Brisket / Butt overcooked seeking advice

[TroyA65]

I did my first comp of the year this past weekend and felt confident going in (other than turning in chicken from a new recipe I've been working on) but my brisket & butts got overcooked. The brisket was a Costco Prime and the butts were from Sam's Smithfield prime reserve. So here are the details and my theory of what happened.

• Fired the smoker at 1:30am
• Butts & Brisket on by 2:00am (both had been injected several hours earlier)
• Temps ran 275 - 300
• Pulled and wrapped both between 4:30 and 5:00 am
• Back on the smoker at 275 by 5:00
  
• Pulled butts at 190 IT (I was shooting for 185 but missed it)
  
• Pulled brisket when probe tender (temp was around 200 but I don't remember exact number)
  
• Both were then vented for 15-20 min to stop the cooking process and then placed in a cambro to hold until turn in.

The brisket was tight (maybe undercooked? Hell if I know?!?!?!)

I could barely hold the MM together for slicing (my knives are shaving sharp). I did separate the the money muscle before putting them in the cambro


Here is what I'm thinking, because of the thermal mass of 1 brisket and 2 butts in the cambro the 15-20 minutes of venting is not enough. I am wondering if I should vent until I get down to a temp (like 160 or so).

For those of you holding your meat before turn in (I'm assuming that's most of you) what do you do?

Do you see anything that is way off on my temps, timing, etc...?

Feel free to PM me if you don't want to release your secrets to everyone.


I just what to figure out when my cooks are going off the tracks and get it fixed. Thanks

 

[LakeRat Bbq]

When you say you pulled the butt at 190 is that 190 center mass of the butt or 190 in the Mm? Cause the way I aggressively trim MM if I pulled it when the rest of the butt was at 190 my Mm would be way over.

 

[LakeRat Bbq]

As far as the venting goes it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to vent for the same amount of time you did last time, check your temp then go another 10 minutes or so, probe again and then adjust accordingly. If your using a maverick you could just keep it in after you pull it so you can watch the temp come down without poking a bunch of holes in it.

 

[nachos4life]

I usually vent for about 15 mins. I also open up the cambro here and there if i feel its holding too hot or didn't vent quite as long.

what part of the brisket probed tender? I always wait for the thickest part of the flat to get tender. IT is usually more than a few degrees over 200 but I don't go by that. The thinner part of the flat is usually a bit over when I feel like I get it right. If yours was tight, it was under.

 

[bpeyton89]

if you are cooking at 275-300, why are you putting the meat on in the middle of the night. I would either dial back the temperatures, or put the meat on around 5-6 am. As far as your finishing temps go, those seem a bit low for hot and fast cooking.

 

[thirdeye]

How often did you burp the Cambro? You need to let that heat out too.

 

[MikeJ65]

Problem: Brisket was under, MM was over. It's really that simple.

Solution: Cook brisket until it probes tender. When you foil the pork, pull the MM(s) and wrap them separately. Cook until each piece is tender. You need to check the MM's often, they go quick. At your cooking temps, you will probably be in the 185-190 range for the MM, around 195 for the butts, 200-205 or hotter for the brisket depending on what you are cooking. Those are just guidelines, use the probe. It will take some experience to relate the probe to the final tenderness, but you will get the hang of it. Use an electric knife on the MM and burnt ends, it will give you a cleaner cut.

 

[TroyA65]

When you say you pulled the butt at 190 is that 190 center mass of the butt or 190 in the Mm? Cause the way I aggressively trim MM if I pulled it when the rest of the butt was at 190 my Mm would be way over.

Good Point, center mass

I usually vent for about 15 mins. I also open up the cambro here and there if i feel its holding too hot or didn't vent quite as long. what part of the brisket probed tender? I always wait for the thickest part of the flat to get tender. IT is usually more than a few degrees over 200 but I don't go by that. The thinner part of the flat is usually a bit over when I feel like I get it right. If yours was tight, it was under.

Cambro is closed tight until I start prepping turn ins. Thickest part of the flat as well.

if you are cooking at 275-300, why are you putting the meat on in the middle of the night. I would either dial back the temperatures, or put the meat on around 5-6 am. As far as your finishing temps go, those seem a bit low for hot and fast cooking.

I get better smoke on my WSM. When I wrap I move them to the insulated cooker that holds temp like an oven and do ribs on the WSM etc... I don't mind the big stuff getting done early and resting, it feels less chaotic than everything getting done right before turn in.

How often did you burp the Cambro? You need to let that heat out too.

The only burp was after a beer, first I've heard of this but now I will. Seems like I missed that trick along the way.

Thanks guys, looking forward to more responses.

 

[Qbert60]

I cook on drums so take this for what its worth.

The way I cook, the entire butt comes off at the same time. I don't separate the MM because I feel something gets lost. Maybe by foiling it by itself, it doesn't stay in the hot juices. I don't know.

Brisket is a different monster for me. I think i may have gotten a handle on it, but it's still a work in progress. I separate. Flat gets wrapped after 2.5 hours(ish). Gets taken off when probe tender. I know that the flat needs to be 207* - 211* before that happens. I normally start checking 1.5 hours into the wrap stage. when taken off, it goes right into the cambro.

I do butts on the bottom and brisket on the top. Ribs in the middle if I need too. I would rather have over-cooked food, than under cooked as overcooked wins regularly.

 

[JS-TX]

IMO they got overcooked in the cambro. I use a cheap cooler for brisket and still vent often. I hold for about 2-3 hours. If by chance the brisket cools down a little much (never has before) I can use the hot au jus to warm it back up.