finished cooking between 201 and 202 degrees. So, when someone says "it's done when it's done", that's actually not accurate. Though, there will be 5% of the cooks that will be outside of that temperature. If we want to be super accurate, 2.5% will be finished above 202 degrees and 2.5% will be finished below 201 degrees.
That has been my experience and hopefully some newer aspiring BBQ cooks find it helpful.
ound:
